WEEDPATCH, Calif. (KERO) — Bertha M. Rankin lived in Kern County for 40 years until her death in 1952. Being a farmer herself, she left a will with over $500,000 to be used to help agricultural workers employed or unemployed.
- Bertha M. Rankin was born in Missouri in 1886. Migrating to Kern County later in life, she married Edward “Ned” Rankin, part of the famous Rankin family, owners of Rankin Ranch out in the KRV.
- According to her obituary, Ms. Rankin was affiliated with the Weed Patch Grange, and the California Farm Bureau.
- Her only wishes according to her will, “for the benefit of an unascertained segment of the population of Kern County, to wit: employed and unemployed agricultural works”
The historic Weedpatch Labor Camp was constructed in 1948 with the help of one woman who donated an acre of land. Though she died decades ago, Bertha Rankin’s generosity has resurfaced, supporting farm workers in Kern County.
In 1886, Bertha M. Hein was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Later migrating to Kern County, she was a union sympathizer and married Edward “Ned” Rankin part of the famous Rankin family, owners of Rankin Ranch out in the Kern River Valley.
In 1952, Ms. Rankin died at the age of 66. Not only was she a farmer in Kern, her obituary says she was also affiliated with the Weed Patch Grange, and the California Farm Bureau.
When she passed, she left a will with thousands of dollars left with only one wish in mind, “for the benefit of an unascertained segment of the population of Kern County, to wit: employed and unemployed agricultural works.”
The will was then left to two trustees, who died last year. Later, Attorney General Rob Bonta encountered the will and presented it to the Kern Community Foundation to execute the funds.
In a statement from the Attorney General’s office, a spokesperson in part quote, “It is our duty to ensure donors’ wishes are honored with integrity and in accordance with the law. The California Department of Justice enforced Ms. Rankin’s generous wishes to provide the Kern County’s farm workers with the support they need to keep agriculture thriving.”
“It’s not an accident that we focus on growing, we’re a very agricultural centered county and then to have a farmer who her wishes were to support the farm working community and we get to be a small part of helping that happen, that’s pretty cool, that’s special to me,” said President and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation Aaron Falk.
Falk says since the transfer back in 2023, they’ve created a Farm worker grant in her name. Giving out at least $100,000 per year until the funds run out.
Although Ms. Rankin’s wishes were on the broader side, Falk says they want to ensure they’re giving money to non-profits and organizations who are truly wanting to benefit the families of farm workers.
“These could be things like childcare, at a worksite or vision screenings for kids,” said Falk. “This could be for food insecurity, this could be income replacement, this could be legal rights with the raids that we saw back in January.”
Required by law, the Kern Community Foundation must distribute all of Ms. Rankin’s trust by the end of 2027 and are currently in the process of distributing funds for the 2025 applicants.
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