August 29th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
In case you missed me, I was at “the cabin” last week. In 1981, my younger brother Brian and his wife Jean Marie Hamilton purchased a lot on a lake near Aitkin. It was “Lot 1” of the development and the first lot that was purchased. The lake is a small “natural environmental” lake with Rainbow Trout. They built a beautiful log cabin in 1989. I have been spending the third week of August there for many years.
For a lot of those years my old friend Bob Andrews and his girlfriend would drive up from Des Moines and join me. We would go to town to buy a Dairy Queen cake to celebrate his birthday. Bob died a few years ago. He would have celebrated his 81st birthday on the 17th. I miss him a lot.
In 2018, after breakfast at the Birch Café in town, I took a ride around the lake, and I spotted a “For Sale – Waterfront” sign on the south end. I called the real estate agent, and we met at the log cabin. I signed a purchase agreement. After the real estate agent left, I went back to walk the lot. It was 2 ½ acres of solid oak and maple with a gorge in the middle. I had to climb over a lot of fallen logs to get down to the lake. “Lot 11” was the last lot that had been owned by the Healy family. Grandpa Healy once owned all the property around the 50-acre lake. His granddaughter, Doctor Josephine Ruiz-Healy, a pediatric surgeon who lives in San Antonio Texas flew up for the closing on September 21st, 2018.
After obtaining a lot of permits and carving out a spot in the middle of the lot that met all the criteria for building on a “Natural Environmental Lake”, there now is a “Tiny Cabin” on Lot 11.
This Sunday, the annual Millstream Arts Festival will come to downtown St. Joseph. The festival is a free event held from 11 am until 5 in the afternoon. The arts-and-crafts exhibition will include a staggering variety of work. Outdoor entertainment will be provided. I will be back at the cabin, so enjoy. www.millstreamartsfestival.org
“The easy bus never comes around. Learn how to handle hard better.” Kara Lawson Basketball Coach Duke University.
August 15th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
It has been four years since the death of my ex-wife Marcia Julia Rudie Osberg. We were married on August 21, 1965. I could have gone to see the Beatles at Metropolitan Stadium that day, but I got married to Marcia at St. Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis instead. The wedding reception was held in the living room of the house on the Rudie farm northeast of Upsala. The wedding feast featured baked chickens that had been killed that morning. The beer and booze were served in the milk house.
Marcia was born in the downstairs bedroom in that same farmhouse on May 8, 1942. Her dad had built the house along with the barn, the shed, and the milk house. During her final days, Marcia told our son Erik that her happiest times were ones on that farm. She used to say that she could run barefoot across a newly mowed alfalfa field, and she was proud of it. Three of Marcia’s older siblings lived in California, so the evening of our wedding day we left on a four-week honeymoon to California. Her mother’s half-brother Bill Heisick and his wife Maggie, who had been a model, also lived in California. Maggie made quite an impression on Marcia. So much so that when we got back to Minnesota, she enrolled in the Patricia Stevens Finishing School in downtown Minneapolis. Quite a change for a girl from a farm northeast of Upsala.
Perhaps one of the most dramatic events in our marriage was the purchase of a small farm on the north side of Cedar Lake 3 miles west of Upsala. Marcia’s mother Irene had mailed an auction flyer to Marcia. They both had a lot of experience going to farm auctions. We lived in Coon Rapids, Minnesota at the time. So, on September 15, 1973, we drove to Upsala and parked in the hay field near the house. There was a huge turnout for the “Mrs. Agnes Olson Auction”. The small farm featured 900 feet of lakeshore. Marcia took me into the barn and said “Gary, I want this place, and this is how you win at an auction. When it is your turn to bid, you do not hesitate. Understood? You react immediately.” I said OK and went to see the banker who was a very close friend of my father. In fact, he was Best Man at my parent’s wedding. I had to tell Roland that I wanted to bid, but that I didn’t have the $3,000 earnest money check. I told him that we would go to town and get the check from Marcia’s mother if we were the high bidder. He took a long time thinking about it, but he finally said OKAY.
The auctioneer started out and I jumped in. After a while I bid $50,000 which was the maximum that Marcia and I had set. The auctioneer milked a bid for $50,500 out of the only other remaining bidder. The coaxing went on and on. Finally, the other guy said yes to $50,500. The auctioneer turned to me and asked for $51,000. I did as Marcia had instructed and simply nodded my head. It was over. Later it was reported to me that the other bidder stormed away with the comment. “That kid will never stop!” (I was 30 years old at the time) Marcia was 100% correct. We never would have had the enjoyment and fun of 16 years of living on Cedar Lake if had not been for Marcia.
We were married for 32 years, 1 month and 8 days and we were friends for nearly 24 years after that. May my first date and my first love rest in peace.
“You react immediately! Understood?.” Marcia Osberg
August 8th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
“The city of Upsala Minnesota had its beginnings as a settlement of Swedish immigrants. It remained primarily Scandinavian (and Protestant) well into the 20th century, even though German and Polish neighbors were located in surrounding areas.
Some of the first settlers in the area, however, were not Swedish, but Danish. Jurgen (J.J.) Schultz cleared land a couple of miles to the east in 1868. Ib Hanson Misfeldt and Knut H. Gunderson settled in the Elmdale area. John Henry Peterson, who was a Swede, settled just south of what became Upsala in 1872. In 1880 the Northern Pacific railroad company began to sell land in the area, with John Kulander as their agent. Then the flow of homesteaders increased and included Gust Nelson, Ola Pehrson, L.M. Larson, John and Ola Bengston, August Johnson, John Swedback and many others. Swedback operated a sawmill and built a general store, which was run by his wife Ericka.”
The words above are from the first page of a book written by Dan W. Hovland, a former resident of Upsala. The title of the book is “Upsala, Minnesota … the early year through the 1910s”. You may purchase the book and the accompanying book, “Upsala, Minnesota Views of city businesses and places from the 1920s through the 1990s” if you come to the Borgstrom House in Upsala tomorrow between noon and 3pm. The second Saturday in August is always “Heritage Day” in Upsala.
The parade starts at 4 and I might be riding in my son’s fishing boat as it is being towed by a Ram truck driven by my grandson “Walleye Willie”. My son Erik will be walking behind the boat.
“Happy Yourney” Gust Olafson
August 1st, 2025 by Gary Osberg
I am not a shopper. I am a buyer. In April of 2018 I fell while crossing a creek in Sedona, Arizona. That was the beginning of my back pain. I noticed that my mattress had a sag in it, so I went to Slumberland and ordered a new mattress. The salesperson scheduled the delivery for the following week and sent me home with a new mattress pad. When I stripped my bed, I discovered that the feather bed on top of the mattress was the reason for the sag. I had forgotten that I even had a feather bed. There was nothing wrong with the mattress. It was just as firm as when it was new.
The next day I went back and cancelled the order for the mattress. I felt bad, so I bought a gift card. A year later, the store sent me a $25 birthday card, so I set out on another shopping trip. It was during Covid, and I reasoned that one more patio chair would be nice to have so that I could invite someone to join me on the back patio, and we would be 6 feet apart. Upon delivery I discovered that the chair came in a flat box, in pieces. A “shopper” would have been wise enough to ask before buying. Due to my sore back, I had to ask handyman Marcus to assemble it for me. I am happy with the chair.
In 2019, the art teacher at Upsala High School arranged an opportunity for her students to go to seven cities in Europe on an art tour. My granddaughter Christen was a freshman, and I signed up to go along. A total of 20 students and 12 adults signed up. Ms. P told all of us “Art World Travelers” that we needed to make sure that our checked bag would meet the maximum size requirement. Sure enough, my old suitcase was too big.
I walked into a local department store and went directly to the luggage display. There was a small black suitcase with a sign that said, “Lift Me”. I lifted it and headed for the check-out counter. My friend said that she had never in her life been in and out of Macy’s that fast. The suitcase was even “on sale”. That shopping trip ended well.
“The years teach much which the days never know.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
July 28th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
Donald McNeely made his fortune in the warehouse business. “A savvy entrepreneur and a forward thinker, he joined his father’s business , The St. Paul Terminal Warehouse Company after the war and turned it into a national company called Space Center, Inc.” (St. Paul Pioneer Press obituary). Donald was instrumental in helping to launch many of Minnesota’s organizations including the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Twins.
However, one of his passions is housed on the campus of St. John’s University on the third floor of Simons Hall. The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship is dedicated to giving young men and women the skills to succeed in business. Every year the Entrepreneur Scholars participate in special classes and work with mentors to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit. As a recovering entrepreneur, I deeply appreciate this educational resource. https://www.csbsju.edu/center-for-entrepreneurship/
I crossed paths with Donald McNeely in 1986. Jimmy Dorr and I had opened the Knoll Office Furniture showroom in International Market Square. Jimmy was big on design, but I insisted that we print temporary calling cards immediately, not to wait until his graphic designer perfected the final design of business cards. As it happened Jimmy’s locker at the Minneapolis Athletic Club was next to the locker of the President of Space Center. Jimmy apologized for the quality of the printing but wisely handed his new calling card to his friend and told him about his new venture. To make a long story short , that exchange led to an order for over $250,000 of Knoll Office Furniture including Knoll carpet which is top of the line. True to his frugal nature, Donald McNeely kept his old furniture, but all around him was the highest quality contemporary office furniture influenced by the Bauhaus school of design. Never go anywhere without your calling card.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
July 18th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
Fisher’s Club is a restaurant next to a city owned swimming beach on the north shore of Middle Spunk Lake in Avon, Minnesota.
George “Showboat” Fisher was a major league baseball player from 1922 until 1932. He played for the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was 33 years old when he opened Fisher’s Club. The dance floor was added in 1937. It was about that time that they started serving their legendary Fisher’s Famous Walleye. The secret recipe is still used today. The main dining room was added in 1953, and the porch was added in 1954.
When George Junior came home from a construction job in Greenland to work with his dad at the Club, ‘Showboat’ told his son, “Stick around to help me here at The Club or I’m going to sell it.” Junior and his wife Sally took over in 1959. It used to be a bottle club. The lockers that the regulars used to store their liquor bottles in are still on the wall with their names on them. Seeing the names on the wall, one of my guests once asked, “Did this used to be a post office?” The Voss boys added a full-service bar.
The owners, Hal and Cristina moved here from Montana. They purchased the club from Cory and Jacob Voss. Jacob graduated from Upsala High School in 2011. The summer schedule is to be open Tuesdays through Sunday starting at 11am. Be sure to call for reservations, 320-356-7372. www.fishersclub.com
“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Yogi Berra
July 11th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
The 40th annual Hagstrom-Osberg Golf Open Tournament, “The H2O”, at the newly remodeled Little Falls Golf Course was a hit.
My mother’s sister, Leone, Auntie to me, married Duane Hagstrom, co-owner of Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala, Minnesota. Between the two families there were 10 cousins. Auntie’s youngest, Kevin, is a very good golfer and for many years he and I won this best ball event every year. For that reason, we named our team ‘Ming’. After all, we were a dynasty.
Because of my bad back, all I can do is putt. When I was 12 years old, we lived at 1620 Colorado Avenue in St. Louis Park. There was a Putt-Putt close by, and I spent a lot of time there every summer.
This year Ming consisted of Cousin Kevin, his brother Cousin John, and his wife Carla, plus cousin-in-law Rusty and Betty. On the second hole my 20-foot putt rimmed the cup. Later in the round I did sink a shorter putt. We got into trouble on the par 5 seventh hole. Both Kevin and John were sure that one of them would be able to drive our second shot through the trees to get onto the green. Carla strongly suggested that we take her shot which was on the fairway and lay up. The men prevailed and neither of them made their attempts. We bogeyed the hole, and so we finished the round with a score of 2 under.
My sister’s husband Duaine was laid to rest in early June. Once again grandson Adam along with sons-in-law Josh and Kelly were able to field Duaine Team 1 and Duaine Team 2. Just like last year, Duaine Team 1 brought home the trophy with what I think was a record score of 5 under par.
After golf we gather at brother Bill’s house near the golf course for a picnic and the award ceremony. We are fortunate to have more than a few traditions in our family. I trust that your summer will be filled with many family events as well.
“It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.” Mark Twain
June 27th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
“Put your John Hancock here.” Next week these `United States of America’ will celebrate a 249th birthday. Fifty-six men, members of the Second Continental Congress, signed `The Declaration of Independence’ on July 4, 1776. The largest signature on the `Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America’ was that of John Hancock. Hence the idea that “Your John Hancock” means your signature.
The final paragraph of The Declaration of Independence reads: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.” A signed copy is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. May we all pledge to do the same next Friday as we celebrate “Independence Day”.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thomas Jefferson.
June 20th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
Dad served in the Pacific during World War II. Like a lot of veterans, he did not talk about it very much. After he died, I found a notebook that he had written in, beginning with, “I have a closet full of regrets”. It was an unusual collection of thoughts, ending with a reference to December 13, 1983, the day that he finally decided to quit drinking brandy. On the final page he also noted, “I am no big believer that battle fatigue was the cause of my drinking, but there were the 2 ½ months at Okinawa that I do not care to talk about. It was so unreal, like bad television”. The battle of Okinawa proved to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. A total of 219,000 persons lost their lives in that battle. 12,000 of our troops died and 36,000 were wounded.
Five original 8-foot x 10-foot paintings, one for each of the five branches of the United States Military, are on display in the Committal Hall at the Minnesota Military Cemetery located on Highway 371 north of Little Falls. They were painted by a native of Little Falls, Charles Gilbert Kapsner.
A few years ago, a coffee shop buddy and I donated a framed print of the U.S. Navy painting to the American Legion Post 328 in St. Joseph. My buddy Phil’s father served on the destroyer U.S.S Converse in the Pacific during the war and my dad served on the U.S.S Vammen, a destroyer escort. The limited-edition print was presented in honor of Norman P. Ringstrom and William E. Osberg and all other Navy Veterans.
The legion decided to remodel their meeting room, so the print now hangs in the Upsala American Legion Post 350 military museum across from the school on Main Street in Upsala. What might be the smallest U.S. Military Museum in America is open from 8am until 8pm daily until Labor Day.
If you are interested in visiting the Committal Hall at the cemetery, simply give Eric Sogge a call at 320-616-2527. If you would like to purchase a print for yourself or to donate to someone, give me a call. 320-293-6771.
“Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free”. General Dwight Eisenhower
June 13th, 2025 by Gary Osberg
I am oldest of five boys. The first week in June is always reserved for a fishing trip with my brothers, my son Erik, my grandson “Walleye Willie” plus brother Craig’s son Grayson. This year, brother Geoff will not be able to be with us. He had back surgery on May 21st. Cousin John Hagstrom and my brother Brian’s friend Paul joined us this year.
It all started sometime in the nineties. My youngest brother Craig was invited by his father-in-law, Jim Keeler, to go along on a fly-in fishing trip to Trout Lake in Canada. Over time, my other brothers, who were into fishing, were invited to go along. In 2002 brother Bill offered to pay the way for my son Erik, so I decided to go along. They teased me about my tiny tackle box.
I told the camp host, Murdoch, that I would be back every year for the next 20 years. The next year we went to brother Brian’s cabin near Aitkin instead. The year after that we went to Rainy Lake. Erik was working as a weekend sportscaster on WDIO Channel 10/13 in Duluth and he did a story on fishing. He interviewed guide and Rainy Lake resort owner Woody for his TV show. Erik suggested that we try Woody’s instead of the fly-in in 2004. We had a great time, and the greatest part was that Woody had a wonderful pub filled with memorabilia from his hockey days. For many years we went back to Woody’s. We never did do the fly-in again. You can check out Woody’s at www.fairlyreliable.com It is worth the drive just to meet Woody. In 2011 we switched to Brindley’s Resort on Leach Lake. A large house located across the road from the marina worked well for the whole gang, but fishing was tough.
In 2017 we decided to try Holly’s Resort on Otter Tail Lake. Erik is an ambassador for Otter Tail County, and we reasoned that we would have a better chance to find the elusive walleye. We had a great time. Brother Bill and I stay in the small cabin on the lake. Cabin number 14 has six beds downstairs and 3 more in the loft. In 2022 I was the only Osberg that did not have his name on the traveling trophy. My son Erik suggested that I hire Randin Olson with Lockjaw Guide Service www.lockjawguideservice.com to take me to a “secret lake” nearby. The Walleye that I caught in 2022 measured 28 inches. I finally got to put my name on the trophy and it was the biggest fish caught. The next year my grandson Walleye Willie caught a 28 ¾ inch Walleye, so his name went on the trophy for the second time. This year he caught another 28 incher. Next year I am hiring the same guide and going to the same lake to try and get the trophy back to Mill Stream Village.
“You can’t catch them from your couch”. Gary Osberg
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