Heiress, 'Silent Philanthropist,' dies in California

Margaret Anne Cargill, 85, an heiress to Minneapolis-based agribusiness Cargill who delighted in making significant but anonymous donations to a variety of worthy causes, died August 1 at her home in La Jolla, CA, after a long illness.

Miss Cargill was the daughter of Austen S. Cargill and his wife, Anne Ray Cargill. Both her father and brother, James R. Cargill, were senior executives at Cargill. From a young age, Miss Cargill's interests focused on art, and she never was active in the business founded by her grandfather, William Cargill, in 1865.

Born on Sept. 24, 1920 in Los Angeles, Miss Cargill spent much of her early life in the Midwest, and attended Kemper Hall, a private Episcopal school for women in Kenosha, Wis.  She loved Kemper Hall, and her experience there created a lifetime bond with the Episcopal Church that was the catalyst for much of her later philanthropy.

She attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., for one year, before transferring to the University of Minnesota. She left school and moved to New York, where she worked briefly as a manuscript editor.

Eventually she returned to the Midwest, but spent much of her time as a young woman traveling throughout the country, often in a convertible. Her mother once joked, "If it has an engine and wheels, Margaret is on it." A nature lover, she also enjoyed camping, and in later years traveled to scenic areas by RV.

Much of Miss Cargill's travel was aimed at furthering her interest in arts and crafts, particularly Native American and folk art, fiber arts and weaving, and jewelry making. To that end, she returned to University of Minnesota and graduated in 1954 with a degree in art education. Shortly thereafter she moved to Southern California, where her parents had retired.

She divided her time among the communities of Idyllwild on the slopes of California's San Jacinto Mountain, the desert community of Borego Springs in Riverside County, and La Jolla on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

An amateur folk artist who especially enjoyed weaving and working with fabrics, Miss Cargill took art classes and sought out teachers who specialized in folk arts. One of those teachers, textiles artist Hilma Berglund, became a friend and lifetime influence on Miss Cargill.

A private and independent woman, Miss Cargill blossomed into a silent philanthropist, making substantial anonymous donations over the years to local and national organizations including the American Red Cross and St. Paul's Cathedral, which serves as the Episcopal Cathedral of the Diocese of San Diego. Another major interest was assisting the elderly, and to that end she supported the many programs at St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services. The community care center at St. Paul's is named after her mother, Anne Ray.

Bishop John Chane recalled that, when he was at St. Paul's, he was worrying about how to meet his budget without having to cut staff or programs in the mid-1990s when Miss Cargill showed up unannounced. The two never had met.

"She just came in out of the blue and said, 'I understand you're having a hard time balancing the budget and you have a great vision for the cathedral, and I would like to help you with that.' She gave me a cashier's check. I didn't even look at it, because I assumed it was a small contribution from a well-meaning person. I asked who to say the gift was from, and she said, 'Just say it was an angel.' Then she left. I unfolded the check and it was a check for $50,000.

"That was the beginning," said Bishop Chane, who today is bishop of the Diocese of Washington, D.C. "That generous gift allowed us not only to meet budget, but to get the cathedral where it is today. She was literally the initial accelerator."

Kathleen Loehr, interim senior vice president of development for the American Red Cross, said Miss Cargill's support was unusual because it came at three levels –local, disaster relief, and international. "She was very fast to support us after a disaster, which is important in a time of need," Ms. Loehr said.

In San Diego, Miss Cargill "stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to support the local chapter programs and was the first donor to provide a significant gift when the chapter was reorganizing a few years ago," Ms. Loehr said. "That was significant not just in dollar amounts, but to spur other giving."

Even more unusual was Miss Cargill's support of international programs led by the American Red Cross, Miss Loehr said, especially as the lead funder for orphanages in Russia for children with HIV.

Always an animal lover, Miss Cargill was a strong supporter of the San Diego Humane Society. Dr. Mark Goldstein said that he became president of the organization in 2001,  shortly after a $10 million capital campaign was launched to build a much larger facility. "One thing I learned shortly after I came on board is that we had an angel, an anonymous donor."

He finally met Miss Cargill when she asked to see the new facility in its early stages. That was the beginning of many quiet, evening visits, he said. During one visit he was able to show her the surgical facility her donations helped build.

"The next morning I got a call from one of her trustees. Margaret wanted to talk to me later in the day, and I should be prepared to answer the question: How much more did we need to complete the capital campaign? So I talked to Margaret, and she asked that question. I believe the answer was $1.57 million. She said, 'You'll have your check next week.' It was a stunning moment, a very emotional one for me. It was one of the more startling moments of my career. "

Altogether, Dr. Goldstein said, she contributed $4 million of the $10 million capital campaign.

Miss Cargill also was a benefactor of the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in California and the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. The latter support was an outgrowth of Miss Cargill's appreciation for her longtime mentor, Hilma Berglund.

When the institute planned an exhibit of Miss Berglund's work in the 1990s, Miss Cargill provided funding. But her interest in the organization grew, and she subsequently donated $1 million to the institute's capital campaign—the second-largest gift of the campaign, said Bruce Karstadt, president and chief executive officer of the institute

Both gifts were made anonymously.

"I think it's one of the most remarkable examples of pure philanthropy I've encountered," Karstadt said. "The support has had a transformational impact, especially on our educational programs and outreach initiatives."

In San Diego, Miss Cargill was a primary supporter of the Salvation Army's summer camp for children. When the camp was severely damaged by wildfires in August 2003, she was a major funder of reconstruction.

She also was among the major contributors to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. That support also was anonymous, and Miss Cargill took a group of friends to the museum's opening without divulging her identity so she could enjoy the festivities along with the public.

Bishop Chane said Miss Cargill's insistence on anonymity was a reflection of her values. "That's not being overly modest, it's just the way she was," the bishop said. "The issue to her is not the giver; the issue is what the gift can do to change lives."

In California, Miss Cargill lived comfortably but simply, and only her closest friends knew of her connection to the Cargill fortune. Much of her personal life revolved around friendships stemming from St. Paul's Cathedral, where she was a member and supporter for many years.

Bishop Chane commented, "The sad part is that many people will never know what a very kind and generous woman she was, and the lives she was able to change. She left behind a model of generosity and giving. It's a model for people of great wealth in the 21st Century."

Dr. Goldstein said he regretted that Miss Cargill refused recognition. "She deserves to get the respect and recognition. I'd like the world to know that people like this exist. They aren't fictitious characters."

Her generous philanthropy will continue after her death, as she has made provisions to continue support for a variety of causes, including programs involving the arts, disaster relief, American Indian culture and education, and the elderly.

Miss Cargill is survived by a niece, two nephews and numerous cousins, great-nieces and -nephews.

Services will be private in San Diego. She will be interred in the St. Paul's Cathedral Columbarium, which Miss Cargill had built to honor the love and devotion of the Sisters of St. Mary, who had taught her at Kemper Hall.

The announcement of Miss Cargill's death was made by Waycrosse, Inc., the family office for many of the Cargill shareholders. Questions should be addressed to representatives of Miss Cargill's trustees, Sallie Gaines, 312-255-3094, or Christine Woolsey, 312-255-3083.