Le Sueur County Profiles 2014

PROFILES

2014

LE SUEUR COUNTY

lesueurnews-herald.com

PAGE 2 LE SUEUR PROFILES Wednesday, August 27, 2014

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By RICHARD ROHLFINGCorrespondent

For David Weyl, growing peas pack-aged under the Le Sueur and Green Gi-ant labels — peas available in food stores all over the US — represents a unique sense of pride.

When Weyl meets people during a family vacation, for example, and tells them he is from Le Sueur, they make a quick association between the fertile valley and its famous brands.

“I always say we grow peas for Green Giant.”

Likewise, when he and his family are navigating supermarket aisles and run across Green Giant or Le Sueur canned peas, he reminds his two boys, Nate, 14, and Matthew, 12, that those peas may have come from their own � elds.

“I tell the kids that they might be some of ours.”

For six years Weyl has been growing peas on his family’s more than 100-year-old farm, which first belonged to his grandfather. Before that, his father grew peas on the land for some four decades, so all in all, he has been involved in pea growing since he was a boy.

“We’ve had links to Green Giant for three generations,” he said.

Weyl does construction as well, but he took over the farm when health problems forced him to consider an-other form of income. Currently, he

farms about 320 acres and also grows corn and soybeans. � is year he devoted 60 acres to a pea crop, twice what he planted in 2013.

Peas are a “touchy” crop; they like it cool and dry, he said. But the growing process is relatively easy, and he con-tracts with Seneca, which processes peas under the Green-Giant and Le Sueur

brands owned by General Mills.Seneca provides him with the seed

and sets a rated payment based on early spring commodity price.

“It’s set to equal corn or beans,” Weyl said.

He works ground twice before planting and applies a pre-emergence chemical a day before the seeds go in

the ground. For planting, he rents a pea drill at about $4 an acre.

� is year he planted the early me-dium sweet variety. � ere are also small sweet and early small sweet peas.

Sowing takes place from May 10 to May 30. Seneca tells farmers when to plant so the company can stagger its harvest. A� er that he is done as Seneca

comes in for picking, which takes place about 60 days a� er planting. Payment depends upon tonnage and tenderome-ter readings. Peas with a tougher texture are less valued.

Weyl discs the ground after har-vest or sprays Roundup to keep weeds in check, but some area farmers plant another crop on their pea ground a� er pea harves. On well-drained sandy areas in the county, farmers grow early small sweet peas, harvest before July and raise a crop of soybeans behind them.

“They can make out pretty well on peas and beans,” Weyl said, “but in mid July, I’m better off working the ground.”

Peas are easy on farmland; they don’t take nutrients out, Weyl said. Corn grown the next year on the same acreage does better. All things considered, Weyl said he probably makes more money raising peas than corn or beans.

The amount of peas grown in the area has declined recently. Root rot, caused by fungi that like wet, warm soil, has been a problem. Fungicide and resis-tant cultivars can thwart some types of fungal disease, but for others there is no prevention. Spores can remain in the soil, and it may take several years for a � eld to again become suitable for pea growing. Crop rotation is a control tactic.

� is year all the early spring rain wrecked havoc with the pea crop. Flooding washed out some areas, Weyl said, and weeds grew because a canopy, which would normally block the weeds, didn’t form quickly.

But overall, Weyl said that peas are a good crop to have, and he plans to continue with them.

“To know that your peas are get-ting consumed by the general public, you want to do as well as you can.”

Le Sueur pea farmer grows for some

of country’s most far-reaching brands

David Weyl and his sons, Matthew and Nathan, stand in front of a tractor on their rural Le Sueur farm. Nathan is

CULTIVATING PRIDE

Wednesday, August 27, 2014 LE SUEUR PROFILES PAGE 3

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By SARAH [email protected]

The hardest thing for Jim Felmlee is having a front row seat to tragedy.

The second year of his tenure was among the most di� cult, said the 42-year Le Sueur Ambulance Service veteran, ex-plaining that in 1974 a handful of young lives were taken by various auto and snow-mobile accidents. � ankfully, he said, the service employs a debrie� ng team to assist its members in processing the tragedies they o� en witness and dealing with the emotions those situations can bring.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is having the opportunity to deliver a baby.

Jim Felmlee, who has served the Le Sueur Ambulance Service for 42 years, teaches CPR. (Photo by Sarah Osterbauer)See AMBULANCE on 4

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�e service has had the joy of delivering two babies. One has Felmlee’s �rst name attached.

Felmlee began with the service in 1972, just two years a�er the Ambulance Service was founded. A year prior he began his other career — driving a school bus. He eventually went on to serve as the Le Sueur-Henderson Schools transportation director, retiring in 2012.

When the service �rst started, all that was needed to join was training in ad-vanced first aid. Now service members must be certi�ed in CPR and as an EMT. �e certi�cation requires upward of 200 hours of training. Costs are covered by the service.

In the early years, the sta� would be or-ganized into teams, each one covering one of three shi�s for one week. �e calendar was set for the whole year and if for some-one needed time o�, it was their responsi-bility to get their spot covered. �e service now can have trouble getting its members to commit to a full week and teams are not de�ned.

It is also getting more and more dif-

�cult for the Ambulance Service to �nd volunteers and as members retire, it can be challenging to �ll the open spots.

For Felmlee, it was the love of his com-munity that kept him in two jobs that oth-ers might not consider.

What also made the lifelong Le Sueur resident so successful at both may just be his kind, caring nature. Even as he prepares to teach a CPR class, he greets newcomers as if they are old friends.

A�er class he described why he loves his work with the service so much.

“�ere was a teacher who told me about the ambulance and I was only planning on staying on for about three or four years and it turned into 40! It gets ya’, when you’re in the system, you’re hooked,” he said.

�e thing that he likes best and what brings him back year a�er year, he says is simply “helping people.” It also helps that since he was a part of the school district for so long, he knows about 80 percent of the people he encounters during his work with the Ambulance Service.

“If there was a kid involved,” he said, “I was the one in the back [of the ambulance]

because I knew the kids and that helps.”No doubt Felmlee’s familiar face and

friendly disposition make him a light to a sick or injured child and reassured many a worried parent.

He has held every position on the am-bulance service, currently serving as its secretary/treasurer. In his early days, he would cover all positions, but since su�er-ing a herniated disc, he sticks to attending meetings and teaching classes.

He not only teaches CPR to civilians, but to instructors as well. He said occa-sionally he may drive for a transfer but his “ditch days are over, he said, “the ditch” referring to the scene of the call.

As the most senior member of the ser-vice, Ambulance Service President Pam Williams says Felmlee’s years of experience are an invaluable asset.

If there’s a question about how some-thing was done in the past, Felmlee is their go-to guy, she said.

“He is a real team player,” said Wil-liams, “willing to help out any of the other members should they need guidance or training.”

IN SERVICEThe Le Sueur Volunteer

Ambulance Association (Ambulance Service) was established in August 1970.

At the same time, the Le Sueur Ambulance Commission was formed. The commission is comprised of a representative from the cities of Le Sueur and Henderson and every township it serves.

The service, funded user fees and donations, serves an area of approximately 200 square miles (2,600 households). It’s sta�ed by volunteers and is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

For more information, contact Ambulance Coordinator Jenny Cummins at 507-665-2041 or jcummins@cityo�esueur.com.

Source: City of Le Sueur

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By JAMES [email protected]

Greg O’Donnell’s work involves intricate details and tiny pieces, cra� -ing jewelry and watches. � ough he works with small things, his story is big, spanning several decades and numerous countries.

Walking into the mini-mall on Park Avenue in Le Center, one can take a right turn for a bowl of hot soup or take a le� and walk through the Park Avenue Gallery. Lining the walls are cabinets more than 100 years old, � lled with ornate jewelry and precious paintings.

One can walk through the gal-lery and � nd a number of antique clocks, from small timepieces to towering grandfather clocks. The items in the gallery range from an-tiques and heirlooms to the mod-ern day, but no matter when it was made, O’Donnell knows exactly how to cra� it or repair it.

� ough O’Donnell got his start in a small town and built a business in a small town, his journey has led him across the world. He learned his cra� in places like Switzerland

and France.O’Donnell began his work as a

watch/clock repairman and jeweler when he was 13 years old. He then became the youngest apprentice and licensed watchmaker in Minnesota at the age of 16. Before long, he was o� to Switzerland to perfect his cra� .

“I liked what I was doing, so I got all the degrees,” said O’Donnell.

O’Donnell received a partial scholarship to study in Switzerland, learning horology — the science of measuring time. The program is only available to a few who qualify, and only one American per year. O’Donnell was in a class of 15, con-sisting of people from all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, England, New Guinea, Canada and Germany.

“It was a real honor,” said O’Donnell. “Being a part of that select few.”

He spent the next few years in Europe perfecting his craft and working in watch factories. � en he came back to the states and opened up his business in Le Center.

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Greg O’Donnell helps Julie Harmon look at the vast collection of jewelry. (Photo by James Stitt)

See WATCH on 6

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O’Donnell has been the owner of Park Avenue Gallery since it opened in 1977. Though the name of the business has changed over the years, his reputation has not. O’Donnell has a loyal following, cus-tomers and friends who swear by his work.

Jim and Julie Harmon have been long-time customers, thrilled with O’Donnell’s work and prices. Julie Harmon said that O’Donnell will make sure that his customer is satis� ed, going above and beyond what others will do.

“He will keep working with you until you’re happy,” said Julie Harmon.

The Harmon’s sons and friends also use the services of O’Donnell whenever they need a ring. And O’Donnell does it all, from cra� ing and selling jewelry to � xing watches and clocks.

And that’s one of the things that O’Donnell enjoys, he loves working with the people. Whether it is repairing an old grandfather clock or helping a young couple � nd the perfect engagement ring, O’Donnell is there for people during an important time in their life.

“You are a part of people’s lives,” said O’Donnell. “I like what I do.”

But the business has changed over the years. With the rise of electronics and digital watches, the watchmaking and clock repair was dwindling.

“My profession, it was kind of coming to an end,” said O’Donnell.

But O’Donnell saw an uptick a� er a few years, as people returned to the watches

and clocks O’Donnell grew up repairing.While O’Donnell works on repairing

watches and jewelry that patrons bring in, his business has shi� ed over the years to sales. O’Donnell travels the country, sell-ing his work to independent jewelers, and said he o� en spends more time away from home.

Though the business has changed, O’Donnell still practices the trade he grew up perfecting. He works with customers to design one-of-a-kind jewelry and � x their watches or clocks. O’Donnell has spent sev-eral decades helping people, and he said that he couldn’t have lasted this long if it weren’t for the people.

“Over the years, I’ve enjoyed work-ing with the customers and taking their ideas, making something they can wear and be proud of,” said O’Donnell. “� at’s my focus.”

PARK AVENUE GALLERY

Opened in 1977 by owner Greg O’Donnell. The year before, O’Donnell was youngest licensed watchmaker in Minnesota at the age of 16. O’Donnell also traveled the world, studying watchmaking in Switzerland and France.

The gallery’s name and location has changed over the years, but still operates in Le Center. O’Donnell repairs watches and clocks, as well as creating and selling jewelry. Recently, he has also expanded into other areas such as selling prints.

O’Donnell has many different designs and works with customers to create one-of-a-kind pieces. (Photo by James Stitt)

JewelerFrom Page 5


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By KELSEY [email protected]

Growing up in Le Center, Dan O’Keefe always had his eye in the scope of his hunting ri� e, locked, loaded and ready to bring home dinner for his family.

Years later, O’Keefe’s love for hunting opened new doors in his life, giving him an interest in feeding his family a variety of di� erent meats from poultry to beef. He now works to provide fresh meat for his entire com-munity.

For eight years, O’Keefe has owned O’Keefe’s Meat Market, his own meat processing company, o� ering locally raised beef, pork and chicken raised in the local area. But O’Keefe was familiar

with the building far before he could call it his own.

O’Keefe’s Meat Market used to be known as Nusbaum Meat Processing, and it was where O’Keefe worked for � ve years.

O’Keefe says the staff at his shop prides themselves on their u n i q u e a s s o r t -m e n t m e a t s , m a n y u s i n g h o m e -m a d e r e c i p e s . F r o m wild rice brats to che d d ar and Swiss c h i c k e n wrapped w i t h a layer of b a c o n , all of the recipes are carefully cra� ed to make for a taste that his customers would never forget.

“We’re always trying new reci-pes for the satisfaction of our cus-tomers,” said O’Keefe.

While it’s not easy to come up with the most deli-cious reci-pes, O’Keefe says when h e g e t s good feed-back from his custom-ers it makes everything worthwhile.

“It’s re-w a r d i n g w h e n w e c o m e u p with a good recipe and e v e r y o n e likes it,” said

O’Keefe.O’Keefe’s older brother Brad

O’Keefe, says Dan’s work ethic and knowledge of processing

meats has always been impressive.“He’s dedicated to his business

and you can see that right when you walk in the front door,” said Brad O’Keefe.

A step through O’Keefe’s Meat Market, and it’s easy to notice the cleanliness of the shop, despite the messy work they do. O’Keefe says it’s keeping the shop clean that’s not only one of the most impor-tant daily tasks, but it’s also one of their biggest challenges as a business.

“It’s always important to make

sure everything is always clean for the customers and for the safety of the food,” said O’Keefe.

While there are some glam-orous parts of O’Keefe’s job, like conjuring up recipes for hungry customers, his business is also responsible for processing the meat, which is the messiest part of the job.

“A lot of people couldn’t do the job that he does, and that’s what’s so impressive about Dan,” said Brad O’Keefe.

O’Keefe says a lot of the ani-

mals he deals with come from lo-cal farms, and, while it might not be easy, he does what he has to do for his customers.

“It’s all about the circle of life,” said O’Keefe.

While he prides himself on putting a good product on the shelf for customers, O’Keefe says

his favorite part about his job is interacting with customers on a daily basis about the products they have.

Hungry customers from around southern Minnesota stroll in to O’Keefe’s Meat Market, searching for the best meat to grill for a family dinner. Beef tri-tip roasts, ribeye steaks and chicken breasts o� en get hauled out by the truck load and it’s O’Keefe’s hard work that keeps customers com-ing back.

Growing up, O’Keefe never thought his interest in conjuring recipes for meats would give him the opportunity to provide south-ern Minnesota with succulent sea-soned meat.

“It’s so nice to be able to walk out of the building everyday with my name on the door, knowing I’ve done what I can to provide customers with quality meat,” said O’Keefe.

Dan O’Keefe has been the owner of O’Keefe Meat Processing Market in Le Center for eight years. (Photo by Kelsey Hering)

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GET TO KNOW DAN O’KEEFE

O’Keefe is a 31-year-old Le Center native.

He’s married with two children. When he was young, he’d work on cutting up the meat for his family after a long weekend of deer hunting.

While he may not have as much time for hunting now, he’s still thankful that it led him into the meat processing industry.

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By KELSEY [email protected]

On the outskirts of Le Sueur, Mound Cemetery serves not only as a place for mourning, but also the place Le Sueur na-tive Leroy May spends his time making sure the landscape serves as a peaceful place for visitors to keep the memories of their loved ones alive.

When May grew up, he never imagined himself as a ground-skeeper for a cemetery, but a few years after retiring from Green Giant Co., May’s friend and funeral director at Kolden Funeral Services, Darrell Kolden

approached him with an obscure idea.

“I said to him, Leroy, you should be the groundskeeper at Mound Cemetery, and he agreed,” Kolden recalls with a laugh.

With prior management and mechanical experience at Green Giant, May thought it’d be a good opportunity for him to go back to his roots doing hands-on work, getting some exercise and working outdoors. He be-gan the part-time job almost immediately, working around 20 hours a week.

Le Sueur cemetery groundskeeper’s work o� ers serene place to remember loved ones

Leroy May has served as the groundskeeping supervisor at Mound Cemetery for seven years, beginning his work there shortly after he retired from Green Gi-ant. (Photo by Kelsey Hering)

PAYING RESPECTS

GET TO KNOW LEROY AND MOUND CEMETERYLeroy worked in the ‘80s as a

supervisor for Green Giant. While there, he managed budget and was an outdoor manager on site.

While May has retired from Green Giant, he still couldn’t stay away from being active outdoors, which drove him to become the

groundskeeping supervisor for the Mound Cemetery in his hometown.

Mound Cemetery was established in the 1800s, and while there are 20 acres of land housing the dead, Kolden believes that the cemetery won’t run out of space until years beyond the end of his lifetime.

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From Page 8

RespectsNow, seven years later, May

still finds himself tending to the land, spraying every creeping charlie and dandelion in sight, and making sure the lawnmow-ers, weed trimmers and other equipment are always in good working condition.

Kolden says a job like May’s needs someone who makes sure blades on the lawnmowers are sharp, oil is changed on equip-ment, and lawnmowers are fixed when they break down.

“He’s the perfect guy for the job. He’s mechanically inclined and he always makes sure the job gets done,” said Kolden.

While most of his job in-volves fixing machines, May’s responsibilities also include lev-eling out new grave sites, plant-ing grass seed on each site and trimming branches throughout the cemetery.

May says his favorite part about his job is the mechanical

work.“I love the troubleshooting

process and just fixing things. It keeps you thinking and keeps you young,” said May.

While May admits that maintaining the land of a cemetery isn’t the most glam-orous job, he says that it isn’t primarily about tending to the dead, but it’s also about keep-ing the place alive with freshly mowed grass and a clean land-scape for visitors.

“I always want to make it look as nice as I can for people that visit the cemetery,” said May.

May says that he and another groundskeeper keep themselves pretty busy during the spring and summer months.

“It usually takes about three days to mow the lawn and it takes even longer to go around each stone and individually trim the weeds around it,” said May.

But despite the hard work, May says it’s all worthwhile when he receives compliments on the appearance of the cem-etery.

“People are usually pretty cordial, and they like it when the place looks nice,” said May.

Kolden says the cemetery often receives compliments be-cause of May’s hard work.

“He’s particular about the small things, and he always wants things to be done the right way. People like it because the entire job gets done,” said Kolden.

While May does receive com-pliments, he also knows that many people are uncomfortable with the idea of being at a cem-etery for more than just a burial service. And May says that being around stones that date from the Civil War to just last week gives him perspective, not only about life, but about death as well.

“Death is just a process. It’s really human nature, and mak-ing sure this place looks nice gives both the living and the dead the respect they deserve,” said May.

Reach reporter Kelsey Hering at 507-837-5451 or follow her

ABOVE: Le Sueur’s Mound Cemetery is located just o� Elmwood Ave. on the southern end of town. The cemetery is home to more than 20 acres of land lined with grave sites. LEFT: Long time friend of Leroy May, Darrell Kolden has served as Funeral Director at Kolden Funeral Services in Le Sueur for 44 years. (Photos by Kelsey Hering)


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By RICHARD ROHLFINGCorrespondent

For Le Sueur County Sheri� ’s Deputy Joe Kern, serving in his � rst season as the county’s water patrol o� cer is kind of like being a bouncer.

“I make sure everyone on the lake is following the rules while having a good time.”

� e Water Patrol performs the statutory duties of law enforce-ment on waterways and patrols the many lakes in the county as well as the Minnesota River, said Le Sueur County Sheri� Dave Ti-etz. Kern is the county’s � rst full-time licensed water patrol o� cer. From keeping boaters safe to pro-tecting the natural resources, he has many responsibilities.

Patrolling the lakes in the de-partment’s aluminum boat, Kern makes sure watercra� are licensed and carry enough life preservers and � re extinguishers. Fire extin-guishers are required on jet skis and boats with enclosed engines. He looks for underage drink-ing, boating under the in� uence and passengers riding on unsafe places. He also checks the noise levels of boats and that jet skiers are maintaining proper distances from the shore and other boats.

“Sometimes it’s a battle be-tween recreational and fishing guys,” Kern said.

He checks for � shing licenses, and while at one of the county’s 21 public accesses, Kern looks for plants that boats may be carrying into the water in order to help cut down on invasive species.

� e Water Patrol also issues permits for some activities, in-cluding temporary structures and special events. Rental boat operators must � ll out an appli-cation and submit their boats for inspections by the Water Patrol. It also maintains the buoys that mark shallow water or hazards. With the � ooding on area lakes, Kern helped clean up floating debris.

Kern’s responsibilities include responding to near drownings, drownings and watercraft acci-dents. � e Water Patrol also pro-vides specialty services such as ice rescue and works closely with the sheri� ’s seven-member Dive Team. All the dive equipment is stored in a dedicated dive van and ready around the clock, said Tietz. Investigator Bruce Collins is the Dive Team captain.

� e Water Patrol works closely with all the lake associations and appreciates all their input, Tietz said. It also works with the coun-ty’s municipal � re departments and side by side with the Depart-ment of Natural Resources.

Joe Kern is county’s � rst full-time water patrol o� cer

Lake Washington is one of the county’s busier lakes, and Water Patrol Deputy Joe Kern spends a fair amount of time ensuring everyone who uses it is safe. (Photo by Richard Rohl� ng)

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Joe Kern in his aluminum patrol boat. (Photo by Richard Rohl� ng)

From Page 10

WavesKern, a Mankato native, graduated

from St. Peter High School. Inspired by a brother in law who is a Twin Cities Metro police officer, he earned a degree in law enforcement from Minnesota State University. After completing his skills training, he has spent the last five and a half years in the Le Sueur County Sheriff ’s Department.

Kern was a “utility guy” before be-coming a full time deputy. Serving as a dispatcher, he learned how to work better with dispatch when on patrol. Working as a jailer and bailiff, he got to work alongside attorneys and better understand their needs.

“It was a long journey but worth it,” Kern said.

In late winter this year, Tietz lob-bied the county commissioners to make the Water Patrol position full time with a licensed officer. The commissioners were supportive. Kern replaced Water Patrol Deputy Ken Krenik, who served in the position for 16 years before retir-ing last fall.

“Ken did an excellent job,” Tietz said.

Each lake has its own personality, Kern said. Some are more dedicated to � shing and others to recreation, but that may vary depending upon the time and day. Kern visits four or � ve lakes each day. His schedule varies, but he picks days and lakes that he knows will be busy.

“I kind of follow the crowd,” he said.He makes contact so people on the

water know the sheriff ’s deputy is pres-ent.

“I don’t have to make a lot of stops as long as boaters know we are out there,” Kern said. “I do a lot of waving.”

But overall he said that people on

the area lakes are generally well be-haved. He issues about four warnings for every one citation.

“You’ve got to be doing something pretty stupid on the lake to get a ticket.”

A lot of his work is public relations, Kern said. � e Water Patrol spends a lot

of time educating boaters, for example.“Joe works well with the public,

which is a must when dealing with recreational safety,” said Tietz.

Part-time Water Patrol Deputy Le-roy Thelemann educates the county’s youth on water safety, said the Sheriff.

Thelemann travels to all the elementary schools in Le Sueur County and teaches some 400 fourth graders each year on water safety.

Kern said his role patrolling the area lakes and working out of a “mobile of-fice” fits well with his personality.

“I’m an outdoorsman,” he said. “I’ve been a hunter and fisherman my whole life, so being on the water is something I like to do.”

In the winter, Kern plans to con-tinue to work outdoors on snowmobile patrol.


220 South Third Street • Telephone 931-3310 • St. Peter

www.nicolletcountybank.com

Nicollet County Bank Employees Give Back to their Community!

The Nicollet County Bank encourages its offi cers and employees to participate in community functions. During the year of 2013, the offi cers and employees have been involved with the following boards, committees, clubs and organizations.

Member of St. Peter Lions ClubMember of St. Peter American Legion ClubMember of Masonic LodgeMember of Osman ShrineMember of VFW Post 1220Member of Linneaus Arboretum GACMember of Masonic Lodge #54Director of Shoreland Country ClubMember of St. Peter AmbassadorsMember of Rotary ClubTreasurer of Greenlawn CemeterySt. Peter Lions Club Board Member St. Peter Area Hospice Committee Member St. Peter Regional Treatment Center (SPRTC) Volunteer Council Secretary & Gluek Memorial Park Admin. Board Member Member of St. Peter Retail Promotions Committee Member of Gustavus Library AssociatesMember of St. Peter Chamber Public Affairs Committee Member of Shoreland Country ClubBoard Member of St. Peter Basketball Booster Club/TreasurerVolunteer SPHS Basketball StatisticianTreasurer of SPHS Golf BoosterTreasurer/Member of the Echos Big BandMember of St. Peter Rotary ClubMember of Nicollet County Farm Bureau

Member of Nicollet County Soybean Growers Assn.Member Nicollet County Corn Growers AssociationNicollet County Planning & Zoning Advisory CommitteeNicollet County 4H Adult VolunteerDirector and Treasurer of Kiwanis Club of St. PeterDirector and Treasurer of St. Peter Sons of the American LegionTreasurer of St. Peter School BoardMember of Lake Washington ClubMember of St. Peter Chamber of CommercePresident of Nicollet County Holstein AssociationMember of RIM (Nicollet County) Advisory Committee for NRCSMember of Nicollet County Farm BureauChairman of U of M Southern Research & Outreach Center Advisory Committee Member of MN Holstein AssociationMember of St. Peter Chamber Public Affairs CommitteeMember of St. Peter Chamber Business/Education CommitteeVice Chairman Member of South Central Technical College Farm Business Management Advisory CommitteeMember of Sioux Trails Mental Health Service Advisory CommitteeMember of South Central College Center of Agriculture Advisory Committee

Member of H.S. Agri-Science Advisory CommitteeMember of St. Peter High School Co-Curricular CommitteeMember of St. Peter Economic Development AgencyBoard Member St. Peter Chamber-2nd Vice ChairRegion 9 Development Loan Committee Board MemberTroop 58 Boy Scouts Committee MemberMember of St. Peter Catholic WomenMember of MN Emergency Medical Services Assn.Volunteer Religion Education teacher- Church of St. Peter Licensed foster care provider thru Lutheran Social ServicesMember of Nicollet County Farm Bureau Member of Norseland Lutheran Church Ladies AidMember of St. Peter's Catholic Church WomenMember of Nicollet County Corn & Soybean GrowersMember of Nicollet County Pork ProducersAlter Care & Funeral Committee of Trinity Lutheran ChurchSt. Peter High School Gymnastics Concession CoordinatorSalvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringer since 2011First Choice Pregnancy Center VolunteerMember of United Way Committee

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Le Sueur County Profiles 2014