Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
The 2025 recipient of the Gierke Family Memorial Scholarship is Lauren Ince, the daughter of Steven and Bryca Ince, of Louisiana, Missouri.
Lauren will receive $2,000 toward her studies at Moberly Area Community College, where she plans to pursue an associate’s degree in occupational therapy.
The Jacob Adam Gierke Memorial Scholarship Award was first presented in 1991, in memory of Jacob Gierke, who died in an automobile accident in 1989 at the age of 16. His grandfather, Victor A. Gierke, became publisher of the Louisiana Press-Journal in 1949. He was president of the Missouri Press Association in 1961 and was inducted into the Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame in 1993.
Victor’s son, Jim, ultimately became owner and president of the newspaper company, expanding the operation to a nationally recognized multi-paper publishing and commercial printing business. After Jacob’s brother, Christian, was killed in an automobile accident in 2010 and Jim died from a brain aneurysm in 2011, Jim’s eldest son, Brent, decided to rededicate the scholarship in memory of all of them.
The scholarship is administered by the Missouri Press Foundation. The Louisiana Alumni & Friends Association selects the recipients.
In high school, Lauren was a member of the swim team, football and basketball cheer squads, track team, FBLA, FCA, NHS, student council, and mass media club. She has four siblings, three of whom have disabilities, which has inspired her future plans.
Lauren’s parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were all born and raised in Louisiana. Over the years, the Press-Journal documented numerous memories from her family’s lives. Her late great uncle, Russell McDaniel, worked for the Press-Journal for many years.
