Ernest A. Schlichting Scholarship
Supporting Harlem High School graduates entering the skilled trades.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be a graduate of or a graduating high school senior at Harlem High School.
- Intend to enroll in a vocational or skilled trades program in the upcoming school year.
Written Prompt
Each CFNIL scholarship is created with a specific purpose in mind. As you complete the application, the system automatically matches you with every scholarship for which you are eligible and will present you with a specific written prompt for each. You're encouraged to craft a unique response to each prompt to show the reviewers why you're the best candidate for that scholarship.
Scholarship Background and Intent
Born September 27, 1930 in Bertha, MN, son of Carl and Laura (Decker) Schlichting. Married Shirley Johnson on March 10, 1951, in Eagle Bend, MN. He founded (1968) and owned Schlichting & Sons Excavating, Inc. Although Ernie and Shirley oversaw decades of business success, at heart he was always a workman, a craftsman. He was an artist who sculpted with a 10-ton machine to create masterpieces in God's own earth. His dedication to clients, employees, and family always resulted in a job well done. He strove for perfection in his professional life and fueled it with amazing energy, hard work, great integrity, and a strong moral compass. He was loved by many who knew him as family and friend but respected by all whose paths he crossed.
He and Shirley were Naples Heritage Golf and Country Club members in Naples, FL. He enjoyed the many winters they were able to spend in Florida playing golf and sharing dinners with friends old and new and with family. Ernie loved to compete whether it be card games, golf or cross word puzzles. He has imbued his generations of family with that strong competitive spirit and was always a vocal supporter at his children's and grandchildren's contests. He loved the music of Johnny Cash and that generation of Country entertainers. He was a very caring and generous man who gave in his normal quiet and unassuming way.
Ernie's life was simple in plan and execution, enjoying hard work or a night out with Shirley and friends equally. His was a life well lived.
Would you like to support the Ernest A. Schlichting Scholarship? You can make a donation directly to this fund, to help grow its impact and ability to provide educational resources for students in our community — forever!
