second. having lost his only child, a teenage son, to cancer. but long before he passed away last year, lauren gained a reputation. watched his pennies. very frugal. he was very careful with his money. reporter: apparently so. for as he humbly lived out his days in this white frame house on main street, lauren, quietly amassed. he held on to it for a while. i said, well, let me see it. reporter: that first $20,000 check was followed by two more. 100,000 each. ul then, the seniors had been getting by on what the county gave their center. $600 a year. we got, $220,000. reporter: lauren wasn t done. he willed roughly a million d l
very frugal. he was very careful with his money. as he lived out his days in this white frame house on main street, lauren said he left a fortune. let me see it. i never saw a check like that before. the first check was followed by two more. $100,000 each. my god, look at this. look at this. up until then the seniors had been getting by on what the county gave their center. $600 a year. we got 220,000 total. lauren wasn t done. lauren willed roughly a million dollars to st. patrick s catholic church. came here for many, many years. then he revealed a streak. he s blessed. when he left more than 400,000 to another church too.