8 minute read
Tamara Langen: ‘Love what you do, and have fun’
Bremer Bank’s Tamara Langen injects a sense of humor into everything she does — and she does a lot for Perham
BY DAWN DUNCAN
For Luminous
“The Lord led us to Perham, where we didn’t know a soul.” These words, spoken by Perham resident and community leader Tamara Langen, may seem hard to believe given how wellknown and connected she is in the community today. But the Hallock,
Langen with her granddaughter, Morgan, in front of the mural in downtown Perham.
Minnesota native and her husband, James, had no prior ties to Perham when they chose to live here. The couple had been living in the big city of Minneapolis for 10 years when James finished chiropractic school. Ready for a slower pace and a smaller town, they found Perham — and have called it home ever since.
With her roots deep in farm country, Langen grew up hauling water, flushing the toilet only once a day, and being the last of four to bathe in the family tub. Those humble beginnings taught her about work ethic at a very young age.
“You start out by putting on your boots as soon as you can walk and you go gather eggs from the chicken coop,” she recalls of growing up on a farm. “Next, you help in the garden, feed the animals, work on 4-H projects, sew, quilt with the ladies at the church, and babysit for everyone you know.”
When she got a little older, she started using the three-wheeler to check crops and moisture levels of the grain, would fetch tools to fix equipment, and made meals to deliver to the farm workers. She watered the garden, hoed weeds in the beet field,
—TIM BIRKELAND, BREMER BANK MARKET MANAGER
drove trucks, plowed, raked hay, and drove around on the “sno-cat” — the affectionate term Minnesotans use in reference to snowmobiles. (Just like all residents say “the lake” to refer to any of the thousands of lakes in the state, all snowmobiles fall under “sno-cat,” Langen laughs).
Her sense of humor and authenticity shine through as she jokingly talks about her youth and her Minnesota mannerisms. Those mannerisms show up in her daily interactions — with clients at work, friends, and strangers. She was raised to help everyone around her, always lend a hand, and to pray. At her country church, she was taught to pray for rain, workers, patience, wisdom, healing, and anyone who needed support.
“Always take Jesus with you wherever you go,” she says.
Langen is a longstanding employee of Bremer Bank, and works in the Perham branch. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School Of Business, where she earned a degree in marketing. She laughs when thinking back to that experience, saying, “I wondered if a small town girl like me could survive there, when the Intro to Psych class would have more people in it than my entire hometown!”
She had not even been to the city before college, but her foundation of faith and love of family gave her strength and fortitude. She was eager to grow, take risks, and do her best to achieve. She did that then, and has continued to do so since.
Soon after college graduation, Langen married James, whom she describes as the love of her life. While he continued pursuing his chiropractic degrees and began his first years in practice, she worked a variety of jobs around the metro area, including at a salon, Menards, Allianz Insurance Company, Dayton’s, Corporate Graphics International, and
Langen and some of the Bremer Bank crew, dressed up for Perham’s Crazy Days.
Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous
Cornerstone Wellness Center.
For a number of years, the couple lived the fast-paced life that city dwelling offers, but then, they felt it was time to focus on starting a family, and they wanted to do that in a small town.
“When we got to Perham, knowing no one here, we went to the local bank to see if they would consider helping us start a chiropractic business,” Langen recalls. “Not only did they give us a loan, but they offered me an opportunity to put my marketing degree to use!”
Her love of the Perham community started to unfold as she met more people in the area. She worked with the Chamber of Commerce and had the opportunity to help others discover, as she did, that Perham is an exceptional town.
“Perham is a great place to live, work, play, and shop,” she says.
To show her appreciation for the community, she uses her strengths and talents to give back and make a positive difference. Her list of volunteer efforts is extensive and includes packing more than 800,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children, raising money for Rotary, assisting with the design of the new Perham High School, helping with communications for an expansion project at her church, and also working “elbow to elbow” with business owners and the Perham Events Committee to come up with fun events in town. Most recently, she has been hard at work on Perham’s Sesquicentennial celebrations.
Langen and her husband of 30 years, James.
Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous
She likes to have fun while helping the community, and has been known to don costumes in hopes of making people smile. She was the one, for example, that convinced all the moms of players on her daughter’s volleyball team to dress up like members of the legendary rock band KISS to motivate the team to “ROCK the Section” championship!
“I have been blessed beyond measure to be able to work alongside so many amazing people in our community on projects,” she says.
This year marks 30 years of marriage for her and James, and the pair are parents to two grown daughters, Alexis and Serena, and grandparents to one granddaughter — with another on the way, due in March. James owns Langen Family Chiropractic in Perham, and Langen helps him out around the office.
“I love every minute of raising my family here and being a part of this thriving business community,” she says. “I have been with Bremer Bank for the last six years, assisting the Branch Manager with commercial loans and helping customers open accounts, use their online banking, and whatever else might come up — like being in charge of Friday Fun!”
“Tamara is an incredible leader and strong, savvy business person,” remarks Tim Birkeland, the Market
Discover your God-given gifts, use and share them as much as you can...and of course, work hard, stay connected to your community, and don’t forget to smile, to love what you do, and have fun!
—TAMARA LANGEN
Langen and her family in 2020.
Manager at the bank. “We are so lucky to have her as a part of our team, as she serves our customers and communities with remarkable integrity and expertise.”
“My teammates in Perham are truly like my second family and have been so supportive as I ventured into a new role within the One Bremer Team, which started in October,” Langen says. “I would say to young women entering the workforce today: Discover your God-given gifts, use and share them as much as you can (it’s so worth it because you will develop lifelong friendships), and of course, work hard, stay connected to your community, and don’t forget to smile, to love what you do, and have fun!” ▲
Langen, outside one of her favorite coffee shops, Nest, in Perham.
Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous
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