Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Protesting in Faribault January 11, 2026

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Me with my new friend, Bashir, a U.S. citizen who now carries his passport with him at all times. Bashir works as a family and community engagement specialist in the Faribault Public Schools. (Copyrighted photo by & courtesy of Chloe Kucera, Faribault Daily News)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON, as a raw northwest wind swept down Minnesota State Highway 60, I stood side-by-side with others at a busy intersection in the heart of downtown Faribault. I stood in solidarity over concerns about ICE enforcement locally, across the state and country. I stood in solidarity over concerns about the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7. I stood in solidarity over concerns for our democracy. And I stood in love and support of my neighbors.

Neighbors like Bashir, a long-time Faribault resident whom I met shortly after arriving at the gathering to the sound of bagpipes. My interaction with him nearly broke me emotionally after Bashir reached inside his jacket and pulled out his passport. “I carry this with me everywhere now,” he said. It’s one thing to hear and read about this in media reports. It’s quite another to meet a U.S. citizen “forced” to carry his passport by a president who has publicly stated he wants Somalis out of the country.

My humanity, my compassion, my heart and soul and spirit call upon me to support individuals like my new friend, Bashir, in this moment. My humanity also calls upon me to support the Latino and Hispanic communities who comprised the majority of the 25 or so of us gathered during the quickly-organized protest on Saturday.

Organizer Sonia mingled among us, protesting, passing out hot chocolate and later distributing educational information about Constitutional rights, alerting others to ICE’s presence and more.

The second protest sign I made and which my husband carried. Many at the rally held similar signs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

ICE IN FARIBAULT

In conversations, I learned that ICE has been especially active in Faribault recently. I’d heard this previously from multiple sources. Protester Travis, who works in the school system, confirmed this, noting that student attendance is down. He watched for ICE vehicles during the rally and had every right to be worried given ICE activity along Lyndale Avenue in Faribault earlier Saturday. That resulted in multiple 911 calls, including one from a caller claiming they were “about to get shot,” according to a media release from Faribault Police Chief John Sherwin. Officers responded to ensure public safety. ICE was there. But no shooting occurred.

We are a state and community on edge following the killing of Renee Good. We are a state and community under incredible stress as the federal government relentlessly targets Minnesota and the people who call this state home. It is unfathomable to think that those of skin tones other than white must fear they will be taken by masked agents. It was not lost on me that I am (at least for now) exempt because I am white.

Another new friend, a young Hispanic woman named Christina, shared how ICE agents are patrolling the Cannon River Mobile Home Park, home to many Hispanics and Latinos. Residents are afraid to leave their homes for fear of being taken by ICE. Doesn’t matter if you are here legally or not.

Protesters line the sidewalk at the intersection of Central Avenue and highway 60. I am hugging Bashir in this image. (Copyrighted photo by & courtesy of Chloe Kucera, Faribault Daily News)

OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE SUPPORT

As I stood with Bashir, Sonia, Travis, Christina, Hannah, a high school senior and a mix of multi-aged Latinos, Hispanics and white people like me, I felt empowered. Our numbers may have been small. But for a last-minute protest and the first in Faribault, turn-out was encouraging.

Even more encouraging was the overwhelmingly positive response we got from passing motorists in honks, friendly waves, thumbs up and more to counter the few middle fingers, thumbs down and venomous words spewed by one especially angry young female driver. How anyone can hold such hate toward immigrants is beyond my understanding.

I felt only love in the presence of my new friends. Many thanked me for coming. I hugged several, offered words of encouragement. Words matter. And so do actions. A Somali couple arrived to distribute hot tea. I’d been protesting for 1 ½ hours and felt chilled to the bone by the estimated zero-degree windchill. That offering of Somali tea warmed my body and my heart. As I reached for a cup of the hot beverage, I was overcome by emotion. The message I carried—“I LOVE my immigrant neighbors”—reflected back on me as I, too, felt loved in that moment.

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NOTE: I moderate all comments on this, my personal blog. I will not publish comments which express hatred or are otherwise offensive, include intentional false information and/or do not meet the standards of decency I expect here.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A Christmas message from southern Minnesota December 24, 2025

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“Silent Night,” an acrylic painting by Adele Beals, for sale at the Holly Days Sale, Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

THERE’S MUCH TO PONDER this Christmas as we find our nation in turmoil. Anger simmers and boils. Discord rises. Oppression continues. Peace in our country, let alone throughout the world, feels more elusive than ever. These are difficult days.

A baby in a manger at my church, Trinity Lutheran, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2025)

Likewise, the newborn Jesus and his parents faced similar challenges some 2,000 years ago. They were refugees who fled their Judean homeland for Egypt under the threat of an oppressive and violent leader. King Herod ordered all baby boys in Bethlehem to be killed after learning that a “King of the Jews” was born there. He feared being replaced. When I consider a leader so cold, calculating and cruel that he would mandate the killing of any boy age two and under to retain power, well, it seems unconscionable. But it was reality. And, had I been Mary, I also would have done everything possible to save my son.

Consider that in the context of today. Here. In America. Threats to our immigrants may not be as severe as death, although some have died in ICE custody. But detention and deportation, or the threat thereof, are very real. This is happening all over the U.S., including right here in my southern Minnesota community.

Photographed several years ago along a recreational trail in Madison, Wisconsin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

For example, locally-based HealthFinders Collaborative, a community health center serving the underserved and uninsured in my area, has issued a statement that their patients, staff, volunteers and others do not feel safe due to visibly present federal agents in our communities. People are canceling appointments. People are afraid. In response to the very real fear people are feeling, HealthFinders is expanding virtual visits and is locking clinic doors. I expect those living in biblical times felt similar angst under the authoritarian rule of King Herod. No wonder Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to Egypt.

This Christmas I can’t pretend everything is OK while hatred, disparaging rhetoric and injustices run rampant in this country. As a woman of faith, I look at Jesus and see how he lovingly embraced people. He showed love, care, compassion, kindness. To all. He would not be alright with certain groups of people being hated on. He would not be OK with people targeted, hunted, gathered, detained, sent away. Poof. Gone.

Among my favorite signs/messages at a No Kings protest I attended in Northfield this past summer. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2025)

If there’s any message to take away from Christmas this year, it’s that we need to stand up for our neighbors. Ask ourselves the once-trendy question, “What Would Jesus Do?” We need to voice our concerns. Resist. Help. Encourage. Follow Jesus’ lead of serving, loving and supporting those who need us most right now. And that’s not the King Herods who choose power over humanity.

In closing, I hold hope that we, as individuals and a nation, will stand strong against that which oppresses us, that which is inhumane and that which is just plain wrong. We all, whether people of faith or not, inherently understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. Let us live as people who care about goodness, kindness, compassion, love and peace.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Standing at the Grave,” an immigration story November 21, 2025

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My great grandparents, Rudolph and Mathilda Kletscher, married in 1891. (Photo source: Kletscher Family Tree 2008 produced by Merlin and Iylene Kletscher)

UNLESS WE ARE NATIVE AMERICANS, immigration is part of our family history. On my maternal side, Friedrich and Maria Bode arrived from Germany at the port of New Orleans in October 1852. They would settle in Illinois. Most of the family eventually moved to Minnesota. On my paternal side, my great grandfather, Rudolph Kletscher, landed in Baltimore from Germany in 1886, several years later journeying west to put down roots in southern Minnesota.

I pulled this information from pages of family history uncovered and compiled by family members who have researched our roots in Germany. I am grateful for their work, for the names, dates and places recorded for reference. Sometimes there are stories, or tidbits of stories. But mostly the research reveals documented facts only, not stories.

(Book cover sourced online)

It is the stories that interest me most, which explains my interest in reading Standing at the Grave—A Family’s Journey from the Grand Duchy of Posen to the Prairies of North Dakota by Minnesotan Gary Heyn. Books on Central in Faribault hosted Heyn on Thursday evening during a monthly literary event. I was among those in attendance, listening to Heyn read and then answer audience questions. I’d just finished reading his book about his ancestors who immigrated to America from Prussia (now Poland) beginning in 1867 shortly after the Civil War ended.

His ancestors could have been mine. Any of ours. Heyn took basic facts confirmed thorough research at the Minnesota History Center, church records, a Polish history website, old newspapers, even the National Weather Service and gleaned during several trips to Poland to form the foundation for his stories. The dialog and interactions are fictional slices of personal life in Prussia and then in America. Heyn’s characters really come alive when he reveals their fears, their worries, their hardships, griefs, challenges and more in intimate storytelling.

A tombstone in the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery, Potsdam. The German word “LIEBE” means love in English. A Heyn family member is buried in this cemetery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2022)

These are, at times, really hard stories. Of death by disease. Of death by accidents. Of death by suicide. Of death by botulism. I appreciate that the author doesn’t avoid tough topics. I understand the worries about weather and crop failure, vicariously stand at the graves of loved ones, recognize the depression a young mother experiences as she looks across the expansive North Dakota prairie, feeling isolated and alone.

But those difficult stories are balanced by the joys of births, of weddings, of the opportunity to claim land through the Homestead Act, to live and love and grow family in a new land rich in opportunity.

Main character, family matriarch Anna, follows her family to America many years after the first, eventually fulfilling her life-long dream of once again owning land, this time 160 acres in North Dakota. Most of the family found land in southern Minnesota, in the Rochester area where the author grew up and first heard the stories of his great grandmother. She lived with his childhood family. That sparked his interest in family history and genealogy, which, after his retirement as an accountant, led to writing Standing at the Grave.

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Potsdam. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2022)

Southern Minnesotans, especially, will feel at home in places like Elgin, Grand Meadow, Pleasant Valley, Owatonna and more. I’ve even visited and photographed Immanuel Lutheran Church in Potsdam, where Anna stood on the front steps and scanned the countryside below the hilltop church. I’ve walked the cemetery, where Heyn’s ancestor, Willie, lies buried in an unmarked grave.

As much as I appreciate the storytelling in this book, I also appreciate its relevancy to today. Heyn family members new to America in the late 1800s are told to speak English, not German. Sound familiar? (My own mother, who died at age 89 in 2023, spoke German as her first language.) These newcomers to America felt like foreigners, often choosing to live among others from their homeland. Among those who shared their language, culture and customs, who liked bier, sauerkraut, Weihnachtsstollen and Glühwein.

But in times of challenges, Heyn reveals in one story, “…the citizens of this neighborhood, born all across the globe, banded together to help another working man.” That coming together of many nationalities repeats in his book, even as conflicts arise.

A passenger ship list from the port of New Orleans. (Source: The Bode Family book by Melvin & Lois Bode, 1993)

Heyn, in his writing, reveals the challenges, the dreams, the hopes, the resilience and resolve of his immigrant ancestors. These were strong individuals who relied on each other, their faith and their inner strength to cross a vast ocean for a new life in America. This is their story, but also a universal story of immigration, as relatable today as then.

This book helped me better understand those who came before me from Germany to America from a personal perspective. This book also reminds me of the struggles immigrants still face today in America, especially today.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Anonymous mother” & a call to action November 5, 2025

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An anonymous mother’s story and commentary as written by Kate Langlais for her “I Am Minnesota” project. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

I ALMOST MISSED IT. “Anonymous Mother’s Story” positioned next to “The Young Mother” charcoal portrait in the “I Am Minnesota” exhibit by Faribault artist Kate Langlais. But there it was, tucked in the corner near the light switches in the Paradise Center for the Arts main gallery.

The exhibit features some 20 portraits and stories of first and second-generation immigrants from my community. None is more relevant than that of the young mother who now faces deportation and separation from her infant. Here are key words in her story: young mother. here legally. green card. application suddenly canceled. awaiting deportation. ankle bracelet. cruel and inhumane.

We’ve all heard countless media reports of people snatched from the streets and elsewhere by masked agents of the federal government, unlawfully detained without due process, separated from family, deported… That is, indeed, cruel, inhumane, heartbreaking and wrong. Even when immigrants are following all of the rules, all of the laws to legally live here, they find themselves targeted.

Martha Brown took this photo of the anonymous mother which is included, along with text, in the “I Am Minnesota” exhibit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

To read the story of this young mother from my area, to see the faceless portrait, and then to also view a photo taken by Martha Brown, candidate for Minnesota House District 19a, deeply touched me. Brown photographed only the young woman’s legs and the wheels of her baby’s stroller. That was absolutely the right and compassionate thing to do.

The intentionally-framed image is more effective and powerful than if Brown had photographed the woman’s face. Every single person who sees this image should understand the reasons for anonymity. In a statement with the photo, Brown urges southern Minnesotans to reach out to their U.S. congressman “to stop this cruel and inhumane treatment.”

Langlais’ inclusion of the anonymous mother’s portrait and story, along with Brown’s photo and words, is perhaps the most important part of the “I Am Minnesota” exhibit. And to think, I nearly missed it there in a corner of the gallery. Don’t miss this exhibit, which closes on November 15 at the Paradise Center for the Arts. It’s located in historic downtown Faribault, a place many immigrants call home.

One of my favorite images from downtown Faribault shows a group of Somali men visiting on a street corner. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

FYI: The Northfield Public Library is hosting “Bridging Communities: A Celebration of Somali Culture” from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, November 8. The event features interactive dance workshops led by the Somali Museum of Minnesota Dance Troupe; a performance by the Faribault Middle School Choir; and a participatory sing-along of Somali songs. Other activities include henna art, face painting, bilingual Somali storytelling, a scavenger hunt with prizes and more. The library is collaborating with Somali community partners and St. Olaf and Carleton colleges to bring this event to Northfield.

NOTE: I photographed the “I Am Minnesota” exhibit with permission of the Paradise. I also received permission from Martha Brown to include her photo in this post.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“I Am Minnesota” exhibit features immigrants’ portraits & stories in Faribault November 4, 2025

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Kate Langlais’ newest installment of her “I Am Minnesota” project fills the main gallery at the Paradise Center for the Arts with nearly 20 portraits. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

EACH TIME I VIEW the portrait art of Faribault artist Kate Langlais, I feel gratitude. Gratitude for the project she’s undertaken to showcase first and second-generation immigrants in my southern Minnesota community. Titled “I Am Minnesota,” this collection of portraits and accompanying first-person stories is now displayed in the main gallery at the Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault until November 15.

Kylee, as drawn in charcoal by Kate Langlais. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Every single person in Faribault, Rice County and Minnesota ought to see this enlightening exhibit. In her artist’s statement, Langlais shares her own family story of descending from immigrants. She invites everyone to write their stories in the gallery guestbook and then to take the time to read the posted stories and “open your heart to connecting with all of your Faribault neighbors.”

The Monroy Lara Family, an oil on canvas by Kate Langlais. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

I appreciate those words, “open your heart to connecting.” It is when we begin to talk to one another, to meet each other on a personal level, to see each other as individuals, that barriers begin to fall and we become neighbors, even friends.

A charcoal portrait of Cathlena by Kate Langlais. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

This “I Am Minnesota” exhibit connects us in a way that is effective. It doesn’t get much more personal than faces and stories. These are the stories of individuals rooted in Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Europe.

In her own words, Cathlena’s story. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Viewing this creative project takes time. Some of these portraits I’ve previously seen at smaller exhibits of Langlais’ immigrant-focused work. It’s important to see every face, hear every voice. Like Rosa’s.

The Molina Family as drawn in charcoal by Kate Langlais. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Born in the US and raised in Texas and Minnesota, Rosa has struggled with racism. She tried to fit in while growing up—reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, joining Girl Scouts, throwing toilet paper at houses… Still, Rosa was told to “go back” to her own country. America is her own country. She was told, too, to “speak English because this is America.” Being bilingual is, in my opinion, a strength in today’s interconnected world.

Another view of portraits in the “I Am Minnesota” gallery exhibit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Even among acquaintances, I’ve heard derogatory comments about Faribault’s immigrant population, especially Somalis. I don’t let those negative remarks go unchecked. Rosa says it well: “I just think sometimes that some people forget that their families were once the different ones.”

Kate Langlais’ drawing of Sam, born in a Cambodian refugee camp. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

To be “different”—in how you dress, the language you speak, the food you eat, the way you look, your customs and traditions—often makes you a target. The first and second-generation immigrants who shared their stories with Langlais don’t hold back. They’ve been bullied, misunderstood, struggled, been told to assimilate… It’s disheartening at times to read their truth. But these are words we need to read.

The Echeverria Family operates a successful food truck, Delicious Pupusas, as drawn in charcoal by Kate Langlais. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)
Silvia Echeverria’s story about how her family business came to be accompanies the family portrait. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)
In the corner of another portrait is the name of a popular Faribault restaurant, El Tequila Family Mexican Restaurant in business for 27 years in multiple communities. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Among all of the tough truths there are beautiful words, too, of friendships, dreams, opportunities, goals, hard work and success. Restaurants opened. A food truck business started. And many other stories of obstacles overcome to achieve personal happiness and professional success.

Charcoal portrait of Dawud, whose family story is rooted in Somalia, by Kate Langlais. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

Second grader Dawud, born in St. Paul and living in Faribault, holds unbridled optimism about his future. “I want to grow up to be a business owner, just like my dad, and travel around the world,” he says. But then he also dreams of becoming a professional basketball or soccer player, like many other Minnesota boys his age. I hope nothing, especially not his immigrant background, holds him back. Ever.

As Marco, who came to the US at age seven shares, “We love autumn, flowers, the sun, nature, and the great opportunities to become better people.”

The Paradise Center for the Arts in historic downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2025)

FYI: The Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Avenue North, Faribault, is open from noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and also during scheduled events and performances.

This exhibit was photographed with permission of the PCA. Portraits are the copyrighted work of artist Kate Langlais. My photos, in some cases, do not show the entire portrait. Please visit this gallery exhibit to view all of the portraits in full and to read the accompanying stories.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

From southern Minnesota: Reflecting on “the people’s pope” April 23, 2025

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Faribault artist Kate Langlais painted this acrylic portrait of Pope Francis, displayed at the Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault, in 2022. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo March 2022)

HER COMMENT SUMMARIZES what many Catholics and others are likely thinking this week as they mourn the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Dorothy Storch writes this on the Facebook page of the Church of St. Patrick, Shieldsville. a rural southern Minnesota church near me: “Our Pope of peace and mercy, kindness and love. A man of God.”

A side and rear view of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, New Prague. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Perhaps that could be written about previous popes and other faith leaders. But not always. And not with the depth of admiration for Pope Francis, often termed “The people’s pope.” He changed things up in the Catholic church, opening minds and hearts and relating to people in a way that made him seem more like one of us.

Mass, about to begin at the Basilica of Saint Stanislaus Kostka in Winona. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

A posting on the Facebook page of the Church of St. Dominic, 16 miles to the northeast of Shieldsville in Northfield, explains: “His life was a shining example of humility, compassion, and servant leadership. Pope Francis reminded us through both word and action what it means to care for the poor, to welcome the outcast, and to live simply with a heart open to God. He walked closely with the people, always pointing toward mercy by living our faith with the same grace and humility.”

Loving words from the Bible in the heart of downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Even though I am not of the Catholic faith, I’ve heard, read and seen enough media reports about Pope Francis to understand that he was, indeed, a compassionate man of both words and actions. Words, especially when you are a faith leader, require positive action. Pope Francis visited inmates, embraced those with disabilities, met with migrants, washed feet and much more. Washing someone’s feet is truly an act of humility and service.

“Faysel,” who fled the war in Somalia. Kate Langlais created this portrait for an “I Am Minnesota” project featuring our state’s newest immigrants. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Pope Francis advocated for migrants, immigrants, refugees and others, calling for compassion and care. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Italian immigrants in Argentina, this first pope of the Americas understood the plight of immigrants and other marginalized populations. He wasn’t afraid to speak up, to take a stand for what he thought was right, what Jesus would have him, and all of us, say and do. He gave voice to the voiceless, to those silenced by power, policies, politics and life-altering destructive actions. He built bridges, not walls.

Children of many ethnicities are part of the Mary statue in Mary’s Garden at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, New Prague. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

In acknowledging the passing of Pope Francis, a post on the New Prague, Minnesota, Catholic Community Facebook page calls him “a figure who has left an indelible mark on the Catholic Church and the world.” I agree with that assessment of a man who cared deeply about people, and about the environment. We could all learn from this thoughtful pope who intentionally took the papal name of Francis from Saint Francis of Assisi, a man of faith focused on poverty, peace and protecting the earth.

I expect Pope Francis would have laughed at these solar popes (not of him) which I photographed many years ago at LARK Toys in Kellogg, Minnesota. Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I love how Pope Francis loved. And I love how he loved to laugh. In 2024, he invited comedians from around the world to the Vatican, underscoring the importance of laughter, recognizing its healing power. I recently watched a video clip of him kissing an infant dressed in papal garb along a parade route. A member of his security team brought the baby girl to the pope riding in his Pope Mobile. His broad smile said it all. Pope Francis didn’t find the costumed infant to be disrespectful of him, but rather a reason to laugh. I need to laugh more. We all need to laugh more.

“Peace and Love,” an acrylic portrait by Angelina Dornquast. Photographed in an exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)

What a legacy Pope Francis leaves. It is my hope that the next pope selected by the conclave of cardinals will continue in the path of humility, compassion and kindness. I want Dorothy Storch from St. Patrick’s in rural southern Minnesota to describe the new pope as “our Pope of peace and mercy, kindness and love,” just as she did Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the son of immigrants. He who humbly served with compassionate words and actions, becoming a much-beloved and respected world faith leader.

Love at a past student art show at the Paradise Center for the Arts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

May Pope Francis, now lying inside a simple wooden coffin, rest in peace at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, which sits in an area of Rome heavily-populated by immigrants. With his coffin and burial choices, “the people’s pope” makes a strong statement even in death about living with grace, humility and compassion, loving all, always.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Celebrating diversity past & present in southern Minnesota April 14, 2025

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This photo, taken during a car show in downtown Faribault, shows the diversity of my community. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WALK THROUGH THE HEART of downtown Faribault and you’ll see diversity. Diversity in businesses. Diversity in the people who live here. It’s a beautiful thing, at least to me.

A banner in Faribault’s historic district features a vintage photo outside a local business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

We need only look back to the founding of Faribault to understand the diversity which existed from the very beginning. Immigrants from around the world settled here, set up shop, engaged in business and grew this community. The shoemakers. The brewers. The furniture builders. The general store proprietors. The barbers. And on and on. They were as diverse as their skills. They shaped this place.

Faribault is the richer for those individuals and families who left their homelands, crossed the ocean, bringing their hopes and dreams to America. With the exception of Indigenous Peoples, we can mostly all trace our ancestry to a land a long ship ride away.

Somali men visit in downtown Faribault. My community is home to a sizeable Somali population, some of whom live downtown. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

Today our newest Faribault residents arrive mostly by plane. From Somalia. From Sudan. From Venezuela. From Mexico. And elsewhere. Many have fled worn-torn countries. Unimaginable atrocities. Their losses, their heartache, their pain is beyond what anyone should have to endure. But they have managed. They settle in, set up shop in our community, work in our local factories gutting turkeys and more, shingle our houses, cook and serve us their delicious cuisine… They work hard to rebuild their lives here in southern Minnesota. And I am glad to have them here as an integral part of my community.

Among the colorful merchandise at Mercado Local. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2024)

In neighboring Northfield, a downtown shop, Mercado Local, vends the art, crafts and more of artisans from Latin America and Hispanic backgrounds. Under the umbrella of Rice County Neighbors United, a nonprofit supporting the immigrant and refugee communities of Northfield, Mercado Local has flourished, serving as a marketplace, arts center (I’ve read poetry here) and community gathering space.

(Promo courtesy of Mercado Local)

From 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, Mercado Local is hosting a fundraiser for this nonprofit which aims to “empower immigrant entrepreneurs to thrive.” There will be updates, raffles, promotions, Loteria (like BINGO) and, of course, Mexican food. Even if you can’t make the event, I encourage you to pop into the marketplace. Just being inside this small space with all its colorful art and wares makes me happy. That’s one of the things I appreciate about Hispanic and Latino culture—the vivid colors. And I rather like the food, too.

A flag ceremony at a past International Festival in Faribault featured national anthems and information about some of the countries from which Faribault residents have originated. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

To have a diverse community is to experience the world up close, to widen our circle and understanding of others. Yet, no matter our skin color, our language, our customs, our dress, our roots, we are all just people. Individuals who laugh and cry and love and live. Now, together, we are growing our communities in new, exciting and diverse ways, just like those who crossed the ocean all those years ago to settle in America.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Five especially memorable personal moments in 2024 December 31, 2024

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Time passes… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

THE END OF A YEAR always evokes a time of personal reflection. A time to consider the events, the moments, the feelings, the blessings that stood out in the 366 days passed. I’ve selected five, from the many, that happened in my life. Certainly, there’s much more that affected me personally. But these are ones that imprinted deeply upon me.

My unborn grandson’s room, photographed at Thanksgiving. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

1. A BLESSING BREWING

The year 2024 brought incredibly joyful news to my family. That news came in a six-pack of all natural & locally brewed craft beer from Big News Brewing Co. My second daughter and her husband brought the beer in August, when they arrived from Madison, Wisconsin for the annual Helbling family reunion.

I was excited to taste this beer from a new brewery (so I was told) in Madison. I pulled out a bottle, read the label, BABY Boyd IS BREWING—ARRIVING JANUARY 2025, and realized this was no ordinary beer. I was about to become a grandma for the third time. Miranda and John pulled off the surprise. I was so focused on the journalistic aspect of the Big News Brewing Co. name that I totally missed the bare baby feet graphics on the necks of the bottles. Soon that baby boy will arrive.

A message from Barb, published in the memorial folder at her funeral. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo April 2024)

2. THE BLESSINGS OF FRIENDSHIP

On the flip side of birth is death. And in 2024, I lost a dear friend, Barb, to cancer. We have been part of the same couple’s bible study group for some 20 years. I’ve lost track. As she neared the end of life, Barb and her family opened their doors wide so family and friends could come and go. We carried in meals and, more importantly, love. Barb, no matter how awful she felt, always had time for visitors. Her strength, her unwavering faith, her cheerful attitude uplifted all of us. She understood the value in being together, of approaching death with courage and faith. Of saying goodbye.

But it was after Barb’s funeral, as her casket was wheeled out of church to the waiting hearse, that I felt the full blessings of the friendship we (and by “we” I mean our bible study group) shared. Barb had chosen the guys as pallbearers. We six women stood side-by-side waiting as our husbands gathered around the casket. I stretched out my arms, motioning for my friends to come close, to wrap our arms around one another. There we stood, a line of women linked. Linked in grief, friendship and love. It was a powerful moment.

Flags for countries of origin displayed at a past International Festival in Faribault celebrating my community’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

3. A BLESSING FROM A NEW FRIEND

Also powerful was the moment I met a Venezuelan immigrant while on a walk in Faribault’s Central Park. Adolfo was pushing his one-year-old grandson, Milan, in a stroller when I paused to greet them. I learned that Adolfo had fled violence and Communism in his home country and wanted desperately to get his family to America. His pain was palpable. “We’re so happy to have you here,” I told my new friend. Adolfo responded with a broad smile and the words “God bless you” as he made the sign of the cross and held his hands to his heart. I will forever cherish that moment and the memories of the morning I met Adolfo and Milan in Central Park.

A graphic of the first coronavirus. Source: CDC

4. BLESSING ANOTHER

I am also grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in 2024 to encourage a young man, whom I’ll call J, in his struggles with long haul COVID. A friend, after a short conversation in a grocery store parking lot, connected me to J’s mom and from there the door was opened. I understand how devastating this diagnosis. I spent six months in vestibular rehab therapy in 2023 trying to overcome the many debilitating symptoms of long haul COVID. I’m better now, but still experience residual, primarily with sensory overload issues.

J’s case is much more severe than mine, especially physically. He had to drop out of college, used a wheelchair, struggled with overwhelming symptoms too numerous to mention. I tried to offer him hope, support and encouragement. Empathy, compassion and understanding. I also referred him to my physical therapist, whom J is now seeing. Few people understand this chronic condition, or even make an effort to understand, which makes working through long haul COVID even harder. That I could take my experiences and help J, and his mom, has helped me, too. I can see the good in a very difficult year in my life when I was basically home-bound. Empathy and the capacity to help others grows with each challenge we face in life.

Randy and I with the mandala our son crafted for us. (Copyrighted photo by Caleb Helbling)

5. BLESSED WITH LOVE

Finally, my last memorable moment of 2024 came just recently with a Christmas gift from my son, who was visiting from Boston. Caleb gifted Randy and me with a mandala he laser cut from plywood, stained and glued together. Six layers. When I realized what it was, I wept. I cried because of the love Caleb’s gift represents. I cried because I recognized the time, effort and thought he put into crafting this artwork for us. Hearts theme the piece. It speaks “family.” If art can capture love, this mandala holds endless love.

And so 2024 ends. A year that brought joy and sadness. But also a year overflowing with love…from family to friends to community.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“From Somalia to Snow” offers insights into our new Minnesota neighbors May 29, 2024

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A welcoming sign photographed earlier this year in the children’s section of Buckham Memorial Library, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo 2024)

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Not in the sense of personal power, but in understanding. And I am always about growing my knowledge and understanding, especially within my community.

Faribault, like many neighboring communities, is culturally-diverse, home to immigrants, refugees and those who have received American citizenship. Somalis. Hispanics. Latinos. And others from countries that fit anything but the mostly White European backgrounds of rural Minnesotans. We are a state evolving in diversity, and I embrace that.

Hudda Ibrahim’s book offers an in-depth look at Somalis living in Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2024)

Recently I met a central Minnesota author who was in town as part of an event celebrating Somali culture at the Paradise Center for the Arts. Hudda Ibrahim of St. Cloud, which has a sizable Somali population, was selling her books, including From Somalia to Snow—How Central Minnesota Became Home to Somalis. Although I didn’t purchase her book then, I eventually checked it out through my regional library system. That and her nonfiction children’s picture book, What Color Is My Hijab?

Hudda Ibrahim’s children’s book inspires girls to be whatever they want to be via Ibrahim’s empowering words and Meenal Patel’s vivid art. (Book cover sourced online)

After reading those two books, I have better insights into the backgrounds, stories, culture and challenges of my new neighbors. Ibrahim writes with authenticity. She was born and raised in Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya), came to the U.S. in 2006, teaches diversity and social justice in St. Cloud, and works closely with Somalis there. From Somalia to Snow includes interviews with Somalis in Ibrahim’s community along with her observations, insights and recommendations.

I quickly discovered that I had much to learn, even when it comes to understanding the basics. A person of Somali ethnicity is not a “Somalian,” as I’d incorrectly said, but rather a “Somali.” I appreciate that about Ibrahim’s writing. She doesn’t presume her readers know, making her book a really good source of basic, yet detailed and thorough, information.

I often see Somali men visiting in downtown Faribault, where many live. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2024)

I especially appreciated her chapter titled “Integration and Assimilation” because I’ve heard the comments from locals about how Somalis need to do this and that because they’re living in America now. Ibrahim states that Somalis prefer to “integrate,” not “assimilate.” That makes sense to me, that our new neighbors want to retain their cultural identity while also adapting to their new home. I think back to my own maternal ancestors who settled together near New Ulm in southern Minnesota and clung to their German identity, speaking in German, following customs and traditions from the Old Country. The same can be said for Scandinavians, who still eat lefse and lutefisk. Cultural identity is important to all of us.

So is family. Like my German ancestors settled together, so do those who come from Africa. They want to be near people who get them, understand them, share a language and faith and customs and culture. Jobs and family (clans) brought Somalis to St. Cloud, Ibrahim writes. Many work in meat-packing plants, just like in my community.

This sign for Somali food was posted at a past International Festival in Faribault. I especially like sambusa, a spicy, meat-filled triangular pastry. It was served at the recent Somali-focused event I attended. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Others have pursued higher education and entrepreneurship, opening businesses which serve primarily their community. I need only walk Faribault’s downtown business district to see numerous Somali-owned shops and restaurants. I love the color and culture they bring. And I love Somali tea, which I tried at that event where I met Ibrahim. It’s tea mixed with milk and spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom… The scent is heavenly, the taste divine. And I can buy it locally.

Faribault is a culturally-diverse city, as seen in this image taken during a car show in downtown Faribault in 2015. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2015)

Ibrahim’s book is packed with insights: Somalis value oral communication over written. They are good oral poets. Restaurants often do not have printed menus, primarily because they serve Somalis. Muslims memorize the Quran (with 6,666 verses), a process that can take years. Socializing and community are important. Barriers remain in healthcare. There’s just a whole lot to learn via reading From Somalia to Snow. It starts with an overview of Somali history and then takes readers into the lives, cultures and challenges of Somalis living in Minnesota today. Thanks to Ibrahim’s writing, I now have a better understanding of my new neighbors. And for that I am grateful.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

“Poem in a Bag” celebrates the arts, connects cultures April 23, 2024

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Pick a poem from a box at Mercado Local (and other locations) as part of a poetry initiative rooted in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

PRINTED POETRY PLACED in public pleases me. Pleases me because putting poetry out there places this literary art into hands that might not otherwise pick poetry. I mean, if we’re honest, how often do we purchase a poetry book or pull a poetry volume from the 811. section of the library? Probably not all that often.

Among colorful merchandise sold by immigrant vendors at Mercado Local in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

That is why I love the latest poetry project in my area—“Poem in a Bag.” Rice County Neighbors United, an advocacy group for low income and immigrant community members, recently launched this project in Northfield, a city rich in the arts, including poetry. Mar Valdecantos, RCNU advocate director and also a poet, writer, visual artist and art teacher, is leading this endeavor.

Grab a poetry scroll from the box. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

The concept is simple. Collect, translate, print and place poems inside a box (not a bag) in locations accessible to the public. The poetry, both original and favorites, is paired with local original art, including that of Valdecantos. Anyone can grab a poetry scroll and have instant access to literary and visual art.

Northfield is home to a sizeable Hispanic population. Immigrant vendors sell their art and more at Mercado Local. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

But there’s more. The poems are printed in Spanish and in English. I can’t read Spanish. (My second daughter can; she’s a former Spanish medical interpreter and translator.) That doesn’t matter. What matters is that each poem is printed in two languages, reflecting, respecting and celebrating cultural diversity in our region of southern Minnesota.

The merchandise inside Mercado Local, including this woven tote, is a colorful, visual delight. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

Rice County Neighbors United aims to raise cultural awareness via events and activities like “Poem in a Bag,” funded by a grant from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. The arts have always been a way to connect peoples, to communicate, to inspire and more. Whatever our differences, art is universal, linking us in our humanity.

A portion of the poem, “Streetlight at Night,” and art by Mar Valdecantos. All poems are printed in Spanish and in English. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

Poems submitted for this National Poetry Month project cover a range of topics, some specific, others broader. Sunrise, empanadas, children, cancer, loneliness, life, winter, salmon, even a dead mouse, are among the subjects of original poems. I’ve lent several poems for the project.

More cultural offerings at Mercado Local. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

And then there is the poetry of renowned poets—Latin American, Cuban, American—selected and submitted as favorite poems. Nature, the mother-child relationship, a white rose and service to others theme these. They, too, are accompanied by art.

Mercado Local is located in the heart of downtown Northfield, just off Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

Art in all its forms is powerful. Rice County Neighbors United recognizes that, celebrating creativity and entrepreneurship at Mercado Local, a marketplace for immigrant vendors and also an art center, community room and education space located at 108 5th Street East in Northfield.

Mercado Local explodes with color. The “Poem in a Bag” box is on the cashier’s counter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2024)

“Poem in a Bag” poems are available at Mercado Local and at other Northfield businesses (currently Content Bookstore, Imminent Brewery and radio station KYMN) and at the Northfield Public Library. Valdecantos aims to get poetry boxes into more Northfield businesses. In Faribault, “Poem in a Bag” can be found at Books on Central, a used bookshop run by the Rice County Area United Way.

This is an ambitious undertaking, one Valdecantos hopes to repeat next April during National Poetry Month. She intends to extend this year’s “Poem in a Bag” into May with a poetry reading set for 6:30-8 pm Thursday, May 23, in the community room/art space at Mercado Local. I appreciate all of this. To place poetry in public places, to use art to connect cultures, is truly a welcoming, neighborly gift to our culturally diverse communities.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling