mature lifestyles magazine

Mankato MarathonA Weekend of Events Bringingthe Community Together

A Purr-fect PlaceNorth Mankato Animal Hospital

The RV Way of LifeLocals spending winters on the road

Things You Need to Know About Your Will

Why you may need one and changing it

Volume 4, Issue 3 FREE

Mature Lifestyle September 2012 3

FEATURES6 The Mankato Marathon

A weekend of running events brings together a community of runners in Mankato, including local attorney Randy Zellmer.

10 A Purr-fect PlaceNorth Mankato Animal Hospital makes veterinary care available

to pets on the north side of town.

16 The RV Way of LifeTwo local couples who spend their winters on the road in the RVs.

18 What you Didn’t Know You Need to Know about Your Will

Like why you might need one, or why you might need to make some changes to the one you already have.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Publisher’s Notes

14 Book Reviews20 Calendar of Events

22 Travel: Barry & Kathy Wortel,Traveling Together

Mature LIFESTYLE ● September 2012 ● VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3Contents

6

22

10

16

18

4 September 2012 Mature Lifestyle

PUBLISHER’SNOTES

If you are or have ever been a runner, I think that

you’ll particularly enjoy our story about the Mankato Marathon. But you don’t have to be a runner to be inspired by Randy Zellmer. His passion for running

and for pushing the enve-lope on what he can achieve

next makes him an inspiration. Just as Maureen Waltman says,

Randy is “one of those guys who I am just in awe of.” I share her sentiment. I started running last summer and competed—if you call walking, running, walking and running competing— in my first 5K. Long story, short: I did it! I probably could have finished with a sprint but my husband was hampered by an annoying Achilles tendon, and because this was the first race that we ever ran together, I decided to cross the finish line by his side (although I really wanted to finish ahead of the girl who ran ahead of me through the whole race). I will race again, but not in the any of the Mankato Marathon events this fall; I need extensive training before I tackle that! But I will be there on Sunday, Oct. 21st, cheering all the runners onward to the finish line. That is what I do best—for now. Whether you are running in the marathon or one of the other races, or not, you too can support all the runners. It will be an exciting weekend.

I had the pleasure of meeting Myron and Colleen Thompson of North Mankato and their granddaughter, Cassie, to take pictures for our story about The RV Way of Life. They’ll be heading south in their RV before too much longer, actually. Their RV is beautiful and roomy, and they are lucky to be able to enjoy time together while relaxing, meeting new friends and enjoying the countryside.

I hope you’ll enjoy the story of traveling with Barry (The Bear) and Kathy Wortel. I can’t imagine the fun—or the responsibility—of being a guide for a trip to Alaska with almost 50 people, or to all the ball games. Although I have never been to Alaska, we have made it to Yankee Stadium once. When I asked my son what was the highlight of our trip to New York, his firm answer was simple: Yankee Stadium. I hear that going with the Bear and Kathy is a very fun trip—for everyone involved. They admit that part of the fun for themselves is watching the other travelers laugh and enjoy themselves.

Next read about Dr. Maryann Nelson and her new animal hospital on North Mankato’s hilltop. I grew up on a farm, and one of my chores was to help Dad vaccinate the cattle (actually I was better at watching the gate and herding). There is nothing worse for a pet owner than knowing that “your best friend” is sick and needs doctor care. Fortunately, through her modern equipment and unique techniques, Dr. Nelson can take care of any type of pet.

Lastly, read about wills…why you might need one and why you might need to make some changes to the one you already have. I like their advice of re-visiting your will every five years. It will bring peace of mind to know that your wishes will be carried out. And don’t procrastinate on this…

As the weather turns cooler, enjoy the sweatshirt days of fall and watch for our holiday edition of Mature coming in November…

Kelly Hulke, Publisher

Welcome to the fall edition of Mature Lifestyle...


Mature Lifestyle is a Quarterly Publication of the Home Magazine, Mankato MN. AProperty of Community First Holdings, Inc.

Mankato MarathonA Weekend of Events Bringingthe Community Together

A Purr-fect PlaceNorth Mankato Animal Hospital

The RV Way of LifeLocals spending winters on the road

Things You Need to Know About Your Will

Why you may need one and changing it

Volume 4, Issue 3 FREE

PublisherKelly Hulke

Graphic ArtistBecky Hopp

Sales ManagerMary Degrood

Sales ExecutivesYvonne SonnekDebby CarlsonDeena BriggsDorothy Meyer

Editorial/PhotographySara Gilbert Frederick

Jean Lindquist

Page DesignerBecky Hopp

Business ManagerRon Bresnahan

Circulation ManagerRobin Stenzel

CirculationJim Lawrence

Becky Carmody

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(507) 387-7953fax 387-4775

email: [email protected]

On the cover:Mankato Marathon

Photos provided by SPX Sports

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Randy Zellmer likes to run alone. He heads out at times that other

runners might not choose and seeks routes that often stray from the beaten path. It’s his time for peace and quiet, a time when the busy father, grandfather and attorney can be by himself.

But at this time of year, in this town, Zellmer is rarely alone on the roads—

and that doesn’t bother him at all. Seeing runners of all ages and abilities out training for fall races—including the Mankato Marathon—makes the veteran of 55 marathons and 17 ultra-marathons excited.

“I think the Mankato Marathon has really gotten people in this community excited about running,” Zellmer says.

“They’re challenged by what they think is possible.”

On October 21, Zellmer will run the Mankato Marathon for the third time. It’s one of three races he has planned during a three-week stretch this fall; he’ll also be running the Twin Cities Marathon on October 7 and a 50-mile ultra the week after the Mankato


Mankato Marathon

By Sara Gilbert Frederick

A Run-derful RaceThe Mankato Marathon has been great for local runners as well

as for the local community.

Photo provided by SPX Sports


Marathon. It’s a grueling schedule, but that’s part of what Zellmer likes about it. “It’s the challenge of it,” he says. “I like the challenge. And I do just enjoy running.”

“Randy is one of those guys who I am just in awe of,” says Maureen Waltman, the Mankato Marathon coordinator for the Greater Mankato Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “What he does is just so impressive.”

But Waltman, who has run 20 marathons herself (her 20th was the first Mankato race, in 2010) and who will run the New York City Marathon this November, is equally impressed by all of the runners training for this year’s race. She’s been thrilled to see people in their Mankato Marathon

training shirts about town all summer. “You see them all over,” she says. “It’s just wonderful to see how many people want to be involved.”

Each year, the number of people signing up for the Mankato Marathon events—including the full 26.2 mile marathon, a 13.1 mile half-marathon, a 10K, a 5K and KidsK—has grown. Last year, a total of approximately 4,000 runners took part in the various races—a significant increase over the previous year. In late August, Waltman said that registrations for the 2012 races were already up 28 percent over last year. “I think we will fill most of the races this year,” she said. “The half will fill, and the 10K and the 5K look like they will fill too.”

Zellmer credits the organizers for putting together a great event that attracts more runners every year. “I think it’s a very well-run race,” he says. “They’ve gone about it in the right way and have put together a first-class event.”

Zellmer started running in the mid 1980s. He ran his first marathon, Twin Cities, in 1990. “I felt totally undertrained for that race,” he admits. “I remember hitting Summit Avenue and thinking ‘This is crazy!’ Luckily, that’s where my family came out to see me, which helped.”

Since then, he’s run, in his own words, “many, many marathons.” The Twin Cities is still one of his favorites, alongside Grandma’s Marathon in



Duluth (which he’s run 17 times), the Pike’s Peak Marathon in Colorado and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. But since 2005, when he ran his first ultra (any race longer than a marathon), he’s been more challenged by the longer format. “Now, most of my training is for the ultras,” he says.

In preparation for his 50-mile race at the end of October, for example, Zellmer spent one weekend running a total of 42 miles—22 on Saturday morning, and 20 more on Sunday. “Saturday was a nice, flat run, on the River Trail and the Red Jacket,” he says. “But Sunday was more hills, out at Seven Mile Park.”

Zellmer admits that both his legs and his brain were tired by the end of that weekend. The mental fatigue, he says, requires just as much recovery time after a long run or race as the physical. “You have to take a week to recover both physically and mentally after a marathon,” he says, “especially your first one.”

The rewards of running, he adds, go beyond physical fitness as well.

“I know that I’m more confident as a person and as an attorney,” Zellmer says. “I know that I can challenge myself to do more than I thought possible.”

Strong FinishRunners from 29 states, including

Alaska, will be participating in the Mankato Marathon this year. Most



“Randy Zellner (right)is anxious to run in the Mankato Marathon, but also trains for Ultra Marathons which can be 50 miles or more.”

“Friends finishing the race together is one of the highlights for spectators.”

of them, h o w e v e r , come from within a 60-mile radius of Manka to—and many c o m e directly from the Greater M a n k a t o area.

“This is a community-wide event,” W a l t m a n says. “If you go out along the course to watch the race, you will see a lot of people you know in the race. There are so many people from Mankato running—it’s

really fun to be a spectator. And it’s like a big celebration at the finish line, too.”

Waltman’s goal this year is to keep that finish-line celebration going strong

until the last runner crosses. The runners who come in at the end, she says, have often had to work the hardest to get there—and they deserve as much of a welcome as the fastest f i n i s h e r s . “I’d like to

get a group of people to wait for that last person to come across,” she says. “I’d like to focus in on that person and really be able to applaud that person.”



Sneak Peakwww.joanbenoitsamuelson.com

With the whole world watching, Joan Benoit Samuelson was the first ever gold medalist for the Women’s Olympic Marathon in 1984. Now we have a chance to watch her as the headline speaker of the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic Speaker Series.

Winning that gold medal wasn’t Samuelson’s only accomplishment. In 1979 she won the Boston Marathon in world record time. In 1983 she ran the Boston Marathon again, setting another world record. Joan has been running competitively for over 35 years.

Samuelson has remained an important figure in the running world and in women’s athletics. She serves as an inspiration for runners and athletes of all ages around the world.

In 1998, Samuelson founded the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race to benefit children’s charities in Maine. This premiere event attracts elite runners from around the globe.

SEEING STARS Saturday, October 20, 2012

7:00 p.m. Myers Field House

Minnesota State University, Mankato Keynote Speaker:

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Dr. MaryannNelson

When Dr. Maryann Nelson opened the doors of her

animal hospital on North Mankato’s hilltop last April, it became the city’s only veterinary clinic—which was precisely why she had chosen that location.

“I felt this was a very undeserved area,” Nelson says.

As a brand new clinic, the North Mankato Animal Hospital sports all of the most modern and up-to-date medical equipment. There’s a large laboratory area, so animals and their owners are treated to onsite blood work and receive other lab reports on the day of service.

A digital x-ray machine facilitates immediate analysis as well. It’s also better for the animals, their owners, the employees and the environment, Nelson says. There are no chemicals needed to develop x-ray films, and storing the files on a compact disc is easy.

The surgery room features a heated

surgical table and an anesthesia delivery machine “that dispenses the same anesthesia you or I would receive,” Nelson explains. Also echoing the treatment a human would receive is a pulse oximeter machine for animals.

“You and I would have this on the end of our finger,” Nelson says. “With animals, we put it on their ear or clip it to their tongue.” Blood pressure is also monitored during surgery, Nelson says, with a small cuff that goes around a leg or tail. “We are able to monitor our patients much better now than in the days when we had a tech who checked the color of an animal’s gums

and used a stethoscope to see how they were doing,” she says.

Nelson also uses a surgical laser almost exclusively on her patients. It results in less pain, less bleeding, and a faster recovery.

It’s not just modern equipment that Nelson believes sets her clinic apart from many others. The techniques she uses are also somewhat unique.

For example she has separate examination rooms for cats and dogs. “Especially for cats, that makes a difference,” she explains. Cats are

By Jean Lundquist

10 March 2012 Mature Lifestyle

A Purr-fect PlaceThe North Mankato Animal Hospital serves the pet population with

modern equipment, unique techiques and a convenient location.

emma

lexi

avery

often upset by being in a carrier and being in the car, so when they get to the clinic, they don’t have the added distraction of smelling unknown dog scents in the room.

“Sometimes, we don’t even take the cat out of the carrier to examine it,” she says. “We take the top off the carrier, and leave the cat inside, if that’s where he feels safer.”

When cats and dogs need to be kept in the hospital, they are also housed in kennels well separated from each other.

Nelson admits that although she loves dogs, she especially likes to work with cats and considers them a specialty. Growing up on a farm north of Nicollet, she fondly recalls playing with all of the barn cats. Dogs were part of upbringing as well. “We always had a German shepherd outside, and a Pomeranian for a house dog,” she says.

After graduating from Gaylord High School, Nelson went to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, and then attended veterinary school at the University of Minnesota. When she graduated, she expected to work with large animals, not small.

She wanted to work in dairy, so she moved to Sauk Center to work in a dairy centric practice there. “Some 94 percent of that practice was dairy,” she says.

Then she and her husband moved to Le Sueur, where she took a job in

a clinic that was much more centered on small animals—and she discovered that she really liked it. That’s when she decided to switch her focus.

“One of the perks,” she says, “is we get to work with pets all day long.”

When she and her two employees—Kristi Brown, a certified vet technician, and Shelli Allen, the receptionist—aren’t busy, they often take their well patients out of the kennels and play with them to ease the stress of being in the hospital. Many owners drop their pets off in the morning before work, and pick them up on the way home. The hours between can be lonely for the animal.

Most of the work done at the clinic is well-pet checks and services. “We do a lot of vaccinations and heartworm checks, which are very important,” Nelson says. Nelson calls the coyote population in the area “a reservoir of canine problems” that can be transferred to domestic dogs, but can be prevented with proper care.

Preventive care is a lesson that Nelson teaches every chance she gets. Heartworm prevention among dogs and cats is well accepted now, but the

idea of dental care still needs attention.

“If your pet has breath so bad that you don’t want a lick or a kiss, it means his teeth need to be cleaned,”

she says. “By the time they are three years old, they should have their teeth cleaned.”

A way to avoid having a vet do that is to brush their teeth yourself, she says—but never with human toothpaste, which is toxic to animals. “Animal toothpaste is usually chicken or malt flavored, and they love it,” she says. “You have to work to keep them from just eating the toothpaste.”

By brushing your pet’s teeth, you can usually delay a trip to the vet for the procedure for another two years.

Most of the clients of the North Mankato Animal Hospital come from a three-mile radius around the facility, Nelson says. Nelson herself travels a little farther than that each day. She still lives near Le Sueur with

her husband, a retired St. Peter police officer, her

11-year-old twin boys who they adopted eight years ago from Russia, her 2-year-old Gordon setter and her 6-year-old domestic long-

haired cat, R o m e o .


12 March 2012 Mature Lifestyle

1765 Commerce DrNorth Mankato,MN 56003

Phone: 507-720-6700www.northmankatoanimalhospital.com

Although pet parents are well aware of poisons lurking around

their home, many don’t realize that some of the biggest culprits are sitting right on their own nightstands.

Remember to keep all medications tucked away in bathroom cabinets—and far from curious cats and dogs.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.

Antidepressants can cause vomiting and lethargy and certain types can lead to serotonin syndrome—a condition marked by agitation, elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, disorientation, vocalization, tremors and seizures.

AcetaminophenCats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen, which can damage red blood cells and interfere with their ability to transport oxygen. In dogs, it can cause liver damage and, at higher doses, red blood cell damage.

Methylphenidate (for ADHD)Medications used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in people act as stimulants in pets and can dangerously elevate heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as cause seizures.

Fluorouracil—an anti-cancer drug—is used

topically to treat minor skin cancers

and solar keratitis in humans. It has proven to be rapidly fatal to dogs, causing severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest even in those who’ve chewed on discarded cotton swabs used to apply the medication.

IsoniazidOften the first line of defense against tuberculosis, isoniazid is particularly toxic for dogs because they don’t metabolize it as well as other species. It can cause a rapid onset of severe seizures that may ultimately result in death.

Pseudoephedrine is a popular decongestant in many cold and sinus products, and acts like a stimulant if accidentally ingested by pets. In cats and dogs, it causes elevated heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature as well as seizures.

Top 10Human Medications That PoisonOur Pets

North Mankato

Vet Hospital

Anti-diabeticsMany oral diabetes treatments—including glipizide and glyburide—can cause a major drop in blood sugar levels of affected pets. Clinical signs of ingestion include disorientation, lack of coordination and seizures.

Vitamin D derivativesEven small exposures to Vitamin D analogues like calcipotriene and calcitriol can cause life-threatening spikes in blood calcium levels in pets. Clinical signs of exposure—including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased urination and thirst due to kidney failure—often don’t occur for more than 24 hours after ingestion.

Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that can impair the central nervous systems of cats and dogs. Some symptoms of ingestion include significant depression, disorientation,

vocalization, seizures and coma, which can lead

to death.


Across1. Young salmon6. Kisser10. Droops14. Lowest point15. ___ believer16. Small gull17. 1952 novel, with The20. Split

21. Rowboat adjunct22. Not too brainy25. ___ Rebellion of 1857-59 26. Twisted30. Hoodlum32. Fuse35. Sniff out41. Author of 17 & 63 Across

43. Meager44. Broad view45. Square47. Che or gen followers48. Item with a ladder53. Pastoral poems (var.)56. Wheels for mom58. Lest63. 1929 novel66. Cost of living?

67. Ashtabula’s lake68. Exhaust69. Deuce topper70. Turned blue, maybe71. Interesting

Down1. Prig2. French Sudan, today3. Betting data

4. Beer garnish5. ___ housing6. “Harper Valley ___”7. Ashes holder8. Logic game9. “La Scala di ___” (Rossini opera) 10. Inscribed stone11. Greek moralist12. Artist, with El13. Sinuous18. ___ degree19. “48___”23. Yen24. Sang like a canary26. Scores high27. Do the trick28. Doctor Who villain-ess, with The29. Big bang matter31. Beam33. Sixth sense34. Peeper problem36. “Walking on Thin Ice” singer37. Shrek, e.g.38. Holiday opener39. Weak40. Young falcon42. Lots46. Napa Valley area48. Sting49. Certain inmate50. Empty51. Kind of pool52. “Give It To You” rapper54. Illuminated55. Muzzle57. Blown away59. Hombre’s home60. “Iliad” warrior61. Blue books?62. See64. Go horizontal65. Directed

Answers are located on page 23

OFFICE HOURSM,T,W,F7:30am-5:30pmThur2:00pm-8:00pm

For After HoursEmergenciesCall 507-720-6700

North Mankato

Vet Hospital


BOOKREVIEWS

Terri Schlichenmeyer

The other day you met somebody who could change your life.

It may not happen immediately. You may not see life-alterations for years, in fact. Right now, the two of you are in a “get to know you” phase, but one thing’s certain: this former stranger will be a good person to have in your circle.

So what would it be like to meet someone famous – or someone on the fast-track to infamy? In the new book “Hello Goodbye Hello” by Craig Brown, you’ll read about some of history’s most unusual and interesting tete-à-tetes.

Nineteen-year-old John Scott-Ellis had just gotten his first car.

It was August, 1931, a beautiful day for a drive around Munich. Scott-Ellis swore, years later, that he wasn’t speeding. He was enjoying a leisurely drive, which was fortunate for the man who stepped in front of Scott-Ellis’ car.

The man was Adolph Hitler.Rudyard Kipling longed to meet Mark

Twain and when he finally did, Kipling was pleased that Twain was generous with his time. Later, when Kipling became famous for his own books, he was not so gracious.

Although Helen Keller knew many notables, she was eager to meet Martha Graham. Keller had always longed to dance like “other girls” and Graham was happy to let Keller feel the music.

But by the time Graham met Madonna, Graham’s reputation had turned darker. Madonna sought out the semi-reclusive “Grande Dame” of dance and when they finally connected, Madonna was awestruck. It was a meeting that, years later, turned out to be beneficial to both.

Michael Jackson saw no benefit in a “date” with Madonna, however,

but his agent insisted. Jackson was mortified, embarrassed, and felt “queasiness” at the meeting, yet still agreed to accompany Madonna to the Academy Awards in 1991.

In 1972, Queen Elizabeth spoke with her estranged uncle, the Duke of Windsor, at a meeting the Duke’s wife disdained. There was no love lost when the Duchess of Windsor met with others of the Royal Family after the Duke’s death, either.

Yet, when the Duchess met Adolph Hitler, he had nothing but praise for her…

They say you’re never more than six connections away from any person on earth. “Hello Goodbye Hello” is fascinating proof of that.

Starting with a chance encounter that might’ve changed the world, and ending with a friendship that likewise would’ve had worldwide repercussions, author Craig Brown takes readers on a circuitous connection through history, art, and entertainment.

I got a kick out of the real-time feel of these stories (even though some of them happened decades ago), and I liked that Brown gleefully gives readers the good and the bad, as well as plenty of side-notes and further information that gives double meaning to many meetings. Indeed, this book carries a lot of surprises.

Though some of the personalities may be unfamiliar, this is an easy-to-read, quick and quirky book that’s hard to put down. If that sounds like it might meet your interests, “Hello Goodbye Hello” is one to get acquainted with.

“Hello Goodbye Hello”by Craig Brown©2012, Simon & Schuster$26.95 / $29.99 Canada384 pages

Your friend called the other day, but you had to call him back.

You were on your way out the door and didn’t have time to talk. But when you return-phoned him, he was busy and said he’d call again.

You’ve played Phone Tag like this before, and you know the only antidote is to make an appointment – which is funny because, once upon a time, you couldn’t understand the appeal of “visiting.” Now you wish you had more time to just sit and talk and listen because, as you’ll see in “Visiting Tom” by Michael Perry, you learn a lot, and a lot about life.

Tom Hartwig lives on the land where he was born eighty-some years ago. It’s the same farm where he brought his bride, raised kids, milked cows, and made a living.

Just about everybody around knows Tom, but those who don’t could be forgiven for thinking he’s some kind of superhero. That’s because Tom’s renowned for fixing what’s broken and making what’s needed. He created a snowplow out of pieces of machinery. He manufactured a saw for planing lumber. He made a few working cannons, just for fun. When he finds a bit of steel, he sees possibilities.

But there’s one thing he couldn’t fix. Back nearly fifty years ago, progress came to his little valley and, after considerable back-and-forth, Tom’s beloved farm was cleaved in two by Interstate 90 that runs right through Wisconsin. His outbuildings now sit snug up to the highway. The background

of his life is the ka-thumpa-ka-thumpa-ka-thumpa of semi tires on the road.

Mike Perry is friends with Tom Hartwig. But what could a forty-something man have in common with someone old enough to be his grandfather?

Perry knows a kindred spirit: both are men who love the land, love their families, and have a touch of poetry in their souls. Perry, a storyteller himself, also knows a good tale when he hears it. And he knows a good story when it walks into his life.

Let me tell you about “Visiting Tom.”It’s part memoir, part character piece.

There’s a bit of the poetic to it. It’s about fighting bureaucracy, Foxfire-ish self-sustenance, life the “old-timer’s” way, and male-bonding foolishness. It’s about fatherhood, marriage, and love.

And it’s just about one of the sweetest books you’ll ever read.

Author Michael Perry admits to more than one lump-in-the-throat moment, and his descriptive way of explaining them causes the same in his readers. He’ll make you homesick for an old way of life (whether you lived it or didn’t), but he’ll also make you laugh because he laughs at himself. Spending time with Perry, in fact, is like a lemonade-lazy afternoon on a front porch with an old friend who loves to jaw about everything and nothing. I loved that.

I think this book will appeal to anyone who longs for a time when life was slow and friends were fast. If that sounds like heaven to you, then “Visiting Tom” is a book you’ll want to call on.

“Visiting Tom”by Michael Perry©2012 Harper$24.99 / $27.99 Canada310 pages


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RecreationalVehicle

It’s a lifestyle that doesn’t fit

everyone, but for these two Mankato area couples, it’s nearly perfect. Don and Liz Keepers of Mankato and Myron and Colleen Thompson of North Mankato are snowbirds who spend six months of the year in Arizona in a recreational vehicle (RV).

As Don Keeper puts it, “If a man and

his wife get along well together all the time, they’ll get along well together down there.” By there, he means the 400 square feet of RV that he and Liz share for half the year near Mesa, Ariz.

In addition to their park model RV,

which Don likens to a small mobile home, they also have what is called “an Arizona room,” which is a small 10-by-12-foot shed under the outside awning. “That’s so Don can get away if he needs to,” Liz chuckles.

Still she says, they have all the room

they need. “The only thing we don’t have room for is a lot of company,” she says.

The Keepers’ are a well-known name in the area among people who like to camp in RVs. They started, owned and operated Keepers RV Center near Mankato for many years. Next year will be the 50th year the Keepers RV Center has been in business, now operated by Don and Liz’s daughter Lisa and her husband, Jack May.

“We used to take a new trailer or motor home every year,” Liz recalls. “That was a lot of work—loading it and unloading it.” But in some ways, it was also more fun, even though they were going to the same park every year.

“We’d take a different route and see

different sights,” Don says. “Now, we’re just anxious to get down there and settle in. It was easy, because we had our place to sleep with us.”

As the Keepers prepare for their mid-October exodus, they’ll arrange to have all their mail forwarded to them in Mesa. “It’s expensive,” Don says, “but sometimes a piece of mail looks like junk mail, but it’s important.” They will turn down the thermostat in the house so the temperature hovers around 50, and put the temperature alarm in the window.

If the temperature drops too low in the house, it turns on a red light. When the neighbor in the townhouse across the driveway sees it, he calls one of the Keepers’s children. So far, that’s only happened one time, they say.

By Jean Lundquist

The RV Way of LifeHeading south in an RV is an October rite of passage

for a pair of local couples.

“Colleen and Myron Thompson, with granddaughter Cassie.”


Like many snowbirds, the Keepers’ will not come back to Minnesota for the holidays. “Christmas is a wonderful time down there,” Don says, as Liz shows pictures of palm trees wrapped in Christmas lights, and a decorated cactus in their yard. “Besides, you talk to most grandparents who come back to see their grandchildren, and they come and ask, ‘How’s it going, Grandpa?’ and they’re gone right away.”

“And we have so many friends down

there, that is our home, too,” adds Liz. Like the Keepers, the Thompsons will

be heading south in mid-October this year. “Each year we leave earlier and come back later,” says Myron, though this year family events like weddings and graduations will cut down on the time they spend in Arizona in both the fall and the spring.

The first year, they didn’t leave until

after Christmas, so they could spend the holidays with their children and grandchildren. They were heading for Texas, that year. “We had 18 inches of ice and snow on the camper, and couldn’t get in it until we hit Waco,” recalls Colleen.

Unlike the Keepers’, the Thompsons

pull a fifth wheel trailer and don’t stay in a permanent place. Instead, they have joined a couple of camping organizations that allow stays of up to three weeks in assorted campgrounds. When their three weeks are up, then it’s time to move on. “We get to see more, meet more people, and have more fun,” explains Colleen.

The word both Thompsons use to

describe their snowbird experience is “relaxing.”

“If you’re hungry, you eat; if the sun goes down, you sleep,” says Myron. “You can sit on the patio in the afternoon and have a drink if you want, have snacks, read. There’s just no hurry to do anything.”

“I suppose we could do that here, too,” Colleen adds, “but it just feels like there’s always something that needs to be done here. Sometimes Myron will ask me if this is church day (Sunday). One day just flows into the next.”

The Thompsons also enjoy the social

aspect of their snowbird experience. “I’ll take the garbage down and get back two hours later,” he says.

The lack of class barriers is an added plus for the Thompsons. “There will be a guy with a half a million dollar motor home, and he’s no different than you and me. There are no boss-employee lines. Everyone is equal and just having a good time,” says Myron.

In their travels, the Thompsons have

encountered other couples who have sold their houses and live in their RVs fulltime, travelling the country. “We came home last year ready to do that,” says Colleen, “but our banker son talked us out of it.”

Myron believes they are well

positioned to go full time, however. “We know of a couple who has lived in a unit just like ours for 15 or more years, and they’re very comfortable,” he says.

As the Thompsons prepare to leave

for the South this fall, they’ll drain the water pipes in their house—a necessity after suffering a flooded basement a few years ago. Though it was a bit of a fluke, Myron calls it a comfort factor activity.

Since they won’t be staying in one

place, they won’t have their mail forwarded by the post office. Instead, their son will pick up the mail when he checks on the house, and either send it to the park where they are staying or send it general delivery to the post office near where they are, as they make reservations three months in advance.

Although the Thompsons agree

that many of the parks put on great Christmas parties, they prefer to be with family for the holidays. “We always try to make it to my sister’s in Tucson for Christmas, so we aren’t so homesick,” Colleen says.

“The Thompsons enjoy their beautiful RV kitchen.”

”This emblem on the RV camper highlights all the states the Thompsons have traveled.”


Jorun Groe Meierding can’t be sure why people choose not to

have a will. Those aren’t the people who come to chat with her or one of the other attorneys at Maschka Riedy & Ries in Mankato, after all. “I don’t know what holds people back,” she says. “Maybe the expense? Maybe they don’t like attorneys?”

When it comes to writing a will, however, Meierding says that an attorney can be your friend.

Attorneys know what questions to ask about your estate. They know the statutes relating to the execution of a will. They know how the courts in the area handle probate, or the official proving of a will in court. They understand the legal nuances better than most. They know that there are a few things you don’t know—and that you should know—about your will.

Will or no will, you still can’t take it with you when

you go. “If you don’t have a will, then the state has one for you,” Meierding says. “Something has to be done with your assets.” You can decide what you want to do with them, by putting those wishes in a legal document, or you can let the state decide. “Some people are okay with that,” Meierding says. “It

goes to the spouse, then to the children. If that’s what you would have wanted, then that is fine.”

You cannot cut your spouse out of your will. You can

cut your children out. You can even cut just one or two of your children out. You can cut anyone else out as well—just not your spouse. “Your spouse is the only one who is entitled to your assets,” Meierding explains. “A spouse can contest a will, if they are provided with less than they would have received by statute.” There are exceptions, of course; couples sign prenuptial agreements, for example, often have established guidelines about the distribution of wealth upon death that lay the groundwork for the execution of the will as well.

Divorce dissolves any legal rights to an estate. Even if

a former spouse is still named as the beneficiary in the will or other documents, no assets can be distributed to that person. It’s one of only two cases Meierding can think of in which a will is rendered ineffective. “The other,” she says, “is if you’ve killed the person.”

Even so, divorced couples would be wise to revisit their

documents and revise the beneficiaries they name. “You still want to get it changed, so that you can redistribute your assets as you want,” Meierding says.

Last Will & Testament


What You Didn’t Know You Need to Know about Your Will

Like why you might need one, or why you might need to make some changes to the one you already have.

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Everyone, actually, would be wise to revisit their documents from time

to time. Meierding recommends taking a look at them at least once every five years. Make sure the correct beneficiaries are named and that the people you’ve given power of attorney and health care directive to are still your choices. Those can be changed easily if necessary.

You can make your own list of your

personal belongings and designate who gets what; you don’t need a lawyer to do that for you. But, to make that list legally binding, its existence needs to be mentioned in a will, and it needs to be either written in your own handwriting or signed by you.

Keep a copy of your will for yourself, and make sure

the person you’ve asked to be your personal representative knows where to find the official copy as well. You can choose to file your will with your attorney’s office, where it will be stored in a fireproof safe. You can file it with the court, where it will be kept safe and sound until you request it for changes, or you die. Or you can tuck it into a safe deposit box—but know that once you are gone, it can be difficult for anyone else to gain access to that box.

If you’re concerned about the tax burden you might

place on the beneficiaries named in your will, you can place your assets

in a disclaimer trust. Upon your death, your beneficiary has the option to

either receive your assets in full or to disclaim, or give up, the assets and place them in a trust. “It’s a nice tool if you and your spouse have significant assets,” Meierding says. “It gives you the flexibility to make a decision about those assets when you need to.”

You’re probably not too young to have a will.

Meierding says that she sees far more older clients than younger ones, and often they are quite clear about their plans for their assets. She understands that it may be harder for younger people to think about the future quite so clearly, especially when their finances already feel stretched to the limit. But especially once children enter the picture, she r e c o m m e n d s developing at least a basic will that designates guardians. “It’s always a good idea to have that

in place,” she says. “It may end up the same way you had hoped it would

regardless, but if you have it written down, then you will know that it will happen.”

Peace of mind is worth

the price you pay to draw up a will you feel good about. “To have your affairs in order, to know that once you die your wishes will be carried out—I don’t know if you can put a price tag on that,”

Meierding says. “I tend to think the peace of mind is worth it.”

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Where to go and what to do!

SeptemberBlues Dancing ClassWednesdays through December 1, 9 p.m.Savoy Bar and Grill, 526 S. Front St., Mankato507/385-0072

Bella Ruse ConcertSeptember 13, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.Halling Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center, MSU(507) 389-5549

Modern Living ShowSeptember 14-16, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.River Hills Mall, Mankato612/418-4374

Trampled by Turtles ConcertSeptember 14, 7 p.m.Vetter Stone Amphitheater at Riverfront Park, Mankato(507) 389-3000

Winedown for the WeekendSeptember 14, 21, & 28; October 5, 12, 19 & 26Morgan Creek Vineyards, New Ulm(507) 947-3547

History Fest Benefit “Do it for the Kids”September 15, 10 a.m.-1:30 a.m.Red Sky Lounge, [email protected]

Fall Fest @ the Arb 2012September 15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.Linnaeus Arboretum, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter(507) 933-6181

Black & White Gala, “The Artist”September 15, 6 p.m.-12 a.m.Centennial Student Union Ballroom, MSU(507) 387-1008

Zonta Fashion Show 2012September 20, 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.Verizon Wireless Center, Mankatowww.zontamankato.org; 507/387-8453

“November”September 19-22; 7:30 p.m.Andreas Theatre, MSU, Mankatowww.mnsu.edu/theatre; 507/389-6661

Arts on the GreenSeptember 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.Campus Green, Bethany Lutheran [email protected]

Fall Home and Living ExpoSeptember 21-23, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.River Hills Mall, MankatoDisney Institute: Disney’s Approach to Quality ServiceSeptember 24, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Centennial Student Union Ballroom, [email protected]; 507/389-8875

Eric Church’s Blood, Sweat and Beers TourSeptember 27, 7 p.m.Verizon Wireless Center507/389-3000

Gingerbread Craft ShowSeptember 28-30, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.River Hills Mall, Mankato(651) 45-8980

Remembering Front Street Opening WeekendSeptember 28-29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Blue Earth County Historical Society, Mankato(507) 345-5566

8th Annual Arf WalkSeptember 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Land of Memories Park, Mankato(507) 625-6373

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of MankatoSeptember 29, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.Riverfront Park, [email protected]

Merely Players presents “Helen’s Inner Circle”September 28-October7, 7:30 p.m.Lincoln Community Center, Mankato(507) 388-5483

Remembering the Boys in Blue Glenwood Cemetery TourSeptember 29, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.Glenwood Cemetery, Mankato(507) 625-8056

OctoberThe Unforgiving Minute—Book Discussion October 3, 7 p.m.-8 p.m.North Mankato Taylor Library(507) 389-5498

“A Chorus Line”October 4-6 & 11-13, 7:30 p.m.; October 14, 2 p.m.Ted Paul Theatre, MSU, Mankatowww.mnsu.edu/theatre; 507/389-6661

International Bioenergy Days ConferenceOctober 7-10, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.Minnesota State University, Mankatowww.internationalbioenergydays.com; (507) 389-5198

Rob Zombie and Marilyn MansonOctober 9, 7 p.m.Verizon Wireless Center(507) 389-3000

Signature Chef’s AuctionOctober 11, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.Snell Motors, 1900 Madison Avenue, Mankato(507) 388-6342

Historic Pub CrawlOctober 13, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.Good Thunder(507) 345-5566

Music on the Hill Concert, Mankato Symphony OrchestraOctober 14, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.Chapel at Good Counsel(507) 625-8880

Fall Sidewalk SalesOctober 18-21, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.River Hills Mall(507) 385-7450

Mankato MarathonOctober 20-21Mankatowww.mankatomarathon.com; 507/385-6664

Wine Diva WeekendNovember 2-4, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.Morgan Creek Vineyards, New Ulm(507) 947-3547

To View MoreLocal Events On

Theater & Dance; Music; Visual Arts;Sports & Games; Fitness & Wellness;

Nature; History or Festivals & Expos, Visit:www.greatermankatoevents.com


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20 Varieties of Beer on Tap

For their 35th wedding anniversary last fall, Barry and Kathy Wortel took an Alaskan cruise together.

With 47 other people, most of whom they’d never met before.

The trip, which the Wortels hosted on behalf of the Travel Center in Mankato, was one of dozens that the couple has hosted together over the years—but it was the first time they had flown with that large of a group.

Barry, a longtime KTOE radio personality, and Kathy, a media specialist with the Mankato Area Public Schools, have taken annual bus trips to Branson, Mo, since 2004; they’ve taken groups to see the Minnesota Twins play in Milwaukee, Wis., and in Kansas City, Mo. Every summer, they also fill a bus for several KTOE-Minnstar fan trips to Target Field for Twins games.

But getting almost 50 people to and from Alaska was a different experience, they say.

“The gal at the Travel Center said to me, ‘Barry, once you get them all on the plane and all on the ship, then it will be easy,’” he says. “And it really was.”

“The airport was the only part with the potential to be a hassle,” Kathy adds. “In Minneapolis, there’s a group gate that you go out of, which is nice. But the Seattle airport

doesn’t have anything like that, so that one was a little trickier to get through as a group.”

Even with the added responsibilities of leading the group, the Wortels agree that the cruise still felt like a vacation. Once the cruise began, their primary role as leaders was to answer any questions that came up and to check in with

all of the travelers regularly. They scheduled occasional optional activities for the group, including excursions, happy hours and a pub tour, but no one was required to join them.

“It was a great trip,” Barry says. “There were no glitches at all. It was a lot of fun.”

That’s how the Wortels feel about all of the trips they take, whether as leaders of a group or just a couple. They try to visit a new city every summer, often timing it around their July 2 anniversary and usually including a baseball game somewhere on the intinerary; they’ve been to ballparks in New York, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington D.C., to name just a few.

On November 1, they’re heading back to Branson again. Although this will be their seventh trip to the music and entertainment mecca in Missouri, they’re looking forward to the adventure, as always.

“It isn’t necessarily Branson that I love,” Kathy explains. “It’s the people we go with. They’re always different, and they’re always so much fun. Those are my four favorite


Travel


Traveling TogetherBarry and Kathy Wortel team up to lead group travel trips

every year.

days of the year. We just have such a wonderful time there.”

Even though they often see the same shows year after year, watching a new group of travelers experience it keeps it fresh for them. Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff has used the same material every time they’ve seen him, for example, but the Wortels still find themselves laughing at the familiar lines. “It’s fun to see other people enjoy it,” Barry says. “Seeing them laugh is what makes us laugh.”

The Wortels have hosted almost every trip together, as a couple (their daughters have filled in for Kathy twice—once when she was sick and once when she had to work). It’s a nice getaway for them, they agree, but it’s also a lot of work.

“You definitely need two people,” Barry explains. “It’s easier to pull things off with two, and issues do come up that are easier to handle if you have two people.”

But even when one is leading a group into a venue while the other follows behind at the rear to keep any stragglers together, the Wortels enjoy the opportunity to travel together no matter where they go.

“We enjoy whatever we do,” Barry says. “It’s been a great opportunity for us.”


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