Two children's hospitals are the sole beneficiaries of an estate left by a St. Louis couple, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The entirety of the $25 million estate of Howard and Dorothea Hebebrand will be divided evenly between the St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation and the Shriners Hospital for Children-St. Louis. The gift to Children's is the largest ever for the 130-year-old hospital.

According to a longtime family friend, the Hebebrands invested their money wisely and loved to fly, sail, travel, and help children, even though they had no children of their own. Howard grew up in St. Louis and attended Washington University. He was president and owner of Design Manufacturing & Equipment Co. and also owned Bates Sales Co., a supplier of power transmission equipment. Dorothea, a graduate of Harris-Stowe Teachers College, taught children with special needs and elementary school for a few years before joining her husband as vice president at Design Manufacturing. Howard died in 1997, and his wife died in 2012.

"We are incredibly grateful to the Hebebrands for this transformational gift that will help secure the longevity of important programs and services," said Children's Hospital Foundation vice president Janice Bailey.