Tallitha Reese

Julia Borgen of Lanesboro, Minnesota, loves community. It’s not a word she uses often or talks about very much. She won’t tell you that you should love it, too. Julia just does it. 

“Community is important at any age,” she says. “It’s all intentionally reaching out to people, spending time with them, socializing, and working together to make the places you live even better.”

This year, as she celebrates turning 90, the way Julia does community sends a message much louder than words. People who want to stay healthy, active, and energetic as they get older usually prioritize healthy eating and regular exercise. Both are certainly essential. But so is staying connected to other people, she says, and you have to just do it.

 Born and raised on a farm near Whalan, Minnesota, Julia was one of six kids. Later she married Ernest Borgen who had a farm near Lanesboro. Eventually they moved into town – “I wanted to be where people were,” she says – and she served as the secretary at Lanesboro Elementary School and for the school superintendent. “I did that for 25 years and it was wonderful,” Julia says. “We had a strong school community. I loved those kids and still keep in touch with many of them.”

Following her retirement in 1998, Julia continued to keep busy by connecting with others in her small town. Earlier she became a volunteer leader in “ACT” (Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourism), the precursor to what evolved into the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce. But probably the best way to appreciate Julia Borgen’s community-building skills is to see her “in action” as she reaches out to people in friendly conversation around town. 

“I love learning about people who are visiting here,” she says. “There’s nothing too shy about me. It takes very little to get a conversation started, ‘Hi, where are you from?’ I especially enjoy talking with younger people. You’ll hear people complain about newer generations. I don’t do that. Young people are the same as they have always been, as special as ever. You just need to make the effort and take time to get to know them.”

Julia continues to be an active member of the Legion Auxiliary, and in recent years helped spearhead a volunteer push to keep a grocery store in town. She has also been a lifetime member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and helps with many local projects. One is especially near to Julia’s heart: the Coffee Street Walking Bridge.

“Before we were married, Ernest served in the Korean War (he was awarded a Bronze Sar) where he specialized in building temporary bridges. After the war, he worked for the state in that field as well,” she says. Lanesboro has an historic railroad bridge over the Root River that was built in 1893 by the Chicago Bridge Company. After a series of floods and years of wear, it needed major repairs to save it. “Some people thought it wasn’t going to work financially, but we organized fund-raising efforts to make it happen. Today the town’s ‘Coffee Street Walking Bridge’ offers a beautiful setting overlooking the river.” Construction was completed in 2003. One year later, in 2004, Ernest passed away. He and Julia were married for 50 years.

Now, 20 years later, staying active continues to be a big part of how Julia remains an active member of the community. Beyond visiting with folks on walks around town, she has participated for decades in bowling and golf leagues.

“Age is just a number,” she says. “It should not be a barrier. If you’re able to physically do activities you enjoy, do them! Don’t hold back.” This was something she saw firsthand in her own family growing up.

“My father first started playing golf when he was 75 years old,” she remembers. “He bought a set of second-hand clubs and enjoyed that for the last 14 years of his life. We have a family reunion/golf event each summer as part of Lanesboro’s Buffalo Bill Days called ‘The Johnson Open.’ Nearly 50 golfer – family members and friends – have played in it; we have a great time together.”

Here’s recent proof of that philosophy from this special lady’s life. In the spring of 2023, she celebrated her ninetieth birthday at a standing-room-only party at the Lanesboro Golf Course. Her friends and family (including her children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren) were part of the fun. 

A few days earlier Julia did something else. The Lanesboro Golf Course sits atop a high bluff. The only way to get there is by traveling up the steepest road in town, a distance of at least 1000 feet with a grade of about 60 degrees. To mark turning 90, Julia decided to walk up that hill. “Everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me at the bottom, then we headed up!” she says with a smile. With family and friends holding hands, including her four-year-old old great- granddaughter, Kynlee, Julia made it just fine.

Just do it. Stay active, reach out to people, help build the community you love. According to Julia Borgen, it’s a formula that works across the ages.

Steve Harris

Steve Harris, a free-lance writer and author of the book “Lanesboro, Minnesota,” recently joined Julia for a walk up Golf Course Hill and wonders if he will do it at 90.

Life has a way of surprising us. Chance meetings turn into lifelong friendships. Magazine articles prompt spontaneous trips. Hobbies become unexpected careers.

That’s what happened for 1999 Decorah High School graduate Elena Rue. Her early photography interests set the stage for StoryMine, a North Carolina-based production company that creates video stories and strategies designed to cultivate change. As co-founder and creative director, Elena works on projects for clients like the National Audubon Society, New England Journal of Medicine, and New York Times.

Elena didn’t become an entrepreneur by following a calculated professional path. Instead, she simply pays attention to what engages and inspires her.

“I’ve always just followed what interested me. I thought that would help me land on something that fit, because I wasn’t really seeing it,” she says. “It wasn’t, ‘I want to be a lawyer,’ or ‘I want to be a doctor,’ or whatever. I didn’t really have a set goal.”

Exploring in the field

Elena started experimenting with photography when she was young. Her father had given a film camera to her older sister, who eventually took photos for the high school yearbook. When Elena’s sister graduated, she encouraged Elena to step into the role. 

Like many teenagers, Elena was finding her place at the time. She felt too shy for theater productions, and playing sports didn’t interest her. With photography – and yearbook work, in particular – she found an ideal match. 

“It was great for me. It allowed me to go to all those events, cheer on my friends, and watch them do the things they were interested in, but from a different vantage point,” she says. “It also allowed me to be a fly on the wall, which I really enjoyed at that point. I’ve always loved observing things.”

Elena went to Kenyon College in Ohio, but she didn’t have a major in mind. After taking classes in different disciplines, she found herself captivated by anthropology. 

“Looking back, I can see that I was drawn to the storytelling. At the time, I don’t think I saw it that way. I was just really interested in learning about different cultures and people and their stories,” she says.

While in college, Elena kept snapping photos for fun. She also dug into the work of American documentary photographers like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, whose images for the Farm Security Administration highlighted the Great Depression’s real-life impact. That fascination led Elena to the Center for Documentary Studies, a Duke University affiliate that educates documentary artists. Through the center, she took classes, completed a fellowship with a nonprofit in Ethiopia, and outlined her next steps. 

“By that point, I felt that I could only get so far into people’s stories with still imagery. I was curious about exploring video and audio and photos together, and that’s how I decided on journalism school,” Elena says.

Zooming in 

Elena joined a master’s program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Though she studied journalism and mass communication, she wasn’t aiming for a conventional newsroom job. Instead, she wanted to expand her research, interviewing, and storytelling skills to better support nonprofits.

On the first day of orientation, Elena befriended a classmate named Catherine Orr. The two took many of the same classes, teamed up on projects, and spent hours discussing their parallel professional goals.

“We realized that if we didn’t work together, we were going to be each other’s competition,” she says. “That felt wrong, because we had been collaborating on so many things and we worked really well together.” 

After graduating, the two friends started sketching business plans and website designs. Within a year, Elena and Catherine launched StoryMine. 

“I had zero business experience. I didn’t take a single business class,” Elena says. “But the idea of being my own boss and doing things in the way that felt right to me has always resonated.” 

A business comes into focus

As they outlined their vision for StoryMine, Elena and Catherine prioritized two goals. The first was balancing work and family. Each co-founder now has two children and a spouse who works in academics, and their business gives them the flexibility to stay home with a sick child or plan travel around semester calendars. 

Their second goal was to pursue projects that make a difference.

“We love the client work. We’re able to do what we feel are interesting stories. We create videos that serve a purpose, and hopefully create change or shift awareness or educate people in some way,” Elena says.

For example, the company produces videos with the New England Journal of Medicine to update medical professionals on research, clinical advances, patient care trends, and the social impact of their work. Related segments teach patients about specific health conditions and how the body works. StoryMine also creates content for the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance, an organization that champions research and awareness around this condition that triggers inflammation of the brain. 

And, recent StoryMine projects for the National Audubon Society aim to depoliticize and expand conversations about climate change.

“The stories about climate change and the stories about health feel very meaningful. They touch everybody,” says Elena, who gets especially excited to spotlight individuals fighting for the environment in their own small ways. “I think about those stories and the people we feature in those videos all the time. Their positive outlook is really inspiring to me.”

As they outline each project, Elena and the StoryMine team work closely with clients to uncover authentic stories that will engage viewers and build emotional connections. 

“If you present a bunch of facts, people might think it’s interesting in the moment but it’s not really going to stick,” she says. “But if someone has an emotional connection to something, it might prompt them to think differently or move them to change.”

The tools created to forge those connections vary from one project to the next. For each client, the StoryMine team might produce fundraising videos, anniversary presentations, long- and short-form interviews, mini documentaries, still photographs, or compelling social media content. Whatever form the work takes, Elena says the investment of time and energy – from collaborating with clients and connecting with interview subjects, to outlining strategies and producing memorable visuals – makes each project feel like a miracle.  

“It’s like we’re creating a piece of art with every one. Even if it’s a small project, so much goes into it and so many people give us the time to help,” she says. “Every video really does feel magical.”

Renee Brincks

Renee Brincks (reneebrincks.com) writes about travel, health, and sustainability, with a special focus on people driving positive change.

Four Questions That Spark Better Stories

The people around us have so many important and inspiring stories to share. 
Maybe you’re curious about the moment your grandparents met. Or your parents’ childhood hobbies. Or the mentor who changed a friend’s life. Or your children’s hopes and dreams. 

What’s the best way to start those conversations and draw out details that truly matter? 

“The top strategy that we use with any kind of storytelling is asking people about moments. And you want as specific an anecdote as possible,” says Elena Rue, co-founder and creative director of StoryMine. “We all have those memorable moments. We all have thoughts and feelings and things that we’re living through. When people can remember those moments, it creates a real connection.”

Focusing on specific memories and standout moments also makes big questions less intimidating. Asking about someone’s college experience, for example, might just land you a general list of the classes that led to a major.

“Instead, you might say, ‘Tell me about the moment that your parents dropped you off at college and what that was like.’ From that story, you can get all sorts of context, like someone’s relationship with their parents and where they were in their life,” Elena says. 

When you’re ready to gather stories from friends and family, she recommends starting with questions like these: 

1. Do you remember the moment when (event) happened?
2. Do you remember what you were thinking when (event) happened?
3. Tell me about the exact time when you realized (lesson)?
4. Tell me the story of this (event, discovery, or memory).

From her big smile and zealous laugh, to her colorful outfits and statement glasses, anyone who comes across Rev. Laura Gentry can feel her warm energy and contagious joy.

In many ways, joy is her job. Known as Laughing Laura (LaughingLaura.com), she is a Master Teacher of Laughter Yoga, a type of yoga based on the belief that intentional, voluntary laughter provides similar mental and physical benefits as spontaneous laughter. She has presented laughter and motivational programs on six continents and was named a Laughter Ambassador by Laughter University in Mumbai, India. As Pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing, Iowa, and a Chaplain for Hospice at WinnMed in Decorah, Laura strives to bring joy to her entire congregation and beyond.

“It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been pastoring the Lutheran church in Lansing for 22 years,” Laura says. “I’ve watched a whole generation come up! I’m from Iowa but I had lived outside the Midwest for about a decade. In 2001, my husband and I moved to McGregor from Los Angeles. That was a bit of a change! Our California friends didn’t think we’d survive but we did, and we’ve found a way to thrive.”

A Luther College alum, Laura and her husband William now live off-grid on a property in the woods – with their pig, snapping turtle, cats, dog Fugi, and kids Paul, Vincent, and Eddy… who are all goats!

Growing up, Laura spent a lot of time on the river at her family’s summer cabin. She has long drawn inspiration from the natural beauty of the region’s unique scenery, migratory birds, fish, and wildlife. It has informed her art, ministry, and other creative pursuits.

“I spend a lot of time hiking my goats, cats, and dog around my property, just soaking in nature and thinking. It is in my alone time that new ideas are sparked,” she says. “By the time I bring ideas to the community, I am ready to engage the public from a place of spiritual fullness.”

In the spring of 2023, Laura had a spark of an idea to pitch to the Lansing City Council: “Let’s celebrate this exceptional place with art!” The hope was to transform an old public restroom building into public art with a bright and colorful mural.

“I got the green light from the council, but I had no idea if we could actually carry it off!” Laura says with a laugh. She has been doing large art projects for most of her life. Her first commission was a mural for her church when she was just 14. Yet this would be her largest project to-date and she had a brave plan: Invite the community to paint it with her in just four days, covering its three sides with artwork inspired by the Mississippi River, featuring a great blue heron, flowing water, fish, insects, a painted turtle, and a leaping bullfrog.

 “I wasn’t even sure if it could be done,” Laura says. “But I found a chief organizer, Marsha Kurth of La Crosse, who convinced me we should go for it.”  Marlene Duffy of Lansing also quickly jumped in to help. They raised money, bought supplies, established an online sign up for volunteers, delivered invitation letters to local businesses, churches, and organizations, and planned a celebratory gala for the first day of painting.

 “The response was overwhelming,” Laura exclaims. “The spirit of community was just buzzing throughout the worksite as children, adults, and even nursing home residents showed up in the summer heat to share their support, time, ideas, and painting skills. New friendships were forged and frankly, it was a blast. It was everything I had hoped for and more. I know that public art can do this, but I had no idea just how amazing it would be to watch it unfold!”

In the course of a week, 98 volunteers – approximately a tenth of the town – put in an estimated 262 hours of work, and the Great Blue Heron mural was born. (You can see a short video of the process at LansingLutherans.org.)

“What excites me is how bold this mural is,” Laura says. “Drive by it and you’ll be startled by the colors and patterns. It is not a work of realism but one that expresses the joy and wonder of the river and its inhabitants. I hope it engages people, making them think differently about the treasure that is ours here in Northeast Iowa. Even more exciting is that the community can say: ‘That’s our mural. Together we did that!’” 

Shortly after the mural was completed, Laura was in a serious, life-changing car accident involving a med flight, orthopedic surgery on her foot, and a long recovery period, which she is still in as of this writing.

“I am grateful to have survived and to be surrounded by such loving people,” Laura says. “But it’s been hard to be the receiver of care instead of the giver. I’ve just never been in need like that before. That’s how community works, though. You give and give, but when you’re in need, you have to let others give to you. That’s why we need to keep building community so we can be there for one another, especially in a crisis.”

The world renowned author Maya Angelou once wrote: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Laura loves this quote and incorporated it into one of her earlier public art projects. Now that she’s being cared for by her community it has taken on new meaning.

“I am so grateful for what my community is giving me. These people I love are the shimmering colors breaking through my darkness!” she says. “It is teaching me so much. Isn’t it incredible that we all have the power to be rainbows?” 

Laura plans to be back at it again soon, helping to shine a light on those rainbows, and fostering events that build  community, like she’s done so often before, be it running Iowa’s first and longest-running laughter club, hosting group sound bath meditations with her growing collection of gongs, or launching a new public art project – the options for creating and connecting are endless. 

“Throughout my life, I have tried to spend my time in meaningful ways,” she says. “I’m so blessed that my job as a pastor is also my mission. Whether at church or with an art project or in a laughter presentation, I am endeavoring to make the world a more happy and loving place where everyone and their gifts are welcome. When it comes down to it, you could say that bringing joy is my joy!”

Lynsey D. Moritz

Lynsey (left, with Laura) is a Decorah native who now lives across the Mississippi River from Lansing on an acreage with her husband and their dog. She enjoys exploring the Driftless, learning new skills, creating and supporting local art, traveling as much as possible, and being a part of this incredible community!