While students were giving thanks over break, Eastern was thanking an alumnus for a substantial gift.

Identa Moler Austin, a 1934 graduate and former Charleston resident, transferred ownership of a 78.15-acre farm Wednesday to the university.

The EIU Foundation will either use the income from the farm or sell the farm to provide scholarships to students, said Nancy Page, EIU Foundation administrative aide. The Moler-Austin scholarship will be available for students from Coles County who major in English.

Page said Moler Austin wants to aid students interested in teaching English, which is how Moler Austin earned a living for 20 years. The 89-year-old benefactor is donating her family’s farm because education was important to her parents, her husband and especially her.

Her father and mother were great believers in education and bought a farm for each of their three children. Moler Austin said donating her farm is a way to perpetuate their love for education.

“She originally wanted to will the farm to the foundation, but she’d rather do it now and be able to know the students,” Page said.

Moler Austin said this is something she’s wanted to do for a long while, and she’s looking forward to meeting the students.

The EIU Foundation is receiving the farm in two pieces. The first part of the property was signed over during a ceremony at the Neal Welcome Center Wednesday, and the second installment of the gift is anticipated for January.

The farm, located just north of the Charleston city limits, is a working farm used to grow corn and soybeans, said Patti Stratton, EIU Foundation executive officer. Stratton said the foundation sent a team of agriculture experts to assess the property before the university accepted the gift.

“There’s no buildings on the property, and the people on the agriculture committee said it was beautiful farmland,” Stratton said.

Karla Evans, executive director of development for the EIU Foundation, said she has reservations about releasing the value of the property, but it’s a considerable sum.

Moler Austin said she has no preference for the future of the farm, and if it’s sold, she has no estimate for what it will bring in.