Bonita Underbakke

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Bonita Underbakke grew up on her father’s tree farm, and – like the roots of those trees – her life goes deep into the rich soil of Southeast Minnesota. Now on the doorstep of 80, she lives just a few miles away from that girlhood home in Holt Township outside of Lanesboro, leading a quiet and simple life. But she’s far from slowing down.

In fact, if you wanted to locate Bonita, she’s pretty easy to find. The best place to look is in the front row of public meetings (especially Fillmore County commission and city council gatherings). She’s the attentive, white-haired lady with notebook and pen in hand. That’s Bonita, carefully listening and always taking notes.

“I’d reached the point in my life when I no longer had to work to make money and found my time freed up,” she says. “While reading local newspapers I learned about decisions being made by our policymakers. I became curious about how those decisions are made. I realized that these are just people, plain neighbors, good, decent people. I started to attend meetings to learn more. Taking notes helps me understand. Sometimes it helps me stay awake! I don’t intend for anyone else to read them, they’re just for me.”

She noticed that not many local citizens attend those meetings; people who do come usually have specific agendas. “It took about a year for the county commissioners to get used to me being there,” she remembers. “They noticed my notetaking and assumed I was there to write a newspaper article. That wasn’t it. I wasn’t there with any agenda or because I wanted to pounce on anything. I was there to learn about the issues, those people, and how they were making important decisions. I show up because I am curious. I seek shared moments that build trust between people. The kind of moments that can help hold the world together.”

Bonita was so faithful in attending regular meetings of the Fillmore County Economic Authority (EDA) that the chair eventually asked if she’d consider volunteering for that board. At first, she was reluctant – “I don’t do spreadsheets,” she says with a smile. Today she serves as that EDA’s chair.

It’s also a priority for Bonita to make connections at local events, classes, and meetings where she’s not taking notes. “Mostly I go to listen to other people,” she says. You’ll regularly find her at craft or art-related classes such as ones held at Lanesboro Arts or at Driftless Fiber Arts in Lanesboro. You’ll also find her at League of Women Voter meetings, at groups supporting local libraries, at F.A.C.T. (Fillmore County Action on Coming Together) activities, and at special meetings addressing proposed projects with potential impact on regional populations.

While her home is close to Lanesboro, Bonita considers herself an active member of a broader community. “My personal neighborhood has a nebulous boundary,” she says. “I’m involved across southeastern Minnesota but also in towns like La Crosse, Decorah, and Rochester. I have opportunities to meet so many wonderful people and learn so much.”

Her support of a nonprofit called “Friends of the Root River” is especially close to her heart. “We provide free, family-friendly events throughout the summer across the whole Driftless watershed,” she says. “I love being a part of that.”

Although Bonita’s sweet and positive spirit seems ever-present, she has occasionally found herself in moments that tested that optimism.

“Long stretches of my life presented major caregiving responsibilities when just getting through the day was all I could do,” she admits. “Years of numbness. Times of just soaking into my surroundings. At one point I realized I had stopped smiling. I made a conscious decision to smile again! I had to practice. It helped when I became more aware of nature all around me, like those moments in early spring when you hear and feel breezes blowing through the trees. I chose to be intentional about enjoying the wonders of nature and I found myself becoming increasingly grateful.”

Working with people in larger group settings has come natural for Bonita over the years. After getting degrees in teaching and Spanish from the University of Minnesota, she taught school and later became Director of Education at Phoenix Residence in St. Paul, a non-profit providing housing and support services to adults with disabilities.

Today more solitary acts of service help fill her day. Like her knitting, for example. “Years ago, I learned about a program dreamed up by some smart women that distributes free, handmade breast prostheses for cancer survivors,” she explains. “They’re called ‘Knitted Knockers.’ Approved patterns are available free of charge to knitters and crocheters world-wide; they’re simple to make and a superb product. I knit away and when I get a grocery bag full, I call up local hospitals and clinics. Off they go to the world!”

It’s been said that “90 percent of life is just showing up.” That certainly fits community-building, especially in the way that Bonita Underbakke is doing it. She consistently shows up with a curious, caring – and grateful – spirit that may be her biggest contribution of all.

“I’m so grateful for all I have,” she says. “I have time to do all I choose to do. I have all the water I need. I have enough wood to keep my home warm. I have ways to keep in touch with family and friends, especially my dear man-friend, Harvey Benson. Every morning I wake up realizing that I have more choices ahead of me for that day than most people will ever have in their lifetime. Such good fortune is sobering and helps me remain grateful. Every day.”

Steve Harris

Steve Harris, a freelance writer and the author of ‘Lanesboro, Minnesota’ and ‘Dads Like Us’” (steveharrisauthor.com), is working on being curious and grateful like Bonita.

For more information about “Knitted Knockers,” visit knittedknockers.org. To learn about activities and events offered by “Friends of the Root River” go to their Facebook page. The web address for “Fillmore County Action on Coming Together” is fillmoreaction.com.