Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Celebrating the nearly $3 million legacy of Bob Crandall in Faribault September 25, 2023

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A portion of the program for the celebration honoring Robert L. Crandall. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2023)

AS I SIPPED ROOT BEER through a colorful striped straw, the soda mixing with melting vanilla ice cream, I thought of the 93-year-old who enjoyed this simple summer treat. Bob, born Robert Lee Crandall, delighted in root beer floats. And on this first day of autumn, in the Great Hall of Buckham Memorial Library, an appreciative group gathered to honor this Faribault man for the legacy he left in his community.

Crandall, who died in January 2021, gifted nearly $3 million to the City of Faribault, designated specifically for the benefit of his beloved local library. That mega gift came in four installments totaling $2,940,927.

Anne Pleskonko, right, who knew Bob Crandall personally, presents a mock check for nearly $3 million to the Library Advisory Board, city officials, Library Director Delane James and others on Saturday.

What a gift. What a reason to celebrate with music (by Mike Hildebrandt, Dallas Musselmann and Doug Madow), memories and presentation of an over-sized check representing Crandall’s generosity. He will also be recognized with a permanent plaque to be installed in the library entry. Grateful words cast thereon will honor his gift and its impact on future generations.

Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2022)

The monies, according to Library Director Delane James, will be used in three ways, in a plan created by the Library Advisory Board and approved by the Faribault City Council: A third of the original gift will become a permanent endowment that benefits both present and future library users. Another third will be used to upgrade the library’s current space. James cited technology, hearing loop system and acoustic treatments upgrades to the Great Hall, for example. And the final third of Crandall’s original gift will go toward equipping a future maker space incubator.

I’d like to think Crandall, old enough to remember the Great Depression as a young boy, would approve of this sound financial plan. He spent hours at the library, quietly reading and studying books about investing. And he kept up on the daily stock market, said Anne Pleskonko, who met Crandall six years ago in her then-job at Milestone Senior Living. She got to know the man behind the legacy—a man fond of John Wayne movies and television series like “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Columbo”.

She spoke of his sense of humor, of his walking and biking the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, of his fondness for bacon, molasses cookies and pickled pigs’ feet. And root beer floats.

A snippet of the words to be engraved on a permanent plaque honoring Robert Crandall. (Edited Minnesota Prairie Roots image, September 2023)

As I finished the last of my root beer float, I considered Pleskonko’s closing statement that Crandall’s nearly $3 million gift is “a gift for all for generations to come.” I understood that fully as I observed the young families surrounding me, including the sweet blonde-haired girl toddling across the carpet, leaving so many of us smiling. I’d like to think that Crandall would be smiling, too, happy to see little ones in the library he loved, the place where he gained knowledge on investing, the place he clearly held so dear.

© Copyright 2023 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Celebrating a Faribault library patron’s $2.7 million legacy September 21, 2023

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Posted on a door at Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2023)

IN LIFE AND IN DEATH, there are reasons to celebrate. And this Saturday, September 23, from 11 am – 12:30 pm, the City of Faribault will celebrate the legacy of Robert L. “Bob” Crandall.

The 93-year-old Faribault man, who died in January 2021, left $2.7 million to the city, specifying that his gift be used for the benefit of Buckham Memorial Library. Saturday’s gathering in the library’s Great Hall marks a public celebration of gratitude honoring Crandall and his gift.

The celebration has been moved inside to the Great Hall due to an uncompleted renovation project on the Library Plaza steps. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2022)

He held a deep love for his local public library. According to his obituary, Crandall “spent many hours at the Buckham Memorial Library studying and reading books on investing.” He also watched CNBC to stay updated on the stock market. I can only assume that his focused reading and television viewing led to sound and knowledgeable investment strategies. As a result, my community, my library, is benefiting from this avid reader’s generosity.

I expect Saturday’s event, which begins with music by Mike Hildebrandt & Friends followed by a ceremony of gratitude, will reveal how some of Crandall’s legacy money was spent. The Faribault City Council, Library Advisory Board and staff tasked themselves with working together to ensure his gift would “make a positive and lasting impact for the citizens of Faribault.”

Inside a section of Buckham Memorial Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2018)

Aside from his interest in investing, Crandall liked John Wayne movies and stamp collecting. And bacon. He also hiked, biked, played cards and vacationed in Mexico. Plus, he spoke fluent Spanish. I bet this nonagenarian shared many an interesting story about his travels, his life experiences, but in a humble and gracious way. He moved to my community decades ago to work at the then Faribault Regional Center.

The obituary for this Anoka-born man lists no surviving family, but many friends at his final home, Milestone Senior Living in Faribault. But he certainly leaves many other friends, people like me who appreciate his multi-million dollar gift to a place I love, too, Buckham Memorial Library.

Story updated at 9 pm Thursday, September 21, to reflect a new location for the celebration inside the library Great Hall rather than outdoors on the front plaza.

© Copyright 2023 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

An uplifting surprise in the mail July 3, 2023

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(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2023)

THE THICK FLORAL WRAPPED PACKAGE arrived unexpectedly in my mailbox today. A sweet surprise from the usual junk mail and bills. As soon as I saw the return address, I knew that whatever I found inside would bring me joy. And it did.

Once I managed to remove the stubborn packaging tape, I discovered a foam sleeve filled with greeting cards from blog reader Roxy of Owatonna. Her selected stash of 27 assorted cards that I can give to whomever I wish is much-appreciated. Roxy, simply by reading my blog posts, knows how much I value sending cards to celebrate, encourage, comfort, thank…

What a kind and thoughtful gift, that also includes stamps on some envelopes and some seals. To receive these cards from Roxy uplifted me in the midst of my ongoing challenging and complex health issues. Many times it’s simply a struggle to manage my symptoms, to get through my days and nights.

But in this moment my focus is one of gratitude for individuals like Roxy, whom I’ve never met. She took the time to put together this collection of greeting cards for me. Her act moved me to tears. And one particular card of birds and vines and florals brought even more tears. It was the scripture gracing the front of the blank card that prompted those emotions. Be still and know that I am God is a Psalm (46:10) I’ve relied on to calm me during challenges. The words remind me of God’s presence even in the chaos of life’s uncertainties, especially now.

Roxy also included seven cards designed by Glencoe artist Bonnie Mohr, who specializes in rural art. Like the Holstein cow wearing a laurel wreath and the fitting message, Wear the flowers. And the quart jar of pale pink roses. A lone tree and a single egg in a nest. Simple. And so me, me who grew up on a dairy farm. Me, rooted in southwestern Minnesota. Me, writer of Minnesota Prairie Roots.

That Roxy understands the essence of me reveals her awareness of who I am via reading my blog. She couldn’t have known, though, that I’ve enjoyed Mohr’s work since her art was featured on the November/December 2013 issue of Minnesota Moments. I freelanced for that magazine many years until it eventually folded. The cover Mohr created is a bucolic winter scene of snow falling on a farm site with Holsteins fenced next to an iconic red barn, aged white farmhouse in the background. That painting speaks to my past, to the family farm, to that which was once the heart and soul of rural America.

The soul of America also exists in good, kind and caring people like Roxy of Owatonna, who penned a personal note expressing her gratitude for the joy I bring into her life and for helping her see the world in a different way via my writing and photography. I am grateful for her generous words and for her well wishes as I work toward reclaiming my health.

I continue to feel grateful for my many readers who have so graciously encouraged me through supportive comments and cards. I feel the love from coast to coast and throughout the heartland. Thank you.

© Copyright 2023 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

With gratitude to an anonymous friend May 20, 2022

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Love in three languages along the Virtues Trail in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2018)

THE GREETING CARD arrived in a non-descript blue envelope, our names and address printed in reddish marker. No return address, only a flower sticker in the upper left corner. A Saint Paul, MN postmark with a May 13, 2022, date inked the paper next to a floral postage stamp. And, on the back, an artsy heart sticker graced the envelope flap.

I expected to find a card inside wishing Randy and me the best on our 40th wedding anniversary. I was right on that. I appreciated the verse focused on God’s blessings and a prayer for continued blessings in our lives.

From an anonymous friend, an anniversary wish and gift. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2022)

But I did not expect the anonymous signature—A friend—or a faith-themed post-it note attached to a $20 bill. That note suggested we treat ourselves, perhaps to Dairy Queen ice cream, and to enjoy our day(s).

The thoughtfulness of this anonymous friend (whom I suspect reads this blog) touched me deeply. There are moments in life when we all need an extra hug, extra words of encouragement, extra kindness. For me, that moment is now. This year, thus far, has proven challenging with the death of my mom in January and recently the news that my husband will be losing his job of 39 years due to a change in business ownership and closure of the automotive machine shop.

A Peanut Buster Parfait from DQ. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

So, when that surprise anniversary card and cash gift arrived, I felt a surge of gratitude for the reminder that others care, that I am blessed by a loving and caring husband of 40 years, that God will, and always has, given us the strength we need to face and work through life’s difficulties.

While walking a recreational trail in Madison, Wisconsin, when my son lived in the Atwood Neighborhood there, I spotted this wonderfully uplifting message. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Many times in my life, I’ve been uplifted by others. I’ve tried to do the same. When someone is struggling or celebrating, I acknowledge that. We all need to be heard, understood, loved, cared for, uplifted. Appreciated. Valued. Encouraged.

The Betty, from The S’Cream in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2016)

And today, because of that anonymous friend—who’s apparently read on this blog that Randy and I treat ourselves to Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfaits twice a year (upon opening and closing of the local franchise)—I feel especially cared for. When I taste the sweetness of ice cream, either from DQ or from our favorite area ice cream shop, The S’Cream in Owatonna, I will taste, too, the sweetness of love sent by an anonymous friend.

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TELL ME: How has someone encouraged you in life? Or how have you encouraged someone? I’d like to hear your stories.

I’d like to thank you, my readers, for your kindness, generosity and encouragement through the years. What a blessing you have been in my life.

© Copyright 2022 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Thoughts & thanks as 2022 begins January 1, 2022

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As we begin 2022, please remember this, that you are loved. (Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo; image taken along a recreational trail in the Atwood Neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin)

HERE WE ARE, on the first day of a new year. Days and weeks and months unfolding before us. Full of unknowns, possibilities, whatever life brings. Happiness. Sorrow. Sickness. Health. Joy. Sadness. To be human is to experience all. Sometimes alone. Sometimes together.

I expect that, without much thought, you can recall particularly challenging times/events in your life. In those difficult days, you likely felt overwhelmed, wondered whether you would make it to the other side. To the days when the pain and stress and anguish would lift. And light would shine again.

And I expect also that you did not go it alone. Perhaps faith carried you. Family and/or friends, too. Maybe professionals. And your inner strength. It often amazes me just how strong and resilient we humans can be. Even in the toughest of circumstances.

The support and friendships I’ve formed via blogging amaze me, too. I’ve connected with some really kind, caring and compassionate individuals. Some friendships remain virtual. But others developed in to in-person friendships. Regardless, these individuals are now part of my circle, part of my life. Their generosity of spirit has uplifted me countless times.

Me behind my first Canon EOS 20D. (Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo)

Most recently, a blogger friend asked what I wanted for Christmas. I wanted/needed only one thing. A camera. Just like the one I’ve used for the past decade plus. A Canon EOS 20D. I’m on my second 20D and it was failing, just like the first. Locking up. I knew its days were numbered and I would need a different camera. The 20D is an older camera. But I’m comfortable and familiar with it. I checked two camera shops online in the Twin Cities metro to find only a few used cameras, none of them a 20D. No surprise there. A new camera was not an option. Have you looked at camera prices lately? Then came my blogger friend’s email asking what I would like for Christmas. She hoped to send me something after the holidays.

Days later, a package landed on my front steps. I hadn’t ordered anything. Wasn’t expecting anything. But when I slit the box, I found a camera body inside. A Canon EOS 20D. I actually shrieked, nearly cried with joy at this most thoughtful gift which allows me to continue to create. I’m delighted to have my third 20D in my hands. I’ve always believed that good photography is more about the skills of the person creating with a camera than about the equipment. I couldn’t believe my blogger friend found this coveted aged camera, and so quickly. I am beyond grateful.

Now, entering into another year of creativity, I fully intend to use my talents to share, in images and words, the world I discover. I will continue to take you into small towns. Along gravel roads. Into woods and along rivers and lakes. To community events. I will show you art and natural beauty, the places I go, the things I see and do. And I hope that in doing so, I bring you joy, expand your world, perhaps uplift you.

Thank you, dear readers, for following Minnesota Prairie Roots. Thank you for supporting my creativity. For recognizing that creativity connects all of us. And that creativity matters.

Happy New Year!

© Copyright 2021 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Long-time patron leaves up to $2.7 million to Faribault library October 22, 2021

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Robert Crandall. (Photo source: Parker Kohl Funeral Home)

HE LIKED HIKING and biking. John Wayne movies. Bacon. Collecting stamps. Vacationing in Mexico. Playing cards.

Robert L. Crandall, as described in his January 2021 obituary, seems a man of many interests. He also spoke Spanish fluently. He watched CNBC to stay updated on the stock market. And, also worth noting in the Parker Kohl Funeral Home summary of his life, Bob “spent many hours at the Buckham Memorial Library studying and reading books on investing.”

Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault, Minnesota.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

It is that final notation of his interests which today holds great significance. This week my community of Faribault learned that Bob left a financial gift of $2.5-$2.7 million to Buckham Memorial Library. The place where he found books that helped him make sound, and lucrative, financial investments.

His is a remarkable gift. Not due only to the mega amount of millions of dollars, but also because of Bob’s appreciation for library resources housed in his beloved local library. He directed that his gift be used specifically for public library purposes in Faribault.

Library books and magazines I’ve read. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Like Bob, I’ve long valued libraries given my love of books and reading. However, unlike Bob, I’ve never read a single volume on investments. But, via reading, I’ve learned much about the craft of writing. My son, too, learned the basics of software coding by studying thick books checked out from Buckham Library. Today he is pursuing his PhD in computer science.

Clearly, Bob recognized the importance of public libraries. I’d like to think he understood that libraries make knowledge accessible to all of us. No matter our education, our income, our anything. As a child living near a rural southwestern Minnesota community without a public library, I longed for a library. Today I live blocks away from Buckham Library and frequent it often. My daughters worked there as pages while in high school.

Bob attended high schools in Anoka (his birthplace) and Elk River, eventually landing in southern Minnesota to work at the former Faribault Regional Center. His obit mentions nothing of family, only that his parents preceded him in death. He died in January at age 93 with graveside services and burial at Maple Lawn Cemetery.

The obituary describing Bob reveals a man with multiple interests and with many friends at his final home, Milestone Senior Living in Faribault. His obit hints of financial wealth through the lens of hindsight. I expect, though, that Bob counted his wealth not primarily via the success of his investments, but by the wealth of his interests and by the wealth of words printed in books shelved at his local library.

Through his generous gift to Buckham Memorial Library, Bob inspires us to learn, to read, to discover how books can enlighten and change our lives, grow our knowledge. And that, too, is his legacy.

© Copyright 2021 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Source credits: Parker Kohl Funeral Home & the Faribault Daily News

 

Sisterhood in bloom on May Day May 1, 2020

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The tulip bulbs arrived in a pot and covered by moss.

 

THE RATE AT WHICH THE TULIP bulbs erupted, then bloomed, surprised even me.

 

The bulbs, once exposed to light, grew at a rapid pace.

 

A week after receiving a surprise cluster of bulbs from my blogger friend Paula in the Netherlands, I now have a flower pot of wine-hued tulips in bloom and yellow ones about to open. I’d wondered at the color and that proved part of the fun, waiting to see.

 

Just beginning to bloom…

 

What a delight this gift of flowers from someone I’ve never met but to whom I’m connected via writing and being home-grown Minnesotans. But even more, there’s the connection of spirit, of understanding how supporting one another, especially now, is so important.

I can tell you that Paula, who blogs at The Cedar Journal, loves the outdoors, especially canoeing in her cedar strip canoe. She returns to Minnesota often to paddle and explore. She’s a military veteran. Strong. Opinionated. Resilient. Respectful of the natural world and appreciative of its beauty. She’s compassionate and kind.

I’ve never talked to Paula. But I feel like I know her via her blog and the comments she posts on my blog. There’s a sisterhood that comes from a shared love of Minnesota and of blogging and of the simple beauties in life. So when I see those lovely tulips in bloom, I think of Paula so distant, yet so close.

© Copyright 2020 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

More kindness, this time from Holland April 23, 2020

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WHEN I SPOTTED THE FED EX truck parked on the corner by my house and the driver leaping back inside, I decided to check my front steps, even though I wasn’t expecting a package. I rarely order online.

 

 

But there, on my steps, sat a cardboard box with an imprinted arrow pointing skyward next to the word UP. So I carried the box inside, washed my hands and slit the tape. Inside I found a pot of tulip bulbs erupting through a layer of moss. And this message:

Tulips from Holland!!! I told you I would do it! The Cedar Journal blog friend.

How sweet is that? Paula, a native of northern Minnesota who now lives in Holland with her husband, gifted me with these springing-to-life tulip bulbs after I commented on her post, “Spring Time in the Netherlands 2020,” and asked her to pretty please, send flowers to Minnesota. However, I missed her reply to send my address so she could send me tulips. She sleuthed my address on her own.

 

 

And now I have these Holland tulip bulbs that, in a few weeks, should bloom bright colors and remind me of Paula and her kindness. Isn’t that lovely? In these days when our worlds are turned upside down, this blogger friend, whom I’ve never met, reaches out to me with a simple act of kindness.

But it’s more than that. Paula gifted me with a spot of joy during these difficult days. She uplifted me and reaffirmed my faith in the goodness of people—just like Penny in sending face masks and Paul in sending a watercolor print last week. There are so many caring people in this world. Now, more than ever, we need to find ways to be kind.

 

Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo taken at LARK Toys, Kellogg, Minnesota.

 

I invite you to share today recent acts of kindness extended to you or which you have extended to others. You may just spark an idea that ripples more kind acts. Thank you, my friends. And Paula, especially, thank you for your gift of spring-in-a-box shipped from Holland to Minnesota. I am grateful.

© Copyright 2020 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Christmas gratitude, Part II December 24, 2019

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A handmade ornament for sale at Fleur de Lis in Faribault. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

 

“YOU GOT A LARGE PACKAGE,” Randy said. “From Amazon.”

“I’m not expecting anything,” I answered from our bed where I was layered in sweats, a tee, flannel shirt, and heavy sweater under a flannel sheet, two blankets, a comforter and a denim/fleece blanket. With a fever, I simply could not get warm.

I awakened this morning to a full-blown case of crud that caused us to cancel a planned trip to Madison, Wisconsin, to celebrate Christmas with our second daughter, her husband and our son. I felt more than a bit down. Then that unexpected package arrived.

Randy wrestled the huge box inside the front door just as I emerged from the bedroom to see what this was all about. He slit the taped box to reveal an Instant Pot, an item included on my wish list in Saturday’s “Dear Santa” post.

I was stunned, overwhelmed by the kindness of the anonymous blog reader who was moved to give me an item on that list. I found a sweet note inside, signed by Your Ms. Santa.

I also received a copy of Amanda in Spain—The Girl in the Painting by Darlene Foster. That arrived in a separate package so I’m uncertain whether the two items are from the same giver.

It matters not. What matters is how grateful I am for these gifts, for the thoughtfulness of Ms. Santa, for experiencing, for the second day in a row, the true spirit of Christmas. Yesterday I received a cash gift from an anonymous individual.

In these days when so much unkindness exists, these individuals exemplify goodness, kindness and the giving spirit of Christmas. I am blessed. Again.

 

© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Remembering with gratitude Todd Bol, founder of the Little Free Library October 18, 2018

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The Redwood Falls Gazette editor Troy Krause, right, interviews Todd Bol, co-founder of the Little Free Library in Vesta in early July 2012.  Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2012.

 

TODD BOL DIED ON THURSDAY from pancreatic cancer.

 

The beautiful handcrafted LFL donated to my hometown of Vesta. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2012.

 

I met him briefly in July 2012 when he drove three hours from Hudson, Wisconsin, to my hometown on the southwestern Minnesota prairie. He delivered a Little Free Library, fulfilling my life-long dream for a library in Vesta.

 

The team that worked to bring a Little Free Library to Vesta includes Dorothy Marquardt, left, and Karen Lemcke, representing the sponsoring Vesta Commercial Club, LFL co-founder Todd Bol and me (holding a copy of a poetry anthology I donated). Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2012 by Randy Helbling.

 

I shall be forever grateful to this visionary’s gift of a mini library and books. My mom used that LFL. So did extended family and others in and around the small farming community. Folks operating the Vesta Cafe expanded the library, placing shelves inside the restaurant for more books. Locals tended the outdoor library Bol installed near the cafe entrance.

 

The LFL Todd and Susan Bol installed outside the community owned Vesta Cafe. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2012.

 

Now, all these years later, the founder of the Little Free Library leaves a world-wide legacy of literacy with 75,000-plus officially registered libraries in 88 countries.

 

The books Todd Bol and I placed inside Vesta’s LFL on July 1, 2012. He brought books donated by several Twin Cities publishers and I brought books from my personal collection. I have since collected and donated an additional 40 books. A retired librarian from nearby Wabasso donated eight bags of books, primarily mysteries and the cafe managers also donated books. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2012.

 

And one of those is in my hometown because one man cared enough about a small town in the middle of nowhere to deliver the seed plant for the Small Towns Minnesota LFL Movement. Because of Todd’s generosity, his kindness, his love of books, my hometown has a library. As a lover of books, of the written word, I am grateful.

 

One of many Little Free Libraries in Faribault, where I’ve lived since 1982. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

 

TELL ME: Are there Little Free Libraries in your community? I’d like to hear your LFL stories in honor of Todd Bol.

FYI: Click here to read the original post I wrote about Todd’s visit to my hometown to install the LFL.

PLEASE CHECK BACK to see a memorable LFL I spotted recently in Waseca.

 

© Copyright 2018 Audrey Kletscher Helbling