2013
Celebrating those whose contributions will keep Steele County strong for years to come
Owatonna.com
PRUDENTIAL ADVANTAGE REALTY 605 5th Street NE, Blooming Prairie, MN 55917 507.583.2144 ◆ Fax 507.583.2020 metal-services.com
Darcy
Becky
Rick
Bob
Dave
Craig
Tom
Gail
Diane
Betsy
Laser & Plasma Cutting Laser Cutting Capacity
Aluminum Up To 3/8 in. x 6 ft. x 12 ft. Stainless Steel Up To 5/8 in. x 6 ft. x 12 ft. Carbon Steel Up To 3/4 in. x 6 ft. x 12 ft.
Sandra
Joy
Ann
Kathy
Ashley
Curt
Plasma Cutting Capacity
Aluminum Up To 2 in. x 8 ft. x 20 ft. Stainless Steel Up To 2 in. x 8 ft. x 20 ft. Carbon Steel Up To 2 1/2 in. x 8 ft. x 20 ft.
Metal Fabrication & Welding
Mardonna
Coleen
Tim
Dawn
Al
Dan
Lucia
Shelby
Tracy
Beth
1880 Austin Rd, Suite #1
Our metal fabrication shop has the experience and capability to perform in an efficient and precise manner. Thousands of parts done right, thousands of times, we’ll produce quality parts for you on time, all the time. Metal Services understands the delicate relationship between our on-time delivery and the bigger picture of your entire manufacturing process. Meeting deadlines is something we take seriously.
OWATONNA
451-7355
Locally Owned and Operated
www.pruadvantage.net
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 1
Portraits in Steele 2013: Pillars of Our Communities
Welcome
I
nside these 104 pages, you will find rich, colorful stories about pillars of our communities — individuals, and in some cases families, whose contributions have made Steele County strong and will keep it strong for years to come. The individuals featured here stretch across the spectrum of life here in Steele County — from people in the business community to those in public life to individuals in the arts to those who are known for the community services they provide. Some of the faces and the names will be familiar; others may be new to you. But each person profiled here has contributed something of his or her time, talents or resources to make Steele County a wonderful place to live. We are all made the richer in our lives because of these individuals.
This annual publication is a product of the Owatonna People’s Press staff, covering weeks and months of photography, interviewing, writing, designing and creative advertising efforts. We hope you enjoy Portraits 2013 for weeks and months to come as we celebrate the pillars of our communities.
—Ron Ensley Publisher and Editor
PAGE 2
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
CONTENTS
2013
Ray Lacina: Champion of the Arts..................................................4 Costas and Mary Boosalis: Sweet Success .....................................8
Celebrating those whose contributions will keep Steele County strong for years to come
Tom Kuntz: A Life of Service...........................................................12 Bev Cashman: When It All Works Out ..........................................18 Jim Misgen: Family Business ...........................................................23
Owatonna.com
Portraits 2013 A special project of
Bill Regan: Work Is Play ...................................................................27 Greg Krueger: Jumping In ...............................................................34 Franchon Pirkl: Gentle, Generous ..................................................39 Katie Smith: Woman of Many Roles ..............................................46 Rick Krejci: More Than Business As Usual ...................................54 Barry Gillespie: From Rock ‘n’ Roll to Real Estate .......................62 Jim Fiebiger: Quite the Character ...................................................67 Chuck Jamison: Planting the Seeds, Watching Them Grow .......74 Norrine Jensen: Living a Full Life...................................................81 Ron and Sondra von Arb: Emptying Their Bucket List...............85 Rodney Parrish: Medford’s Hometown Music Man....................93 Tom Effertz: Values Passed On .......................................................97 Mary Sherman-Ahrens: Kid at Heart .............................................101
Owatonna.com 135 W. Pearl St., Owatonna, MN Publisher Ron Ensley Advertising Director Debbie Ensley Managing Editor Jeffrey Jackson Cover Design Kate Townsend-Noet Media Consultants Luke Brown, Rachel Ebbers, Betty Frost, Diane Gengler, Deb Theisen Ad Design Jenine Kubista, Kelly Kubista, Sue Schuster, Paul Ristau, Keeley Krebsbach Contributing Writers/Photographers Jeffrey Jackson, Ashley Stewart, Derek Sullivan, Al Strain, Jason Schmucker Page Design Tony Borreson
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Advertiser Index
43rd Street Pub & Grill .......................................................................................29 A J Lysne Contracting ........................................................................................31 Able Copiers .........................................................................................................59 Ag Power Enterprises ..........................................................................................31 Al-Corn Clean Fuel .............................................................................................19 Alexander Lumber ..............................................................................................19 Attorneys ..............................................................................................................35 Best Budget Inn ...................................................................................................25 Brooktree Golf Course ..........................................................................................7 Car Time of Owatonna ...................................................................................... 17 Cash Wise Foods ................................................................................................ 59 Cedar Travel ........................................................................................................ 37 Cedar Floral & Design Studio .......................................................................... 69 Central Valley Co-op ........................................................................................... 5 Child Care & Pre-school Providers.................................................................. 71 Christian Bros. Cabinets .................................................................................... 57 Churches .........................................................................................................52,53 City Auto Glass ................................................................................................... 25 City of Owatonna ............................................................................................... 15 Clifton Larson Allen........................................................................................... 17 Clubs & Organizations..................................................................................42,43 Cole’s Electric ........................................................................................................ 5 Community Education ...................................................................................... 79 Country Goods ................................................................................................... 31 Culver’s................................................................................................................. 96 Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply...................................................... 40 Cybex ................................................................................................................... 26 Dean’s Westside Towing..................................................................................... 86 Dow Chiropractic ............................................................................................... 73 Ellis Body Shop ................................................................................................... 40 Express Employment Professionals.................................................................. 19 Extreme Powder Coating ..................................................................................68 Farmers & Merchants Bank ..............................................................................69 Federated Insurance .......................................................................... Back Cover Finnegan’s Welding............................................................................................. 69 Fireplace Connection ......................................................................................... 77 Fountain Centers ................................................................................................ 73 Frette, Dr. Kent ................................................................................................... 86 Gandy Company................................................................................................. 29 Garlick’s Water Processing ................................................................................ 55 Girlfriends ........................................................................................................... 47 Granicrete ..........................................................................................................100 Holiday Inn & Suites .......................................................................................... 15 HomeTown Credit Union ................................................................................ 47 Horizon EyeCare Professionals ....................................................................... 45 Independent School District 761..................................................................... 79 Insurance .......................................................................................................88,89 J-C Press.............................................................................................................. 25 Jerry’s Owatonna Auto Sales ............................................................................ 95 Josten’s ................................................................................................................. 45 KSW Roofing & Heating .................................................................................. 13 Keck’s Repair ........................................................................................................ 7 Koda Living Community................................................................................102 Krejci Ford .......................................................................................................... 55 Main Street Dental ............................................................................................ 33 Manpower........................................................................................................... 79 Mark’s Repair .......................................................................................................9 McCabe Motors, LLC........................................................................................22 Medford MEA ....................................................................................................22 Metal Services ........................................................................Inside Front Cover Michaelson Funeral Home ...............................................................................55 Misgen Auto Parts .............................................................................................31 Modern Metal Products ...................................................................................11 Morehouse Place................................................................................................11
PAGE 3
Morton Building ....................................................................................................92 Nagel Sod & Nursery ............................................................................................57 Nick’s Pizza Palace .................................................................................................13 Northland Farm Systems ......................................................................................80 Northop Oftedahl House......................................................................................95 Our Homes South, Inc. .........................................................................................26 Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism .......................................77 Owatonna Bus Company .....................................................................................95 Owatonna Country Club......................................................................................55 Owatonna Floor Covering & Mirror ..................................................................99 Owatonna Foundation ..........................................................................................29 Owatonna Granite & Monument ........................................................................49 Owatonna Groundsmasters .................................................................................15 Owatonna Heating & Cooling .............................................................................65 Owatonna Hospital ...............................................................................................47 Owatonna Metal Recycling ..................................................................................37 Owatonna Montessori Children’s House............................................................86 Owatonna Physical Therapy ................................................................................22 Owatonna People’s Press............................................................. 63,73,99,102,104 Owatonna R.V. Services.......................................................................................65 Owatonna Veterinary Hospital ............................................................................. 9 Party Plus ................................................................................................................96 Pearson....................................................................................................................49 Phone Station ...................................................................................................... 100 Profinium Financial ........................................................................................ 49,69 Prudential Realty Advantage ................................................. Inside Front Cover R.V. Services .......................................................................................................... 65 Randall’s License Bureau ..................................................................................... 86 Realife Cooperative .............................................................................................. 37 Reynold’s Asphalt Maintenance........................................................................ 102 Riverland Community College ................................................Inside Back Cover Salon -e- Clips .......................................................................................................79 Scene ......................................................................................................................69 Sette Sports Center ...............................................................................................40 Sparetime Entertainment ....................................................................................92 Specialty Personnel...............................................................................................83 St. Clair’s For Men ................................................................................................61 State School Orphanage.......................................................................................73 Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric ...................................................................61 Steele County Free Fair ........................................................................................68 Steele County Historical Society ........................................................................83 Steele County Landfill ..........................................................................................99 Steele County Public Health ...............................................................................17 Stewart Sanitation.................................................................................................57 Stockwell Accounting ..........................................................................................45 Sonic Concrete .................................................................................................... 100 Southernminn.com .............................................................................................29 Sweet Towing & Repair ....................................................................................... 57 Technology Navigators ....................................................................................... 49 The Gateway ......................................................................................................... 49 The Kitchen .......................................................................................................... 26 Tonna Taxi ............................................................................................................ 96 Traditions of Minnesota I & II........................................................................... 69 Travel Headquarters ............................................................................................ 65 True Wealth Advisors ......................................................................................... 68 US Bank Owatonna ............................................................................................ 61 VFW Club #3723 ................................................................................................. 79 Viracon ................................................................................................................. 75 Walser Owatonna, LLC....................................................................................... 33 Wells Federal Bank .............................................................................................. 33 Wencl Accounting & Tax .................................................................................... 83 Wenger Corporation ........................................................................................... 59 Westside Board & Lodge Home ........................................................................ 77 Whispering Oak Assisted Living Community ................................................ 86
PAGE 4
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Ray Lacina
CHAMPION
OF THE ARTS
Ray Lacina plays his trumpet at an Owatonna cemetery. Lacina is part of the local Honor Guard, which attends the funerals of veterans. (Submitted photo)
By JASON SCHMUCKER • jschmucker@owatonna.com
T
hough he may not be a native Minnesotan, Ray Lacina has left an indelible mark on his adopted community of Owatonna.
Born in North Dakota, Lacina pursued a music education degree at North Dakota State University with the hopes of becoming a band instructor — a dream that brought Lacina to the North Star State. After taking a teaching job in Wauben and while he was spending his summer’s pursuing his degree at Michigan State University, Lacina met his wife, Nancy, on a blind date. After their wedding, the newlyweds moved to the city that had
become Lacina’s summer home — Lansing, Mich. “We decided to move to Michigan so that I could finish my bachelor’s degree a year earlier by taking night classes during the year, which I couldn’t do in Minnesota,” he said. In 1970, Lacina and his wife returned to Minnesota. Degree in hand, he took a job with the Owatonna school district. Lacina would spend the next 30-plus years helping students across the district develop and hone their musical skills until his retirement in 2002.
Championing the arts While it has become the cause he is most widely known for championing, Lacina’s involvement with the renovation of the Owatonna Arts Center had less auspicious beginnings. “It started off with a coffee invitation from Sharon Stark, who I have become very close to over the last 10 or 15 years,” Lacina
said. “She invited me out for coffee, and I had feeling there was something behind it besides just coffee.” Lacina’s intuition proved correct, and through Stark — a longtime friend through the Little Theatre of Owatonna — his involvement with the arts center began. “She asked if I would like to be on the arts center board,” he said. Stark said that Lacina’s involvement with the LTO led her to broach the subject of taking up a spot on the arts center’s governing body. “He was very active in Little Theatre of Owatonna on the board, serving six years and as president for three years,” Stark said. She said that Lacina also helped chair several anniversary celebrations at LTO, as well. Lacina was among a crop of new board members at the arts center, and immediately was thrust into a leadership position.
See LACINA on 5
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 5
Lacina From Page 4 “When I came on board, there were four of us new board members, of which three of us got to be officers, I being vice-president — which I thought was going to be a pretty safe decision,” Lacina said. That safe decision became a much larger commitment and much sooner than Lacina had anticipated. “About a year or so later, the president resigned and I have been president ever since,” Lacina laughed.
No small feat It was around that time that the Owatonna Arts Center renovation project was born. “It was during that period of time, just before I became president, that we as a board decided to move forward to start the fundraising for this capital campaign,” Lacina said. And that fundraising would be
no small feat. The renovations were projected to total $1.2 million. At the time, the nation was mired in what has been dubbed “The Great Recession,” and some board members were hesitant about kicking off a fundraising campaign. “There was quite a bit of discussion on it and some felt it was the right time. The economy, of course, wasn’t doing very well,” Lacina said. “The other question came up, and that was ‘When is it a good time?’” Lacina said that some board members felt that the economic conditions could benefit the project by helping keep costs down as there wasn’t a high demand for materials and services. That stance eventually won out by a majority vote. “When we voted on the project, it was not a unanimous decision,” Lacina said.
See LACINA on 6
Ray Lacina and his wife prepare to attend the Christmas show at the Little Theatre of Owatonna. (Submitted photo)
For All Your Electrical Needs Fast, Efficient Service! “Your Satisfaction Is Our Bottom Line” • Residential • Commercial • Industrial • Farm
• Underground Trenching • Cable Location • Direct Boring System • Boom Truck • Pole Setting
Serving South Central Minnesota with petroleum, agronomy, & heating and cooling products & services. 7596 40th Street NW • Owatonna 451-1387 • 1-800-801-1387 ColesElectric@msn.com • www.coleselectric.com Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Toll Free: 800-270-2339
www.centralvalleycoop.com
PAGE 6
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Lacina From Page 5
Ray Lacina is pictured with his wife and grandchildren. The Lacinas have three children and two grandchildren. (Submitted photo)
Lacina and Doug Ruth set about spearheading the effort and began pitching the project around the community, detailing the plans to raise the facility’s profile by expanding the entrance and creating a welcoming area and additional display space. There was also the issue of making the facility more easily accessible to the community. A part of the city’s historic West Hills complex, the arts center has limited access for disabled patrons. The renovations would remedy that by adding a dedicated elevator to the facility. The community was on board, and fundraising efforts were quickly underway. Now in his second three-year term, Lacina has only a year left to see out the project he was a part of starting. Arts center board members are limited to only two consecutive terms. But he will see the fruition of the project before his term expires. “At our last board meeting in January, the board decided that even though we are not fully funded, we are within $140,000 of completion … they felt that we can go ahead and start groundbreaking this spring,” Lacina said.
Providing comfort and relief Lacina’s impact isn’t limited to the arts community as a whole, though. He also put his talents to use helping people through one of the most difficult times of their lives — the death of a loved one. Though he never served with the U.S. Armed Forces, Lacina did participate in the Reserve Officer Training Corps in college. It was that ROTC stint that earned Lacina a spot on the local Honor Guard, where he plays “Taps” at military funerals. Lacina said he primarily performs the second rendition of “Taps” at military funerals, the one that follows the 21-gun salute that is called the “echo” performance. Stark said that the comfort provided by the Honor Guard is immeasurable. “That is one of the things in this community that we are really fortunate to have,” she said. Stark said the Honor Guard — albeit at that point, it was sans Lacina — were part of her father’s funeral years ago. “It is very important to veterans, and the families, to
have that. It’s very touching, and I think it provides a closure. The veteran is laid to rest.” Lacina takes his role as the echo performer seriously, and puts much time and thought into picking a location to play from at funeral proceedings. “I don’t want anybody to see me, because to me that’s what the echo should be,” Lacina said. He takes things such as wind direction and natural sound barriers — like trees — into account when seeking the perfect spot to play the haunting tune. “I pick my location pretty carefully,” he said. “To me that’s pretty important.” Lacina is also known for helping another group of people — this one much larger — through a different kind of tragedy, namely Hurricane Katrina.
See LACINA on 7
7
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 7
Lacina From Page 6
In the aftermath of the 2003 storm that devastated the Gulf coast, Lacina, along with 13 other volunteers from Associated Church in Owatonna, loaded up and headed down to one of the hardest hit regions, Gulfport, Miss. “We had a ministry at our church that decided to get a group of people to head down to Gulfport, Miss., for one week to help people rebuild houses, to talk to people, to just do what we could,” Lacina said. The experience had such an impact on him, he made several return trips. “We did four of those — one each year,” he said. “I think, not just for me, but for everyone who went, we gained as much as we helped. We all could see the devastation and it was a mess. The people were just so thankful and appreciative of everything we could do to help … Knowing that there was a lot of hurt down there and a lot of need for help, it was just something I felt I wanted to give back. When you help people, you just get this great feeling that you are doing something for the world.”
The beauty of retirement While he is firmly settled into retired life, Lacina hasn’t slowed down. Outside of his work spearheading the arts center renovation efforts, he keeps busy with his fam-
ily. While his children — Ben Lacina, Beth Martinez and Joanne Lacina — are grown, they are still close. His grandchildren are also a focal point of his life. Lacina and his wife also enjoy travelling, and are planning a trip to New Zealand in the near future. “That’s the beauty of retirement, you can do what presents itself,” Lacina said. “Yes, I’m busy, but I’m busy because I want to be.” Throughout it all, Lacina’s dedication to advancing the arts and helping the community of local artist and musicians thrive has been a mainstay of his philosophy. “Hardly a day goes by that I don’t notice some type of activity in the arts community. It’s just all around us,” Lacina said. “I feel that being part of it, you want to contribute what you can but you also get back from others who also love the arts. I think that’s what it’s about — that interaction.” Stark attested to the impact that Lacina has had on the community. “He’s just a pillar of the arts community,” she said. “Whenever you call him, there’s never a hesitation. He has given so much back to our community.” Reach News Editor Jason Schmucker at 444-2377, or follow him on Twitter.com @OPP_jason
Ray Lacina is pictured with his wife, Nancy, as they prepare to attend the Owatonna Arts Center Titanic gala. (Submitted photo)
NOW is the time to plan your company outing, family gathering,
meetings or reunion dates. Brooktree is the ideal setting for your golf outing! We offer an excellent ‘bundle’ package with Golf/Cart/Meal deals! We can accommodate any size group and customize the meal to fit your needs. Brooktree’s Golf leagues are the perfect way to get out and enjoy a round of golf all spring and summer. With 6 different leagues, there is something for everyone and there are openings in all our leagues right now. Men’s league (18 and over) play Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Senior Men (55 and over) play Thursday mornings. Women’s leagues play Wednesday morning and evenings. If you’re interested in joining a team, forming a team or subbing for any league please give us a call! Our league meetings are the first week in April. Season passes and gift certificates are now available at the Clubhouse! Openings in all leagues: Men, Women, & Senior Men
Book your company outing, reunion dates now and receive great discounts on our “Bundle Package” – Golf/Cart/Meal! Starting April 26, FUN NIGHTS return! A low key 9 hole event that includes golf, cart and a delicious meal for one great price! Check with the Clubhouse for further details! DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE ON LARGER GROUP OUTINGS!
1369 Cherry Street • Owatonna 507-444-2467 • Find us on Facebook! ci.owatonna.mn.us/parksrecreations
We Keep Things Running Smoothly We are here to help you with Repair and Service on Auto, Truck and Tractor.
Tires, Brakes, Exhaust, Air Conditioning, Engine Systems (diesel and gas), Customized Hydraulic Hoses & Tubing
Locally Owned for Over 25 Years 7123 SW 82nd Ave. Owatonna 1-507-463-2679 www.kecksrepair.com
PAGE 8
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Costas and Mary Boosalis
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Sweet
Success Costas and Mary Boosalis stand in front of the candy counter at the store that they called “Owatonna’s Own.” (Al Strain/People’s Press)
W
Couple takes American Dream and makes it their own
By AL STRAIN • astrain@owatonna.com
ebster’s Dictionary defines the American Dream as “the U.S. ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success.” Though Costas and Mary Boosalis have certainly seen their share of material success, that’s not the only success they’ve seen during their time in Owatonna.
Costas and Mary moved to the United States from their native country Greece, where they both lived in small villages south of Sparta. Both came to America in 1955, and while they didn’t know each other at the time, they had one thing very much in common: They were looking for opportunities and a better life. “In the beginning, it was hard. I missed my parents, my brothers, my sister and my relatives,” Costas said in an interview in the couple’s home. “I was 22 when I left my village. A lot of young people emigrated to Canada, Australia and this country. I was lucky to come to this country. There were more opportunities here than I had over there ... We had no jobs, like they have no jobs now, so it was a tough time.” It wasn’t an easy time for the couple when they were growing up in Greece. They dealt with occupation of the Axis
Powers during World War II and a Greek civil war. Those factors, along with the tough economy helped them make a decision to come to America. Even though they had left Greece during hard times, Costas and Mary still had hard work to do when they came to America, especially when it came to learning the language. “We weren’t able to go to school, so it took longer to learn the English,” Costas said. They knew almost nothing of the language when they came to America, but immersed themselves in it at work. Costas said working for Owatonna Tool Company during his first year in America helped him pick up the language quickly.
See BOOSALIS on 9
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Boosalis “I was working in the assembly department. I was a cabinet maker in Greece, so I assembled tools,” he said. “I had to listen to pick up the language, and I had a tutor for two hours a day. You have to make an effort otherwise you weren’t going to learn very much. I had two jobs. I had to work and speak. I could understand it more than I could speak it.”
A romance blossoms While Costas was 22 when he left, Mary was just 17. Not only did Costas and Mary come to America, but most of their families came along, too. “We all came from Greece. All of us,” Mary said. Though they came to America in the same year, the couple didn’t know each other. They first met at the Greek Orthodox Church in Rochester, and the friendship started. “She was in Sparta, Wis., with her relatives and I was here in Owatonna with my relatives,” Costas said. “We didn’t know each other from Greece and we met at the Greek Orthodox Church in Rochester.” After they met, Mary returned to New York to stay with her parents, only to return to Wisconsin a couple of years later. It was when she came back that the couple reconnected, and a romance blossomed. “I had stayed with my aunt and uncle for a couple
PAGE 9
From Page 8 of years, and then I went back to New York to stay with my parents,” Mary said. “I came back again and met up with Costas again.” When she came back, Costas took Mary on a drive through the Twin Cities before coming through Owatonna and stopping at his Uncle George’s store. It was soon after that drive that the couple, who were friends before, got engaged in August before getting married in September. “It was fast,” Mary said with a smile. A few short weeks after the wedding, the couple took over ownership of the store in downtown Owatonna. Costas bought the candy store from his Uncle George in 1960 only weeks after he and Mary got married. Before Costas bought the store, George had owned it for 40 years. “It was a very exciting time for us,” Costas said. “We were young, we had just gotten married, and then we bought a business.” Also contributing to the excitement during their years at the store and in Owatonna was the arrival of the couple’s two children, Angela in 1964 and Ted in 1969, who both went on to graduate from Owatonna High School.
See BOOSALIS on 10
Complete Automotive Service
OWATONNA
VETERINARY “Large enough to serve you small enough to care...”
HOSPITAL Serving Steele County Since 1966
Dr. James R. Gute Dr. Tami Bauer
Offering: • Laser Surgery • Ultra Sound • Video Assisted Procedures
Small Animal Hospital • Large Animal Services For appointments call
507-451-8153
1930 S. Cedar • Owatonna Office Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–5:30 PM Sat. 9 AM–NOON
Your Local Tread Pros Dealer • Oil Change/Safety Check • Tire Service & Alignment • Computer Diagnostics • Electrical • Transmission Service & Rebuilding • Rear End Rebuilding • Brakes • Tune-ups • Air Conditioning • Fuel Injection Cleaning • Cooling System Service/Flush
1181 Brady Blvd NW • Owatonna • 507-451-1412 Behind the recycling building
PAGE 10
Boosalis
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 9 A remodel for the store came in 1970, and the couple had to go to the bank for a loan to buy the building and get the remodel accomplished. With the remodel came a new name, “Costas’” rather than “George’s Candy Kitchen.” Selling the candy that George helped make famous around the area led to the continued success of the restaurant and the happiness of the people who owned it. “I like talking with the people, helping them and selling the candy,” Mary said. Often times she worked at the register at the front of the store while Costas was in the back making the candy that brought the people to the store from far and wide. “We remodeled the whole store. It involved a lot of money,” Costas said. “They weren’t afraid to lose money, or they liked us, but they didn’t say no. That was a big thing. We were in business for 10 years before that so they knew that.” Another renovation in 1995 led the store to its current look, but when the couple bought the business in 1960 it had the look of a classic soda shop. The people of Owatonna still remember the business from its days under George and the early years when Costas and Mary took over. “The place looked so different, of course it’s been remodeled since,” said Barry Gillespie, owner of Gillespie Real Estate, which sits just a few doors down the street from the restaurant. “I remember one day school was called off, so a bunch of friends and I hit the streets,” Gillespie said. “We didn’t want to sit home. But, we were going around and shoveling out cars, and some people gave us a little money and we ended up down at Costas’. He was in the back making candy and there were three or four of us just watching him work. He didn’t kick us out. He just let us watch. “They were always good, solid people. They were always quiet and reserved. They ran a good business and had a great product.” Tom Brick, owner of Owatonna Shoe and a native of the city, remembered going to George’s as a kid and noted that the quality of the product has stayed consistent even as the business has changed in appearance and ownership over the years. “They had the best shakes and malts in the world,” Brick said. “Their fries, even to this day, are the best fries in the world. I don’t know what they do, but their food was excellent.” Brick remembers when many of the downtown business owners would take day trips to other communities to see what other businesses were doing and look for ways to improve their own businesses here in Owatonna. For Costas, he said, the trips showed his product was among the best in the area.
‘Owatonna’s Own’ While their business was successful and their candies were delicious, the customers were always the most important, something Brick said they were reminded of every time they walked in the door of the business. “Costas always had a smile, a hello and a little Greek accent in there,” Brick said. “Whenever you walked in the door, it was always, ‘Hello. How are you my friend?’ They got along with everybody.”
See BOOSALIS on 11
ABOVE: A look at George’s Candy Kitchen before the renovation. Costas Boosalis stands at the far left. (Submitted Photo) LEFT: Mary Boosalis stands behind the candy counter in the store. Mary interacted most often with customers while Costas made candy. (File photo)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Boosalis
The menu has always been a mix of American favorites and Greek classics. Even under the new ownership, the Greek salad and gyro are still on the menu. Mary said when they first introduced the Greek items, they were recipes passed down through the years. “We even had baklava and butter cookies,” Mary said. “They were family recipes.” When looking back on their time in Owatonna, Costas and Mary were thankful for the support they received from members of the community, who they say took them in and helped them along. “That’s our memory. They took care of us,” Costas said. “One time I called the store ‘Owatonna’s Own.’ It wasn’t mine. The people were coming, buying and it was their store. They helped us.” Ted took over the business in 2004 and ran it until 2009 when the business was sold out of the family. Even though the business is no longer part of his family, Costas’ name still appears on the building as the name for the restaurant. “It’s a kind of unique name. It doesn’t come along very often,” Costas said. “You see Jim’s and George’s, whatever, but there aren’t too many Costas’. It’s the only one in town.”
PAGE 11
From Page 10
When selling the business, Costas said it was important to the family to have someone in Owatonna take it over. But in the beginning it was tough to go into the store and not jump into the work. “I was used to sitting behind the cash register and talking to people, and then I had to sit in the front,” Costas said with a laugh. “I was asking myself, ‘Am I in the right place here?’” During its time in Owatonna, the business has been part of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. The business often donated its signature candies to causes and organizations around the community. They said they wanted to find a way to give back to the community that gave them so much when they were running their business for nearly 45 years. The couple’s only remaining family in Greece is Costas’ sister, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking their summers in the land of their birth for the last nine years. The couple said going to Greece every summer helps break up the monotony of life. They remodeled Costas’ parents’ home and stay there during the summer. The trips help them stay connected to their roots. “We go there for two or three months,” Cos-
Costas, right, and Ted Boosalis make candy in the kitchen. Ted took over the business in 2004. (Submitted)
tas said. “It’s good to go home and break up the monotony. Many people go to Florida or Arizona in the winter. It’s the same thing.” Even though they no longer own a business in the city, Owatonna is still their home, and the couple said they’ve never considered leaving. They said they’d tell people who are new to
Owatonna that it’s worth staying around. “I’d tell you that you’ve come to one of the better towns in Minnesota,” Costas said. “I fell in love with it.” Reach reporter Al Strain at 444-2376 or follow him on Twitter.com @OPPalstrain
Morehouse Place Independent Living for Active Seniors 55 and Over Come check out a rare Steele County gem in independent senior housing! Beautifully situated in Owatonna on the straight river! -1 & 2 bedroom units -Secured entry -Laundry and storage -Underground heated garage
Making Quality Products Since 1925
-Community room with fireplace -Library -Exercise room -Nearby walking trails
Cooperatively owned by the Morehouse Place residents
353 Lemond Road | Owatonna | 507-451-2223
www.morehouseplace.com
• Design • Fabricate • Assembly
Check out our Lines of Fire & AED Cabinets. Supplying customers with quality fabricated sheet metal components and assemblies for a wide variety of applications, including automotive and industrial products. Our focus is on meeting your needs!
We combine discipline, technology and a commitment to service. 1200 12th Ave, NW, Owatonna, MN 55060 507-451-7114 • Fax: 507-451-0882 • www.modern-metal.com
PAGE 12
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Tom Kuntz
A LIFE OF SERVICE
Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz sits in his office at the West Hills Complex. Kuntz is a three-term mayor. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
By JASON SCHMUCKER jschmucker@owatonna.com
Though he may be best known nowadays as Owatonna’s longtime mayor, Tom Kuntz has spent nearly his entire life in service of the public. A 1963 Owatanna High School graduate, Kuntz began his educational career in much more humble settings. “I was probably one of few kids who went through sixth grade at a country school, a oneroom country school in Havanna,” Kuntz said. While in high school, a chance encounter turned into a lifelong partnership. Kuntz’ sister spent the summers working at Bible camp in Onemia, and while taking her to work one weekend, he met his future wife, Shelby. “She was working at Bible camp, and my
sister was working at Bible camp, and she’s been chasing me ever since,” Kuntz laughed. After his graduation, Kuntz and a few of his friends decided to enlist in the United States Air Force. “I joined the Air Force in September of ’63,” he said. “There were four of us that were going to go in under the buddy plan, and three of us were accepted.” Kuntz spent the next eight years in the employ of the U.S. government, a career that afforded him many opportunities and a chance to travel both the nation and the globe. From basic training in Texas, Kuntz shipped out to Clark Air Force Base in the Phillipines. After that, he returned stateside, spending time at bases in California and Utah before heading out to England. Though he never saw combat, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
“We tried to volunteer to go to Vietnam, but we were doing maintenance on VIP planes that flew the colonels back and forth, so we had to stay,” Kuntz said. The call of family life led Kuntz to leave the Air Force at the end of his second tour. “Our daughter was 5 years old and was going to be starting school,” Kuntz said, noting that the instability and uncertainty of military life was losing its appeal. “I didn’t really feel like I wanted to raise my family in an Air Force environment.” As luck would have it, his time in England resulted in a lead on a job close to home. “I met a gentleman in England who ran a construction company in Austin, Minnesota,” Kuntz said. “So, when I was getting out of the Air Force, I was planning on going to work for this construction company.”
Unfortunately, Kuntz’ return to civilian life was in the dead of winter — not the most opportune time to seek employment in the construction industry in Minnesota. “I got home on Dec. 10,” Kuntz said. “I called him, and he said, ‘It’s pretty slow right now, maybe check back with me in January or February.” But fortune smiled on Kuntz, and he wouldn’t be without work for long. A high school classmate told Kuntz about an opening at Owatonna Public Utilities for a meter reader. “I was working on Dec. 16 as a meter reader for Owatonna Public Utilities. I thought I was going to have this nice long Christmas vacation,” Kuntz laughed. “It wasn’t to be, but the good Lord had a plan.”
See KUNTZ on 13
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 13
Kuntz From Page 12 The position as a meter reader was a spring board for Kuntz, who would stay with OPU for the next three decades. During that time, he would rise to the top of the utility’s management chain, taking over as general manager in 1997. It was a position that he would hold until his 2003 retirement. But for Kuntz, retirement was just a transition to a different end of the public sector.
Mr. Mayor
experienced during his time in office. “When I first took over, we didn’t have a lot of shopping opportunities in Owatonna,” he said, noting that many city residents headed to Rochester or Mankato to do much of their shopping. In the coming years, the city welcomed several large retailers, such as Cabela’s, Fleet Farm, Lowe’s and Kohl’s, among others. Kuntz also pointed to continued growth in the city’s industrial base during his time in office, particularly the introduction of Chart Industries and the recently announced $30 million expansion at Viracon. “(The Viracon expansion) was probably our first shot at having to compete internationally,” Kuntz said. “Viracon looked at Owatonna, Georgia, Utah, Mexico and someplace overseas. Putting together a package that would compete with those other entities to ensure that we kept a hold on Viracon within our community was a challenge, but the group was up to the occasion.
“I got a call from Lisa Purvis, who was the (Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism) director,” Kuntz said. “Lisa asked, ‘How retired do you want to be?’ I asked, ‘What do you have in mind?’” Then-mayor Peter Connors had decided not to seek another term, leaving the ticket open, and Purvis encouraged Kuntz to seek the seat. “I thought it sounded interesting, and I said, ‘Maybe I’ll do that,’” Kuntz said. “And that’s how I decided to run for mayor.” Kuntz is proud of the growth city has Minneaplolis;K S W Roofing & Heatingthe Inc;E69270;5x5-2c
Mayor Tom Kuntz and Steele County Historical Society board president Joanne Giga cut the ribbon to open the new Smithsonian exhibit “The Way We Worked” on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Steele County History Center. (Photo by Aubrey Hansen)
See KUNTZ on 14
Celebrating 35 Years of Business!
Engineered for ideal comfort and efficiency. The XC21 air conditioner from Lennox uses precision two-stage technology to deliver ideal comfort, efficiently and quietly. It operates at a low or a high stage, based on how much cooling your home needs. Most of the time, it runs at a lower stage, saving you energy and money.
K S W ROOFING & HEATING, INC. (507) 451-9710 Visit us at 2800 Park Drive, Owatonna, MN Your Lennox Dealer in Owatonna
© 2013 Lennox Industries, Inc.
PIZZA BROASTED CHICKEN PASTA • GYROS SALADS • SANDWICHES BEER & WINE
Tastehomemade the
difference
Open Daily at 5pm
326 N. CEDAR OWATONNA 455-1530 • 455-1620
-Dine In -Carry Out -FREE Delivery in Owatonna
PAGE 14
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Representatives from troops 40956, 44012 and 44556 meet with the Mayor Tom Kuntz to sign the proclamation that proclaims Oct. 13, 2012, the Girl Scout 2012 Take Action: Centennial Day of Service in Owatonna. (Submitted photo)
Kuntz From Page 13 He also noted the construction of the health care campus on the city’s north side as being a particularly proud moment, for both he and the city. “Allina Hospital built a new facility. I know they had a couple of hospital directors that tried to accomplish that but were unsuccessful,” Kuntz said. “Allina had committed most of their funds to the metropolitan area, and we were successful in petitioning to the Allina board and have a brand-new state-of-the-art hospital in Owatonna.” Kuntz credits the Partners for Economic Development — a partnership between the city, county, OPU, the Chamber of Commerce and the Owatonna Business Incubator — for much of the success his administration has seen. “Everybody is really committed to the success of not only Owatonna, but also Steele County,” Kuntz said. “You look at some of the other cities around the area, you hear rumors that maybe the city, county and maybe the school district can’t get along. That’s not the case in Steele County. Everybody is on the same page to try and see benefits of added growth.” But one thing the mayor has not been able to see through to completion is the expansion of Highway
14 from two lanes to four, something he says — and has been saying — will help the city further grow its economy. “I think it’s something that many, many people have dreamed of all the way back to the late ‘60s, early ‘70s that we need to have a four-lane highway in southern Minnesota to take care of economic development. It’s been just piece-mealed together, which has been very, very frustrating. “The chamber did a study a while back, in that study, it was determined that 70 percent of growth in southern Minnesota was going to occur along Highway 14. When you have people like Coca-Cola come to town, hoping that they can distribute their product not only north and south, but also east and west along a four-lane highway, and you get one section of it done but you don’t get another section of it done, it’s frustrating.” Kuntz says that piece-meal approach has not only hindered economic development along the corridor, but also endangered public safety. “When you start going from a four-lane section to a two-lane section to a four-lane section to a two-lane section, you got to expect more and more accidents
to occur,” Kuntz said. There have been a few missteps along the way, including a failed bid for the state House of Representatives in 2008. “I ran for the House of Representatives and I was unsuccessful,” Kuntz said. Kuntz threw his hat into the ring when Rep. Connie Ruth, an Owatonna Republican, opted to retire. “Connie was retiring, and Connie had approached me to see if I had any interest in it,” Kuntz said. “I do like politics, and I thought that my being able to find some common ground in a lot of different projects at the state Capitol would be beneficial, but it just wasn’t to be … Kory Kath was running for his first term, and Kory was successful in taking it from a Republican-held seat for many, many years to a Democratic-held seat.” Kuntz also sought the Republican nomination to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Dick Day in 2009, but lost his party’s nomination to Waseca Republican Mike Parry, who was ultimately elected to the post.
See KUNTZ on 16
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Professional Grounds Maintenance Lawn Care
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 15
BEAUTIFY YOUR YARD
with our Continuous Decorative Curbing!
-Aerating -Rolling -Mowing -Lawn Reseeding -& More!
Over 20 Designs to choose from...
Weeds
-Fertilizer & Weed Control Programs
Irrigation
-Start Ups -Blow Outs -Installation -Service/Repair -Backflow/RPZ Tests
Available in
32 Colors!
Pest Control
-Mosquitoes -Ants -Asian Beetles -Box Elder Bugs -Ticks
130 Guest Rooms & Suites • Meetings & Receptions up to 300 • Many Nearby Attractions
507-455-0081 • 800-238-1767 www.groundsmasters.net Serving Southeastern MN Since 1984
www.holidayinn.com Located I-35 • Exit 45 • Next to Cabela’s, Owatonna • 507-446-8900
Welcome To...
OWATONNA Minnesota O
ver 20 parks, hiking trails, golf, tennis, public beach, River Springs Water Park, cross country and snowmobile trails, plus...nearly 700 lodging rooms, a variety of restaurants, unique shopping area, annual festivals, sports events and activities for everyone. Whether you are coming for a visit, thinking of moving here or already live in Owatonna–we hope your stay is a pleasant one. Owatonna is known for its quality of life, and the people who call it home.
For Any Questions About The City Of Owatonna And Its Services Call 507-444-4300
www.ci.owatonna.mn.us
PAGE 16
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Kuntz From Page 14
Keeping in the ring Ultimately, it is the connections that being a public servant provides that keeps Kuntz in the political ring. “If you’re going to retire and just go and watch TV and not have any other connections, I think you would be pretty bored,” Kuntz said. “I think the nicest thing about being mayor of the great City of Owatonna, it keeps you involved.” That involvement includes a tireless advocacy for his hometown. In addition to his mayoral duties, Kuntz has served as a past president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and as a board member for the League of Minnesota Cities. Kuntz
also currently holds seats on the National League of Cities’ economic development committee and American Public Power’s policy committee. “Getting involved in those type of things in the position level is very important,” Kuntz said. Through it all, Kuntz says his faith has carried him through both his successes and his failures. “My Christian values are what’s important to me, and I think sometimes we’ve lost some of that and we need to make sure that we continue to get that back,” Kuntz said. As part of regaining those values, Kuntz led a successful campaign to allow city coun-
cil meetings to open with a prayer by a local clergyman, something he is very pleased with. As for the future, outside of spending time with his three children and his grandchildren, Kuntz hasn’t ruled out another run at the mayorship when his current term expires. “It’s year by year,” Kuntz laughed. “As long as there’s still fire. I don’t want to sit back and be a mayor to be a mayor. If I don’t have momentum, it would be time for somebody else to take it over.” Reach News Editor Jason Schmucker at 444-2377, or follow him on Twitter.com @ OPP_jason
Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz addresses the crowd gathered for the ribbon cutting that officially opens the Highway 14 expansion between Owatonna and Waseca. (Press file photo)
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY ©2013 CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PAGE 17
www.cartimeofowatonna.com Used Vehicle Center
We Sell More Cars For Less! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY Apply tax strategies and plan for the future with experienced tax professionals. Assurance
Tax
Advisory cliftonlarsonallen.com
How can I keep my children healthy? The Child and Teen Checkups Program! • All children and teens on Medical Assistance, Minnesota Care, Blue Plus and South Country, from birth through age 20, are eligible. • Regular health checkups can prevent or manage health problems in their earliest stages. • Well-child screenings are available at medical clinics in Steele County. • Health checkups include exams, vision, hearing, shots and more. Any questions you have about child development can be answered. • Dental exams are available from providers in the area.
Steele County Public Health Nursing Service Child & Teen Checkups Program For help with transportation, interpreters or making an appointment call
Jane or Karen at 507-444-7650.
1150 Hoffman Drive
507-446-9218
Hours: M.-Th. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. • Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. On The Spot Financing Available
People you know! Cars you’ll like! Prices you’ll LOVE!
PAGE 18
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Bev Cashman
WHEN IT ALL WORKS OUT B By DEREK SULLIVAN • dsullivan@owatonna.com
ev Cashman’s music teaching career almost ended as soon as it started.
Hundreds of children almost didn’t have Cashman for music class or perform in one of the plays she directed. In 1974, during her first year as a music teacher at Marian Catholic High School in Owatonna, she picked up the paper and surprisingly read that Marian was closing and that St. Mary’s Catholic School was going to become a kindergarten through ninth-grade school. It soon dropped ninth-grade as well. Cashman, who went to Winona Cotter High School and St. Theresa’s College in Winona, planned a career as a high school music teacher. “I remember (the administration) didn’t bring us in,” Cashman said. “We found out by reading it in the paper the next day and hearing reports on the radio. When I walked into the school, people were crying and huddling.” The 22-year-old teacher went to class, and her students said they were too sad to sing. “I said, ‘What else can we do,’” Cashman remembered. Still hoping to teach high school students, Cashman accepted a position at Faribault Bethlehem Academy, but the closure of Marian weighed heavily on her and eventually she tried something else. She accepted a position in the personnel department at the Owatonna Tool Company.
Back in the classroom After five years at the Owatonna Tool Company, Cashman found herself yearning to teach again. So when the Owatonna school district, fresh off one of the biggest staff cuts in the school district’s history, needed substitute teachers in 1982, Cashman agreed to run early-bird choir. When St. Mary’s principal Jerry Kent heard that Cashman was back in the classroom, he asked her to come back to St. Mary’s.
See CASHMAN on 20
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Medford teacher Bev Cashman directed 15 musicals in her time at the school. She directed her final musical, “Legally Blonde,” in 2012. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 19
130 Years Celebrat1i8n8g 3 - 2 0 13 Our Mission:
To help as many people as possible find good jobs by helping as many clients as possible find good people.
Shop the store your great grandfather shopped. Same Name – Same Location – Same Great Service
Flexible staffing • Direct hire • Extensive benefits Computer training • Contract • Staffing payroll
812 S. Elm, Owatonna • 507.455.3002 • expresspros.com
Alexander Lumber 419 N Cedar Avenue | Owatonna, MN | 507-451-7710
PAGE 20
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Medford teacher Bev Cashman looks at the cast of a musical she directed at the school. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
Cashman From Page 18
While at Owatonna Tool Company, Cashman was not only working in the personnel department, she also was expanding her family. By the time Kent called Cashman and asked her to work part-time at St. Mary’s, Cashman had five young children. She told Kent that she couldn’t work at St. Mary’s because she had five kids and needed daycare. Kent’s answer to that dilemma: he would watch the kids himself. “My kids were 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 then, and Jerry watched them,” Cashman said. She eventually was hired full-time, offered enough salary to find daycare and, unlike her first one-year stay, she remained at St. Mary’s for 13 years. Though she enjoyed her time working with young students, secondary education was still her passion, so when she heard that Rodney Parrish at Medford was retiring, she once again left St. Mary’s.
“I really missed high school still, so I came and applied,” she said. Before she applied, she pondered and pondered to the point where she almost didn’t get her application in on time. In fact, Cashman said she missed the deadline. When she arrived at Medford, the business director Layla had a question for her before she would accept Cashman’s late application. “Lylia (Iverson) asked me if I was serious, I said I was and she let me apply. And I have been (at Medford) for 15 years,” she said. Medford has had a very stable music department since Cashman came on board. For the past 15 years, she has been the choir teacher and Brian Gustafson has taught band. For many years, Medford had a four-teacher music department. Parrish said he is amazed at the work Cashman and Gustafson do for a school that is larger and more populated than when Parrish teamed with three other teachers to do what Cashman and Gustafson do now. “The arts was a bigger part of the school when I was here than they are now,” Parrish said. “And this is because Bev and Brian have way too much to do. They don’t have enough time to do what they need to do. I saw that com-
ing and that was a main reason I took early retirement. I saw that the superintendent’s goals and objectives didn’t include a good strong music program.” Pat Heger, who has taught at Medford for 44 years, said students at Medford love Cashman’s positive personality and enthusiastic teaching style.
Making musicals One thing Parrish and Cashman have both led is the annual Medford spring musical. Cashman’s first play at Medford High School was “The Wizard of Oz” in 1999. She said she had the perfect people to play the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow in Eric Parrish, Jay and Kevin DeCoux. Emily Saufferer played Dorothy. “I had never directed a musical,” she said. “Man, those poor seniors. I feel bad that they got stuck with me.” In 2003, the school decided to do a fall play along with its traditional spring performance. Many members of the cast of “Grease” were also football players.
See CASHMAN on 21
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Cashman From Page 20
Cashman said the actors took the stage hours after suffering a heart-breaking 20-8 loss to Goodhue in the Class A state final at the Metrodome. “They were so disappointed, but they wanted to perform,” Cashman said. “It was a long day for them.” Heger said Cashman has a knack for finding the right student for the right role, when the time came to cast the spring musical. “The musical has always been very popular,” Heger said. “A lot of kids would go out, and Cashman motivated them to practice because she always found the right role for them.” Cashman said she loves to watch students grow into actors. “They start out backstage, then they get a couple of lines, then they want a role, then they want the lead. That has been the greatest thrill,” Cashman said. “You aren’t acting as if you are somebody else. You are
somebody else.” Cashman will turn off the lights prior to a show and let the kids mediate, become someone else. As a small-school choir teacher, Cashman doesn’t have to cut students who want to sing. It’s not that she hasn’t, but if a student works hard, he or she can stay in choir regardless of talent level. “I give everyone a chance,” she said. “If I see improvement, if I see effort, they can stay.” In 2011, Cashman directed, “Annie,” her 14th musical. When the show ended, she admitted the word, “retirement” kept popping up in her head. She eventually agreed to direct “Legally Blonde” in 2012, but after musical No. 15, she called it quits. She still teaches choir at Medford, but Shelley Fitzgerald, who works at the elementary school, took over the musical.
Taking the stage Along with teaching music at St. Mary’s and Medford, Cashman has also been very active in the Little Theatre of Owatonna. In 1994, Cashman, with little theater experience, joined the cast of “Annie.” She played Grace Farrell to Ted Middlestadt’s Daddy War-
PAGE 21
bucks. Also in the cast, playing Miss Hannigan was Cashman’s longtime friend and mentor Sarah Foreman. As well as spending a lot of time on the stage, Foreman also directed numerous plays, comedies and musicals. When Cashman herself became a director, she used what she learned from Foreman. “She gave a lot of kids a chance and I try to do that, too,” Cashman said. “I say, ‘Come out.’” At LTO, Foreman and Cashman often worked together. Foreman was the director and Cashman handled the music. One year, Foreman asked Cashman to handle music for “The Christmas Carol.” Much like the deal Cashman made with Kent, Foreman had to cast all five Cashman kids (Brianna, Kelsey, Mike, Deven, Maeve) in the play.” Foreman and Cashman collaborated a lot throughout the years, so Cashman was devastated when her good friend died suddenly in 2006 from meningitis. Foreman’s death happened while LTO was performing “The Music Man.” The musical was being directed by Foreman.
See CASHMAN on 22
Medford choir teacher Bev Cashman prepares to teach class. (Derek Sullivan/ People’s Press)
PAGE 22
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Cashman From Page 21
“She was a good mentor to me. She taught me almost everything I know,” Cashman said. “To die of meningitis, of all things and between the first and second week of ‘The Music Man,’ it’s so sad.” Cashman said she will never direct “The Music Man,” and hadn’t planned on ever watching the famous musical again. She did make an exception last month by attending Owatonna High School’s performance of the story of Harold Hill and the people of River City. “Watching it makes me so sad,” Cashman said. “Right before she died, we had a nice long conversation. She called me one night and we talked for two hours about a lot of stuff, theater stuff. It was so fun. “I cherish that call because I had the opportunity to say, ‘You taught me so much.’” When Cashman looks back on her
career, she thanks St. Mary’s for hiring her twice. But when people ask her where she worked, she will say Medford. “I feel like my teaching has really improved being here, but I was happy at every place I have taught,” she said. Now in her 60s, Cashman recently returned to the stage for the LTO performance of “Dixie Swim Club.” While she doesn’t direct the Medford school musical anymore, she is nowhere near the rocking chair. She has signed on as musical director for “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which will take place this summer at LTO. “You can do it your entire life. That is what I pass on to the kids,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of music you like. You can enjoy it all.” Reach reporter Derek Sullivan at 444-2372, or follow him on Twitter @ OPPSullivan
Bev Cashman rehearses her part in “The Dixie Swim Club.” (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
Thank you and Congratulations to
Bev Cashman and Rodney Parrish for their contributions to the Medford Public Schools! From the Medford Public Schools Teachers
425 18th St. SE, Owatonna, MN 444-9494 www.mccabemotors.com
“Once A Customer Always A Customer” Daily, Weekly & Monthly Rentals Available Cars • Mini Vans • 15 Passenger Van • 8 Passenger Van DLR 23742
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 23
Jim Misgen
Family Business
Jim Misgen talks to a customer on the phone while looking up information in the business’ computer system. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
F
By AL STRAIN • astrain@owatonna.com
or the Misgen family, there is radius of a few square miles around Beaver Lake in the very southwest corner of Steele County that has always been home.
Misgen Auto, a business that serves as a metals recycling yard, largely taking in metal from cars and trucks to recycle, is located just north of Beaver Lake on Steele County Highway 82. On that property is the home that Jim Misgen, owner of Misgen Auto, has called home for his entire life. “I always lived on this piece of property, right here, my whole life. I’ve never lived anywhere else,” Jim said. “I was born here, raised here, got married and lived in a trailer on the same property for about five years and then moved back into the house I was born and raised in when my parents built a new house.” “I’ve never lived anywhere else. It’s a pretty boring
life really,” he joked. But Jim’s family history is far from boring. Jim has been with the business from its beginning in 1972. During that time he was helping recycle the metal from cars before he even had a driver’s license. The business was started by his father, Francis, who was part of America’s “Greatest Generation.” Francis grew up less than a mile away from where the shop currently sits, and Jim’s mother, Audrey, lived within two miles of the shop. Francis served as a medic in World War II in the Europe and North Africa. “He was in the initial invasion of North Africa and the invasion of Sicily. He was basically chasing (Field
Marshal Erwin) Rommel around the north side of Africa,” Jim said. “From Sicily, he went to Italy, and it seemed to me like he almost had fun in those places.” Despite the fact that medics didn’t carry weapons, that didn’t stop some Italian soldiers from surrendering to Francis and a fellow medic when they walked into a restaurant one day. “A dozen Italian soldiers gave up to my dad and another medic in a spaghetti restaurant,” Jim said with a smile. “Twelve Italian soldiers with rifles gave up to my dad and the other medic. My dad and the other guy said, ‘We’re going to eat first, then we’ll take you back to the camp.’” After serving his country for more than three years, Francis returned home, started a family and worked in several jobs before enlisting the help of his sons in a nationwide cleanup in the early 1970s, while Jim was still in high school.
See MISGEN on 24
PAGE 24
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Misgen From Page 23
Cleaning up
Francis Misgen stands next to some recycled cars. Francis founded the business, paving the way for son Jim and his grandchildren. (Submitted photo)
Francis Misgen steers a threewheeler while two of his grandchildren ride along on the back. (Submitted photo)
Misgen Auto began during a national cleanup in 1971. During that year, the family got approval from the county to clean out the old cars that were sitting on properties throughout the county. “They weren’t worth anything. You just pulled those cars out into the woods and let them sit,” Jim said. “So we got paid $9 per car to go out and pick up all the old cars in the county, and that’s how we got started.” Once they had done the county-wide cleanup, the Misgen name was well known. People began calling to see if they would take in old cars. Owners would drive them in themselves or have the business pick them up. Being that he didn’t have a driver’s license when the business began, Jim started out at the bottom of the totem pole, doing odd jobs such as getting tools. “I was the grunt. I started out right there at the bottom,” he said. Jim graduated from Ellendale-Geneva High School in 1974. His senior year was a special one, as he met his future wife Joanne during a dance at Zeiner’s Ballroom. After dating for two-and-a-half years, the couple got married and started a family. When the family began, Jim had no idea how closely he would be working with his children on a day-to-day basis. “We have five children, and they all work here in the business with us,” Misgen said. Jim took over the business from his father after his brother, Mike, went on to do construction work with some equipment that he bought from his father. The Misgen business is a metals recycling yard, but that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. The main component of the business is buying cars and trucks to recycle for the metal, but there’s more. With cars come parts. The business takes usable parts, which become part of a nationwide database that allows the Misgens to send auto parts throughout the country from online orders. “People call us from all over the United States and we ship parts all over the place,” Jim said. “That’s another big part of our business.” Misgen Auto also goes out to help people clean out their properties, sometimes helping the owners get thousands of dollars for their scrap iron that would have otherwise continued to sit idle on their land. “My neighbor up the road, who’s a farmer, you look in his woods and you think, ‘There’s probably five or 10 tons of iron in there,’” Jim said. “When
we got done it was almost 30 tons of iron that we got out of there. That’s thousands of dollars worth of iron we’ve cleaned out of his woods.” Over the years, Jim became more involved in the business while Francis continued to do odd jobs in construction and truck hauling. Audrey was also important to the early success of the business until her death in 1988. “We lost a main part of our business when she went,” Jim said. After Audrey died, Misgen Auto had to take on some hired hands, but it continued to be a family business. Jim’s sister, Susan, came to work in the business, and continued to help out for the next 24 years. As Jim got older through the years, he took on more responsibilities in Misgen Auto. He was buying, selling, salvaging and doing anything else he needed to to help grow the business. As the years went on and the business continued to grow, the way the Misgens did their business began to change. It had to in order to help keep the business stay in step with the changing times. “When we first started, it was all phone calls,” Jim said. “People would call you for a fender for a car, and you’d say, ‘Well, let me think. Do I have one of them out there or not?’ At first you didn’t have any paperwork on anything. You’d have to drive out there, look around and then come back up.” To save time, man power and possibly some headaches, they began putting identification numbers on the car and having paper files to let them know what parts were available. Jim said he had drawers full of paper, all associated with vehicles they had taken in. The paper system improved things, but still wasn’t the most accurate. When the business started using computers, it helped a lot. “That’s really changed it across the board for all automotive recyclers,” Jim said. “It’s made them so that they’re all one big family where they can ship stuff and deal with each other. You don’t have to spend hours on the phone looking for stuff. It’s really made everything so much easier.” Even though computers have made things easier, somehow there still doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, and the staff at Misgen Auto is working harder than ever.
It’s a family affair
As the kids got older, they came to work in the family business, and today it is very much a family business.
See MISGEN on 25
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 25
Misgen From Page 24 Every member of the family has his or her specific role in the business. Joanne is a self-described “go-fer,” doing any odd job that needs to be done to help out. While it’s nice to get to work with the family, there are times when it’s can be a challenge, she said. “It’s challenging to be a wife first, a mother second and then business has to be third,” Joanne said. “That’s why I think they all pretty much run everything, and I try to just be there if they are in need of anything.” Jim said that Joanne is the “handy person that they like to keep around,” someone who helps out with anything and everything the family and the business needs. Jim and Joanne’s children each have their own specialty to help the business be successful. Brenda is the office manager and sales associate, Jeremy is the shop and tear down manager, Nicholas
is the crusher and metal buyer, Daniel works as the inventory manager, and Matthew pulls parts and handles deliveries. It’s having specific roles that helps each member of the family thrive, which in turn helps the business do well, Brenda said. “We all get along well, so that helps us to be able to work together,” Brenda said. “We all have a great working relationship and we’ve all kind of been able to establish ourselves in one part of the business.” There’s always time for family, in fact the family eats lunch together every day and Joanne makes dinner every night. While they don’t always get to eat at the same time, often needing to stagger their eating for the benefit of the business, Joanne said eating together is important.
See MISGEN on 26
Jim and Joanne Misgen have turned Misgen Auto into a business that is capable of sending parts to buyers all over the country. But, they couldn’t do it without family help. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
Your Minnesota Owned Company
• Serving Southern Minnesota since 1990 • Insurance Approved • AGRSS/Certified & Registered
211 West Main Street, Owatonna
455-0200 Located in Harland Tire
Open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
& Hi-Way
25” Stereo TV • Cable ESPN • CNN • HBO Off Sale Liquor Available DD Phones with Dataport Fax Service Kitchenettes • Microfridge Non-Smoking Rooms
507-451-0776
Liquor
Pets Allowed with Permission Senior Citizen Discount Commercial & Construction Rates In-Room Coffee Daily, Weekly, Monthly Rentals Free Continental Breakfast Free Wireless Internet
Book Your Room At w w w.booking.com
1180 W. Frontage Rd., Owatonna • w w w.bestbudge tinn.webs.com
PAGE 26
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Misgen
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 25 “A lot of times they’re not all in at the same time,” Joanne said. “It’s important for, I think, all families nowadays to have a meal together.” It’s not all about business for Jim. He’s also active in the community. When he was younger, he was a member of the Jaycees, and now he is currently a member for the Knights of Columbus’ Litomysl and is very active in his church, Saint Aidan’s Catholic Church, where he teaches Sunday school and is one of the the church’s trustees. “The church is where I look to put most of my extra time, if I’ve got it. Religion is very important to me,” Jim said. “I live by the saying ‘We’re here on Earth to know, love and serve God.’” With his children helping out more at the business, Jim finds himself able to step back and let them take on more responsibilities, much the same way he did when he was
growing up learning the business. He has his hobbies, including watching his son race stock cars, occasionally getting behind the wheel himself. He loves to deer hunt and is an occasional fisherman. While he may be able to take a more hands-off approach now, Jim doesn’t see the day when he won’t be coming into work happening anytime soon. “Joanne would say that I’m one of those high-energy guys that just can’t sit around the house, and I think she probably hit the nail on the head,” Jim said. “As long as I can get up, move around and be doing something, I’ll be doing something...I’ll probably be in their hair for a while.” Reach reporter Al Strain at 444-2376 or follow him on Twitter. com@OPPalstrain
The Misgen family stands outside their business just north of Beaver Lake in Steele County. Not pictured are Joanne and Nicholas Misgen. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
Our Homes South, Inc. “A Nice Place To Live”
Our Homes South, Inc. emphasizes individual choice, independence, and personal care for each person receiving services. 113 North Main Street For referral or employment, PO Box 119 call 507-455-2145 or 507-455-3199 Email: ohsdir@hickorytech.net Medford, MN 55049
Enjoy a Home-Cooked meal every day of the week!
The Kitchen 329 Cedar Ave. N • Owatonna 507-451-9991 M, W 5am-2pm • T, Th, F 5am-8pm • Open Saturdays & Sundays FREE WiFi
PROVEN IN THE LAB. IN THE GYM. ON THE FIELD OF PLAY. cybexintl.com | +1.774.324.8000
© 2013, Cybex International, Inc. All rights reserved.
Providing residential services for persons with development disabilities, mental illness or traumatic brain injuries.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Bill Regan
WORK PLAY is
PAGE 27
“I was raised by a single mother,” Regan said. “We did not come from a financially strong environment — just a mother who raised her kids. She dedicated her life to doing that. She never had anything to do with any other men or anything. She just raised her children and she had some very difficult years at first, but as the older kids got older and were able to work and bring home a little money, things kept getting better for her. “But the first few years she survived basically on Regan, who is the youngest of seven children, grew the goodwill and charity of family members and up in LeRoy, a small town in southern Minnesota, people in the community, and people at the church, and there were some tough times early on. and that’s how we got by.” Five weeks before Regan was born, his father died in a hunting accident. By ASHLEY STEWART
astewart@owatonna.com
F
or Bill Regan, owner of the Owatonna Bus Company, a strong work ethic was instilled at an early age.
See REGAN on 28
Bill Regan in his office at the Owatonna Bus Company celebrating National Boss Day in October of 1988. Regan has been the owner of the bus company since 1968. (Submitted photo)
PAGE 28
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Regan From Page 27 Regan said his uncle, his father’s brother, was very supportive of him and his family. “He made sure we had everything and the essentials,” he said. “He would come around every Saturday night and say, ‘What kind of bills do you have that you need to get paid?’ (My mother) got help from other family members, too. She came from a large family of 12 kids, so she had a lot of brothers and sisters and everyone was helping. They were all very helpful.” Regan said his mother taught him a valuable lesson: Make the most of what was available. “My mother had a saying that if I heard it once, I heard it 100 times growing up. She just said, ‘We’ll just have to make do. We’ll just have to make do,’ and that’s what we did,” he said.
‘We all worked’ At 12 years old, Regan started working at LeRoy Dairy delivering milk around town, and he also swept the local theater in the evenings. In high school, Regan unloaded coal at the LeRoy lumber yard and worked at the Ford garage and shop, which is something he continued to do throughout college. “That’s how it was. We did everything for ourselves,” Regan said. “We all worked.” Regan graduated from LeRoy High School in 1950 and attended St. Thomas University, as it was then called, in St. Paul, and participated in its U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He graduated from St. Thomas in 1954. “I went from there immediately into the U.S. Force,” Regan said. In 1956, Regan married his high school sweetheart, Sally, with whom he now has eight children and 20 grandchildren.
See REGAN on 30
Bill Regan rocks his shades on an Owatonna bus in the 1970s. Regan was a bus driver for several years. (Submitted photo)
Bill Regan and his family take a photo opportunity in Salt Lake City during a family vacation in 1980. Regan took his family around the country by bus for vacations. (Submitted photo)
“”
It wouldn’t have happened without his leadership, his dedication to providing for his family, and his work ethic. He created great employment opportunities for many people. I’m really thankful he has given me this opportunity. - Steve Jannings, Owatonna Bus Company chief operating officer on Bill Regan’s contributions to the success of the company
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 29
1958
Good friends. Good food. Good times! Daily Specials Dine-In or Take-Out 507-446-9200 I-35, Exit 45, next to Cabela’s Owatonna, Minnesota
Celebratin 52 Years Celebrating Celebrating Years 52Years 5255 1958 - 2010 2013 1958 - 2010
Located in the Holiday Inn 43rd Street Hours Monday-Thursday 6:00am-11:00pm Friday 6:00am-1:00am Saturday 6:30am-1:00am Sunday 6:30am-11:00pm
For the past 50 years the Owatonna Fo has awarded grants totaling over $10 m projects that touch every aspect of our
Versatility, Performance and Efficiency Get the Gandy Orbit-Air© application system. It lets you
spread fertilizer, seed or small grains plus granular chemicals.
the following categories: For the past 55 50 years the Owatonna Foundation For the past 50 years the Owatonna Foundation • Community has awarded grants totaling over $11 $10 million for has awarded grants totaling over $10 million for - people, parks, places projects that touch every aspect of our lives in projects that touch every aspect of our• lives in Education the following categories: the following categories:
Designed to handle multiple applications, it will be one of the most versatile pieces of equipment on your farm. Economically mounts directly to field cultivators, chisel plows, planters, row cultivators, trailers, high-clearance units or other delivery systems. Your choice of hopper capacities
- literary, scientific, historic
and outlet to fit the way you farm.
• Community • The Arts • Community - people, parks, places - musical, visual, cultural - people, parks, places • Education • Recreation • Education literary, scientific, - sports, leisure, family fun - literary, scientific, historic historic
528 Gandrud Road 507-451-5430 Phone Owatonna, MN 800-443-2476 Toll-Free US www.gandy.net 507-451-2857 Fax
southernminn.com
• Arts The Arts • The Make a Tax-Deductible Contribut - musical, visual, cultural - musical, visual, cultural See the debut of the in Honor of Our 52nd Anniversar • Recreation •Owatonna Recreation Foundation’s Your contribution to the Owatonna Fo exciting new video! - sports, leisure, family fun will - sports, leisure, family fun allow the Foundation to continue to Visit our website or scan this QR our history and respond to the changin code witha your smartContribution phone. Make a Tax-Deductible Make Tax-Deductible Contribution
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Your connection to Southern Minnesota businesses and attractions.
our community — for the next 50 year in Honor of Our of 52nd Anniversary! in Honor Our 52nd 55th Anniversary!
YourTax-Deductible contribution to the Owatonna Foundation Your contribution to the Owatonna ■ preserving ■ the past building the present contributions inFoundation the way of ■ fun will Donations, allow the Foundation to continue to preserve Estate Planning will allow theMemorials Foundation or to continue to preserve are wonderful ways in which you can help the our history and respond the changing needs of to: Owatonna our history and torespond to the changing needs Foundation of Mail donations Foundation support community progress P.O. Box 642 • Owatonna, MN 55060 ourOwatonna community — for the next 50 years! + years! community forour years to come.— for the next 50 years!
For more information or a complete broc
■
Linking you to 11 community websites.
preserving the past ■ building the present ■ funding the future Brunner at 507-451-6641 ■ preserving the past ■ building call: ■ funding the Jim present the future
email: info@owatonnafoundation.org website: www.owatonnafoundation.org Mail donations to: Owatonna Foundation Mail donations to: Owatonna Foundation P.O. Box 642 • Owatonna, MN 55060 P.O. Box 642 • Owatonna, MN 55060 For more information or a complete brochure: moreat information call: JimFor Brunner 507-451-6641 or a complete brochure: call: Jim Brunner at 507-451-6641 email: info@owatonnafoundation.org email: info@owatonnafoundation.org website: www.owatonnafoundation.org website: www.owatonnafoundation.org
PAGE 30
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
The Owatonna Bus Company has been owned by Bill Regan since 1968. Regan said the bus industry grew significantly in the 1970s. (Submitted photos)
Regan From Page 28 “My wife always told our children to marry the boy or girl next door because you know who they are,” he said. “That’s what she and I did. We grew up two doors apart. I’ve known her all my life.” Sally graduated from high school and found a job in Minneapolis and then went to Rochester and worked there until they got married. “(Sally) spent the first 18 months of married life in the military with me,” he said. “It was a great experience for her.” Regan was a U.S. Air Force pilot for four years. “I served between the Korean and Vietnam wars,” he said. “It was a time of great world peace.”
Riding the bus Regan completed his time in the service in 1958 and returned to LeRoy with Sally. He started working at the Ford garage again, and did so for nine years. As a sideline, Regan became involved in the school bus business. “We only had six school buses down there,” Regan said. “I started with three, but I liked that little school bus business I had there. It was a sideline, but it was a start.”
And his sideline business brought him to Owatonna in 1968. “There were two older brothers, Stan and Leonard Mason, and they had school buses, and a couple motor coaches. At one time, they did the ambulance business and taxi cabs, as well as the city bus,” Regan said. “I had known the Mason brothers because I’d stop and visit with them on my way to the Cities. I always told them if they wanted to sell their business to let me know.” Regan said Stan called him in October 1967 after Leonard had a stroke saying, “You always told us if we wanted to sell the business to let you know, so I think I’m going to sell it because Leonard can’t work anymore, and I don’t want to end up like he is.” After negotiating for more than a month, Regan bought what is now the Owatonna Bus Company. Sally worked in the business with Regan early on. “She did a lot of record keeping,” he said. “But with eight kids, she didn’t have much time for outside work.” While the Regans’ family was growing, so was the bus company. Regan said when he first bought the bus company, that is when he saw the most significant growth. “At that time, the state of Minnesota had what they
called ‘common school districts.’ It was what they called one-room schoolhouses all over the rural areas, and when those kids got out of six or eighth grade, they came to town for school,” he said. “The state Legislature passed a bill in the early 1960s that required every school district by 1974 to either provide a full 12-year education or consolidate with another district to accomplish that.” Regan said when he arrived in Owatonna there were still 19 common school districts in Steele County, which provided built-in growth for his newly-purchased business. “It was amazing that we serviced all the little common school districts and not all of them were in Owatonna. We went to Blooming (Prairie), Medford and Ellendale,” Regan said. “It was a time of considerable growth. When I came here, we had 14 school bus routes in 1968 and by 1975 we were up to about 25 routes. “After that, things began to level off. There’s actually been very little growth. Most of it has been in specialneeds transportation.” Regan said in 1973, the Owatonna school district was within 300 of 5,000 students, and today it is within 300 of 5,000 students.
See REGAN on 32
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 31
Used & New Parts FULL SERVICE & U-PULL
12880 SW 72nd Ave, Ellendale (3 Miles W & 2 Miles N from I-35 Exit 26)
1-800-358-4902
We Buy & Pick Up Junk Cars & Trucks Locally Owned & Operated Since 1972
Open 8-5 M-F, 8-2 Sat • www.misgen.com
• Stained Glass • Florals & Garlands • Linens & Lace • Collector Items • Curtains • Signs • Books • Christian Tee Shirts • Christmas All Year • and Much More!
Fa rm & L a wn Care Equi pment G ri l l s • C h ai n Saw s & M ore Your Local Stihl Dealership
3555 SW 18th St. Owatonna, MN 507.451.4054
www.agpowerjd.com
at e r G s Gift
Owatonna’s Premier Builder
Fun Thing s!
The Lysne name has been prominent in the southern Minnesota construction industry for 114 years. Providing broad general contracting and construction management services, A.J. Lysne consistently delivers creative, on-budget solutions to building and renovation challenges.
Stop in and Check Out Our Newly Expanded Facility!
Open Every Day! Across the Freeway from Cabela’s 451-5661
It can be done. We can do it. Call us today. 3249 N County Road 45
•
Owatonna, MN
•
507.451.7121
•
ajlysne.com
PAGE 32
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Regan From Page 30
“It has not changed within 40 years,” he said. “But this is what I love the most about this business: the Owatonna school district. I mean this is where I’ve spent most of my entire adult life, and my commitment is to safe, timely, cost-effective, student transportation, and I try to make that work.” And after 20 years, Regan started thinking about expanding his business. In 1988, the Owatonna Bus Company received a student-transportation contract with the Bloomington School District. “That was because the business manager that was at Owatonna had gone to Bloomington. He called me one day and wanted to know if we could transport some kids for him because their contractors weren’t getting it done,” Regan said. “We started with three special needs vans in Bloomington and that business has grown significantly.” The bus company now has contracts in Richfield, Edina, Robbinsdale and St. Louis Park. “We run more than 100 buses up there now,” he said. In 1991, Regan bought the two bus companies that provided transportation within the Albert Lea School District. “They also had motor coaches, so I combined the motor coach Bill Regan and his wife, Sally, at a gathering in 1998. Regan said his wife and children have been his biggest blessing in life. operation in Albert Lea and Owatonna into Cavalier Coaches,” (Submitted photo) Regan said. And he expanded his business even farther by providing student “We do transportation for Blooming Prairie and Medford, too,” In the late ‘90s, Regan started running Steele County Area transportation within the Mason City School District in Iowa, Regan said. Transit, more commonly known as SCAT, which is the public, which he has done for the last 10 years now. What started as a sideline business more than 50 years ago has county-wide transportation system. become a big part of Regan’s life. “Bill’s number one hobby is work. Work is his first hobby,” said Steve Jannings, who has worked with Regan for 37 years and is the bus company’s chief operating officer. “It wouldn’t have happened without his leadership, his dedication to providing for his family, and his work ethic. He created great employment opportunities for many people. I’m really thankful he has given me this opportunity.” Regan believes community involvement helped the bus company become successful. “I tried to be a part of the community,” he said. Regan said when he arrived in Owatonna he became immediately active in the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and was even president of the organization in 1975. “We support a number of charitable organizations,” Jannings said. He also belongs to the Elks, Owatonna Eagles and the Knights of Columbus. “I tried to do the things a good citizen ought to do,” Regan said. “We contribute to the United Way (of Steele County) and the Owatonna Foundation and the Steele County Historical Society and the Owatonna Arts Center and the hospice house and whatever else we can. “Owatonna has been good to me and I’ve tried to return that.” And while Owatonna has provided Regan a lot, he said his biggest blessing has been his family. “I’ve had a good, stable family relationship between my wife and my children and myself,” he said. “We’ve been blessed that way.” Bill Regan posing for the camera at a family function in 2008. Regan said he has been blessed with a stable family.
Reach reporter Ashley Stewart at 444-2378 or follow her on Twitter.com @OPPashley
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 33
LOCAL BANK. LOCAL PEOPLE.
Open Monday-Saturday and 2 Evenings 1170 E. Frontage Rd • Owatonna • 507-455-1000 405 E. Main St • Blooming Prairie & MC • 507-583-2141 3110 Wellner Drive NE • Rochester • 507-536-7700 132 N. Broadway • New Richland • 507-463-0502
FREE
Warranty For Life
*
The Story All new car purchases and most used cars under 60,000 miles come with a Lifetime Limited Powertrain Warranty.* You’ll never pay for repairs to covered powertrain components for as long as you own the car.
The Walser Way *Some restrictions apply. Leases not included. See dealer for details.
Walser Chevrolet Buick (formerly Hursh Motors) 195 SE 18th St., Owatonna, MN | 507-573-5164
WalserChevroletBuick.com
PAGE 34
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Greg Krueger, owner of St. Clair’s For Men, stands among his wide selection of men’s wear during Christmas season 2007. (Press file photo)
Jumping In
G
Greg Krueger
By JEFFREY JACKSON • jjackson@owatonna.com
reg Krueger has stuck his toe in the water, and he couldn’t be happier. In some ways, sticking his toe in — not literally, of course — has made him one of the City of Owatonna’s biggest cheerleaders, even though he’s a transplant from Wisconsin. “When you look at this town, there’s something special about the community,” Krueger said about Owatonna. “Once you put your toe in the water, it won’t let go.” And that’s just fine with him.
“There’s something about this community that’s just different,” said Krueger, the owner of St. Clair’s for Men in downtown Owatonna. “It’s progressive, but conservative.” Though known mostly as a business owner, Krueger’s involvement in the community goes beyond the doors of St. Clair’s. In fact, that involvement often sees him on the doorsteps or inside other businesses as a representative for the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. He’s also an occasional performer with a rich basso profundo singing voice, an active member of his church and a frequent participant, even if just as a spectator, in the myriad of activities that take place here. He calls the town “infectious” — in the good way, of course. “I tell people, ‘Get involved,’” he said, adding that he has little patience with people who say there’s nothing to do around town. Nonsense, he says. “Once you get involved, you’ll be amazed at how much is going on around town,” he said.
What’s in a name? Just to make it clear, despite the spelling and the way most people around these parts read it and say it, the name is pronounced KREE-ger, not KROO-ger. “People don’t pronounce the name right,” Krueger said. In fact, he said, back where he originally comes from — Gleason, a small, unincorporated community in northcentral Wisconsin — everyone pronounces it KREE-ger. And to hear him tell it, that’s pretty much true of the entire state of Wisconsin. So how exactly did a Wisconsin boy end up in Owatonna? Just lucky, according to Krueger. After he graduated from high school in the early 1970s, Krueger attended a technical college where he earned a degree in business administration and marketing at a small men’s clothing store in Antigo, Wis. — a community he describes as being about the size of Waseca. The job didn’t last long — just about nine months.
See KRUEGER on 36
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 35
Attorneys at Law KENT D. ROSSI ATTORNEY AT LAW Injured? I will work for you. • Car, Truck or Bike Accidents • Wrongful Death • Insurance Disputes
• No-fault Issues • All Personal Injuries • Workers’ Compensation
Representing families. Representing workers. Obtaining maximum compensation. Kent D. Rossi Personal Injury Attorney 145 West Bridge Street | Owatonna Phone: 507-455-1319
www.kentrossi.com
CATHERINE BROWN FURNESS LAW OFFICE 126 West Main Street P.O. Box 603 Owatonna, MN 55060 507-455-3379
WALBRAN & FURNESS Attorneys at Law David K. Furness
Mark M. Walbran
140 E Main Street, Owatonna
507-451-1173 www.walbranfurnesslaw.com
Business Corporations • Limited Liability Companies Divorce • Family Law • Mediation Residential & Commercial Real Estate Wills • Trusts • Probate Accidents • Personal Injury • Property Damage David L. Einhaus • Eric J. Mattison • Mark R. Carver Kristin K. Haberman • George E. Dow Jr. -Retired
www.owatonnalawyers.com 451-3580 202 Cedar Ave N •Downtown Owatonna
PAGE 36
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Krueger From Page 34
What happened?
ABOVE: Greg Krueger stands front and center with other ambassadors from the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism in an October 2011 visit to Nelson Decorating in Owatonna. (Press file photo) RIGHT: Greg Krueger poses with a framed photo of a newspaper ad for St. Clair’s for Men featuring his two sons. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
“I was fired,” Krueger admitted with a shrug. The boss found out that Krueger had been applying for jobs at other places in bigger cities and so cut him lose. It was, by Krueger’s account, a most fortunate firing because it led to his being hired by a men’s clothing store in Wassau, Wis. — a job that he held for six and a half years. And the name of the store? St. Clair’s. At the time, St. Clair’s was a chain of men’s clothing stores with 17 stores stretched over three states — Wisconsin, Iowa and, of course, Minnesota. The family-owned chain dates back to a chance meeting between W.F. St. Clair of Fergus Falls, Minn., and the owner of Leuthold’s, a clothing store here in Owatonna that dated back to the late 1800s. St. Clair, who already owned a men’s clothing store in Fergus Falls, was on a train to Iowa to scout out a location for a second store. On his trip from Point A to Point B, St. Clair stopped to spend the night in southern Minnesota and happened to end up at the Owatonna Hotel where he met Mr. Leuthold. The two men struck up a conversation, which led to the forming of a partnership and the renaming of the Owatonna store. It would now be called “Leuthold-St. Clair’s.” So impressed was the St. Clair family with Owatonna, Krueger said, that they moved here from Fergus Falls. W.F. St. Clair even became a member of the Steele County Fair Board. The new name for the store — Leuthold-St. Clair’s — stuck until the mid-1950s, when W.F. St. Clair’s sons, Bill and Bob, took over the operation and dropped ‘Leuthold’ from the name. Since then, it’s been St. Clair’s for Men — a name that Krueger intends to keep. “The name has such integrity,” he said. And just in case there was any question about his keeping that name, when he took over the store back in the 1980s, Krueger contacted the St. Clair family to see if they had any objection to his maintaining the name. “They were flattered,” he said.
Diving right in
The year was 1983. A Monday night, no less. Greg Krueger remembers it well. Krueger, who had lived in Owatonna for less than three years, was at the old bowling alley for the Monday night league on which he played. While he was bowling, Sharon Stark walked into the lanes, found Krueger and started motioning frantically to Krueger to come talk to her. Stark, who had been — and still is — a part of Little Theatre of Owatonna since its inception back in the 1960s, was on a mission. LTO was three weeks into rehearsal for its production of the musical “Man of La Mancha” when one of the actors had to drop out. Krueger had already appeared in the LTO production of “Brigadoon” the season before, so he was a known quantity to the production crew. What Stark wanted to know was if Krueger could and would step in and play the role of Padre Perez.
See KRUEGER on 37
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 37
Krueger From Page 36
Greg Krueger (back row, second from the left) sings as part of the carolers at Fezziwig’s Feast in December 2012 — a fundraiser for the benefit of the Owatonna Arts Center held at the center. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
“Can you imagine a good Lutheran boy playing a Catholic priest?” he said. He told her that he would think about it and get back to her the next morning. But, no, Stark insisted, she needed an answer right then, right there. “I said, ‘Sharon, I’m bowling,’” he said. With the provision that he be allowed to finish bowling that night before he went to the theater, Krueger agreed to take the role, though it wasn’t easy. When he met with Ev Pecore and first took a look at the music, Krueger, a deep bass, was stunned. “I said, ‘Ev, this is a tenor part,’” he recalled. “I remember her exact words. She looked at me and said, ‘So?’” Three weeks later, he made his debut on the Owatonna stage and sang the role as written, as a tenor. It’s part and parcel of the Greg Krueger philosophy — to jump right in. And he’s been doing just that ever since he came to town. In fact, in some ways it’s that spirit of diving right in that brought Krueger to Owatonna in the first place. Krueger had been with the St. Clair’s company for several years and had grown to appreciate how it operated. When his vacation time approached, he decided to travel to see seven of the cities that had St. Clair’s stores in them. The seventh city that he visited was Owatonna. Even then, he recalls liking the “community feel” of Owatonna. Little did he know at that time that some day he would be moving to the city. In fact, when the opportunity availed itself in May of 1980, it came as a surprise. “We were thinking of remodeling our second house in Wassau, and the manager of the store came to me and said, ‘You may not want to do that,’” Krueger said.
See KRUEGER on 38
Vibrant Living For Individuals 55 & Older at a Reasonable Price 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes available now for purchase starting at $15,000 or lease starting at $614 per month 1 & 2 bedrooms • Cable TV • Single-Level Convenience • Secure Entrance
Call Jon Arnett @ 455-3735 for a tour EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
OWATONNA METAL RECYCLING inc.
Serving you for over 75 years!
235 22nd St. SE • Owatonna
Industrial Scrap Industrial Containers New & Used Steel Top cash buyers for scrap, iron, brass, aluminum, copper, and aluminum cans!
Recycling Pays!
507-451-1470 1210 Industrial Rd Owatonna,MN
I Need a Getaway! It’s Time to Call Cedar Travel.
Serving the Surrounding Communities Since 1989 111 Cedar Avenue North • Owatonna
(507) 455-1170 www.cedartravel.net
PAGE 38
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Krueger
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 37 The powers that be with the St. Clair’s company liked the work that Krueger did and wanted to transfer him to Owatonna to become the manager of the store here. In June, he came to town to look over the community in a little more depth. He moved here in September with his wife, Bonnie, following in November. “I have a wonderful wife who has tolerated me for 37 years,” Krueger said. Bonnie Krueger — currently in her 30th year as reference librarian for the Owatonna Public Library — had just started a new job as a bookmobile librarian in Wisconsin when Greg Krueger was offered the promotion. In 1982, Krueger became the managing partner in the Owatonna store, which, at the time, was located across the street from its current location of Cedar Avenue. Three years later, a bit of bad news came to the St. Clair’s company. Independent men’s clothing stores were struggling, and the company went bankrupt. The owners of the store came to Krueger with a proposition. Either he could buy out their shares and become the sole proprietor of the Owatonna store or they would close the store down. Krueger, who already considered Owatonna home, opted to buy the store. “Of the 17 original stores, we’re the only one still operating,” Krueger said. In fact, within the last five years alone, Northfield, Faribault, Austin and Waseca have all lost their independent men’s clothing stores, prompting some shoppers who travel here from those other communities to comment on how lucky people in this town are to have such a store. By his calculation, there are only 25 independent men’s clothing stores in the state and just five in southern Minnesota. St. Clair’s for Men is the third oldest in the state. “People tell me, ‘You’re a dinosaur,’” Krueger said. In part, what has kept the store thriving over the years is the combination of customer loyalty and the store’s obsession with customer service. ‘Owatonna is a great town to do business in,’ he said. ‘St. Clair’s has survived because the people of Owatonna maintain the belief that shopping locally helps the community.’ And because they support the store, he makes sure that he is there to support his customers with the best service he can offer them. Then there’s the quality of the merchandise. Though there were 17 stores in the St. Clair’s chain when Krueger first came to Owatonna as manager of the store here, the stores were run autonomously, with each store doing its own hiring, firing, payroll and purchasing of inventory. “The only thing they had in common was ownership,” Krueger said. When he arrived in Owatonna, he found a store that had, in his words, “traded down in quality.” “To ensure our existence, we started trading up, putting in more quality goods,” Krueger said. “We live by the philosophy to never put anything in the store we’re not proud of. It’s a philosophy we’ve lived by for 33 years.” And, he added, it has worked for the business, which, he said, is a testament to the community. “People here want things of value,” he said, then paused to correct himself. “‘Want’ is not the right word. They expect that value.”
And the one last thing that has kept his business not only alive but thriving is living by that mantra: “Get involved.” Still a cheerleader Ask Greg Krueger if the green jacket he’s often seen sporting around town is something he received as a prize for winning the Master’s golf tournament and he’s likely to tell you that it’s the wrong shade of green. Spoken like a true haberdasher. In fact, the jacket is part of the attire that he and the other Ambassadors for the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism don whenever they make an official visit to a business in the city and the surrounding area. Krueger has been an Ambassador for the chamber for such a long time — he started in 1985 — that he’s earned the title of Ambassador Emeritus. He even remembers back when the jackets the Ambassadors wore were blue instead of green. In addition to being an Ambassador for the chamber, he’s also been on its board of directors twice and served one term as its chairman. So much does he support it that when a new business comes to town, he encourages the business to join the chamber. “I truly believe the chamber in Owatonna is an amazing venture,” Krueger said. “It has done so much to foster growth, jobs and a way of life that a lot of towns don’t have.” But it is not his only involvement. He’s also been very active in his faith community, specifically, Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna. “That’s another amazing place, with more than 4,000 mem-
bers,” he said. He served on the church council there for 11 years and was the chair of Trinity’s Worship, Music and Arts Committee. And, of course, he sang in the choir. “Trinity is a neat place to be,” he said. And though Krueger hasn’t appeared often on the LTO stage — his last time was for the Christmas show in 2008, “The Stars Come Out For The Holidays” — his vocal abilities have still been showcased from time to time around the community. Most recently, he joined other singers at the Owatonna Arts Center where they, decked out in authentic Victorian clothing, serenaded those in attendance at “Fezziwig’s Feast” with Christmas carols. So does Krueger consider himself a cheerleader for his adopted hometown? “It’s easy to do,” he said. “It’s hard not to be when you see how well Owatonna has done.” And that is what he wishes others would see. “I get really frustrated when people say there’s nothing to do in this town,” Krueger said. “You can get your dance card punched three times a week if you want to, with all the different things that go on in the community. People just don’t take advantage.” Which brings him full circle. “It gets back to the toe in the water,” he said. “I can’t think of a better place to come home to than Owatonna.” Reach Managing Editor Jeffrey Jackson at 444-2371, or follow him on Twitter.com @OPPJeffrey
Greg Krueger, owner of St. Clair’s for Men in Owatonna, looks over his inventory in February 2013. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 39
Franchon Pirkl
Gentle, Generous By ASHLEY STEWART
astewart@owatonna.com
I
Franchon Pirkl smiles as she talks to people at an event, a smile she has on her face daily. (Submitted photo)
f you ever meet Franchon Pirkl, be assured that she will greet you with a smile, a gentle handshake and — if you’re lucky — a hug, and before long her contagious, energetic personality draws you in.
She is hospitable, and why not? That is how she was reared. Born in the rural area of Blooming Prairie in 1935, Pirkl was the youngest of three children. “The things that are of value and the most important lessons I’ve learned in life really began in that simple rural home with my parents and my brother and sister. I learned probably the biggest lesson in hospitality and love and concern for others because there was always room at the table for family, friends, neighbors, strangers and the homeless,” Pirkl said. “Even though it was after the
Depression, there was always a welcome and there was always room at the table for folks.” She carries her lessons from her rural home in her heart each day. “It was an important place of learning for me,” Pirkl said. “I learned from my parents and my family that we are all called to be brother and sister to everyone, accepting people no matter who they are. It was a gift to me from early on.” And that gift has led her to become a Sister in the Franciscan Community, a teacher, an advocate for social justice and a chaplain at the Homestead
Hospice House in Owatonna. But her journey to serve others had to start somewhere, and it started with a decision. Pirkl graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 1953. “I am proud to be an Awesome Blossom,” Pirkl says with a great big smile on her face. “So even though I had a great time in high school and loved my classmates, and dated and had significant relationships, they were part of the scenario when I looked at a religious vocation.” See PIRKL on 40
PAGE 40
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Pirkl From Page 39
A heart for serving
Franchon Pirkl helps clean lesions on a Haitian child’s leg during a missions trip with Sisters of Charity, Mother Teresa’s sisters, in the early 1980s as she served as St. Teresa’s Associate Dean of Students in Winona. (Submitted photo)
JACK ELLIS
EST.
SERVING OWATONNA FOR 35 YEARS!
1231 Brady Blvd. • Owatonna
451-0845
TRACY ELLIS
Pirkl attended the College of St. Teresa’s in Winona upon graduating as a Blossom. And after two years, she joined the Franciscan community and studied education and music. “When I left my second year of college, we sort of went through boot training, where we receive the habit and lived a life to get to know what the Franciscans were all about,” Pirkl said. “At that time, we lived in accepting obedience. We did not choose where we would go or what we would study. Our superiors just looked at our gifts, and we were educated to teach or be nurses or be social workers.” Pirkl taught children in parish schools in Rochester, Maryland, Chicago and Austin between 1959 and 1971. “Where there was a need, that’s where you were sent,” she said. In 1971, Pirkl returned to St. Teresa’s and served in campus ministry for two years, and was then promoted to the associate dean of students where she worked until 1982. In the early ’80s, while working as the as-
See PIRKL on 41
Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply, Inc. One of the largest distributors of traps and trapping supplies in the USA, Australia and Europe.
Request a free catalog We have a huge inventory of:
1977
FULL SERVICE AVAILABLE
sociate dean, Pirkl went to Haiti and worked side-by-side with the Sisters of Charity, who were Mother Teresa’s sisters, in a hostel for the dying and orphans. “It’s an experience that had a great deal of an impact on me,” Pirkl said. “It was an earthshaking experience to be there with the poorest of the poor and to work with Mother Teresa’s sisters and to see their dedication to the dying and the orphans. And there were probably 15 of them, they exhibited so much joy and compassion that I will never forget. They taught me a lot.” And Pirkl continued to learn and continued to serve. “After St. Teresa’s, I was elected to Leadership in the Rochester community — served with three other women,” she said. “It was a group that worked in conjunction with the rest of the community on the issues that affect us.” She played an active role in leadership between 1982 to 1988, and was inspired to have a heart for social justice.
Lures and Baits Trapping Books And Videos Boots and Waders Gloves Snowshoes Training Scents For Dogs Predator Calls Hunting and Fishing Lights
Trap Wax And Dye Bear Traps Body Grippers Traps Live Catch Cage Traps Gopher and Mole Traps Mouse and Rat Traps Tanning Kits Animal Repellents
2299 Austin Rd & Hwy 14 E | Owatonna
Try our online catalog, Simple, Safe, Secure
507-451-6922
Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply
www.settesportscenter.com Mon-Fri 9–5:30 PM Thurs ‘til 7 PM | Saturday 9–1 PM
PO Box 408 • Owatonna, MN 55060 • 507-451-7607 trapper@nwtrappers.com • www.nwtrappers.com
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 41
Pirkl From Page 40
A heart for justice
struggle with, fearful of, angry about, wish things could be difWhen talking about social ferent. I try and hear their story justice, Pirkl quoted Margaret and offer acceptance and hospiMead, an American cultural antality,” Pirkl said. “They are welthropologist, who said, “Never come in my heart. I don’t set out doubt that a small, thoughtful, to change that or correct it, but committed group of citizens can to walk with them down somechange the world. It’s the only times a path that is fearful and thing that does.” uncertain.” “It’s about doing the right Pirkl says the hospice bething or developing an attitude lieves, “When we enter this about it,” Pirkl said. world, we are surrounded by She says her attitude toward love, comfort and care. Don’t social justice developed during we deserve the same when we her childhood, but her actual acleave?” tivity began when she became a That’s the overall structure of sister of St. Francis in 1954. the hospice house, Pirkl believes. “There’s a legacy with St. “It’s unconditional love we Francis of Assisi. They are try to provide for hospice paknown as the peacemakers,” tients and their families,” she she said. “It is important to live said. “It’s a ministry that’s otherthe dictates of the gospel and to centered and it reaches out to follow in the footprints of Jesus. individuals and their families at “That’s when I became ina time in their life that’s probably volved in the students with a the toughest path they’ve ever lot of social justice issues of the walked.” time. It became an important And Pirkl said sometimes it part of our life together, which is difficult, but she tries to exwas to stand with those who Franchon Pirkl, far left, stands in front of the Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna with her co-workers. Pirkl has worked at press goodness. were kind of on the outskirts of the hospice house for more than 16 years. (Submitted photo) “There’s a great deal of brosociety and provide a voice for kenness in our world and dyseration, formerly known as the U.S. Army School in social justice movements, Pirkl said, “Oh yeah, the voiceless.” of Americas at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. always will be because that’s at the heart of the function, but if there is a way to develop a relaPirkl says action is part of being a Sister, which tionship that addresses fear, anxiety, depression “I’ve gone there close to 10 years in November gospel.” means being in touch with legislators at the lo- as part of the non-violent support and justice and can somehow turn the focus into something cal, state and national level to address where the protest of this school,” she said. “It’s a school that good and the life beyond this one that holds great needs are. promise, it helps,” she said. trains soldiers from Latin American countries in She laughed as she recalled a memory about torture and counter insurgency and training these In the early 1990s, Pirkl left the ministry of At the hospice house, the staff serves those going to the Capitol. leadership to figure out what she was going to be at the facility, at their homes and in care centers. soldiers to mutilate their countrymen. “We did a sit-in in the offices and the staff when she “grew up. ” “We look at the whole circle of care,” Pirkl said. “Our tax dollars are paying to have these would tell others, ‘The nuns are here again.’ It’s just people trained.” And in her late 50s, early 60s, she found it. Pirkl says although a lot of things have changed that consistent perseverance that makes a differAfter her father died in hospice care in the at the hospice house, one person has remained, Pirkl said almost 20,000 people gather in Noence,” Pirkl said. “Whether it’s a church group, a vember from all over the world to ask that this early ‘90s, Pirkl decided to join the team. and that’s Ruth Vizina, a registered nurse. civic group or a small group of legislators, it can school be closed. “I observed the commitment and the insight “She’s the only person that’s still here from change things.” “Things are being done,” Pirkl said. “There are and the total care of the hospice team that came when I first applied 16 years ago,” Pirkl said. Over the years, Pirkl has been involved in non- efforts in Congress to close it. It’s going to take as to our home,” Pirkl said. “That experience, that Vizina said Pirkl has more energy and can violent protests to change things. reality, has continued in all aspects as I have been multitask better than anyone she knows. long as it takes to stop this dreadful stuff.” “I remember going to Washington, D.C., for a a part of hospice. ” “I always call her the Energizer Bunny,” Vizina Pirkl was unable to attend the protest, which bus trip,” she said. “It was an all-night with a group she emphasized is non-violent, last November Now, at almost 78 years old, Pirkl has worked said laughing. “She is very dedicated to the work of students to stand with and be a part of efforts because of a bad knee. at the Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna she does here and works crazy hours.” to call attention to the Vietnam War.” She recalled a time when she and Pirkl were “I plan on going this year,” she said. “I started for 16 years. And Pirkl continues to stand for justice with 10 or 12 years ago with my sisters. They are my She started as a home health aid 16 years ago, working late together one night, and Pirkl told her Franciscan community that focuses on respect sisters and my best friends. They are family.” but now serves as the chaplain and Pirkl said she’s Vizina she should get home and drive safe. for human life and all creation. “I live in town, and she lives out by Blooming Pirkl also participates in Habitat for Human- learned a lot from the patients. “Our service extends beyond ourselves,” Pirkl ity — a Christian housing ministry that builds or “I meet them as individuals with no expec- Prairie. I thought, ‘Franchon, you need to get said. “We look at the needs of our times.” repairs more 600,000 decent, affordable houses, tation of how they’ve lived their life or what is home,’” Vizina said. “But she is very dedicated.” Pirkl has been dedicated to protesting the serving more than 3 million people worldwide. facing them at this moment and essentially lisWestern Hemisphere Institute for Security CoopWhen asked if she’d continue to be involved ten and try to hold what it is that they probably See PIRKL on 44
A heart for care
PAGE 42
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live.
&
Clubs Organizations
Grandparents for Education a National AMG Heritage Award Winner as the Educational Organization of 2012 based on Excellence and Achievement needs you to help students in our schools.
Have a heart to help a child.
GFE members tell us that they get more out of volunteering than they feel they give.
202 -1/2 N. Cedar Owatonna, MN 55060 (507) 451-9401 www.owatonna.younglife.org
For Teens: • Young Life Club • Wyldlife Club • Small Groups • Real Life • Walk With Me • Camps For Adults: • Volunteer Leaders • Adult Committee • Family Camps • Adult Guest Opportunities Young Life is a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization. All contributions are used locally and are 100% tax deductible.
Chuck Jamison, Area Director
www.steelecountyfoodshelf.org
The Steele County Food Shelf exists to: • provide food to the hungry • promote client self-sufficiency • coordinate with other poverty and hunger related services
Working together to promote personal empowerment, professional development, & political awareness To learn more about becoming a member and being a guest at a monthly meeting, contact us at OwatonnaBusinessWomen@hotmail.com
If you are having difficulty meeting the basic needs for your family or yourself, your local food shelf is here to help you and your family.
Monday, Wednesday Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Saturday
Meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 11:30am to 1:00pm
9:00 am - 5:30 p.m. 9:00 am - 3:30 p.m. 8:00 am - 11:30 am
Phone (507) 455-2991 • Fax (507) 455-4063
e h t B g est Bet n i k a M t –H
4071906 Food Shelf Portraits Clubs & Orgs OPP 3.23 pr
Southern Minnesota
COIN & Stamp Club
er
“Connecting teens with Christ through caring adults.”
STEELE COUNTY FOOD SHELF
155A Oakdale Street • Owatonna
4
Call von Arbs at 507-451-8661 (cell) or Linda at 507-390-4468 (cell) usronsonva@aol.com (email) Visit us at www.grandparentsforeducation.net
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Sponsor of the Owatonna Area’s Largest Coin Shows Since 2007
Upcoming Shows
Sunday, April. 7th, 2013 Sunday, Nov. 3rd, 2013 Join today for Fun and Excitement that will last a Lifetime!
Steele County 444-7685
All shows at the Holiday Inn by Cabela’s • I-35 Exit 45
FREE ADMISSION
Non-profit organization for the promotion of coin and stamp collecting
507-455-2484
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Clubs & Organization Healthy Seniors Of Steele County
Neighbor helping Neighbor Volunteer Program Looking for volunteers who want to do Good Neighbor acts of kindness for seniors who want to stay living in their home as long as possible.
Healthy Seniors and Communityserving together since 1998 Serving communities throughout Steele County Medford, Owatonna, Ellendale and Blooming Prairie
www.hsscprogram.org email: healthyseniors@hsscprogram.org
507-977-2566 • 507-774-7648
PAGE 43
10th Annual Steele County
Senior & Caregiver Expo Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 11:00 am–4:00 pm Four Seasons Centre, Steele County Fairgrounds • • • • •
Discover the Services, Health & Wellness Benefits & Information Available to Seniors and Caregivers in Steele County Keynote Speaker- Dick Edwards, author of “Mom, Dad…Can We Talk?” 10:00am (Pre-Expo) & again 5:30pm (Post-Expo) American Red Cross Blood Drive-12:00pm-4:00pm Ask the Expert Booth-scheduled Information Sessions throughout the Expo 60+ Additional Informational Booths Screenings-BP, Cholesterol, Chair Massage, Spinal Checks, Balance & Strength Checks & more!
For more information, call SeniorPlace at 507-444-4280
SENIORPLACE
Programs & services geared towards older adults ages 50 & older • • • •
Educational Health & Wellness Support Services Volunteer Opportunities
SeniorPlace is a vital and active Senior Center that provides Leisure and Recreational Opportunities for those 50 and Over.
500 Dunnell Drive • Owatonna • 444-4280 Hrs: M–F: 8 AM–4 PM, T,W,Thurs: 8 AM–8 PM http://ci.owatonna.mn.us/parksrecreation/senior-place www.facebook.com/SeniorPlace e-mail: Anne.Pleskonko@ci.owatonna.mn.us Like us on Facebook
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota
“Chase Me Comrade” April 19, 20, 21, 25, 26 & 27
“Jesus Christ Superstar” June 20, 21, 22, 23 & 27, 28 & 29 Owatonna’s finest theatre group brings you a variety of performances throughout the year. Come escape with us, laugh with us, or maybe even cry with us. To find out more information on any upcoming performances or becoming a part of Little Theatre call 451-6156
To refer your child to our program volunteer 97 children are or waiting for youtoto… become a Big Brother or Big Sister Call 507.451.5922
Start
Something.
507-451-5922
www.bbbsofsouthernmn.org
www.bbbsofsouthernmn.org
Established in 1966 Promoting safe, responsible use of Firearms and Archery. We feature: • Indoor Archery & Air Rifle Leagues • 3D Archery Shoots • Bowhunter & Advanced Bowhunter Education • 10-60 Yard Outdoor Archery Range • Fall & Winter Rendezvous • MN DNR & NRA Firearms Training programs • 50/100/200 Yard Firearms Ranges • We support & donate to local schools To become a member visit www.20riflepistolclub.org Or contact Rod Mauer 507-451-8358 Email president@20riflepistolclub.org Introduce youth to shooting sports!
PAGE 44
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Pirkl From Page 41
LEFT: Franchon Pirkl speaks with a hospice patient as a chaplain, a position she has held at the hospice house for years. BELOW: Franchon Pirkl with her parents in the 1950s at the College of St. Teresa’s in Winona when she joined the Franciscan community. Pirkl studied education in music as a sister. (Submitted photos)
Vizina said Pirkl has a calming, peaceful manner about her that she feels helps when dealing with hospice patients and their families. Pirkl is also active in the community. “She represents hospice in the community,” Vizina said. Pirkl organizes the “Star of Hope” event that takes place in Owatonna each December to reach out to families for grief support. “It’s a time to come together and remember loved ones,” Pirkl said. She also coordinates the volunteers who beautify the hospice gardens and the yard. “It’s important to have an environment of beauty that surrounds our hospice patients and their families,’ Pirkl said. And the patients and families Pirkl interacts with each day remind her of the goodness in life she learned to cherish when she was a child. “They teach me a lot and sometimes when I see the devastation of suffering, I will often leave that room or thinking about it on my way home, I don’t have one thing to complain about. I need to be grateful for so much that has been given to me,’” Pirkl said. “It’s about believing in goodness and being grateful. It’s the same thing that I was told when I was a kid.” Reach reporter Ashley Stewart at 444-2378 or follow her on Twitter.com @ OPPashley
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
See What You Love LOVE How You See!
PAGE 45
Stockwell Accounting, Inc.
Experience expert eye care combined with the area’s most outstanding selection of eyewear! Eye exams, eyewear, sunglasses, contact lenses, computer glasses, sports eyewear, and much more!
Dr. Beth Gilthvedt Optometrist
Dr. Nick Vincelli Optometrist
Member of
Full Range of Accounting & Tax Planning Estate Planning • Business Consultation All Payroll Services • Individual & Business Tax Preparation
Everyone has a story to tell How do you want to tell yours? Everyone has a story to tell Everyone has a story to tell Everyone has to tell
507-451-3072 • 118 N. Oak Ave, Owatonna www.eyecareowatonna.com We welcome any doctor’s lens prescription Facebook.com/Horizon.EyeCare
802 N. Elm Avenue OWATONNA, MINNESOTA 55060 Ph. (507) 451-1873 • Fax: (507) 451-1051
How do you want to tell tell yours? yours? How do you want to yours? How do you want From their first steps to their walk across the graduation stage, we’re with you every step of the way. At Jostens, we’re committed to helping schools and families celebrate and share life’s greatest stories.
Jostens,we’re we’recommitted committedtotohelping helpingschools schoolsand and familiescelebrate celebrate and and share share life’s life’s greatest greatest stories. stories. AtAtAt Jostens, Jostens, we’re committed helping schools and families families celebrate and share life’s greatest stories. Start telling your stories today to with Jostens innovative online custom design experiences. From their first steps tototheir walk across the with you every step the way. From thegraduation graduationstage, stage,we’re we’rewith withyou youevery everystep stepofof ofthe theway. Fromtheir theirfifirst rststeps steps to their their walk walk across across the graduation stage, we’re Designstories your own today with Jostens Use your digital photos online to ready to Start telling your innovative custom designGetting experiences.
Start your stories today innovative online custom designexperiences. experiences. Starttelling tellingclass your today with with Jostens Jostens ringstories from create innovative a custom Jostensonline custom design graduate? Design your scratch with Ring Design Designer at your own class ringyour fromown Design jostens.com. Design your own scratch with Ring class classring ringfrom from Designer at scratchwith withRing Ring scratch jostens.com. Designer at Designer at jostens.com. jostens.com.
jostens.com jostens.com
Photo Memory Book at Use your digital photos to OurHubbub.com. create a custom Jostens Use your your digitalphotos photostoto Use digital Photo Memory Book at create custom Jostens create aa custom Jostens OurHubbub.com. Photo Memory Book Photo Memory Bookatat OurHubbub.com. OurHubbub.com.
own Grad Party Invites at Getting ready to jostens.com/photoinvites. graduate? Design Getting ready Getting ready to to your own Grad Party Invites at graduate? Design your graduate? Design your jostens.com/photoinvites. own Grad Party Invites at at own Grad Party Invites jostens.com/photoinvites. jostens.com/photoinvites.
PAGE 46
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Katie Smith, branch manager at U.S. Bank in Owatonna, sits at her desk. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
Katie Smith
A woman of MANY ROLES
By AL STRAIN
astrain@owatonna.com
Katie Smith is always up for a new challenge. Whether it’s a new role for the stage, a new career path or a new way to showcase service in the community, Smith always looks for the best way to get the job done, and usually her efforts are quite successful. Smith, who currently serves as the retail branch manager at U.S. Bank in Owatonna, has been in the community for 34 years. During that
time, she has done plenty to leave her mark on a community that she fell in love with after graduating from college in Moorhead State University in 1972 before moving to Owatonna in 1979. Though she graduated with a degree in theater and speech, right out of college Smith began working at a bank in Fargo, N.D., where she found out that she liked the banking business that would blossom into her career. “I discovered that I enjoyed banking. I started my banking career in 1972 with the State Bank of Fargo at the Northport Shopping Center in
Fargo, N.D., the windy city of North Dakota,” Smith said. “Chicago has got nothing on Fargo, let me tell you.” Born in Superior, Wis., and reared in Detroit Lakes, Minn., Smith went to Moorhead State. With her degree, she said her dream job was to work for a business and run its training program — something that she was a little ahead of her time on. “That didn’t work out. Now, big companies have their own training and develop their own programs,” Smith said. “It wasn’t an established
thing back then, so I went to work for a bank to basically pay back student loans.” Seven years into her life in Fargo, Smith made the decision to leave. The decision was not an easy one, because Smith was beginning to devote her time to the community. “I left a perfectly good job and a community where I was getting really involved,” Smith said. “I left family, job, community and friends and came down here.”
See SMITH on 48
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
FINANCIAL FITNESS BEGINS AT HOME • Purchases • Refinances • Home Equities Serving those who live, work, worship or attend school in Dodge, Rice, Steele and Waseca Counties
Your Trusted Partner for Financial Success
WWW.HOMETOWNCU.COOP a • St. Peter • Wasec field • Owato nna Fariba ult • North
Fall 2012
Fa rib au
lt • N or th fie
ld • O wa to
Fall
FASHION!
nn
a • St Pemerchants te r • The latest trends from.local
Was ec a
Holiday 201
2
Holiday
Tips on mak ing your gatherin next holi g a feast day to rememb the er • Wase ca Two Faribault women and onna • St. Peter breast North field • Owat • cancer fight against ult Fariba
PAGE 47
You never know when you’ll land in our ER. At Owatonna Hospital, we expect the unexpected, around the clock. Our ER offers private rooms with amenities like individually controlled lighting and temperature for your comfort, and telephones to keep you connected. As a Level IV trauma hospital, Owatonna Hospital’s ER is outfitted with advanced equipment for emergency care and staffed with emergency physicians and registered nurses. Best of all, when you need us, we’re right here in your neighborhood, conveniently located off I-35 and 26th Street NW.
2400 W. Bridge Street 1620 S. Cedar Avenue Owatonna 507-451-3798 888-451-3798
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Federally insured by the NCUA
A lifestyle magazine for women in our region. Pick up your copy of Girlfriends at businesses in and around Owatonna.
Winter 2013
Love
is in the air - and this issue
Twelve wom experiencin en share an inse parable g loss and celebrating bond, life
Girlfriends
Cover (Nove
mber 2012).
indd 1
11/7/2012
8:56:44 AM
These Northfield women share a family bond
2/5/2013 8:27:57 AM
where local women turn
www.girlfriends.mn
Emergency Services owatonnahospital.com
9539 0611 ©2011 ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM. *A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ALLINA HEALTH SYSTEM
PAGE 48
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Smith From Page 46 During her seven years in Fargo, put her theater major from college Smith had been active in communi- to good use. ty theater and the Wurlitzer Organ “I kind of was getting estabSociety, where she helped decorate lished and I got acquainted with the and renovate some of the theater community, and then I got involved district in Fargo. in Little Theatre,” Smith said. It w a s n o From the bechance that ginning, Smith Smith came was wearing to Owatonna. I think that being several different hats for Though she had able to take some- Little Theatre plenty of job Owatonna, offers, she had thing and kind of of often wearing worked with an Owatonna na- make it your own is more than one and taking on tive, Dan Nelson, who told fun. Working with the responsibiliher that Owaties of multiple the different, tal- jobs and doing tonna was a wonderful comherself. In ented people, and them munity. In comher time with ing to Owaton- being able to mold LTO, she has acted, directed, na, she turned down offers for that talent was fun. produced, applied makeup, jobs in the Twin Cities, Austin It’s unbelievable the designed sets, choreographed and Rochester. “I decided I talent that we have and written and wasn’t a big city directed her own in Owatonna. g irl, and demusical revues. cided to come “Pretty much, - Katie Smith to O w aton n a I’ve done everyon life in the theatre because when thing,” she said. I inter viewed Through all here I loved the atmosphere of her roles and the countless hours of the bank,” Smith said. work she put into the shows, Smith Coming to Owatonna in April said she thoroughly enjoyed workof 1979 to work for the First Na- ing with the people of the commutional Bank of Owatonna, which nity to help them put on quality later became U.S. Bank after sev- productions, something that was eral name changes and acquisi- helped by the quality of the people tions, Smith quickly immersed she worked with. herself in the culture of the Owatonna community, and began to See SMITH on 50 Katie Smith shows demonstrates how she wants her cast to move on stage during a show she directed. (Submitted)
“”
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 49
Downtown OWAT O N N A 328 N Cedar Ave
MORTGAGE • INSURANCE* • TRUST PROFINIUM INVESTMENT SERVICES**
Jennifer Svien Mortgages
Matt Walerius Insurance*
NMLS# 663481
NMLS# 663358
Alyssa Elzen Insurance*
Call 507-444-0101
Profinium Financial, Inc. Loan Production Office NMLS# 402979
*Insurance products are not a deposit or other obligation of the bank, not insured by the FDIC or any other agency of the U.S. or the bank, there is investment risk including possible loss of value if applicable. **Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Investments are: • Not FDIC insured • May lose value • Not financial institution guaranteed • Not a deposit • Not insured by any federal government agency. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.
LIVE • WORK • PLAY 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom apartments | Furnished apartments also available
325 Hoffman Drive Owatonna, MN 55060 OwatonnaGateway.com 507-451-8000
Introducing - MonuVision Design Program - Laser & hand etched design - Engraved & traditional bronze markers - Cremation memorials for garden or cemetery - In home appts. available upon request
- Locally owned by John & Barb Heerema - Ed Cunningham - Sales - Laurie Matejcek - Sales - 100% Customer satisfaction guaranteed
1180 Frontage Road East • Owatonna, MN EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
507-455-9551 • www.owatonnagranite.com
507.446.0847 • 507.446.0846 FAX • SOLUTIONS@ITNAV.COM 345 FLORENCE AVE, SUITE 101, OWATONNA, MN 55060
Pearson has one defining goal: to help people progress in their lives through learning. We champion innovation and we invest in models for education that deliver on our promise for effective, accessible, and personal training from early literacy, college and career readiness to professional education, through data informed instruction and inventive applications for mobile and digital learning. Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, has global-reach and market leading businesses in education, business, and consumer publishing and is listed on the London and New York stock exchanges (UK; PSON; NYSE; PSO). For more information, visit www.pearson.com.
2125 4th St. NW Owatonna, MN 55060 507-451-5137 www.pearson.com
The successful company doesn’t react, it predicts. It doesn’t wait for opportunity, it creates it. Technology Navigators can drive your company forward by creating an IT infrastructure that creates efficency and effectiveness, and moves you forward. STRATEGIC BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY PLANNING • NETWORKING: LAN, WAN, WLAN MANAGED SERVICES PROVIDER • BUSINESS HARDWARE/SOFTWARE VOLUME LICENSING • NETWORK SECURITY AD DESIGN BY SEVENRENDERED • WWW.7RENDERED.COM
PAGE 50
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Smith From Page 48
Katie Smith sits at her desk with Crunch, mascot for the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Submitted)
Katie Smith, or her alter ego Lena, perform on stage for the National Exchange Club. (Submitted)
“I think that being able to take something and kind of make it your own is fun,” Smith said. “Working with the different, talented people, and being able to mold that talent was fun. It’s unbelievable the talent that we have in Owatonna.” Her first show came during the 1980 season, where she was in “My Fair Lady.” Though she didn’t have much experience with LTO under her belt, Smith was soon asked to direct the summer children’s show after the original director was struck ill with cancer. Though she didn’t know why the board of directors tapped her to take over the children’s snow, Smith didn’t back away from the challenge. She didn’t like any of the shows the board presented her with, so she elected to write, direct and produce her own children’s musical review, titled “Fairy Tales Through Music.” “I think we had like 60-some different costume changes, which drove the costume people nuts,” Smith said with a laugh. “Then we bought books with all the music in it, and then we adapted and wrote orchestrations to kind of fit.” It was an intense process, with Smith at times rewriting the script to suit the talent that she had on stage, something she did when she did the musical review “Some Enchanted Evening” during the 19961997 season. Bev Cashman acted alongside Smith in several productions of LTO and noted that she was always very committed to her roles when she was on stage. During one showing of the show “Nunsense,” Smith’s Reverend Mother character is drunk and shakes some maracas in the face of Cashman’s character of Robert Anne. “She had to act inebriated at the end of act one and we’re supposed to rush her off stage,” Cashman said. “She was shaking these maracas and smacked me in the face with them on the very last night and gave me a black eye. She felt so bad. Luckily it was the last night, and it wasn’t that bad of a black eye. But again,
she was so into her character.” She said she enjoyed working with the people and the creativity she was able to use while working with the theater, but mainly she enjoyed having music in her life. That love of music led her to work with an Owatonna Choir, NOVA, for more than 20 years. During that time, Smith helped choreograph for the group and turn them into somewhat of a show choir. “I came in to give them movement. We went from just standing there, though they had some movement to some of their numbers ... And then we moved into having costumes, written scripts and themed shows,” Smith said. Though she loved the theater, Smith was forced to step away from it when her mother, Alberta, became ill. Her mother’s illness caused her to step away because she couldn’t devote the amount of time required to be part of a show. After her mother died in 1995, Smith left the theater and focused on giving back to the community. She was presented with an opportunity in 1996 to join the Owatonna Exchange Club, which she did, bringing the same gusto and spirit that made her a hit on the stage. “I joined them in August of 1996, and very shortly after that I was on the board of directors,” Smith said. “I don’t know if I even completed a full term as a director before I became the club president-elect and then club president.” Smith’s energy was certainly contagious, rubbing off on fellow members of the exchange club, said fellow member Bev Seykora. “We’ve done a lot of stuff together. Katie gives 110 percent to whatever she does,” Seykora said. “It’s a lot of fun to work with her ... She just gives all of herself to a project. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with her because she is willing do to things and her mind is just racing. I have enjoyed everything I’ve ever done with her.”
See SMITH on 51
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 51
Katie Smith, right, is presented with the the Woman of Achievement award by Katie Simon. Smith was one of five nominees for this year’s award. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
Katie Smith, right, hugs Beth Svenby, last year’s recipient of the Woman of Achievement Award from Owatonna Business Women. Smith was named the winner of the award for 2013. (Al Strain/People’s Press)
Smith From Page 50
Eventually, doing work with the Owatonna Exchange Club led to an expanded role where she eventually became part of the district’s Exchange Club as the president and eventually the National Exchange Club, where she currently serves as the vice president for Region 3, an office she’s held since 2009. The 2002-03 year was a big one for Smith’s involvement in the Exchange Club. During that year, she was honored as the Distinguished District President and received the National Exchangite of the Year award, the highest honor a member of the National Exchange Club can receive. During her time as district president, she was voted the class spokesperson. As that spokesperson, she was issued a challenge by her class to help raise money for the National Foundation. The class raised $28,000, but not without a little incentive from Smith, who decided to put her skills of playing the stump fiddle to the test with a unique outfit. “She had told these people that if she met a certain quota, she would dress in a red bikini,” Seykora said. “So she made her own red bikini, she’s so talented.” The $28,000 raised by her class was a record, and wearing a black leotard underneath her red, sequenced bikini, Smith played the
stump fiddle to “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” during the breakfast of the national convention in Birmingham, Ala. She played the fiddle as her alternate personality, Lena. Lena, who came on the scene to help entertain exchange members during the national convention, as part of a skit about a traditional Scandinavian family. The character was originally used in 2001 in Owatonna for family fun. “We went to the National Convention in Greensboro, N.C., in 2001, and we had a hospitality room where I played Lena with the stump fiddle,” Smith said. “Tim Klinkner played my Olie and every one of the people from Minnesota took on a Scandinavian name. We had lefse-rolling contests in our hospitality room, we had cookies for Minnesota with a star where Minneapolis was. We said we were going to have lutefisk, but we had pickled herring instead.” The Scandinavian Minnesotans were such a big hit that they closed down all the other hospitality rooms. Ever since that convention in 2001, Lena has been performing at the national convention. Laura Resler, executive director for the Steele County Historical Society, said Smith has helped with fundraisers over the years. “I’ve worked with her through Leadership Owatonna, she’s been a day-leader with that program as well,” Resler said. “That’s where
I really got to know her and enjoy working with her. She’s just a bundle of energy and a very positive and uplifting person.” For all her efforts in business and her involvement in the community, Smith was honored with the Woman of Achievement award for 2013 by Owatonna Business Women. For her talent and devotion to the community, Smith has earned the respect and trust of her friends and the people she works with in Owatonna, who say they would be willing to assist her in any endeavor. “If she ever asked me to do something, nine times out of 10 I would do it just because I know what a worker she is...I’d be willing to help her in anything, so that’s more than nine times out of 10,” Seykora said. While it’s been a number of years since Smith was involved in a show, Cashman said she would like to do another show with her, and that Owatonna likely wants the same. “I just hope that someday that she has time to come back to the stage again, because I think Owatonna misses her,” Cashman said. Reach reporter Al Strain at 444-2376 or follow him on Twitter. com@OPPalstrain
PAGE 52
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
C h urc h Di r e ctory St. Joseph Catholic Parish Church 512 S. Elm Ave. • Owatonna • 451-4845
Non-Denominational Sunday Morning • 10 a.m. Wednesdays • 7 p.m. 332 14th St NE, Owatonna, MN 55060 (507) 213-9194 Email: NBCchurch@charter.net www.NBCowatonna.com
Rev. Edward McGrath, Rev. Joseph Ngo & Deacon Patrick Fagan Call to verify Mass times Mass Times: Saturday 4:00 p.m.; Sunday 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. Daily Masses - 8:00 a.m. (please call to verify) Reconciliation - 3:00-3:30 p.m. Saturday & also after 11:00 a.m. Mass the 4th Sunday of each month
Christ the King Parish Church 205 2nd Ave • Medford
Mass Times: Sat. 5:30pm & Sun. 10:00am (call to verify Mass times)
Corpus Christi Parish Church Deerfield, MN • 507-451-6353
Mass Time: Sun. 8:30am (call to verify Mass time)
4071567 St. Joseph Church sig page Portraits 2013 OPP 3.23 pr CHRISTIAN FAMILY CHURCH
4072466 Good Shepherd Church sig pg Portraits 2013 OPP 3.23 pr ST. PAUL’S
LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA
is Hosting
Trinity Lutheran Church 609 Lincoln Ave. So., Owatonna Phone 451-4520 Fax 451-1348 Pastors Peter Strommen, Dean Smith, Julie Malone Visitation Pastor Charles Espe
Services - Sat. 5:00 p.m., Sun. 8:15 & 9:45 a.m. Contemporary Service 11:15 a.m. Sunday School 8:15 & 9:45 a.m. Adult Education Forum 9:45 a.m. Sundays and most Wednesday nights. Please call for details. Cable TV Channel 8 - Mon. 10 a.m., Wed. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 11a.m.
www.tlcowatonna.org
2SERVICES CONTEMPORARY
9AM & 11AM
Be YOU, Be FUN, Be REAL! facebook.com/cfcmn twitter.com/cfc_mn
507.455.3205 | www.cfcmn.org
South of Cabela’s
2781 SW 92nd Avenue, Meriden
1/2 mile South of New Hwy 14 west at Meriden Exit
507-451-2165 Sunday Worship: 10:30 AM Communion: 1st Sunday of Month Sunday School: 9:15 AM Air conditioned & Handicapped Accessible
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 53
A Time To Rejoice, Celebrate & Worship St. John Lutheran Church, ELCA
open hearts, open minds, open doors United Methodist Church
Sunday Services 9:00 and 10:45am | Sunday School 10:00am Wednesday Evening Service Like us on September thru May Facebook 5:30pm Supper | 6:30pm Worship
Are You Searching…for new direction and meaning in life? Meet us at the Owatonna Methodist Church
507-451-4734 • 815 E. University
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
810 Cedar Ave S • Owatonna • 451-1588 Saturday Mass at 5:00 p.m. Sunday Masses at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Spanish Liturgy • Confessions Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Rev. John Sauer • Rev. Michael Cronin www.sacredheartowatonna.org
THURSDAY 5:00 p.m. Vesper Service SATURDAY 5:00 p.m. Contemporary Service SUNDAY 8:00 a.m. Traditional Service 10:30 a.m. Blended Service 9:15 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages Children to Adult 1:00 p.m. Sundanese Worship Service SUMMER SCHEDULE Memorial Day–Labor Day 8:00 a.m. Traditional Service 9:30 a.m. Blended Service Pastor Dave Klawiter Nursery • Handicapped Accessible • Air Conditioned Communion At All Services • Worship will broadcast over AM 1390 KRFO at 10:30 every Sunday
1301 Lincoln Ave • Owatonna • 451-7293 • www.stjohnowatonna.org
COUNTRYSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church South Cedar & Mill, Owatonna 451-5319
Sunday Worship - 10:00 a.m.; Child Care Provided Wednesday Worship - 12:10 p.m. Wednesday Christian Education - 5:45 p.m.
Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church (WELS) 750 SW Jeffrey St. • Owatonna • 455-2729
Thomas Smith, Pastor
Sunday Worship - (Sept.-May) 9 a.m. Christian Education Hour - 10:15 a.m. Summer Worship - Sunday 9 a.m. • Monday 7 p.m. www.emmanuel-wels-owatonna.com
OWATONNA, MN 55060 CHURCH OFFICE 451-5547 JIM AVERY - MINISTER - 456-3040 CELL EMAIL: countrysidechurch@q.com WEBSITE: www.countrysidechurchowatonna.com Meeting at Victory Christian Center 1320 E. Rice Lake Street Sunday 9am Worship Family Movie Nite 5:30pm Last Sunday of the Month
For small group information call Pastor Jim at 456-3040
PAGE 54
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Rick Krejci
More Business than
as usual
By ASHLEY STEWART
astewart@owatonna.com
While some folks bask in the glow of the spotlight, Rick Krejci is not one of them. Far from it. And he isn’t afraid to admit it. “I don’t like the spotlight,” Rick said. “I’m pretty hands off.” In fact, after owning Krejci Ford in Blooming Prairie for 27 years, he shuns the recognition and gives all the credit to his customers and his employees. “None of the success that we’ve accomplished would be here without our very loyal customer base and our employees,” Rick said. Rick learned the value of others from his father, Vyrle, who owned Krejci Ford prior to Rick. “That’s the biggest thing I learned,” Rick said. “We go by the Golden Rule here. We try to treat people how we’d want to be treated when we go somewhere, and that’s what he taught me.” His father also taught him the value of cars. Rick, born and reared in Blooming Prairie, didn’t spend his childhood around cars, but everything he knows about them, he learned from his father. In 1973 — when Rick was just a senior in high school — Vyrle, with two other men, purchased a building off of Highway 218 that would later become Krejci Ford. Rick and Cheri Krejci stand in front of Krejci Ford in Blooming Prairie. Rick has owned the business since 1989. (Ashley Stewart/People’s Press)
See KREJCI on 56
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 55
KREJCI FORD INC Your Service Minded Dealer 14 Time President’s Award Winner
218 Hwy N, Blooming Prairie | 507-583-2046 | www.krejciford.com
Your Dream Wedding, Our Pleasure!
Have Your Reception at the
Owatonna Country Club Where Families Belong
Open To The Public For weddings, events and meetings…..
1991 Lemond Road | Owatonna Michelle Pederson Director of Sales & Catering 507-451-6120 | www.OwatonnaCC.com MichelleP@OwatonnaCC.com
The disposition of a loved one in a dignified way is important to all cultures and civilizations. The ritual and ceremony surrounding that disposition is an important activity for those who live on after death occurs. Pre-planning is the process of recording information and ideas for use at a future date. This thought brings many questions to mind. • Who will take care of my final affairs? • Who will pay for my final expenses? • What kind of service do I want? • Can I pre-pay for services at today’s prices? All of these questions and more can be answered by taking an hour of your time to share your thoughts and ideas with us. The peace of mind in knowing your final affairs will be taken care of, is a gift to your family and a guide to your wishes.
1930 Austin Road • Owatonna, MN 55060 • 507-451-7943 • michaelsonfuneralhome.com
PAGE 56
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Krejci From Page 54 “When he first got into this business, he didn’t know anything about it,” Rick said. “He came from the newspaper business. He and his two brothers ran the Blooming Prairie Times here. But my dad liked to dabble with cars, so when the opportunity came to buy in 1973, he was ready to change careers.” And Rick was ready to start his career. Sort of. “I just worked there on weekends my last year of high school,” he said. After graduating from high school in 1974, Rick attended the University of Minnesota for two years, but missed his small town. “I didn’t like it up there,” he said. “I like the small town.” In 1976, Rick returned to Blooming Prairie and his father’s business. “I grew up in the parts room when my dad was here. That was my main focus. That is where I am most comfortable at,” he said. And three years later, Rick met Cheri, from Ellendale, through mutual friends at a wedding. They clicked and in 1983, married. “This year will mark our 30th wedding anniver-
sary,” Cheri said. In December 1986, Vyrle retired and sold the business. “His dad sold it to someone else and they didn’t make it, so then the building went back to his dad,” Cheri said. That’s when Cheri began working with Rick in the business. The two continued to work at the business and when the opportunity presented itself, Rick decided to go into the car business and purchased it from his father with his brothers, Bruce and Roger. “We wanted to keep it in the family when my dad retired,” Rick said. “I wouldn’t even know how to go out in the world to find another job because I’ve been here 27 years. It’s all I’ve ever done.” And since Rick took over the family business, the car industry has changed. “The business has grown a lot since my dad had it,” he said. “He ran it all by himself. He didn’t have salesmen, he didn’t keep near the inventory that we have here now, and I guess the biggest change is the price.
See KREJCI on 58
Rick Krejci with his brothers Roger and Bruce receiving the Ford franchise from a Ford Motors Co. representative in Blooming Prairie. Krejci Ford received the franchise in 1990. (Submitted photo)
Rick Krejci, on the ground, with a former Krejci Ford employee put the Ford sign up in front of the business in the fall of 1990 in Blooming Prairie. (Submitted photo)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 57
980 Alexander Drive Owatonna (507) 451-8160 or 1-800-544-4021
Visit us for all of your planting needs: • Statutes and unique gifts • Trees – bareroot and potted • Evergreens – from shrubs to trees • Shrubs • Hanging Baskets
NAGEL
Specializing in...
We offer the following Landscaping Services:
SOD & NURSERY
Retaining Walls • Paver Patios and Walkways Landscape Design & Installation Landscape Design for Customer Installation Irrigation • Sod Installation
Located on the I-35 W. Frontage Rd.between Cabela’s & Medford Outlet Center
507.451.9605 • E-mail: nagelsnursery@hotmail.com • www.nagelsnursery.com
Owatonna’s 24 Hour Towing
SWEET TOWING & REPAIR Serving Owatonna & Surrounding Area for Over 25 Years
• Lockout Service • Starting • Flatbed Service FULL SERVICE AUTO REPAIR
Celebrating 37 years!
We look forward to serving you.
1-507-451-3424
• Kitchen cabinets & counter tops • Fireplace mantels • Bathroom vanities, cabinets & counter tops • Entertainment Centers • Office cabinets • And many other custom built creations
Tom, Cathy, John & Charlie
215 Cedardale Dr SE • Owatonna
www.christianbroscabinets.com
Your Local Choice!
Personal Service You Just Can’t Get From A Large Corporation When you have had it with the Large Corporate Companies, We offer you a Friendly Small town way of doing business. Unlike our World Wide Competitors who rely on a contract to ensure your patronage, we earn it the old fashioned way!
Owatonna’s ONLY locally owned and family operated disposal service.
2 Free Months of Regular Residential Service! *Call for details P.O. Box 321 • Owatonna
507-451-0976 Or Toll Free 1-888-451-0976
Local Family Owned and Operated Since 1994
www.stewartsanitation.com email: info@stewartsanitation.com
PAGE 58
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Krejci From Page 56 “I can remember in 1979, when my dad was in here and the price of a new pickup, regular cab, four-wheel drive, XLT went for $10,000 and he didn’t know how he was every going to sell a $10,000 truck. Now we are selling $65,000 trucks. He wouldn’t be able to understand that — the price of vehicles — if he was still alive.” In 1990, the Krejci brothers received the Ford franchise again. And the Ford brand is something Rick is proud of. “I have blue blood flowing through my veins,” he said. Cheri said their three children and siblings all drive Fords. “That’s just all we’ve ever owned,” she said. And maybe the blue blood in Rick’s veins is what has kept him in the car business all these years. “I’ve done every job in this building that you can ever do,” Rick said. “When I started with my dad, I did clean up and I’ve done mechanical work, parts and service, sales and finance. When Cheri was with the kids, I did bookkeeping, too. I wouldn’t know how to do anything else.” While Rick has done everything at Krejci Ford, he enjoys working in parts. Cheri said he spends most of his time chasing parts for customers. “If there is ever something in the shop that needs a part and we don’t have it. If Austin, Owatonna, Waseca have the part, we like to go get it and then get the car fixed, so people can have their car fixed on the same day,” Rick said. “We don’t like having people bring their car back a bunch of times. We like to get it done the same day they bring it in. If that means we have to chase a little bit, that’s what we’ll do.” And that willingness to go above and beyond for a customer is what Rick said makes a successful business, especially when there are so many other car dealers in southern Minnesota selling the same product. “Every car dealer, we all have cars to sell, we all have used cars to sell, we all have parts and service to sell, but it’s all about who can do it the best. Who can treat the customers the best,” Rick said. “That’s the only thing that separates us from other car dealers is how we handle the customers because we all have the same cars to sell.”
See KREJCI on 60
The Krejci Customer Board features individuals who have purchased a vehicle from the business each month. Every year Rick Krejci and his wife, Cheri, take the photos down and send them to the customers. (Ashley Stewart/People’s Press)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
• XEROX Sales Agency For 31 Years
PAGE 59
Harry Wenger Fourth ANNUAL
MARCHING BAND F E S T I V A L OWATONNA| MINNESOTA
Able Copiers, your local authorized sales agent, is here to deliver it to you.
JOIN US JUNE 15, 2013
Centre k r o W XEROX ries e S 0 0 8 7 455-2186
®
®
1-800-540-1329
E-mail: ablecopy@deskmedia.com XEROX® is a trademark of XEROX CORPORATION
OPEN 24 HOURS 495 WEST NORTH STREET, OWATONNA • (507) 451-7220 www.cashwise.com
•
It was 1946, a time when music programs were booming in schools all across America. A time when a good parade tune was hummed for days after the Fourth of July. Regional organizations and music associations were forming everywhere. It was a time when school music programs in major cities and small towns all across our nation were established. In Owatonna, Harry Wenger was “The Music Man.” As music director, he built the Owatonna High School band, choir and orchestra programs into national award winners. His passion was music education and when he couldn’t find the right equipment to support his students and programs, he built his own. Harry was driven to make music education more enjoyable for students, and performances more thrilling for audiences and in Harry’s memory, the Harry Wenger Marching Band Festival will take place on Saturday, June 15, 2013. Join us! Parade starts at 11:00am. For more information on the festival visit: www.owatonnabandfestival.com 800.4WENGER (800.493.6437) www.wengercorp.com
PAGE 60
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Krejci From Page 58 And Rick said Krejci Ford wouldn’t provide its quality service without its loyal community and employees. “I’ve met some really nice people working here. The town has been very, very loyal to us,” he said. “we have very loyal employees.” Rick said some of his employees have been working with him for more than 20 years. “I have very loyal employees who do their job well, and they’re all empowered to make people happy,” he said. The ability to make people happy has earned Krejci Ford 14 President’s Awards. “It’s the highest award Ford gives to its dealers, and it’s based on sales, customer satisfaction and an individual’s experience when they buy a car,” Rick said. Rick said roughly 70 percent to 80 percent of the business he sees is repeat business. Ford sends customers a survey and those responses determine who receives the award. “It’s within the whole United States,” Cheri said. “It’s a pretty elite group of people.” And Rick credits his employees for the honor. “It’s based on customer satisfaction,” Rick said. “To get that, you need good employees. “And I’m not taking credit for that. I’m giving all that credit to my employees. I don’t like the spotlight.” Rick said about 300 dealers receive the President’s Award and 150 get to take a special trip for receiving the ONE Ford Elite award. Krejci Ford received its third ONE Ford Elite award this year, which is only given to the first place winners in each of the award categories given by Ford Motor Co. Cheri said Krejci Ford was first in its group for the President’s Award. “As Ford says, we are ‘the best of the best,’” Cheri said. This is the third time Krejci Ford is a ONE Ford Elite award winner. Ford started awarding the honor three years ago. There will be an award trip in May, but Rick and Cheri haven’t heard where yet.
Last year, the couple traveled to Beverly Hills. “It is a happy day here at Krejci Ford,” Cheri said. Cheri said she and Rick have been all over the country for the President’s Award, including places like Beverly Hills, New York City, San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego and Phoenix. “The Palm Beach trip was fun,” Cheri said. “We met new friends from other dealerships.” Rick enjoyed visiting New York a lot. “That one was cool because we were rookies,” Cheri said. The trips are organized for the dealer and his or her spouse, Rick said. And while Rick and Cheri take trips together, work together and live together, they don’t share all the same hobbies. Rick even says he doesn’t really have too much to do outside of his business. “I work, work, come down here and work,” he said. “My big thing is down here. I’m not very involved in the community stuff.” Cheri balances them out though. She is involved in community events and activities. She has worked with the Blooming Prairie Chamber of Commerce, the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group, First Lutheran Church, and the Boys and Girls Club in Blooming Prairie. “I like to be active,” Cheri said. “Rick likes to stay home.” But Rick also enjoys attending NASCAR races and going to the family’s seasonal camper down in Lanesboro. “He likes to get away and go there,” Cheri said. But Rick’s heart is never away from his business. In October 1993, Rick’s father died. “If he could see all these President’s Awards we won, he would be proud of his business,” Rick said. “It is an honor to win this and an honor to make him proud.” Reach reporter Ashley Stewart at 444-2378 or follow her on Twitter.com @ OPPashley
Rick Krejci, left, and his wife, Cheri, right, with NASCAR driver Trevor Bayne at the President’s Award banquest in 2012 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Bayne is one of the Krejci’s favorite NASCAR drivers. (Submitted photo)
Rick and Cheri Krejci with Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford Motor Co., in May 2012 in Beverly Hills for the President’s Award banquet. (Submitted photo)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric
PAGE 61
The Right Partner Makes
ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Your Touchstone Energy® Partner The power of human connections
2411 West Bridge St. Owatonna, MN 55060 507-451-7340 800-526-3514 Fax: 507-446-4242 Email: swce@swce.coop Website: www.swce.coop
MAKE ST. CLAIR’S FOR MEN YOUR PERSONAL MENS STORE!
Quality Menswear At Competitive Prices.
If a large selection of quality clothing, displayed in a friendly atmosphere, staffed by a knowledgeable sales team, appeals to you… St. Clair’s should be your personal men’s store.
O n e B a n k I s P r o u d To H a v e S e r v e d The Owa tonna Community Since 1866 - Tha t’s US!
We are dedicated to being your local financial partner with the strength, support and service you deserve. Imagine what you can do with the power of US working for you. Stop in and see one of our local experts today and see how we can help your financial dreams take flight. 132 West Broadway
|
Owatonna, MN 55060
117 Cedar Ave. N. • Owatonna 507-451-2406 www.stclairsformen.com s r
r
TM
Jane Kubista Private Banking Relationship Manager
Nancy Levisay Personal Banker
Shiann Crow Personal Banker
usbank.com ©2012 U.S. Bancorp. All rights reserved. Member FDIC 120013
|
507.444.2200
PAGE 62
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Barry Gillespie
Rock ‘n’ Roll Real Estate
Barry Gillespie welcomes people to his Owatonna-based real estate office. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
from
to
S
By DEREK SULLIVAN • dsullivan@owatonna.com
ome high school boys play football. Some participate in band. Barry Gillespie toured the Midwest playing rock ‘n’ roll.
Barry Gillespie’s band, The Night Crawlers released their single, “You Say,” on a 45-rpm record.
Gillespie, who was born in Owatonna in 1948, is a well-known Realtor for his family’s real estate business, Gillespie Realty. That is work. For play, Gillespie gets on stage and sings songs that he first performed as a teenager close to 50 years ago. The son of a truck driver for Shell Oil, Gillespie attended Washington, McKinley and Roosevelt elementary schools as a kid. Due to overcrowding in the 1950s, Owatonna elementary students would often need to switch schools during the year. In third grade, Gillespie said he attended three schools. For fun and a few bucks, Gillespie joined a rock band. The band didn’t last long enough for Gillespie to remember the name 50 years later. “I had a guitar, but I never learned how to play it,” Gillespie said. “Our lead guitarist had no rhythm. Our bass player didn’t have any rhythm. It didn’t
last very long.” The failure — there’s no other word for it — did not deter Gillespie, who eventually joined a slightly more successful band The Rogues, which included some 14- and 15-year-old high school students. Eventually that band became the US Band, which still plays an occasional show to this day. The US Band will perform on the opening day of the 2013 Steele County Free Fair. While in the US Band, Gillespie and fellow band member Sid Gasner wrote the group’s most popular song, “You Say.” Gasner said the group has always played cover versions of songs made famous by wellknown bands to The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Bryds and other 1960s acts.
See GILLESPIE on 64
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Editorial Portfolio - 2nd
PAGE 63
Local Breaking News Coverage - 2 nd OWATONNA PEOPLE’S PRESS
Sports Reporting - 2
nd
Rebecca Rodenborg
Business Story - 3 rd
Typography & Design - 1st
Rebecca Rodenborg
Arts and Entertainment story - 2nd
Advertising Excellence - 1st
Derek Sullivan
General Reporting - 2nd
New Journalist of the Year - 2nd
General Excellence - 2nd
MINNESOTA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
Advertising Campaign - 3 rd
Better Newspaper Contest 2012
owatonna.com
Advertising Campaign Diane Gengler Jenine Kubista
new journalist of the year Ashley Stewart
Ashley Stewart
Human Interest Story - 2nd Ashley Stewart
bpleader.com
advertising excellence Debbie Ensley Diane Gengler
O T H E R H U C K L E M E D I A A WA R D S
Faribault daily news Best use of Social Media Editorial Portfolio Headline Writing Typography and Design Special Section Website General Reporting General Excellence Use of color in Advertising
Sports Story Columnist Sports Story Business Story Government/Public Affairs Reporting
Editorial Portfolio Sports Story Human Interest Story Local Breaking News Coverage Business Story Sports Story
northfield news
kenyon leader
Best Use of Video Typography & Design
Portrait and Personality Photo Best Sports Story
Editorial page as a Whole General Reporting Headline Writing
WASECA COUNTY NEWS New Journalist of the Year (Weeklies) Investigative Reporting
St. peter herald Sports Photography
PAGE 64
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
“”
Some of us had those dreams more than others. I was pretty practical. Sometimes it was fun to think about it, but I always knew better. You always have that dream but some of us were more grounded. - Barry Gillespie on realizing he needed to plan for a life after rock ‘n’ roll
Barry Gillespie (center) and The US Band members still play shows more than 40 years after the band was started. (submitted)
Gillespie From Page 62
On tour When he was still a high school student in Owatonna, Gillespie left the US Band for 18 months to front the Night Crawlers, a popular college act in southern Minnesota made up of Carleton College students. While they were very popular in and around Northfield, The Night Crawlers did tour. When they were playing a show in northwestern Iowa, members of the band were followed out of town and eventually pulled over by locals that wanted to rob the group. The band members got out of their car and scattered, eventually getting away. “I told our agent never to book us in Iowa again,” Gillespie said. Although the Night Crawlers were only together with Gillespie on vocals for 14 months, Gillespie said it felt like three or four years. After the band split, Gillespie returned to the US Band. Gasner said the group’s former lead singer was welcomed back with open arms. “We missed him. He was such a good singer,” Gasner said. “We proceeded without him and played shows when he was in the Night Crawlers, but we were all happy he came back.” Gasner said the US Band was a really popular band throughout the north central United States, playing shows as far away as Nebraska and
the band’s agent Barry Tucker booked the young rock musicians in a country bar in Indianapolis, Ind. “It was apple and oranges,” Gillespie said. “We got through the first night, came back the second night, and the owner and band decided it wasn’t a good fit.” With his band booked into an Indianapolis hotel for a week, Tucker got them another show later in the week, to the amazement of the band members. “It was a really big show in front of a large crowd at a country club,” Gillespie said. “We even had an opening band.” In the 1960s, Gillespie sang in famous ballrooms, like the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, where Richie Valens and Buddy Holly played their final show before being killed in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959. He also performed at the Prom Center in Minneapolis and Gibbon Ballroom in Sleepy Eye. “We played so many wonderful places, and so many of them are still around,” Gillespie said. “It’s really neat to drive through those towns and still see that the ballroom and theaters are still around.” While in The Rogues, Gillespie helped write the song, “You Say,” with longtime collaborator Syd Gasner. The track would be recorded
by the Night Crawlers and The US Band and remains a big request 45 years later when The US Band gets together for a rare show. The band performs twice a year. Another song that has remained popular throughout the years was “Somewhere in the Morning.” The US Band still plays lots of classic 1960s songs, including The Last Time and Satisfaction from the Rolling Stones. Other members of the band include Dan Utpadel (bass), Gasner (lead guitar), Greg Hammel (drums, keyboards) and drummer Steven Reinhardt. Six years ago, Gillespie’s three daughters — Erin, Katie and Ryan — joined as vocalists. “Obviously it’s not their generation but they heard it growing up. We always played. The band members embraced them. It’s been really fun,” Barry said, adding that his daughters have given the group another dimension that it didn’t have when the band was all boys. “We can now play music from the Shirrelles, the Chiffons, lots of 1960s music.” As a lead singer of a five-man band, Gillespie traditionally would receive $25 to $30 for a show, not bad money for the 1960s. Most weekends, he would play two shows. A rare exception was when the band traveled to Bismarck. Because of the distance, the young musicians could only play one show for $300 — $50 bucks for the five musicians and one roadie. Gillespie said they found a motel for $9 a night, spent 30 cents a gallon for gas and all came home with some good money.
See GILLESPIE on 65
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 65
From Page 64 “It was a big payoff. We went there as much as we could,” Gillespie said. “People came out and listened to us.”
Well-grounded and staying the course Even though he played every week in front of large crowds and for a pocket full of cash, Gillespie resisted the urge to dream of “making it big.” “Some of us had those dreams more than others. I was pretty practical. Sometimes it was fun to think about it, but I always knew better. You always have that dream but some of us were more grounded.” While he was grounded, Gillespie still kicks himself when he looks at a letter sent to the group by Peter Asher of Apple Records, which recorded the Beatles. “One of the members of the band wrote Peter Asher and he sent us a letter saying he would listen to our music. We never followed up,” Gillespie admitted. “That was the closest we got to the big time.” So Gillespie is left with fun memories of playing weekly gigs and selling hundreds of records for 99 cents. As a teenager turned into an adult, Gillespie took his father’s advice to study for the real estate licensing test. “My dad said, ‘You should read the book, take the test,’” Gillespie said. “I never had a big interest, and my mom wasn’t too encouraging because she knew the hours and everything.
See GILLESPIE on 66
1960s rocker Barry Gillespie shows off a letter from Apple Records. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
OWATONNA R.V. SERVICES - Complete Supply of Parts & Accessories - Hitches, Brake Controls & Wiring - Refrigerators, Furnaces & Appliances in Stock - Insurance Work Specialists 1951 S.E. 38th St. 2-1/2 miles South of Owatonna Fairgrounds on Cty Rd #6
507.451.4479 Jeff & Julie Wanous
Keeping your family SAFE & COMFORTABLE with our reliable products
www.owatonnarvservices.com
Let Travel Headquarters BUILD the perfect Vacation Packages for you.
408 N. Cedar Avenue Owatonna, MN
507-451-2051 143 West Bridge Street, Owatonna, MN
451-5005 www.travelheadquarters-owatonna.com
RESIDENTIAL . COMMERCIAL . INDUSTRIAL
PAGE 66
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
At his Owatonna office, Barry Gillespie looks at old vinyl record of “You Say,” a song he helped write in the 1960s. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
Gillespie From Page 65 “When I realized I needed to get a real job and make some real money, I went into the family business.” In 1974, 19 years after his father joined his father’s real estate company, Barry Gillespie walked into Gillespie Realty for his first day of work. He started off as part-time bookkeeper and started full-time a couple of years later. When Gillespie started working full-time for the family business, he said the real estate market was “out of control.” It didn’t last. In the 1980s as interest rates climbed to 19 percent, the market tanked, much like it did in 2007-2008. Throughout the ups and downs, Gillespie stayed the course and built the business. “I’ve been around long enough to see the cycles,” he said. “A lot of new Realtors came in and saw the market go up and up and up then about six to seven years ago, it tanked. But I’ve seen the cycles, so it didn’t bother me too much.” While he has been able to stay positive, he knows young Realtors can get disenchanted. As a broker, it’s up to him to keep their heads up. “You have to do more of what you have done because it takes twice as much activity to do the same amount of business. It’s still doable,” he said. “This is the time of opportunity. When other people scurry off and get other jobs, the survivors do just fine.” Even when the real estate market was tough, Gillespie Real Estate remained strong thanks to a strong relationship with Freddy Mac and lots of foreclosure
business. Plus, Gillespie said Owatonna is an easy sell. “You still have to take the effort to point people in the right direction, so they can see what it is like here,” he said. “With the schools how they are now, it’s prosperous. There’s diversity, industry, agriculture. “Owatonna has been a thriving place. It has its ups and downs like everywhere else, but once you start to show them around it’s a good sell.” Along with getting his real estate license, Barry’s father also told him to find a good Individual Retirement Account and fund it. Barry has and he said it has paid off. So with nearly 40 years in the real estate business, is Barry thinking about retirement. “I’m 64 now, but I think I’m still a couple of years away. We will see.” That’s Barry Gillespie the broker. What about Barry Gillespie the singer? Well, the singer is looking at playing more shows and even some “newer music.” “Our ’60s thing is not a constitutional amendment. At some point it wouldn’t surprise me if we broke into some Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers,” he said. “Getting into the ’70s is the next logical move. Plus with my daughters in the band, we could add Blondie and Pat Benatar.” Reach reporter Derek Sullivan at 444-2372, or follow him on Twitter @ OPPSullivan
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 67
Jim Fiebiger
Quite the Character Jim Fiebiger sits behind his desk as president of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Blooming Prairie. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
I
By JEFFREY JACKSON • jjackson@owatonna.com
magine, for a moment, Ebenezer Scrooge — the famous, if not infamous, protagonist in Charles Dickens’ much beloved “A Christmas Carol.” What image do you conjure? You are likely to see a grizzled, embittered old miser who rarely smiles, if ever. He is a coldhearted, tight-fisted misanthrope. Or, as Dickens himself described him: “The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice.”
In essence, Ebenezer Scrooge is everything that Jim Fiebiger is not. And yet, when the community of Blooming Prairie chose a resident to be named “Scrooge” for its Holiday Dazzle celebration last December, they chose Fiebiger. The celebration, put on annually by the Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce, is meant to provide a chance for downtown businesses a chance to showcase their products as well as provide some holiday fun. The Scrooge contest pitted four contestants against one another to see who could raise the most money to go toward replacing and purchasing Christmas lights for the downtown businesses. Really a very un-Scrooge-like thing to do, when you think about it. When all of the cash and all of the coins from all of the donation jars from all over town were collected and counted, the verdict was clear. The good people of Blooming Prairie had selected Jim Fiebiger to be their Scrooge.
“I don’t know if it’s an honor or not,” Fiebiger joked at the time. But honor or not, Fiebiger immediately assumed the persona of Scrooge, putting a scowl on his face and shouting “Bah! Humbug!” at people on the street and asking them if they really wanted to celebrate Christmas. The usual response he got was a laugh. Also, very un-Scrooge-like, come to think of it. If his bahs and humbugs elicited laughter rather than fear, it’s likely because those people in Blooming Prairie and the rest of Steele County who know Jim Fiebiger know that he is the one of the most un-Scrooge-like person they know. True, Fiebiger, like Ebenezer Scrooge, deals in matters financial. He is, after all, the president of Farmers & Merchant State Bank of Blooming Prairie — a position he has held since 1998. And he has been in the banking business for 30 years now, ever since he graduated from Mankato State University — now Minnesota State University, Mankato.
See FIEBIGER on 68
PAGE 68
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Fiebiger
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 67 But that’s where the similarities end. Stop by Fiebiger’s office and he’s likely to greet you with a big smile and hardy handshake. While being photographed as he sat behind his desk, a bank customer stopped, leaned his head in, pointed at Fiebiger and warned that the camera would probably break. Fiebiger just laughed. “I like the banking business,” Fiebiger said. “I like helping people be successful. It’s very rewarding.” No, not your typical Scrooge.
From the field to the bank If there was one thing that Jim Fiebiger discovered very quickly when he was growing up on the family farm it was that there were two jobs on the farm that he didn’t much care for — cutting weeds out of beans and picking rocks out of the fields. The work, he said, is back-breaking. “You learn early there are some things you don’t want to do,” Feibiger said, his face flashing his usual grin. It wasn’t that he never wanted to farm. In fact, at one point in his life, he not only wanted to be a farmer, but assumed that he would be. And the summers that he was in college, he did farm. But farming back when he was young — he graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 1979 — was quite a bit different
See FIEBIGER on 70
The Fiebiger family poses at a Blooming Prairie football game. Pictured are Mitchell (front row) and, from left to right, Alex, Kristi, Weston and Jim Fiebiger. (Submitted photo)
4071723 True Wealth Portraits 2012 OPP 3.23 pr
We Can Finish What You’ve Started.
CUSTOM COLORS • SANDBLASTING • EXHAUST COATING Extreme Powder Coating provides finishing services to everyone in the community. We can give your product new life, large or small, around the house or industrial. We offer you quality service with a superior product to match.
521 Industrial Drive NE • Blooming Prairie • 507.583.7448 • www.extremepowdercoating.net
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Floral • Weddings • Interior Decorating
PAGE 69
&MERCHANTS
FARMERS S TAT E B A N K
of
BLOOMING PRAIRIE
“Where your deposit becomes an investment in the community.”
507-451-7673 “We Deliver”
245 East Main • PO Box #277 Blooming Prairie, MN 507-583-6688
www.cedarfloral.com 314 North Cedar Ave, (Near Nick’s Pizza)Owatonna, MN Hrs: M-F 8:30-5:30; Sat. 9-3; Closed Sunday
www.fmbankmn.com
Downtown OWAT O N N A 328 N Cedar Ave
MORTGAGE • INSURANCE* • TRUST PROFINIUM INVESTMENT SERVICES**
Jennifer Svien Mortgages
Matt Walerius Insurance*
NMLS# 663481
NMLS# 663358
Alyssa Elzen Insurance*
Call 507-444-0101
Profinium Financial, Inc. Loan Production Office NMLS# 402979
*Insurance products are not a deposit or other obligation of the bank, not insured by the FDIC or any other agency of the U.S. or the bank, there is investment risk including possible loss of value if applicable. **Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Investments are: • Not FDIC insured • May lose value • Not financial institution guaranteed • Not a deposit • Not insured by any federal government agency. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.
• Welding • Shearing • Punching • Bending • Rolling • Machining
Patrick Finnegan 1610 State Ave, Owatonna, MN 55060 507-455-1972• fin@ll.net
Senior Living With the Comforts of Home of Minnesota I, LLC
Assisted Living & Memory Care 1, 2 Bedroom & Studio Apartments Traditions suites offer all that is expected in a premier residential community. We have a wide selection of spacious apartments along with one and two-bedroom suites that offer an abundance of amenities and services in a beautiful community setting. Our one and twobedroom suites feature comfortable living areas including a kitchenette, bathrooms, air conditioning and ample closet space. Cable television and telephone service are available from local vendors. utilities are included in the monthly rent and each room has individually-controlled thermostats.
of Minnesota II, LLC
Memory Care Residence Private Studio Apartments Our professional staff is fully trained to care for those with memory loss. They're able to focus on such things as positive reaction, reinforcement and redirection which in turn allow the resident to feel calm, alleviate stress and enhance positive emotions. Our caregivers are on hand 24 hours a day to provide individualized personal care and support. Our staff-to-resident ratio ensures that each resident's needs are promptly met with understanding, patience and compassion.
Tours available days, evenings and weekends 195 24th PL NW, Owatonna l 507-455-0700 l 150 24th St NE, Owatonna l 507-451-0433
607 N. Main St. Austin, MN 55912 507-437-3253
Southeirnnn m
e n e c S
.com
PAGE 70
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
A hatband, announcing that Jim Fiebiger was named the 2012 Blooming Prairie Scrooge for the community’s annual Holiday Dazzle celebration, is displayed proudly in Fiebiger’s office at the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Blooming Prairie. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
Jim Fiebiger, right, strikes a pose as Ebenezer Scrooges amongst Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves during the Blooming Prairie Holiday Dazzle celebration in December 2012. Fiebiger was selected by the town as its Scrooge for last year. (Submitted photo)
Fiebiger From Page 68
than farming is today, Fiebiger said. “Back in the old days,” as he calls them, “you never farmed corn and beans until you were an old man,” he said. “When you were young, you had livestock — cattle or hogs.” And the advancement in chemicals used in farming have made some things less difficult to manage — like those weeds in the beans that he so hated to cut when he was young. “It was different then than it is now,” Fiebiger said. For one thing, he added, farming now is “very lucrative.” Back then, not so much. Fiebiger was reared on a farm five miles east of Blooming Prairie, the second youngest of six children. “It was a good place to grow up,” Fiebiger said. “You learned life skills like hard work. On the farm, there was always something to do.” But when he graduated from college in the 1980s, agriculture in this country was facing a crisis. The economy had turned south. Interest rates climbed into the double digits, forcing farmers to pay more for the loans they needed to operate each year. With the downtick in the economy, people were buying less, which, by the law of supply and demand, meant that farmers were being paid less for the commodities they produced. Then there was the foreign market — or lack of it. Unlike today,
where countries like China, Japan and India clamor for American corn and beans, the markets back then were drying up, in part because of hard economic times suffered by other countries and in part because of a U.S. embargo on farm products originally bound for Russia placed on those products in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. As debts piled and less money came in, farmers could not pay back the loans they had taken out. Farming was in a crisis. “It was the worst farming crisis there had been,” Fiebiger said, recalling how many families were losing their farms. And in large part because of that crisis, he decided not to be a farmer. “It was difficult to get started and difficult to make a living,” he said. “My dad said to me, ‘There are better ways to make a living.’” It was then that Fiebiger, fresh out of college with an accounting degree, thought about banking as a career. Because he had farmed while in college, he knew what it was like to borrow money from a bank for farming operations. He had learned to do balance sheets and statements. What better place for him, he thought, than to go to work for a bank, like Farmers and Merchants State Bank, for which 70 percent of its business is agriculturally related? “I could walk the walk and talk the talk,” he said.
In fact, he said, one of the reasons the bank hired him as a loan officer back in 1983 was because not only did he know about finance, but he also knew about how to run a combine and how to raise a crop. That knowledge not only served him well during the farm crisis of the 1980s, but it enabled many farmers in and around Blooming Prairie to survive. “I like to say I got my Ph.D. during the ag crisis,” he said. But if there was another advantage to working at the bank, it was there that he met his wife.
The loudest fan
Growing up on the farm, with all the chores he had to do, Fiebiger never had much time to get involved in sports. The only sport he got to participate in was wrestling — a winter sport. “I was never that good at it,” he confessed. Even now, he admits to not being the greatest when it comes to athletic prowess. He enjoys snowmobiling and is a member of the Steele County Snowmobile Trail Association, and he tries his hand at golf, though he claims he’s not very good.
See FIEBIGER on 72
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 71
Child Care & Preschool Providers
At Kid’s Korner, we believe a quality early childhood education is the important first step to preparing our children for their academic careers. Kid’s Korner is Nationally Accredited, promotes a healthy learning environment with low child-to-staff ratios, and highly qualified and caring staff. For more information or a tour of our program, please call Dan or Jennifer at 507-451-0312 for an appointment.
We care for children 6 weeks - 12 years of age. Full Day Kindergarten 600 Florence Avenue • Owatonna • 507-451-0312 www.kidskorner.org
Find The Right Fit For Your Child Associated Preschool
LOVE AND LEARNING Go Hand in Hand
800 Havana Road, Owatonna
Registration for 2013-2014 School Year Available Now!
for more information call 451-0041 Serving the Owatonna area for 50 Years!
LITOMYSL–10 miles south of Owatonna
Preschool–5th Grade
609 S. Lincoln Ave Owatonna, MN 55060
507-451-5876 www.stisidoreschool.webs.com
Children ages TNS offers a class SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for 3, 4 LEARN BY& 5 5-YEAR-OLDS who did NOT go to KINDERGARTEN D in a CARINOING Christian G For program information or registration B environm ased materials call 451-8247 or visit ent TLCOWATONNA.ORG/TNS
www.tlcowatonna.org/tns
are Classes e th in d re e off G IN MORN OON N R E & AFT
TNS is an equal opportunity nursery school and does not discriminate in admission or hiring policies.
2 & 3 Day Classes for 3, 4 and 5 Year Olds
St. Isidore School • Caring, Christ-centered environment for your child to grow • Dedicated, enthusiastic, qualified teachers • Lots of individualized attention • Free bussing from rural Owatonna & Blooming Prairie for K–5th Grade
Building Character, Compassion & Values
3 or 4 for 1, 2, WEEK A DAYS HOOL PRE-SC AM PROGR
• Christian curriculum • Classes for 3, 4, & 5s • NEW Extended Care Option
507-451-6821 2500 7th Ave NE
Find out more at:
If you are looking for licensed child care and would like a free referral; or if you are a licensed provider looking for training or support, please call Diane 451-2775 or Kim 455-0880 for more information.
goodshepherdowatonna.com
www.steelecountychildcareassociation.com
Owatonna
PAGE 72
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Jim Fiebiger, left, receives an award from Becky Noble, director of the Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce, in honor of Fiebiger’s two years of service as president of the chamber. The gift was presented at the chamber’s annual banquet in November 2012. (Press file photo)
Fiebiger From Page 70 “I’m a hack,” he said about his game. That being said, he is good when it comes to being a booster. Rumor has it that when it comes to sports, Fiebiger is quite the enthusiastic fan. “I’m very loud,” Fiebiger admitted about his propensity toward exuberant cheering. “You don’t want to sit in front of me during a game. I’m not mean. I’m just loud.” And as far as Fiebiger’s family goes, his children — three boys: Alex, Weston and Mitchell — have given him a lot to cheer about. “My kids are into sports,” he said. And when it comes to sports in Blooming Prairie, that especially means football. So you can imagine how especially proud — and loud — Fiebiger was during the 2011 football season when both his oldest son, Alex, a high school senior, and his middle son, Weston, a sophomore at the time, were starting defensemen for the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms football team. “I joked that I had two boys on the varsity football team and Mitchell, who was 9 years old at the time,” Fiebiger
said. “I said they’d put Mitchell in, too, but he might hurt somebody.” Now in his 50s, Fiebiger said that when it comes to having a family, he started late in life. He married his wife, Kristi, when he was 29 and didn’t become a father for the first time until he was 32. “I played a lot before I got married,” he said. But in actuality, Fiebiger, who will have been married 23 years on June 16, dated his wife-to-be for six years before they married. She was just starting school — also at Mankato State University — and working on a degree in elementary education. “I met her in the bank,” he said, obviously pleased with the benefit he has wrought from that building. If Fiebiger is a loud fan when it comes to cheering his sons on, he is equally boisterous when it comes to cheering on Blooming Prairie. “Blooming Prairie is a great town to live in,” he said. “The school system is excellent. Everyone knows each other. Some people think that’s a bad thing. I think it’s great.”
And he likewise sings the praises of the local chamber of commerce — an organization in which he has been involved for 30 years, including a most recently concluded 2-year term as the chamber’s president. “It’s a great way for businesses to have camaraderie and discuss issues,” he said. “There’s also the social aspects and it encourages people to shop locally. The business community is an integral part of this community, and the chamber gets people together.” And what does he see as the future of Blooming Prairie? “What is the future of the country? Who knows?” he said with a shrug. Still, though the city may never be a big city, yet he calls it a thriving community. “It’s a great place to live,” he said. “I would not want my kids to grow up any place else.” Not a Scrooge at all. Reach Managing Editor Jeffrey Jackson at 444-2371, or follow him on Twitter.com @OPPJeffrey
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
New! See a view into the tunnels at C11!
Experience Minnesota History! Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum 540 West Hills Circle, Owatonna | phone: 507-774-7369 | www.orphanagemuseum.com
Time to KICK BUTT! Easy as 1-2-3
1 Week 2 Supplements 3 Treatments
Risk FREE! Money back guarantee CALL TODAY! DOW CHIROPRACTIC Natural Health Clinic 507.451.1691 • 152 East Pearl Street • dowchiro.com •
1
# Your
at title 1B miss chance s er pl ap gr S OH March 1, 2013
FRIDAY
ute olinUnfoiterd StapatesraArmechd Forces vi s e d a tr ve ti a Owamutosicnnteaachernfinds new role as paratrooper with
News Source in print & online lt.com www.faribau
a.com www.owatonn
d 75 cents Newsstan
for music. dled his love lessons for eight le school rekin tic. It in midd l said her son taught violine. He also plays in Rache . He’s very patrio in colleg venues, be in the Armyto do, and I know if he years, even while he was in numerous yearning to has performed he was called wish he had.” s a quartet that than 90 weddings. is something underalway help d don’t to he’ rs then Bragg in North “Other soldie turn down including more didn’t do it, he decided to join the Army a month at Fort his new I could And after about the violin at a ball for Ulrich said stand how me, and played and all that trainSTEWART ry Regiment. the Lord wants Carolina, Ulrich 504th Parachute Infant people. By ASHLEY na.com $60,000 or more ,” Ulrich said. where is ion, this said. waton a grunt l, “I feel like erence,” he unit, 2nd Battal astewart@o h ing to be on 2A mother, Rache 82nd Airmaking a diff native Ean Ulric And while his decision, she See VIOLEN I feel like I’m is a paratrooper in the , was old. — Owatonna by his Ulrich, who 1st Brigade Combat Team er OWATONNA violin since he was 4 years was surprised muteach a in the e g er ion’s aft him. degre rts lor’s music get ULRICH borne Divis has been playin e a career in ing his bache field, suppothought he was going to “I , but But while obtain St. Olaf College in Northed an inspired to pursu NNA ce at degree in music el said. “He’s had a OWATO us spark his master’s sic performan visiting camp ry. of him,” Rach iter recru proud still I am a U.S. Army h to serve in the milita interest in Ulricer, he decided to enlist. Last summ
Former
T? SAFETY FIRS
t Local paren
im t disputes cla safe, distric ool buses un alleges sch
City continues negotiations with Charter By AL STR astrain@ow
AIN
atonna.com
of t of the City — As the sunse Char ter OWATONNA hise agreement with — the on franc Owatonna’s ns looms on the horiz months Communicatio to expire in less than seven for a new set agreement is continuing negotiations — the city is that of our points deal. tor Kris of outlined some “We’ve kind ve upon,” city administra iations we want to improesday of the informal negot“Where ter. Busse said Wednen the city and Char an initial going on betwe going to shootbut I think were they we left it was We haven’t seen that yet, before.” not proposal to us. end of next month, if more the is providing the we should by is for the city A main focus Charter, which currently have for onna. Citizensprices competition der in Owat er’s only cable provi displeasure over Chart ges and ssed packa expre ed from recently being dropp and channels ges that cost more. amming moved to packa and more of their progrIt makes “They cut more s have gone sky high. e the price any monopoliz and yet their allow one compa post on the People’s no sense to y Thom in Shelle said ” city, page. with one Press Facebook nice not to be trapped er post. er in anoth but if “It would be Brandt Boern ter company,” said any problems with Char at least had “I have not er option I would definitely there is anoth in the franchiselook into it.” Provi ntly a provision There is curre as the “Favored Nations to adn der agreement knowres any other cable provi Charter, as sion” that requi franchise requirements here to the same ing out the entire city. c during publi build ents ding inclu similar comm hise reThe city heard fall to discuss the franc ached out ast
Owatonna.com
LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS | OBITS | LOCAL & NATIONAL VIDEOS | ADVERTISING | COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS | WEATHER | SPORTS | BREAKING NEWS
stage it. why she would were staged or Thursday. herson said 12-yearon the videos the actions seen kind of person I am,” MacP son and a “It’s not the the mother of a 14-year-old public schools. On is , slipped MacPherson of whom attend Owatonna s Willow Creek both ter, who attend old daughter, daugh n’s onna herso 14, MacP g for the bus. on by the Owat that despite al investigati Owatonna school Feb.a patch of ice while waitin furious after she learned driver al— An intern on by the said she was rical behavior, the bus OWATONNA a two-day investigation school buses r call MacPherson and te behavior on on YouTube g and hyste girl, nor did the bus drive er ropria cryin ter’s inapp Bus Company d aft her daugh later poste rning alleged comfort the for relatives district conce was captured on video and much of the behavior legedly did nothing to several phone messages g uncontrolthat ter was cryin The girl left — behavior that the same conclusion McPherson. said her daugh ed — have reach ents. McPherson er of two Owawas staged. by the moth and posting the accid messages. seen on the video has been disputed ding on 2A lably in the e SAFETY conclusion le for the recor
By DEREK
SULLIVAN
om owatonna.c dsullivan@
PAGE 73
PAGE 74
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Chuck Jamison
Planting the seeds,
Saturday, March 23, 2013
By ASHLEY STEWART
astewart@owatonna.com
Watching Them Grow
Chuck Jamison stands with students and staff after Young Life Club this year. Jamison has served more than 500 children in his 30-plus years of ministry. (Ashley Stewart/People’s Press)
I
n the corner of Chuck Jamison’s office are two bulletin boards nailed to the wall with photographs of hundreds of students from more than 30 years of ministry Each photograph resembles a life touched and a seed planted through Young Life in Owatonna.
And had a seed not been planted three decades ago in a college student, those lives might not have blossomed. Growing up in Kansas City, Mo., Jamison’s family wasn’t accustomed to going to church every Sunday. “We were a family that was exposed to church because of aunts who were Sunday school teachers and stuff like that, but mostly our family went to church Christmas and Easter, that’s it,” Jamison said. As an upperclassman in high school, Jamison became involved in Young Life, and during the summer of 1969 at Castaway Club in Detroit Lakes, Minn., his life changed.
“There was a foundation there from attending church, but it really came alive as I heard the gospel as it was communicated through our Young Life leader. That’s where I realized that Christianity didn’t have to do with just intellectually believing there was a God out there, but it had to do with entering into a personal relationship with God,” he said. “It was a pretty big turning point for me. It kind of changed everything. Castaway Club is where the pieces all kind of came together.” And although Jamison didn’t know it at the time, a seed had been planted that summer.
See JAMISON on 76
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 75
PAGE 76
A group of Owatonna Young Life campers jump at a recent summer camp event.
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Jamison From Page 74
“I kind of prayed a prayer, ‘Lord, I don’t even know if you are out there, but if you are, I commit as much of myself as I understand, which isn’t very much, and of you as I understand, which is even less,’” Jamison said. “I didn’t see any fireworks or see any great change take place, but over time it became evident that he was in my life.” After graduating high school, Jamison had no thought about being a part of Young Life. “I certainly wasn’t at that point in my personal life where I knew enough or had the skill set to do that,” he said. Jamison attended the University of MissouriKansas City and earned a bachelor’s of science in psychology. “I was always interested in people, so psychology seemed like a good major,” he said. “My parents weren’t very counseling. University of Missouri was basically the only option because I couldn’t afford to go anywhere else, so I did the psychology thing.” But after graduating from college, Jamison decided to take a year off to figure out the course he wanted to take. “I realized this isn’t exactly what I want to do. I
like what I learned, but I’m not sure going to grad school for psychology and setting up a private practice is really what I want to do,” he said. Throughout college, Jamison continued to water the seed that was planted when he was in high school as he worked as a volunteer leader with Young Life. “During the year after I graduated, people began to say to me, ‘You should think about going on the Young Life staff.’ I’d just blow them off and think no way,” Jamison said. “The Young Life staff I knew was really gifted people. They were funny, they were great communicators, and they had a depth to their life that I didn’t really have.” But he couldn’t shake the thought. He decided to look at the seminaries at Bethel University in Minnesota and Luther College in Iowa. “Not having grown up in the church, I just felt a little more comfortable at Bethel,” Jamison said. In 1975, Jamison crammed his belongings into his Volkswagen convertible and traveled more than 400 miles to the start of his new journey. Jamison chose a three-year track to earn his master of divinity degree from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1978. He was then hired by Young Life in Anoka.
“When I went there I thought I would stay there forever, but it didn’t work out that way,” Jamison said.
Blossoming in Owatonna When Jamison and his wife, Bonnie, visited Owatonna in 1981 after being asked by the Young Life regional director to consider taking the director position in the city, he didn’t have a Plan B. “At first, Bonnie, who grew up in the Roseville area with all her friends and family up in the Twin Cities, couldn’t envision moving to out-state Minnesota,” Jamison said. “But the next morning, she was OK with it.” So in September 1981, Jamison started as the Young Life director in Owatonna, and began planting his own seeds in the community based on four principles. And Jane Elsner, now a social worker at St. Mary’s Catholic School, is one of the seeds that blossomed. “(Jamison) has been a mentor to me since I was a kid. I wouldn’t be the person I am without him and his presence in my life. I want to pass that on,” Elsner said.
When Elsner was in high school, she decided to attend Young Life Club on a Monday night with her friends. “It was high energy, fun and positive, which drew me in,” Elsner said. Jamison said the first key principle of Young Life is “It’s a sin to bore a kid with the gospel, which is why humor and adventure have been big parts of Young Life as well as communicating in a language that kids can understand and resonate with.” “Another key principle of Young Life was always assume the posture of a teacher rather than a preacher,” he said. Elsner said Jamison has a constant presence in the community. “Chuck’s agenda wasn’t to get kids to come to Young Life but to befriend them. He has no other agenda. He doesn’t want to take anything from you, but wanted you to know you’re valuable,” Elsner said. Elsner said Jamison attended some of her high school track meets, which showed that he cared.
See JAMISON on 77
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 77
Jamison From Page 76 “I think Chuck does an exceptional job walking and living that mission,” she said. “He doesn’t just talk about Jesus’ love but acts it out in his actions. The club grew because he was so present in the lives of kids.” Jamison said a fundamental part of Young Life is going to children on their own turf. “A key principle is winning the right to be heard and not assuming that kids owe you anything. It’s been said no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care, and so we spend a lot of time going to kids and building honest friendships and try to demonstrate that we care about them. “In Young Life, we try to come alongside kids and build unconditional friendships; friendships that will be there whether a kid comes to Young Life or not.” Some of the friendships have blossomed into lifelong friendships for Jamison and his former club members. “I still have kids from 1982 that I’m in touch with,” he said. Elsner is one of them. After graduating college, Elsner and her husband began volunteering with Young Life in different areas as a camp leader, Young Life leader, missions staff, Wild Life director and now she works with the Walk With Me program, which is unique to Owatonna. “I asked Chuck if I could start something since so many kids wanted to grow in their faith and he said, ‘yes,’” Elsner said.
Young Life students pose for a quick photo after the Amazing Race event in February in Owatonna.
See JAMISON on 78
Your Business Resource Center
Straight from the Hearth 140 26th Street NW, Owatonna • (507) 444-0067 www.fireplacesowatonna.com • email: fpc@fireplaceconnection.biz Monday-Friday 9:30-5:00
Westside Board & Lodge Home
Where new beginnings begin...
Are you at a place in your life where you need a little extra help in the every day living needs? Would you like 3 home cooked meals a day, caring helpful people around 24 hours a day, and an R.N. on staff, medication reminders, laundry, transportation to medical appointments and shopping? Westside Board and Lodge Home is that place and includes short & long-term stays. We also have private and double rooms Come and give us a visit!
We invite you to visit our homes & see if Westside Board & Lodge is right for you!
3003 Hwy. 14 W, Owatonna • 507-451-0832
• 24/7 Visitor Center • Relocation/Welcome Packets • Chamber Dollars Available Online
320 Hoffman Drive • 507.451.7970 Owatonna.org | VisitOwatonna.org
PAGE 78
Jamison From Page 77
Elsner said she stays involved because of the seeds she can plant. “I am still involved because it’s the best way to communicate with kids that they’re valuable and that God loves them, and it’s high energy and Chuck does that,” Elsner said. Jamison said the fourth principle Young Life lives by is walking in wisdom with those that are without. “That idea is that we should build bridges of friendship with those who are outside the faith rather than build walls or barriers that separate us,” he said. Young Life offers four different programs, including Young Life for the high schoolers, Wild Life for middle schoolers, Real Life for students at the alternative learning center and Walk With Me for those who want a mentor. Jamison said more than 400 children participate in the programs combined over the course of a year. While there are several different components to Jamison’s job as director of Young Life, he said he enjoys ministering
to the children the most. “Christ changed my life and Young Life was the vehicle that he chose to do it through,” Jamison said. “Young Life is what God used to get the ball rolling.” Jamison’s account of favorite memories is too many to count, but he said in instances where children have given their lives to Jesus and gone to do significant things. As Jamison reminisced through his fondest memories with Young Life, he stopped on one from about 10 years ago, when he had hit his 25-year mark with the organization, and some of the students helping at the banquet sang the song, “Thank you for Giving to the Lord,” Jamison said. “I just came undone,” he said. “It was a moment that just highlighted for me, reminded me, that this mission is something that has been such a big part of my life from my own beginnings in a relationship with Christ to the impact it has had on my family and the high school kids that have been
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
“”
Christ changed my life and Young Life was the vehicle that he chose to do it through. Young Life is what God used to get the ball rolling. - Chuck Jamison on finding his life’s work
See JAMISON on 80
Chuck Jamison, and Young Life students and staff, poses for a couple of photos. Jamison tries to incorporate humor into his ministry to communicate with students. (Ashley Stewart/People’s Press)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 79
Owatonna Schools Directory Lincoln Elementary School 747 Havana Road • 444-8100
Owatonna High School 333 School Street East • 444-8800
McKinley Elementary School 423 14th Street NE • 444-8200
Owatonna ALC 130 E Vine Street • 455-1302
Washington Elementary School 338 Main Street East • 444-8300
920 Hoffman Drive • Owatonna • 507-451-3404
www.manpowerjobs.com
LET US HOST YOUR NEXT EVENT… Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3723 & Auxiliary 135 Oakdale • Owatonna
Wilson Elementary School 325 Meadow Lane • 444-8400 Willow Creek Intermediate School 1050 22nd Street NE • 444-8500 District Office 515 West Bridge Street • 444-8600 Owatonna Junior High School 500 15th Street NE • 444-8700
The mission of the Owatonna Independent School District # 761 Public Schools is to “...inspire 515 West Bridge Street all learners to excel in a dynamic society by creating a world-class Owatonna, MN 55060 education within an innovative www.owatonna.k12.mn.us learning community.”
Dinners/Meetings/Receptions Any Event Up To 300 guests Phone 451-1001 to make reservations
Pull Tabs License #00379 In 2012, we contributed more than $60,000 in charitable contributions to our community.
• ECFE Parent/Child Classes • School Readiness Preschool • School Age Care • After School & Smr Youth Activities • Adult & Family Enrichment • Adult Basic Education • Birth, Babies, & Beyond• Amazing Newborns • Early Childhood Screening
There’s a Romantic revival sweeping the arts this season. You’ll see it on the runways in embellished fabrics and elaborate trims and throughout the arts in shapes, textures and images inspired by Nature.
Call for an Appointment today! Open Monday-Saturday
Hair Care Skin Care • Make-Up
108 W. Broadway St. Owatonna • 507-455-9391
s r
r
TM
Sharing Life Skills! Owatonna Community Education Defining world class education that is continuous and evolves throughout life. Roosevelt Community School 122 E. McKinley Street 507-444-7900 www.owatonnacommunityed.org
PAGE 80
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
touched through our volunteer staff over the years. “If it would’ve impacted one kid it would’ve been worth it. But here just on that one night, there were a ton of kids singing this. It was very humbling. I just found myself hoping and praying that there have been lives that Christ has touched in this ministry over the years.” Jamison also plants seeds in first-time Young Life leaders as the regional trainer.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Jamison From Page 78
All in the roots While Jamison has planted hundreds of seeds in his 30-plus years of children’s ministry, he admits without the support of his wife, Bonnie — his roots — he wouldn’t have lasted in his job. Jamison met Bonnie on the first day he moved to Minnesota. “That night, the Young Life staff person (I was staying with) led a Bible study at the YMCA and told me I should come along and play guitar. Well I did, and I met a girl named, Bonnie,” he said. “We didn’t date or anything. No thought that she was the one or anything,” But six months later, the two started dating. Six months after that, the two were engaged and six months later, on Dec. 18, 1976, the two were married. Eventually, they went on to have three children named, Mandy, Kyle and Kelsey. And they became involved in Young Life. “Our involvement in Young Life was great for
Chuck Jamison with his three children, Kyle, Mandy and Kelsey (left to right back), his wife, Bonnie, and his son’s wife, Emily, front, at Pocket Park in Owatonna during the summer of 2012. (Submitted photo)
our kids. They were exposed to a lot of great experiences and great people who have influenced them and their own faith in Christ. It had a foundation that was laid in the church and at home,” Jamison said. Along with Bonnie supporting Jamison, she was a Young Life leader for many years and served on two different committees. Their three children ended up being involved
with club, camp, campaigners, work crew, summer staff, Wild Life leader and Young Life staff.
VERTICAL FORCE
Branching out
Shortly after arriving in Owatonna, Jamison started a period of branching out that included a couple years assistant coaching ninth-grade girl’s basketball.
TRACKS
• Powerful Yanmar Tier III 84-hp, turbocharged diesel engine. • The all-new vertical-path lift arm design delivers extended reach and lift height for easy truck loading.
2012 DX260 ZTR • • • •
34 HP Kawasaki Hands Free Deck Lift Cut 5.8 Acres/Hr Commercial 3 Year Warranty 60” Deck Size
• State-of-the-art operator’s cab features unsurpassed comfort and visibility.
Financing Available *
• High-flow auxiliary hydraulics option available for applications that demand maximum performance.
2100RT
• Extra-long wheelbase enhances overall machine stability and provides a smoother ride.
WON’T QUIT Equipped with high-torque Yanmar diesel engines and backed-up by AntiStall technology these machines have the power to get the toughest jobs done fast and efficiently.
Dealer Imprint
2250 Austin Rd Owatonna 507-451-3131 • 1-800-385-3911 www.northlandfarmsystems.com
Since bursting into the track loader market in 2001, Mustang has learned a thing or two about the market. Combine this expertise with input from some of the market’s heaviest track loader users, and you get the all-new, home-raised RT Series Track Loaders from Mustang.
TOTALLY TENSE The patented, industry-exclusive HydraTrack™ Automatic Track Tensioning System eliminates the need for manually tensioning the tracks on the loader before operation.
*Subject to credit approval and other restrictions may apply. See your dealer for details.
FARM SYSTEMS, INC.
Reach reporter Ashley Stewart at 444-2378 or follow her on Twitter.com @OPPashley
MAKE
The all-new Mustang 2700V skid steer loader features an innovative lift arm design delivering 130 inches of nearly vertical lift height.
O T D E E N U O Y N E WH H C T O N A P U T TURN I
“When my own son started hitting the age of Owatonna Basketball Association traveling teams, we could see that it wasn’t go to work because if I was still coaching basketball, then I wouldn’t make it to any of Kyle’s games. So I made the decision to retire from coaching girls basketball,” Jamison said. Then Jamison tried his hand at tennis. “I started playing tennis and taking it seriously and an assistant boys tennis coach position opened up, so I applied and got the job,” Jamison said. “So I’ve been assistant coach for a long time.” More than 15 years to be exact. And then he became assistant coach for girl’s tennis in 2004. “When my daughter, Kelsey, was a junior in 2004, Josh Williams had been assistant girls coach but had got the head boys basketball position, so they needed help with the girls,” Jamison said. “They asked, ‘How about for one year until we find someone to help with the girls?’ And I said OK one year.” And here he is nine years later, still doing it. “That’s been really fun because I love sports, I love the life lessons and I love to compete,” Jamison said. “It’s fun to be able to help those guys and gals learn life lessons and how to compete on the tennis court.” And plant more seeds.
COMFORT & CONTROL Operators of all types will enjoy the state-of-the-art cab design complete with adjustable seat-mounted controls.
mustangmfg.com
FARM
DEDICATED Welded, dedicated track system enhances grading, tractive effort \and provides a smoother ride. BW_2700V_AG (Rev 07/2010)
2250 Austin Rd, Owatonna 507-451-3131 • 1-800-385-3911 SYSTEMS, INC. www.northlandfarmsystems.com
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
By DEREK SULLIVAN
I
dsullivan@owatonna.com
f a group of historians were lucky enough to tour Norrine Jensen’s home on Beaver Lake, just west of Ellendale, they would find picture after picture hung in horizontal rows on wall after wall after wall. Each photo represents another split second in time of a life filled with family, music, traveling, trips, teaching and politics.
Norrine Jensen
LIVING A FULL LIFE
Norrine Jensen has done so much in her 78 years in southern Minnesota that she needed to write down her accomplishments to remember them all. The two-page, single spaced list details the important people, loves and events in her life. Jensen has participated, on stage or backstage, in more than 30 plays or musicals. She sang at her first funeral when Harry Truman was president and still sings at funerals to this day. She plays in the Owatonna Original Dixieland Band and performs with the Heritage Singers and used to sing in the Sons of Norway Christmas Concert. Jensen has been a Lutheran deacon-president, and in 1966 was the president of the Blooming Prairie branch of the American Association of University Woman. And that’s just a sampling. If you ask longtime friend Pamela Seaser about Jensen, she would say that even with her busy schedule, Jensen puts family first. “She always makes sure to find time to help her grandchildren,” Seaser said.
See JENSEN on 82 Norrine Jensen has spent most of her life next to Beaver Lake, just west of Ellendale. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
PAGE 81
PAGE 82
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Norrine Jensen looks at pictures of friends and family. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
Jensen From Page 81
On the ‘right’ side Seaser shares one of Jensen’s other passions — conservative politics. Jensen has been an active member of the Republican Party since she was a student at St. Olaf College in the early 1950s, and in 1952, the teenager found a way to get from St. Olaf to Carleton to see then presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a time where she and few other college students had vehicles, she slowly got across town and found herself standing in front of the famous general.
“How we got over there, I don’t know because Carlton was a long ways away and nobody had cars in those days,” Jensen said. “Nobody had a car. But somehow we got over there and when his car drove by the stadium, I was right there. I handed him something and asked him to sign it, and he signed, ‘Ike.’” Jensen was born in 1934 on a farm overlooking Beaver Lake, just off Highway 30. Except for a four-year stay in Northfield, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in K-12 education,
Jensen has lived on that lake her entire life. It’s perfectly centered between Owatonna and Albert Lea, where she shares her free time. It was Albert Lea where she settled down and taught music for 25 years. She retired from teaching in 1993. Owatonna was where she made lifelong friends and volunteered with the Steele County Republican Party. Former state Rep. Connie Ruth, R-Owatonna, said Jensen would do whatever was needed for the Steele County GOP. “She is wonderful,” Ruth said. “You
would always find her working the booth at the Steele County Free Fair. She would be at parades and other events, always willing to help.”
Staying in the family At Beaver Lake, the Jensens — Norrine and husband Edwin — live on one of two 100-year old farms that remain in the family. Jensen was born on a farm bought by her family in 1902. Seven years later, Jensen’s family purchased another piece of land on Beaver Lake. Edwin Jensen farmed the land for
decades before retiring. Norrine and her brother Stan Thompson now rent the land, with no intention of selling it. “Oh, it’s staying in the family,” she said. “Everyone knows that. Nobody even asks. They know we have family here. But if we did try and sell it, they would bounce. We could sell it for $10,000 to $1 2,000 an acre, but it’s staying in the family.” To Norrine Jensen, Ellendale, which she calls “a typical small town,” is home.
See JENSEN on 83
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 83
Jensen From Page 82
“It’s small town, friendly, everyone knows one another,” she said. “There are not a lot of bad things that happen there. It’s simple and safe.” It may be simple, but it’s not quiet. At least not around Norrine Jensen. Everywhere she goes, music follows. Music has been a part of Jensen’s family since she could walk and talk. Her father played fiddle and her mother played the piano. “My mother and father would just sit there and play those old waltzes from the old country,” Norrine said. “Before T.V., it was all we had for entertainment. We loved to listen to Dad on the fiddle. He couldn’t read a note, but he could play it all. He had a perfect ear for music.” Jensen started singing at the Sunday school where her aunt was the choir director. By the age of nine, Jensen was taking piano lessons and a few years later, she was directing Sunday school plays. Jensen fell in love with performing as a young child and seven decades later, still loves to sing and perform. Jensen spent the first half of her life behind the scenes, directing plays, playing accompanying piano and teaching young actors. Raising a young family, she cherished her nights at home. She said one of the reasons she taught elementary music over high school choir was the fact that there weren’t any nighttime concerts to attend. When the school day ended, she could head home and raise her children. A 1987 portrait of the Owatonna Original Dixieland Band, with Norrine Jensen at far right. (Submitted Photo)
See JENSEN on 84
Serving Owatonna for 16 years
507-363-1682 1122 South Oak Ave., Owatonna , MN 55060
507 451-5773
• CONSTRUCTION • CLERICAL • INDUSTRIAL • GENERAL LABOR
PLAN A VISIT
TODAY! HISTORY CENTER HOURS
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 10am–4pm Thursday: 10am–8pm Saturday: 10am–3pm / Sunday: Closed
“THE JOBS PEOPLE” of Southern Minnesota
VILLAGE TOURS Offered May1-Sept 30
Tuesday-Sunday at 1:30pm (allow 1 1/2 hours)
117 4th Ave. NE, Austin, MN 55912
507 433-5570
HC & VILLAGE ADMISSION RATES
More Upcoming Events JULY 13 – Chuckwagon Supper JULY 14 – Extravaganza
WENCL ACCOUNTING AND TAX SERVICE
FREE Admission with History Center Membership Adult Admission: $5 / Children 7-16: $3 Children 6 & under: FREE
SAVE
0 $W2he.0 n you
–Group pricing available–
visit both!
ACCOUNTING & BOOKKEEPING Provider
• Specializing in Small Business Payroll • Small Business Consulting • Quarterly Reports • Tax Return Preparation
451-3399 • 1122 S. Oak Ave, Owatonna • wats@gofast.am
Visit us online at SteeleHistoryMuseum.org and on
phone 507. 451.1420 email Laura.Resler@steelehistorymuseum.org address 1700 Austin Road • Owatonna, Minnesota 55060
PAGE 84
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Norrine (left) and Edwin Jensen look at plaques celebrating the fact that Norrine’s family has owned the farm for more than 100 years. (Derek Sullivan/ People’s Press)
Jensen From Page 84
In the spotlight As her children got older, Norrine Jensen’s nights got busier. In 1967 at age 33, she joined the chorus for “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Albert Lea Community Theater. That same year, she also played Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” at the Little Theatre of Owatonna. After an award-winning turn as Mrs. Paroo (best supporting actress) in “The Music Man” in 1971 and a small role a year later in “The Sound of Music,” Jensen took a 23year break from acting. She was still active in the arts as she continued to play and sing with the Owatonna Original Dixieland Band and Norma B. and Company. In her early 60s, where many female actors would be slowing down, Jensen returned to the stage. Since joining the cast of “Pajama Game” in 1995, Jensen has performed in some of the most popular plays of all time, including “Annie,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Phantom,” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Even at age 78, she is still going strong. This year, she will doing a play in Albert Lea, called “Church Basement Ladies.” Longtime friend and colleague Deb Cooper
has performed often with Jensen. “She has an amazing voice,” said Cooper, who mentioned Jensen’s role in “Into the Woods” as one of her favorite. “She’s a joy to work with.” Cooper said while Jensen is an amazing performer, she’s a better teacher. “Her kids just love her,” Cooper said. “She brings so much enthusiasm. The kids just fed off that.” Norma Buxton, Cooper and Beverly Jackson were longtime performing partners of Jensen’s. Jensen taught at Ellendale, New Richland and Albert Lea public schools. Her career started at New Richland in 1957. She was there two years and was asked to leave when she became pregnant. Jensen said it was common back then for a teacher to be let go if she became pregnant. Jensen would teach for a couple of years in Ellendale before spending 25 years at Albert Lea. Living a short drive from both Albert Lea and Owatonna, Jensen took full advantage. She sang at weddings and funerals in both towns and performed many plays and musicals at both the Little Theatre of Owatonna and Albert Lea Community Theater. While Albert Lea and Owatonna are only 30 miles apart, Jensen said the towns couldn’t be
different. “Albert Lea is blue collar through and through because you have the packing houses. Owatonna is very different because they had the entrepreneurs, terrific people, the Buxtons, the Kaplans, people who add to the community and create jobs. They are givers and not takers. They give and that is what I really appreciate, people who give and not take. I guess that is why I am a Republican. “Steele County is very educated when it comes to the arts. I do a lot of stuff in Albert Lea, but I live in Steele County. Physically, I belong to Steele County.” While Jensen taught music for three decades and performed in musicals for more than 40 years, she has been singing and playing piano at weddings and funerals for her entire life. She said she does it because she loves to sing spiritual music. While she has had many amazing performances through the years, when asked for her most memorable one, she sadly talks about a time when she didn’t finish a song. When Jensen, herself, was the mother of young children, she was asked to sing “Jesus Loves Me” by the family of a three-year boy who died in a fire. She started to sing the song and lost control
of her emotions and couldn’t finish. After the funeral Jensen went to the mother of the little boy and apologized. “The mother told me it was wonderful, and that the parts I sang were the parts that the little boy knew,” Jensen remembered. Whether it’s acting or singing, Jensen has no plans on slowing down. In fact, she has no idea when she will. “As long as I don’t sing like an old crow and tell me if I do,” Jensen said. “So far, God has blessed me.” She has been married for 58 years to Edwin. The couple isn’t one for sitting at home and watching television. While Norrine spent many a night in a theater, Edwin played fast-pitch softball and baseball. “My husband has been very nice to me and let me pretty much do what I wanted to do,” she said. “I was able to direct things in church, children’s programs, like the Lord’s Supper, lots of stuff. He has just let me do it. He’s just a good man. “So that’s it.” Reach reporter Derek Sullivan at 444-2372, or follow him on Twitter @OPPSullivan
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 85
Decked out in their Grandparents for Education T-shirt, Ron and Sondra von Arb pose for a photo in the dining room of their home in Owatonna. (Press file photo)
Emptying A their bucket list Ron and Sondra von Arb
By JEFFREY JACKSON
jjackson@owatonna.com
sk Ron and Sondra von Arb about the thrill of parasailing over the ocean and they’re likely to shrug it off. “Parasailing? That’s nothing,” Sondra says with Ron nodding in agreement. “After you’ve been skydiving and jumped out of a plane, parasailing is like riding in a cradle.” Not bad for a couple of septuagenarians. And to hear Ron, who turned 75 last October, and Sondra, who is on the cusp of 74, tell it, they’re not about to slow down now. Yes, Sondra admits, a sinus infection kept her from skydiving earlier this year when the couple vacationed in Texas. But that’s OK, she says. She’ll just go two times next year, she says. “I want to live long and do everything I can,” Sondra says.
Their next goal is to ride a zip-line — also known as the aerial runway or the “death slide” — over the trees in the Costa Rican rain forest. They say they’re crossing things off their bucket lists. And one thing on that bucket list concerns Grandparents for Education, the local organization that the von Arbs founded.
Changing the face of education In just the 10 years that they have lived in Owatonna, the von Arbs have had quite an impact of the community, especially in the field of education. The couple moved to town in 2003, coming here from the Mankato area. “We had a nice home in Madison Lake,” says Ron. “Our grandkids got us to move here.”
See VON Arb on 87
PAGE 86
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Kent W. Frette Family Dental Care • Preventive & Comprehensive Dentistry • Restorative Treatments • Athletic Mouth Guards • Orthodontic Evaluation New Patients Welcome Special Appointments Available
Independence & Security Dr. Kent Frette, DDS
What do we have to offer?
507-451-6294 605 Hillcrest Avenue, Owatonna Monday–Wednesday 8 AM–5 PM; Thursday 8 AM–6 PM; Some Fridays 8 AM-Noon
OWATONNA MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE Emergency Road Service
Whispering Oak offers mature adults the independence and privacy of their own apartment, with the convenience and companionship of living in a larger, supportive community.
approach toAuto education that embraces & Truck • Towing & Recovery individualized Bus and RV Hauling & Long of Distance uctionSemi for• children 2-1/2•toLocal 6 years age.” Lockouts & Jumpstarts
Faribault Programs Offered 507-455-1950 507-209-2222 Owatonna
ay Morning Sessions • Extended Hours fromiency ew Effic s 4 NPM OWATONNA MONTESSORI MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOME ayOWATONNA Morning/Afternoon Sessions 7:30 AM–5:30 ent Apartm “An approach to education that embraces individualized CHILDREN’S HOUSE
instruction for children 21⁄2 6 yearsindividualized of age.” “An approach to education thattoembraces
ving Owatonna for over years! instruction for children 2-1/2 to over 6 years of 35 age.” years! Serving Owatonna for35
LE VAILAB NOW A
• 25 Deluxe One and Two Bedroom Units with refrigerator, stove, washer/dryer, and 1820 Hartle Ave, Owatonna dishwasher, under cabinet lighting • Centrally located elevator • Garage availability www.omch.org social activity Call 451-2885 for a tour or •• Planned 1820 Hartle Ave, Owatonna Second fl oor beauty salon, internet lounge with www.omch.org fireplace Call 451-2885 for a tour or email connie@omch.org email connie@omch.org • Community room, featuring a TV area • Pool table • coffee, juice & snacks • Secured facility • Private shower • Scheduled Transportation to appointments • Individually controlled heating and air conditioning • Washer/Dryer provided per unit
Programs Offered Offered Programs • 3 Day Morning Sessions • 3-Day & 5-Day Sessions • Extended Hours from • 5 Day Morning/Afternoon Sessions 7:30 AM–5:30 PM • All-Day & Half-Day Sessions Serving Owatonna for over 35 years! • Kindergarten Program Available
EXPLORE
Minnesota
RANDALL’S LICENSE BUREAU, INC. Marcy Randall - Deputy Registrar 1825 South Elm • Owatonna, MN 55060 • 507-451-2040
Motor Vehicle • Driver License • Notary Public • Hunting & Fishing License Boats • Snowmobile • A.T.V. License
For more information or to schedule your personal tour, call 507-684-3026
Maryann Schlaak, Director 903 Calverly Court Ellendale, MN 56026 (northwest edge of Ellendale, just off Hwy. 30)
www.thewhisperingoak.com
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 87
von Arb From Page 85
Sondra agrees. about 50. Today, in its fourth year, about 120 volunteers — “We were over here for concerts and plays,” she adds. including one woman who is in her 90s — give their time “Finally, we said, ‘This is ridiculous. Let’s just move here.’” to Grandparents for Education. It’s all because the von Arbs dared to take the leap. And so they did. It hardly came as a surprise. They had been actively involved in their own children’s lives — volunteering in schools in the Mankato area. It only seemed natural that The first time the von Arbs considered skydiving, Ron they would want to be involved in their grandchildren’s didn’t want to go. And, in fact, he didn’t make the jump. lives as well. “I knew I was going to do it, but he wasn’t sure if he was That involvement apparently did not go unnoticed. going to do it or go fishing,” Sondra says. During the Steele County Free Fair 2008, they were It wasn’t that Ron von Arb was frightened by the approached and asked if they would help get other senior citizens to volunteer in the schools like the von Arbs prospect of jumping out of a plane. For more than 27 years he had been a firefighter were doing. Ron and Sondra, in Mankato and had stood atop who were never known for doswaying ladders battling blazes ing something halfway, began in burning buildings. It’s just to formulate the plan for what that he really — really — enjoys would become Grandparents for fishing. Education. So on Feb. 1, 2010, while they In November 2008, the von were vacationing in Texas, SonArbs held their first meeting — dra made her first jump, despite they were two of the six people the reservations from family and there — to establish the orgafriends. She said her daughter nization with the goal that the started a campaign to have peosenior citizen volunteers would ple call her and beg her not to do be in the schools in Owatonna it. Sondra politely thanked them at the beginning of the 2009- Ron von Arb gives the thumbs up as he takes 2010 academic year, if they were his first crack at skydiving on Super Bowl Sun- for their concern and signed up. The cost was $190 per perneeded. And that was a big IF. day 2011. (Submitted photo) son if there was a group of four. To answer that question, the With Ron wavering — those fish organization conducted a needs were calling him — she needed assessment, asking officials in to convince three other people the Owatonna school district to jump. She talked three other to identify places where volunnortherners — two from Neteers could be used in the local braska and one from Kansas, all schools. of whom were vacationing in “It took them five minutes to Texas — to go with her. fill out three pages,” Sondra says. “I think when us four graySo with the need clearly eshaired people went up, it kind tablished, the Grandparents for of shocked them that we could Education group, led by the von get four people to go,” she says. Arbs, set out to make a plan to Sondra was the first of the meet those needs. They looked four to jump, leaping out of the at every possible contingency plane at 13,500 feet with Jeff, the they could think of, everything Sondra von Arb takes the plunge on her first that could keep the organization experience skydiving — something she did for instructor, attached to her back. from doing what it was setting the first time after her 70th birthday. (Submit- She was so amazed by the view that she forgot one very imporout to do. And they wrote a plan ted photo) tant step. for every risk to make sure they “It was so beautiful,” she says. had everything covered — plans that the organization “You jump over the ocean. I could see Mexico, the whole reviews every year. “We’re constantly sure we’re doing it right,” Sondra says. strip of South Padre Island, the inland and the bridge. It was so beautiful, I literally forgot to pull the rip cord.” The due diligence has paid off. Luckily for Sondra, Jeff pulled the cord and they landed By June 2009, with its first year looming on the academic horizon, the von Arbs and others in the organization had safely on South Padre Island. Once she landed safely on the recruited about 35 people who were interested in volunteer- beach, the razzing of Ron began. ing. By the end of that first year, the number had grown to See VON ARB on 90
Taking the leap
Sondra and Ron von Arb use their dining room table as a makeshift desk as they work on schedules and other matters related to Grandparents for Education, a group of senior volunteers who help out in schools in Owatonna. (Press file photo)
“”
I think when us four grayhaired people went up, it kind of shocked them that we could get four people to go. - Sondra von Arb on showing up for a skydiving session
PAGE 88
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
INSURANCE When it’s hard to see around the bend, it pays to be prepared for any situation. So, don’t wait until life throws an unexpected curve your way. Call one of these local insurance experts and have your home, life, autos, and family prepared for whatever lies around the bend.
HEDSTROM INSURANCE AGENCY Since 1982
Car • Home • Life • Annuities Newer Roof ? Call us for great rates!
Gary & Karen Excellent Rates
140 E. Rose Owatonna (Located across from the Eagles)
451-9001
www.hedstromins.com
Marie Schuette
Independent Insurance Agency 140 W. Pearl St., Owatonna
10+ Companies Available to fit all your Insurance Needs FREE QUOTES
• Auto • Home • Life • Business • Motorcycles • Boats • Campers • ATVs • Mobile Homes
507-451-2353 marieschuetteinsurance@gmail.com www.marieschuetteinsuranceagency.com
PROVIDING SOLUTIONS Auto • Home Life • Business
David Otterson, CIC
Long term care • Annuities • Umbrellas Health Insurance Snowmobiles • ATV’s • Motorcycles
141 West Bridge, Owatonna, MN 55060 PHONE: 507-451-9252 FAX: 507-451-9253 Lic. # 20123989 heinz@heinzinsurance.net
Gene Drake, Agent 116 East Broadway Street Owatonna 507-451-1168 Gene & Steph
Jennifer Menzner
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
America can depend on Farmers
Mike Bishman 121 W. Broadway, Owatonna, MN
451-0193 • 1-800-856-9864
PAGE 89
INSURANCE Professionals
www.mbishman@farmersagent.com “Gets you back where you belong”
James E. Gunderson 342 W Bridge Street Owatonna 507-451-1314
Plemel Insurance Agency
920 Hoffman Drive Suite 1 Owatonna, MN 507-451-4619 www.plemelagency.com
Kristopher Bergstrom Personal Lines Representative Phone: 507.455.5144 Fax: 507.446.4728 Toll Free: 888.507.3030
Office Hours: M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. After Hours: By Appointment
ksbergstrom@fedins.com 121 East Park Square • Owatonna, MN 55060
Plemel Insurance Agency
4071375 Farm Bureau Insurance Portraits 2013 OPP 3.23 pr
C o nve n i e n t I n s u ra n c e S e r v i c e
P ro p e r t y & L i a b i l i t y • U m b re l l a • Key E m p l oye e L i fe F u n d i n g B u y / S e l l A g re e m e n t s • I R A s • G ro u p H e a l t h Wyonne Priebe Commercial Service Representative 507-455-5358
The FEDERATED Insurance Companies Home Office: 121 E Park Sq. • Owatonna, MN 55060 (507)-455-5200 • www.federatedinsurance.com
Cindy Glazier Senior Marketing Representative 507-634-7404
Stacey Johnson Marketing Representative 507-455-5299
PAGE 90
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
von Arb
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 87
Ron von Arb in his days in the Army in the late 1950s. (Submitted photo)
“He took such a razzing that he had to go skydiving,” she says. Five days later — on Super Bowl Sunday, no less — he got in the plane. Before he put on his parachute, Ron had to sign four pages of forms, stating, among other things, that he would not sue the company if things went awry. Ron wanted to add another page. “I wanted to add an addendum stating I would be back for the Super Bowl,” Ron says. “They said they didn’t do addendums but that we would be back in time because they wanted to watch it.” Ron also had Jeff as an instructor, and the duo jumped with a cameraman early Sunday morning. They fell roughly a mile in a minute before Ron — unlike his wife — remembered and pulled the cord. They fell for another seven minutes before reaching the beach.
Hitching up
Sondra von Arb in her nurse’s uniform. (Submitted photo)
Their courtship was interrupted for a time when Ron, who had joined the National Guard when he thought he was going to be drafted, was called up to active duty for a short stint. After his tour of duty was up, he transferred to the Army Reserves and moved to Minnesota — Mankato, specifically — where he worked fulltime during the day and went to school at night. But he’ll tell you — if not by his words, then by the twinkle that is still in his eyes — that the real reason he moved to Mankato was to be closer to Sondra. Her eyes bear that same twinkle as she recalls those days. “That’s when you wanted to cohabitate, but you didn’t dare,” she says. There were married — and “cohabitated,” she adds — when she was a junior in college. Sondra eventually earned not only her nursing degree, but a master’s degree in nursing and a master’s in counseling. She started her nursing career in obstetrics, but then began to teach at the hospital. She taught nursing at what was then Mankato State University for two years before moving to start the nursing program at South Central College in Mankato. During that time, Ron began his career as a firefighter and EMT in Mankato. Sondra remembers one time watching him fight a fire and being frightened — something unusual for the woman who loves to skydive — as he stood on the swaying ladder high above the fire truck. It was enough that she never watched him fight a fire again. Ron just shrugs it off. “One secret to being up high,” Ron says, “is you look straight ahead.”
The first time that Ron and Sondra went out on a date, she threw a bowling ball at him. Well, sort of. It was a blind date in his hometown of Alton, Iowa, back in 1956. She had never been bowling before, but, not surprisingly, decided to give it a shot. But as she approached the foul line and pulled the ball back to prepare to roll it down the lane, the ball came off her hand directly toward Ron. It didn’t hit him. But every time she got up for a turn from there on out, everyone in the group of bowlers got out of the way just in case. The two got together for that blind date thanks to Ron’s cousin, who was going to nursing school in Mankato with Sondra. And how did she get from Mankato to Alton, Iowa — roughly 150 miles — for the date? “We hitchhiked,” she said. It’s difficult to look straight ahead when someAnd after that first date with Ron, she often thing happens to upset the equilibrium of your life. would hitchhike that same road to see him. But That was the case for the von Arbs when, in 1980, don’t tell her that she doesn’t seem like the hitch- Sondra suffered a stroke. She was just 41 years old. hiking kind. “You don’t know me,” she’ll say with a chuckle. It was three years later — on June 27, 1959 See VON ARB on 91 — that Ron and Sondra were hitched for good.
Bound for the bucket list
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 91
von Arb From Page 90
Sondra von Arb has fine feathered friends while on vacation. (Submitted photo)
“The doctor told her that she’d never see 60,” Ron says. “Then 65,” Sondra adds. She pauses and smiles slightly. “I proved him wrong.” The stroke changed their perspective on life. Sondra says it instilled within her a greater sense of empathy and increased her health consciousness, not only for herself but for Ron as well. “I keep an eye on him, too,” she says. Ron smiles. While Sondra has battled and continues to battle health issues, his health has been good. “My drug bill last year was $2.87,” he says, adding that he doesn’t take any prescribed medicine — something unusual for someone of his age. Still, Sondra’s stroke has impacted him as well. Yes, he pays more attention to his health and well being, trying to eat more healthy foods and get more exercise. But more than that, it has meant a change in their relationship — a change for the better. “We got closer,” he says. And it also led to their cherishing more the time they have together and wanting to get the most out of those moments. “It led to our bucket list,” he says. A bucket list, to the unenlightened, is simply a list of the things a person wants to accomplish in this life before he or she dies or kicks the bucket. There are many things on that list that the von Arbs have already been able to cross off, like the parasailing and the skydiving. There are other things they’re still looking forward to, such as zip-lining in Costa Rica. There are things that will, at least for Ron, always be on the list — fishing comes to mind. Sondra has things on her list as well. She wants to travel more, with a journey to Africa to take part in a photographic safari top on her list. She’d also like to touch the bottom of the ocean — and not just like you do when you wade out in the water from the beach. She’d like to be out
there deep with all sorts of aquatic life swimming around her. And she’d like to write some books — one novel and one, well, a self-help book or perhaps an instruction guide. “I told a judge once that I wanted to write a book about sex and exercise, but I don’t know enough about exercise,” she says. And there’s one other thing that’s on their bucket list — something that Ron says is “huge.” “That’s to see Grandparents for Education become self-sustaining,” he says.
One out of 12,000
What makes Grandparents for Education unusual, if not unique, the von Arbs say, is that it caters not just to the needs of the students and the school district, but it also caters to the needs of the volunteers. The volunteers — most of them retirees, many in their 70s and 80s — get to choose the schools they work in, the time and days of the week they work, and even the type of job that they do. “We don’t pin down the volunteers,” Ron says. And, according to von Arbs, the volunteers love it, saying that they get more than they give. Sondra tells the story of one woman who purchased her first computer at the age of 81 because of her work with Grandparents for Education. “They asked her to help kindergartners learn about the Internet,” Sondra says. “And she told them that she had never done that before.” But instead of rejecting the proposition out of hand, the woman purchased her own computer and learned. The work of Grandparents for Education and the von Arbs work in particular has not gone unnoticed. Last year, the Artists Music Guild awarded the couple the Heritage Award for Educational Organization of the Year.
See VON ARB on 92
PAGE 92
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
von Arb From Page 91
Ron and Sondra von Arb proudly display the Heritage Award for Educational Organization of the Year, given to them by the Artists Music Guild for the work the von Arbs do with Grandparents for Education. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
More than 12,000 people or organizations were nominated for the award. A panel of 30 people culled the list until just the top 10 were left. The von Arbs and Grandparents for Education were on that top 10 list. At the ceremonies — held on Nov. 10 in Fort Mills, S.C., ceremonies that Sondra likens to the Academy Awards — they found out that they were in the final five and finally that they had won the award. “I couldn’t believe it,” Sondra says. “I still can’t.” “Hopefully, this will help us out — financially and grow new members,” Ron adds. And perhaps, they say, just perhaps the recognition will allow Grandparents for Education to grow enough to become selfsustaining. “Then maybe one of these years we can retire completely,” Ron says. Sondra chuckles. “We’ve said that so many times,” she says. Reach Managing Editor Jeffrey Jackson at 444-2371, or follow him on Twitter.com @ OPPJeffrey
Your one stop family entertainment center. Featuring No pressure FUN bowling leagues, children’s birthday parties, company parties, full food menu, catered food and liquor for special events and offsite events, arcade games, live bands, and dj at Southside. Our Owatonna, MN bowling center provides fun for all ages and groups!
Sondra and Ron von Arb accept the Heritage Award for Educational Organization of the Year presented to them for their work with Grandparents for Education. The national award was given to them by the Artists Music Guild in November. (Submitted photo)
Experience Pride of Ownership
Strike Up Some Fun! 333 18th St. SE Owatonna, MN 55060
507-451-2524 www.spare-time-fun.com www.Facebook.com/SpareTimeEntertainment
MACHINE STORAGE
FARM SHOP
With a Morton Building For over 100 years, Morton Buildings has provided quality products and exceptional service to our customers. Our commitment is evident as you drive around the country and see the Morton “M” proudly displayed on countless farm buildings. Whether you are thinking about a new machine storage building, farm shop or livestock facility, with Morton you get a functional, dependable structure. Now is the time to join a long line of Morton building owners who know the value of a quality building.
LIVESTOCK
RICH BROMLEY Sales Consultant
Cell: 507-456-8866
©2011 Morton Buildings, Inc. All rights reserved. A listing if GC licenses available at mortonbuildings.com/licenses.aspx. Reference Code 043.
Hwy 14 E, Janesville, MN • 507-234-5186 • mortonbuildings.com
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Rodney Parrish stands at the piano used in the Medford choir room. (Derek Sullivan/ People’s Press)
PAGE 93
Rodney Parrish
MEDFORD’S HOMETOWN MUSIC MAN By DEREK SULLIVAN • dsullivan@owatonna.com
F
rom singing to cows, to starting a school musical to helping his son direct a play, Rodney Parrish’s life has been one musical note after another. Parrish grew up in Steele County and outside of a two-year stay at the Rock one-room school house in Merton Township, he attended Medford schools. When his former high shool needed a music teacher in 1969, the 1958 Medford graduate went home again — and never left. He taught from 1969 to 1998, almost mirroring the tenure of former Medford football coach and school board member John Gross. “He was the band man,” said Gross, who worked with Parrish for 28 years. “Rod was very talented. He ran everything. He ran the choir, the
band and the musicals.” Parrish had no intention of returning to Medford in 1969. The Olivia school district, led by superintendent Mr. K.M. Ashpole, shaped its music department around Parrish and hoped he would have stayed at the school for decades when they recruited him there in 1967. The district, which eventually consolidated with three others small school districts to form BOLD, got two years from Parrish.
See PARRISH on 94
PAGE 94
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Rodney Parrish, who started the musical at Medford, watches students prepare for this year’s show. (Derek Sullivan/People’s Press)
Parrish From Page 93
Back home in Medford While visiting his parents, Parrish walked out of church, and Medford superintendent Harold Rowe stopped him and said his former school needed a music teacher. Parrish, knowing what Olivia did for his career, didn’t agree to come home on the spot. He discussed the move with his wife, Sandy. “We talked it over and talked it over and there was some concern about me going home to the school that I graduated from,” Rodney said. “We worried about how it would work out and everything. We decided that we were young enough that if it didn’t work out, there was still time to find something else.” Parrish admitted one of the hardest things he had to do in his 36-year teaching career was turning in his resignation to Ashpole. “(Ashpole) wanted me to stay,” Parrish said. “It was tough to leave, but we did it and it worked out great.” Unlike today when schools hire band teachers
or choir teachers or even, if it’s a bigger school, an orchestra teacher, Parrish was hired 44 years ago as a music teacher, or, as he put it, “marching band teacher.” “Back then, when people hired music teachers, they were looking for marching band teachers,” Parrish said. “Marching band was such a big thing in the early 1960s, late 1950s.” Parrish ran marching bands in Frost (now part of Blue Earth Area school district), Olivia and Medford. To show how popular marching band was in the early 1960s, when Parrish got his first job after graduating from Mankato State University, he was the music teacher in the Frost public schools. Although the school was small, he led the marching band of more than 50 musicians to festivals throughout Iowa, Minnesota and Canada. Throughout his teaching career, he split his day as a choir and band teacher. “I think principally the techniques are similar, but the mediums are different,” Parrish explained. “You are using your voice in one and an instru-
ment in another, but what you are trying to accomplish as far as creating a good experience for students musically, you can do as well in one as you can in the other.” Parrish said if he ran a school, he would have both a band and choir instructor. “The strength of the teacher might be better in one than in the other. It would be a benefit to the students.” While there were some nerves as Parrish returned to Medford, he said there were a lot more butterflies when he walked into the band room at Front for the first day of his teaching career. His former teachers, still walking the halls at Medford, made the move back home a comfortable one. “There were teachers here that I had as teachers, and they were just so supportive,” he said. “They thought it was great that I was doing this. Even now, I remember those first teacher conferences. The parents were great.” When Parrish came to Medford, he was the music department. Soon, Parrish would have company. In 1969, the district added Gwen Anderson and Warner
Halverson as music teachers. In ’77-’78, Duane Hardy was brought on board. Brian Gustafson replaced Duane Hardy in 1981. Bev Cashman replaced Parrish in 1998. Gustafson and Cashman are currently the only two music teachers at Medford. “The best year of my 29 years here at Medford was my last year. I was ready to go,” Parrish said. “Gosh, I had been at it, since 1962. I felt really good about retiring. I had no problem with it.” After adding three teachers in eight years, the district decreased the number of music teachers in the 1990s. Parrish said he saw firsthand the district decrease its funding of music, and the staff cuts and funding cuts were a big reason he choose early retirement. After leaving Medford, Parrish remained active and substitute taught at Roosevelt Elementary in Faribault. He said Medford asked him to substitute teach, but he always said no. “I decided against substituting at Medford because my grandchildren were there at the time,” he said.
See PARRISH on 95
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 95
Parrish From Page 94
The sound of music Depending on whom you ask Parrish was a band teacher, choir teacher or theater director. In 1974, Parrish put up a sign looking for student actors to perform in Medford’s first spring musical. When the first musical, “The Sound of Music,” started rehearsals, the cast wasn’t large. By the time Parrish retired in 1998, 150 students were trying out for the musical every spring. “When we started the musicals, it was a big thing for the students to think they could get up on the stage and take part in ‘The Sound of Music,’” Parrish said. Students would say they couldn’t do it, but Parrish would tell them, “Let me decide. You come to the audition and let me decide. If you could speak, you could sing. The natural ability has to do with how good of an ear you have. If you apply techniques, you can teach any child to sing.” Gross said Parrish would not just direct the musical, but also stay late to build sets, a long time passion of Parrish’s. “He was such a hard-worker and the kids could see that. He did what he had to do and more,” Gross said.
After years of directing musicals and teaching choir, Parrish could easily consider himself a singer, but he said he grew up blowing into a trombone and playing in marching bands. It wasn’t that he didn’t sing, in fact as a child, he sang all the time. His mother and father were both singers. While farming his land, Parrish’s father would sing show tunes from “Oklahoma” while riding on a tractor. Rodney Parrish and his siblings would sing while milking cows. “I remember when my sister’s boyfriend would come around and he would peek in the barn and hear us singing, he thought that was the craziest thing ever,” Parrish said. “I was raised in a family of six, and my mom made sure five of us had piano lessons.” Parrish’s parents, Lloyd and Ellouise, went to all of their children’s musical performances and Rodney said they never complained. “My father wouldn’t criticize my music,” said Rodney, who played a lot of baseball growing up. “Now, sports were a different story.”
See PARRISH on 96
Owatonna Auto Sales
Buy - Sell - Consignment Complete Line Of Cars-Pickups-Vans Serving The Area For Over 30 years
Great Cars at Great Prices… Everyday!
507-451-8015 150 SW 18th Street Owatonna, MN 55060
Hours: Monday 8am-8pm Tuesday & Wednesday 8am-5:30pm Thursday 8am-8pm Friday 8am-5:30pm • Saturday 8am-noon
BED & BREAKFAST & RETREAT CENTER
“Come & Enjoy The Best Of Owatonna’s Hospitality”
• Tours • Parties • Dinners • Teas/Coffees • Reunions • Meetings • Retreats Long-Term
Ask about packages: Anniversary • Birthday • Bridal • Children’s Teas
358 East Main Street • Owatonna, MN (507)451-4040 www.northrophouse.Com email: northoft@charter.net
Stays
• Weekly • Monthly WiFi & Cable TV Available!
Rodney Parrish looks at the yearbook from his graduating class, the Medford Class of 1958.
PAGE 96
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Parrish From Page 95
The family that sings together Just as Parrish’s parents passed on their love of music, Rodney has passed on his love to his children. His three sons — Phil, Mitch and Eric — all sang and participated in musicals. All three studied theater in college. “We sing,” Eric said in November. “It’s what everyone in our family does. Grandpa sang. It’s what we do.” Eric teaches at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. This spring, like his father has done, he will direct a musical. As Eric prepares his cast members for their performance of “Damn Yankees,” his father has made weekly three-hour car rides to help build the set. In Eric’s six years in Worthington, Rodney has always drove west on Interstate 90 to help him build sets. While Rodney Parrish felt ready when he retired in 1998, he does have one regret. He stepped down before Eric’s senior year at Medford, and the two discussed performing “Camelot” with Eric in the lead role. When Cashman took over the musical in
WHYY PA ? MORE • • • • •
From left to right: Rodney Parrish, Noah Parrish, Eric Parrish and Austin Parrish have directed or participated in numerous plays throughout the years. (Press file photo) Eric’s senior year, Medford put on “The Wizard of Oz.” Rodney Parrish has spent most of his life
PARTY - PLUSP
Your Southern Minnesota source for everything
ARTY !
EVERYDAY & SEASONAL TABLEWARE • GIFT ITEMS GRADUATION & BIRTHDAY • SCRAPBOOKING & CARD STOCK BRIDAL & BABY SHOWERS • BALLOONS & MAKEUP OVER THE HILL • GIFT BAGS & WRAP WEDDING & ANNIVERSARY • PINATA’S • GREETING CARDS
116 Cedar Ave N. • Downtown Owatonna, MN 507-455-9677 M-F 9-5:30; Sat 9-5
Tonna Taxi Service 451-4215 Pet Friendly Se habla español
Owatonna
in Steele County. He did live for a couple of years in Worthington, earned a degree in Mankato and taught in the small towns of
Olivia and Frost, but for the most part, Medford is home. It’s where he farmed, hunted, raised his family and taught hundreds of children how to play an instrument, sing a song or receive a standing ovation. Parrish is a Tiger through and through. “I remember when we first gave the statewide (aptitude) tests, Medford was No. 1 and Edina was No. 2,” he bragged. “Medford has always had a good, solid program with hardworking teachers. A lot of students have gone on from here to colleges and been very successful.We had very high expectations for all of the students and for the most part they met those expectations.” So what kind of advice does Parrish have for a young teacher? “I think patience and encouragement were keys,” he said. “I felt I could motivate and create an atmosphere where the students wanted to achieve.” Reach reporter Derek Sullivan at 4442372, or follow him on Twitter @OPPSullivan
Welcome to our Neighborhood!
10 OFF %
Your total purchase Good through 12-31-13.
Must present coupon at time of purchase. Not valid with any other offers.
1140 Frontage Rd W Owatonna, MN 55060 (507) 455-2000 Open Everday: 10:30am - 10:00pm
All you c a eat chic n ke every th n ir Thursda d y!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 97
Tom Effertz has focused on service throughout his entire life, an attitude he learned from his father. (Submitted)
Tom Effertz
VALUES passed on
By AL STRAIN astrain@owatonna.com
I
t’s not uncommon for children to watch their parents as they grow, learn from the things they do, take those traits to heart and then make them a part of their daily lives. It’s also not uncommon for those former children to take those learned values and pass them on to their own children when they become parents themselves. For Tom Effertz, it was no different. Effertz, owner of TPS Insurance in Owatonna, took attitudes he learned from his father, made them a part of his daily life and then passed the values on to his three children. Effertz was born March 15, 1939, and was the second of 10 children for George and Eleanor Effertz. His family settled around southern Minnesota in Le Sueur. It was during his time growing up that Effertz learned from his father. “I learned my attitude toward service from my father,” he said. “He was president of the
park board. He was very active in church and the Knights of Columbus as a grandmaster and all that type of stuff.” Speaking in a phone interview from his winter home in Fort Myers, Fla., Effertz said he was thankful to have grown up with his nine siblings in a close-knit community like Le Sueur, where his father worked for the Green Giant Company. “Growing up in a family of 10 children, back in those days that wasn’t that uncommon,” Effertz said.
See EFFERTZ on 98
PAGE 98
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Effertz
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 97
“Le Sueur was a very wonderful town to grow up in,” he continued. “The Green Giant Company did a lot of things for that community. At one time, I think it was the highest per capita income ... but that’s long been gone.”
Coming to Owatonna Effetz and all of his siblings graduated from Le Sueur High School, with Tom graduating in 1957. Unlike many children who graduate from high school and then bolt out of the state at the first opportunity, Effertz elected to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato back in a time when the school’s mascot was the Indians, rather than today’s Mavericks. After graduating from Mankato five years later, Effertz took a job working in the metro area for Allied Insurance, where he met his wife, Terri. The metro area turned out to be only a temporary home for the two, and after 11 years they moved their growing family into Owatonna in 1973. He’s been with TPS ever since. “We had two small children, David and Jennifer, and our youngest son Joseph was born in Owatonna,” Tom said. Effertz came to TPS to be a partner, buying up the interest of one of the owners. Eventually Effertz owned the other shares and became the sole owner of TPS Insurance, an independent insurance agency. It didn’t take long for Tom to integrate himself into the Owatonna community. Tom has been part of many organizations, board, commissions and society, taking the lessons he learned from his father and putting them to use to help better Owatonna and Steele County throughout his 40 years as a resident. “That’s a thing that I’m very proud of,” he said. The list of organizations Tom has played a role in is somewhat exhausting, showing how dedicated he was in the service of his community. He has served as president of the board and board member for the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, president of the Chamber Ambassadors, president for the Steele County
Tom Effertz, far right, and the staff of TPS insurance pose for a photo to commemorate their 100th anniversary of doing business in Owatonna. (File Photo)
United Way, president of the Rotary Club, president of the St. Mary’s School board, president of the Social Service Commission, president of the Catholic Education and Memorial Fund, co-founder of Owatonna Community Bank and current board member and a member of the board of advisers for the Gainey Center. The values instilled in him during his upbringing allowed Tom to serve all those organizations while also working full time to build up TPS and raising a family with his wife. He said serving the community is important, and used a quote as a guideline for his life. “There was somebody who’s a lot smarter than I am who made the statement, and it’s kind of profound, it says ‘Volunteerism is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on Earth,’” Tom said. “I was always very impressed with that.”
Parenting and business leader While Effertz may have been a
man of the community and a leader in the business world, he was also a father. Dave Effertz, who currently serves as president of TPS Insurance, has worked with his father since 1999 when he came back to the Owatonna community. “When I moved back to town in 1999, I kind of had to get to know everybody again,” Dave said. “Everyone knows my dad, and they’re always telling me things that he’s done, very nice things, things that he’s never told me about over the years. He just does not toot his own horn. He’s not a guy who’s going to be out looking for recognition.” Working with his father for more than a decade, Dave said he has learned from him both professionally and personally. It’s an opportunity Dave didn’t take for granted. Despite the fact that he and his father work at the same office selling insurance together, Dave said his father was never someone who pressured him to get into the insurance business. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a supportive dad of course, and one
that’s never really pushed me in any direction career-wise,” Dave said. “I kind of fell into the career on my own, and when I was ready to come and approach him, he was thrilled and took me in. He took me under his wing and showed me everything he knew about the industry and what he thinks needs to be done.” Though he already knew of his father’s service from growing up in
Owatonna, where Tom was so active, Dave said he was reminded of the importance of community service when he returned to Owatonna. “He told me to get involved and to go out and meet people,” Dave said. “That was where it started, almost following in his footsteps.” When he and his siblings were younger and growing up, Dave said their family always sat around the dinner table every night and talked about their day. “We always wanted to make sure that we had supper around the table,” Dave said. “He didn’t talk about work. We didn’t talk about insurance. He was genuinely interested in who you are as a person and what you’re doing, how you’re doing in school, who your friends were and just being connected that way.” Tom agreed. “Sometimes that was the only time of the day that we could all get together, and we insisted that they all be there,” Tom added. “That was where they had the chance to tell us what they did that day. Sometimes they didn’t want to talk at all, you know how kids are, but we got it out of them.” Tom and Terri worked as partners when parenting, Dave said, joking that it was almost like a good cop/bad cop routine, with Tom delivering most of the verdicts on infractions made by the children. Tom said his parenting style was to lead by example.
See EFFERTZ on 99
“”
There was somebody who’s a lot smarter than I am who made the statement, and it’s kind of profound, it says, ‘Volunteerism is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on Earth,’ I was always very impressed with that. - Tom Effertz on serving others
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Effertz
From Page 98
“I wasn’t overly harsh but I wasn’t very permissive either,” Tom said. While he may have been somewhat strict from his children’s perspective while growing up, Dave said his father is more easy going with his grandchildren. It’s something Dave said he has pointed out to Tom. “He just lights up when he is around the kids,” Dave said. “He does a good job of letting me parent, too.”
Success in business
Tom and Terri Effertz pose for a photo. The two raised three children while making a life for themselves in Owatonna. (Submitted)
Since taking over ownership of TPS Insurance, Tom has seen the sustained success of the agency not only in the insurance business, but in the community. Last April, TPS Insurance celebrated 100 years of business in Owatonna. The business was founded in April of 1912 by Cline Tincher, Oscar Peterson and Ty Sincock. In September of 2012, Tom said being in business for over a century was a source of pride. “We’re very proud to be around that long,” Tom said in September. “It’s more a matter of pride than how we feel about (being around 100 years). Since its founding in 1912, TPS Insurance has been an independent insurance agency. Last September, Effertz said being an independent agency meant treating
Carpet • Laminate • Vinyl • Hardwood • Ceramic
We Offer... Professional Installation, Guaranteed Service, Free In-Home Estimates & Custom Orders Locally Owned With Over 39 Years Experience
PAGE 99
your customers right and making them important. “We are an independent, so technically, we represent the customer and not the company. We’ve taken a lot of pride in that,” Tom said last fall. In that same interview in September, Dave said that the people who work for TPS have made themselves apart of the Owatonna community, and as their clients grew, so did the agency. The employees of TPS undoubtedly took the initiative to involve themselves in the community from Tom and his civic engagement. “It’s the pride of living in this town really,” Dave said. “People that work here are involved with the chamber of commerce, the Rotary, other civic organizations and a lot of non-profits. We like giving back and getting out there with our clients.”
Absent, but never gone For more than a decade now, Tom and Terri have taken their winters in Florida, leaving Minnesota during the harshest months of the year. Even though they may be away from the office, Tom and Terri never lose touch with the business.
See EFFERTZ on 100
Steele County
Landfill
146 West Broadway Street Owatonna, MN • (507) 451-1169 Mon-Fri 10:00am-5:30pm; Sat. 9:00am-2:00pm
•
Pick Up Your Copy Minnesota
CITY & STEELE COUNTY MAP
City of Owatonna and Steele County Map
Detailed Street Map with Points of Interest
Available at the Following Locations:
• At the front counter at the People’s Press •Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism • Area hotels Owatonna.com 135 West Pearl | Owatonna | 507-444-2389
The Steele County Landfill would like to thank all of Steele County for your patronage and wish you the best in the year 2012-2013!
PAGE 100
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Effertz
Saturday, March 23, 2013
From Page 99
“If he’s down in Florida for four months, but he’s got a fax machine,” Dave said. “He’s got access to our management system ... he’s still working.” Even while being connected with the office, Dave said he notices a change in his father when he is speaking to him while he is in Florida. “There’s ‘Minnesota Dad’ and then there’s ‘Florida Dad,’” Dave joked. “The difference is the tone in the voice. He’s easy going and you can just tell that he’s overlooking the water at that time when you’re on the phone with him and that life is pretty good.” Tom said that he has always said that he has never gotten up in the morning and not wanted to go to work. While there may be difficult aspects to his job, he always wants to be at the office when he’s in Owatonna. “I’ve been lucky. You’ve got to like what you do,” Tom said. “If you love what you do, you will succeed, no matter what you’re doing. If you don’t love what you do, get out now.” Reach reporter Al Strain at 444-2376 or follow him on Twitter. com@OPPalstrain
BRAD SUCHANEK
Tom and Terri sit with their grandchildren. (Submitted)
We Get You Connected
Sonic Concrete Old Concrete Removal New Concrete Inexpensive Colored & Stamped Concrete
Consulting Sales • Service Installation Training
• Exposed Aggregate • Steps • Driveway • Patio 30 Years Experience FREE Estimates
507-456-6146
at the Owatonna Culver’s Restaurant. Also the Owatonna Ag Power floor and Plaza Morena counters. Unique Patterns/Custom Colors & Designs Countertops | Showers | Floors | Bar Tops Man Caves & More - Interior & Exterior
See Hundred’s of looks on www.facebook.com/granicretemn Call Brad Suchanek | 507-456-6146
www.granicreteminnesota.com
BRAD SUCHANEK
See the beautiful granicrete product that resembles granite and stone
Since 1984
Licensed & Bonded
Digital & IP Phone Systems • Voicemail Systems Voice & Data Cabling • Fiber Optic Wiring • Testing & Certification Paging Systems • Security Cameras • Nurse Call
Service Available 24 Hrs/day, 7 Days a Week
507-334-3735 | 1-800-944-0105 Full Staff with Over 100 Years Combined Experience! www.phonestation.com
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Beanie Babies of Alvin and the Chipmunks and their girlfriends sit atop the desk of Mary Sherman-Ahrens in her office at the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie — just another thing that proves, as she says, that she’s “a kid at heart.” (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
Mary Sherman-Ahrens
Kid at Heart
PAGE 101 A sign hangs outside identifying the Boys & Girls Club of Blooming Prairie. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
Mary Sherman-Ahrens, the branch director of the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie, sits at her desk. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press)
By JEFFREY JACKSON
jjackson@owatonna.com
When Mary Sherman-Ahrens was first asked to take over the reins and become the branch director of the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie, she had a simple answer. No. It wasn’t that Sherman-Ahrens didn’t like the work that she did for the organization. Nor was it that she wasn’t dedicated to the mission of empowering kids
to become “productive, responsible, and caring community members.” Just the opposite. She loved working with the kids who came to the program after school and she knew that the Boys and Girls Club was providing those kids with a safe, nurturing environment that was impacting their lives in a positive way. So why did she balk when she was first offered the position of leading the club? “I wasn’t ready,” she said. And that isn’t false modesty on her
part, Sherman-Ahrens said. After all, she had only been on the job for a few months as a youth development professional — a part-time position that she would perform after putting in a full day as a paraprofessional in the Blooming Prairie school district. And though she was used to implementing programs with the kids at the club and knew how to interact with children because of her work in the schools, there were other parts about the branch director’s job that she had never done before and that, frankly,
frightened her. Like what, for instance? In a word, money. Though the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie falls under the umbrella of the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester, the Blooming Prairie club does not receive any financial help from Rochester. Instead, the club is self-sustaining, meaning that it has to find the money to run its own program. See SHERMAN-AHRENS on 102
PAGE 102
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Sherman-Ahrens From Page 101 This year, the budget for the Blooming Prairie club is about $134,000. And with the loss of funding — about $25,000 to $30,000 — from Steele County, the State of Minnesota and the federal government, the club has to find other ways to meet that budget. That means in addition to coming up with an equitable membership fee and monthly charge, the director will be actively engaged in writing grants, seeking donations and planning fundraisers to keep the club and program going. The good news, Sherman-Ahrens said, is that all of the money raised by the Blooming Prairie Club stays right there in Blooming Prairie. And the bad news? “I have to raise the money. Every dime,” she said. “That’s a big thing. This is all on me.” That is just one part of the job that made Sherman-Ahrens a little nervous when she was first offered the position. “Intimidating,” she called it. “It’s not that I lack confidence,” she said. “It’s just I didn’t have the knowledge.” The confidence she clearly had. The knowledge she gained.
‘A big kid’ Try getting Sherman-Ahrens on the telephone on an afternoon when the Boys and Girls Club is in session and you’re likely to have a difficult time. It’s not that she doesn’t want to take your phone call. She does. In fact, you can hear her over the phone as she makes her way down the hallway to take your call. No, what makes it difficult is that once she is able to tear herself away from working with the kids on some program, she is likely to be stopped on her way by a child wanting her attention. It’s easy to understand. Though she towers over most of the children, including many of the teenagers, who attend the club, they flock to her whenever she’s around. Perhaps it’s her infectious smile. Perhaps it’s the way she greets them at the door every afternoon and gives them high fives. Or perhaps, just perhaps, it’s her personality. “I’m just a big kid,” she said.
Owatonna has tothe offerbest care Experience
See SHERMAN-AHRENS on 103
A welcoming home where loved ones, friends and neighbors receive personalized services. Koda Living Community and Park Place Senior Living are committed to providing quality care where health, independence and choice come to life.
Koda Living Community Park Place Senior Living 2255 30th Street NW, Owatonna 125 Park Street, Owatonna 507-446-4946 507-451-0808 www.kodalivingcommunity.org
REYNOLDS
ASPHALT MAINTENANCE Commercial • Residential • Municipal
Oun
507.332.2120
ha ce o Asp f f Main o n t e n a n c e – C a n S a v e A To
Real
Deals
STEELE & WASECA COUNTIES
Unbelievable Deals from Local Merchants!
Save 50%–80% Sign up for Daily Deals Look for the link on
Oil Based Seal Coating • Patch Repairs • Crack Sealing Serving the local area since 1997 An
Mary Sherman-Ahrens smiles during a roast of her after she was named the 2012 Citizen of the Year for Blooming Prairie on last November. The recognition was part of the annual banquet of the Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce held at the Servicemen’s Club. Sherman-Ahrens, who is the director of the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie, was surrounded by her children at the banquet. Pictured, left to right, are Hannah Ahrens, Sherman-Ahrens, Ruthie Ahrens and Zach Ahrens. (Press file photo)
Owatonna.com
lt!
Find us on Facebook! Real Deals of Steele & Waseca Counties
Saturday, March 23, 2013
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
PAGE 103
ShermanAhrens From Page 102
And if there’s any doubt about that, just take a peak into her office. Her desk, she admits, is a bit cluttered with paper — and frankly, it would be difficult denying it. But it’s not just paperwork that she has on her desk. Among the many reminders of childhood, there’s a gumball machine, a little troll doll, a wooden toy boat, a container of Play-Doh, several small trinkets that appear to be refugees from Happy Meals and the complete set of Beanie Babies of Alvin and the Chipmunks with their girlfriends. Alvin, Simon and Theodore she can name. She doesn’t know the names of their girlfriends, admitting, as she does, that at 52 years of age — “52 years young,” she says — she is a little old to know those girlfriends’ names. After all, when she was growing up, the Chipmunks didn’t have girlfriends. But though she may be a kid at heart, she is also like a second mom to the kids — about 30 to 35 each day — who attend the club. In November 2012, Jaci Hillson, one of the current youth development profe ssionals for the club, told members and guests of the Bloom- Mary Sherman-Ahrens, branch director of the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie, sits behind the reception desk in the morning, long ing Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce that before the children arrive for the afternoon. (Jeffrey Jackson/People’s Press) Sherman-Ahrens accomplished the tasks she was Her first job back in the workforce was as a never got bored. I let my imagination run wild. given not only because of her love of the job, but manager of a convenience store there in Bloom- I never said I was bored like kids do these days.” especially because of her love for the children. When she stood before members of the Nor did she mind taking care of her brothers. ing Prairie, then as a manager at the local Subway Then, turning to Sherman-Ahrens, Hillson sandwich shop. “I’m a take-charge kind of person,” she said. Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce on said, “It’s easy to see how much you love your job. that Thursday evening last November to receive But she decided that those jobs just didn’t “I get things done.” The kids adore you as much as you adore them.” work for her because the mom in her still wanted Which was what led to her to being offered the Citizen of the Year Award, Sherman-Ahrens And the reason Sherman-Ahrens was the to be home for her kids when her kids were home. her current job. confessed what a humbling experience it was — subject of conversation at the Blooming Prairie “I decided I wouldn’t go back to work unless While she was a paraprofessional in the not an easy confession for a woman wearing a chamber? Because she was being honored as the it was on their schedule,” she said. Blooming Prairie school district, Sherman- crown at the time. city’s Citizen of the Year. “I am very proud to be a part of this comThat’s when a job opened in the Blooming Ahrens wanted to earn a little extra money, and School district that she thought was perfect for so, as soon as the school day was over, she made munity,” she told the crowd at the time. “This is her — a job as a paraprofessional. Her schedule the trek from the school to her part-time job at very humbling.” Though she was being honored in part bewould be the same as the schedule of her three the Boys and Girls Club. There’s a chance that the Boys and Girls Club children — two girls and a boy — and she would “Before the year was up, they asked me to step cause of the work she does as director of the of Blooming Prairie would have never had Mary be able to be around children, thus living out her into this position,” Sherman-Ahrens said, gestur- Boys and Girls Club, she also was being recogSherman-Ahrens as its director had it not been nurturing nature. nized for the assistance she provides to other ing at her marvelously cluttered desk. for her husband’s broken arm. What prompted the offer was that her prede- organizations and events in the community of “I’ve always been a person who takes care of “I was a stay-at-home mom,” Sherman-Ahrens other people,” she said. cessor — Billie Dierson, whom Sherman-Ahrens Blooming Prairie. said. Other organizations of which she has been She said that has been part of her personality credits with saving the Blooming Prairie club She explained that she had become a mother since she was growing up on a farm outside the from going under — had been offered a position a part include the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, later in life and had decided to stay at home and little town of Dexter, Minn. with the Boys and Girls Club in Rochester. With Women of Today, the Blooming Prairie Matmen’s rear her children. But then, while he was decoHer parents divorced when she was a teen- Dierson’s departure, the club would need someone Club and the 4-H, the latter of which led her to rating for her 40th birthday party, her husband ager — about 13 or 14 years old, as best she can who was a nurturer and who was a take-charge run the diner at the Steele County Free Fair for broke his arm. several years. remember — and she and her siblings stayed with person who could get things done. Staying at home with the kids was one thing. their father. As the oldest of three kids — she had “I try to help out any way that I can,” ShermanMary Sherman-Ahrens came immediately to Staying at home with her husband was quite another. two younger brothers — she was given the task of mind. In the summer of 2008, she became the Ahrens said at the time. “It’s the right thing to do.” “I stayed at home with him for two weeks. helping to rear her brothers. club’s director. Then I said, ‘I’m going out and get a job,’” she See SHERMAN-AHRENS on 104 “I loved it,” she said about life on the farm. “I “I’ve been in this chair ever since,” she said. said with a laugh.
Wearing the crown
Nature of a nurturer
PAGE 104
PORTRAITS IN STEELE COUNTY
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Sherman-Ahrens From Page 103
Mary Sherman-Ahrens, left, among the children at the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie. (Submitted photo)
As for the crown, that was given to ShermanAhrens by her fellow workers at the Boys and Girls Club during the traditional roast of the Citizen of the Year. The crown, they said, was in recognition that Sherman-Ahrens is the “Queen of Procrastination.” Still, despite her tendency to put things off until the last moment, they said, she always gets the job done. And, in fact, she does, which is why she has been so successful in that chair for nearly five years — the chair that she originally did not want to sit in, the job that she originally did not want to take. And what exactly changed her mind and made her decide to take the job? “They needed somebody,” she said with a shrug, “and I was up for the challenge.” As for the job itself, she absolutely loves it and marvels at how she has learned something new every year and has grown as a person. When pressed to say how she has grown, she notes that she has learned to delegate and even has learned to write grants. “I still hate it, but it’s part of the job.” And it’s a job that she acknowledged she cannot do alone. Nor would she want to. “The community is full of very supportive peo-
y g s n i a v a E S Has Never Been So
to subscribe today! EZ Pay allows for low payments. Sign up for EZ Pay & SAVE Today! Complete the form on the right and mail to:
Owatonna.com 135 W. Pearl | Owatonna | 507-451-2840
Reach Managing Editor Jeffrey Jackson at 4442371, or follow him on Twitter.com @OPPJeffrey
YES!
YES, start my prepaid delivery 12 week subscription–$52.80 24 week subscription–$105.60 52 week subscription–$228.80
Enjoy more local sports, news & community events when you subscribe to the Owatonna People’s Press. Find exclusive sales, services, specials & coupons from businesses right in your own backyard.
Call 507-444-2362
ple,” she said, even noting that many of the fundraising ideas for the club do not come from her but from community members who approach her with ideas about how to raising money for the club. “The more people learn about what we do, the more they support it,” she said. In fact, she said, the club is a great asset to the community. “We don’t have as many kids walking the streets, saying, ‘What kind of trouble can we get into,’” she said. “We don’t have any crime. Kids come here, keep safe, be with their peers and their mentors, and learn.” She is still amazed, however, that some people in town still don’t know that the Boys and Girls Club of Blooming Prairie exists. To alleviate that issue, she tries to be much more visible in town, going to concerts and sporting events even when her own children aren’t involved. “People will see me and say, ‘What are you doing here? You have no kids involved.’ And I’ll say, ‘I have lots of kids here. All these kids are my kids,’” she said.
Yes, contact me with details on EZ Pay, a time saving way to pay for my subscription. Through monthly automatic withdrawals from my checking or savings account or applied to my credit card, I pay only $15.38 per month.
Name Address City
State
Zip
Phone
Email Address Owatonna.com 135 W. Pearl | Owatonna | 507-451-2840
CLASSES OFFERED DAYS, EVENINGS, WEEKENDS, AND ONLINE FOR
OUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY: CAREER AND TECHNICAL ACCOUNTING, BUSINESS, BUSINESS & OFFICE Accounting Business Business & Office Technology: Administrative Assistant Advanced Office Specialist Customer Relations Medical Administrative Assistant Office Specialist Health Unit Coordinator ALLIED HEALTH Emergency Medical Care Services Mammography Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide Nursing: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Nursing Program (RN) PN Mobility Program Radiography COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY Cisco速 Certified Network Associate Computer Technology Fundamentals of Network Security Fundamentals of Wireless LANs Microsoft速 Systems Engineer Network Security Web Developer Web Developer: Game Design Web Page Design
ALBERT LEA CAMPUS 2200 Riverland Drive Albert Lea MN 56007 507-379-3300
riverland.edu
CONSTRUCTION & MANUFACTURING Cabinet Making Carpentry Assistant Carpentry Technology Construction Electrician Industrial Maintenance and Mechanics Production Technician Solar Installer Welding Wind Turbine Technician MANAGEMENT Agricultural Commodities Marketing Farm Business Management Small Business Management Supervisory Management SERVICE Cosmetology Fire Services Human Services Criminal Justice: Corrections & Law Enforcement Massage Therapy TRANSPORTATION Automotive Service Technology Collision Repair Technology Diesel Technology Truck Driving LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS English French Spanish Speech
AUSTIN CAMPUS 1900 8th Avenue NW Austin MN 55912 507-433-0600
HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Anthropology Economics Geography History Political Science Psychology Sociology HUMANITIES & FINE ARTS Art English Literature Humanities Music Philosophy Religion Theatre MATHEMATICS / LOGICAL REASONING Logic Math Statistics NATURAL SCIENCES Astronomy Biology Chemistry Earth Science Physics PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH Athletics Coaching Human Performance TRANSITIONAL STUDIES College Prep Writing/Reading/Math English for Academic Purposes Opportunities & Access
OWATONNA CAMPUS 965 Alexander Drive SW Owatonna MN 55060 507-455-5880
Protecting Our Most Important Assets Since 1904 Federated Insurance Personal Lines offers quality homeowners, renters, auto, and personal umbrella coverage! For a quote, call 1-888-507-3030 OR e-mail federatedpersonallines@fedins.com
Exclusively for Minnesotans *Not licensed in the states of NH, NJ, RI, and VT. Š 2013 Federated Mutual Insurance Company