Faith, determination have helped DL woman through difficult medical journey By Vivian (Makela) Sazama Claryce Iverson of Detroit Lakes knows firsthand how one’s life can change drastically in a short period of time. Nearly two years ago, her life was turned upside down after a sudden illness left her paralyzed. She has  leaned on her faith to find peace and happiness through the challenging recovery.  Claryce, the youngest of four children, grew up on a farm near Evansville w

Couple is helping support, grow the butterfly population By Larry Magrath The recognizable and distinctive-looking orange and black Monarch butterfly perched briefly on Brian Nott’s finger. Outside protected confines for the first time, it stretched its wings to full width, retracted and stretched out a couple more times before taking off. As brief as it was, it was a familiar, yet subtle, thank you and goodbye. That particular Monarch was a male and a minute later a female M

Duo traveled 1,100 miles to Wyoming in ‘96 By Scott Thoma Teaching is in the blood of Bob Anderson and his family. Bob and his wife, Diane, of rural Kandiyohi, were longtime teachers in the Willmar school system. All three of their children also became teachers. Just because you teach others, though, doesn’t mean you can’t learn something yourself. In the summer of 1996, Bob got a valuable learning lesson from atop a horse named Coach. “I learned a lot about life, people and

Ups and downs of rescue dog adoptions By Sandy Erdman Today, many rescue dogs are becoming great pets. They are often friendly and will, like most dogs, guard and protect their owner.   Some rescue dogs have come from abusive and neglect situations, some from flood and hurricane areas, and some from homes of elderly who can no longer take care of their pets. Many Humane Society organizations around the country are crowded with dogs, cats, and even other animals, so when an in

South Haven woman reluctantly retired after 69 years By Karen Flaten At 91 years old, Natalie Rosen of retired from nursing after spending 69 years in the field. “I loved it!” she said. “And I didn’t want to stop. But I fell, you see, and it became quite difficult.” Natalie’s fall resulted in several broken ribs in 2024. The recovery was long and arduous, and she realized that trying to work while recovering from the fall was nearly impossible. So she decided to retire. But i

Farwell woman spreads love through handmade gifts By Faith Anderson Judy Oatman of Farwell often looks back on two remarkable women in her life who helped shape her creative spirit and gave her the courage to try new things. Their influence still lingers, and at 87 years old, Judy hasn’t slowed down -- her imagination keeps leading her into new adventures, learning fresh skills, finding joy in the process, and helping people along the way. As a little girl, Judy loved spendin

Alex woman has completed 19 marathons, including runs in Tokyo, Berlin and London  By Julie Parent Jeanne Barlage of Alexandria has run 19 marathons worldwide in the last 15 years. She plans to complete her 20th marathon this April when she runs the Boston Marathon for the fifth time. Despite working as a nurse in various settings and being a mother of three, Jeanne didn’t really think about her own health for approximately 20 years. In fact, she was a smoker who didn’t exerc

Foley man started collecting motorcycles by accident, now has 75  by Bill Vossler In a way, Mike Henry of Foley could not help collecting motorcycles, of which he now has 75, of all makes and sizes--except not a Harley. “I grew up in a family where my four older brothers all had dirt bikes and street bikes, so it seemed normal for me to get a motorcycle.” He added that his older brothers, “were hellions for sure,” and laughed. “At a young age I had minibikes, and at seven yea

Lions Club turned weedy roadside into pollinator paradise By Nikki Rajala A sharp eye is required to spot flowers if you’re a passenger traveling at highway speeds near Avon —and even more so, to notice the bees and butterflies that abound. But those drivers on Interstate 94 who exit at #153 will be richly rewarded with an array of blooming wildflowers and dozens of tiny pollinators visiting them. In the autumn, look for asters, goldenrods, oxe eye sunflowers, long-headed con

BUSINESS PROFILE: Breitenfeldt Group Over 150,000 Minnesotans on Medicare will lose their coverage By Jim Palmer After a few fairly stable and uneventful years, many members on Medicare can expect some significant changes to their plans as the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) approaches this fall. “Unfortunately, there are big changes on the way, for both health insurance and drug plans,” said Dennis Breitenfeldt, founder of Breitenfeldt Group. “In the Minnesota Medicare market

BUSINESS PROFILE: The Medicare Duo & Brekke Insurance Group Medicare Insurance Advisors help those eligible find the health plan that best fits their needs By Jim Palmer If you are 65 years or older, you are eligible for Medicare. Whether you are eligible for the first time or currently enrolled in Medicare, you should be aware of a couple important things. First, you should be aware that the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) will be Oct. 15-Dec. 7 this year. This is the time fr

BUSINESS PROFILE: Medicare Insurance Advisors Medicare Insurance Advisors help those eligible find the health plan that best fits their needs By Scott Thoma One of the more confusing and stressful times for seniors is when they approach Medicare eligibility, or those who are already enrolled and need to change their plan. Medicare options are continually changing from year to year. Fortunately, Paul and Patricia Hamilton of Medicare Insurance Advisors in Sartell have extensiv

Making room, finding peace via ‘Swedish death cleaning’ By Carol Stender Julien Batcheller of Fargo wasn’t aware her cleaning methods had a name... “Swedish death cleaning.” She just knew it needed to be done. And she did it twice. The first time was when she was joined by her siblings to clean their childhood farm home after their parents’ deaths. The second came when she and husband Barry moved from West Fargo, ND to their new home in north Fargo. She gained perspective thr

A lifetime bowler, Alex woman enjoys competing in state/national events By Julie Parent Bev Dokken of Alexandria, Minn. has been a bowler for most of her life. After retiring in 2009, she decided to play more of her favorite sport. Besides participating in leagues, she also enjoys competing in both state and national tournaments.  Bev moved to Alexandria in 1975. She was familiar with the community because her family vacationed at a resort there when she was a youngster. Afte

Underwood woman brought gardening to life By Carol Stender At 89, Bev Johnson feels it’s time to retire.  The rural Underwood woman is leaving the gardening column she has penned every week for the past 24 years. “I feel it’s time to retire while I still have a few working brain cells,” Johnson wrote in a letter to her readers. She will continue her work as a master gardener, available at the West Otter Tail County Extension office every Wednesday, around 11 a.m., to answer q

Woman dedicated to bringing stories to life at historic Minneapolis cemetery  By Patricia Buschette At the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis, there is a beautiful, old cemetery. It appears to be a park at the entrance, with large trees and a distinctive gate. You may even see a deer nose sticking through the steel and limestone pillar fence, looking for a treat. It is called the Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, and is the oldest existing ceme

Residents of a senior community in Ortonville form musical group, perform to good crowds By Scott Thoma As we age, the talents we once possessed are used much less frequently, if at all. That’s the way Dennis Carlson, a resident at Fairway View Senior Communities in Ortonville, viewed it. He didn’t want to see his or anyone else’s talents go to waste just because of their advanced ages. So, the Clinton native decided to do something about it. “Just because you go into an assi

By Maggie Gray Our Fingerprints Don’t Fade From the Lives We Touch.  –Judy Blume Cuban-born Carmen Herrera didn’t sell her first painting until she was 89 and held her first solo exhibition in New York at 100. Grandma Moses didn’t begin painting in earnest until her late 70s, yet her visions of rural America made her an icon. Their stories remind us that art has no timetable—that brilliance can ripen late, in the long patience of a life fully lived. In the garage attached to

Waite Park flower gardens provide beauty, healing, peace... and workouts By Nikki Rajala “When I’d be working and weeding in the Healthy Living Trail flower gardens, even though I was only  a few yards away from the street, I’d feel peace. I’m always amazed because there’s busy, busy traffic on the street and I don’t hear it,” said Janice Rein, a volunteer gardener among the landscaped flower beds of the Harold P. Nelson Healthy Living Trail in Waite Park. “Visitors say the s

Couple revisits their memorable 2,147-mile trek By Bill Vossler Other than Linda breaking her arm, and John stepping on Linda’s glasses, the Pecks, of Rockville, said they would have done nothing different on their 141-day trek over 2,147 miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting in March, 1993. Walking the trail came about in two ways. “We grew up out east, so were well aware of the Appalachian Trail,” John said. “And we’ve always walked a lot, and enjoyed backpacking.” “As w