Table display for the 157 anniversary party of Minnesota Statehood
Jay and Liz Rippberger and Dave and Joan Wood, earliest residents from Minnesota at the party
Minnesota
Maureen Lehrer
Minnesota natives and friends gathered at the home of Ron and Maureen Lehrer Monday, May 11, to celebrate the 157th anniversary of the statehood of Minnesota. Minnesota was founded in 1858 and became the 32nd state of the union. Manly and Judy Osborn served as co-hosts.
Refreshments were provided by the 27 guests, and cake and cupcakes were the dessert of choice for the celebration. A “highlights of Minnesota” DVD was shown, and a map was displayed for everyone to mark their home town. Conversations were lively, food tasty and the time too short. One of the highlights of every gathering is Liz Rippberger’s homemade Lefse.
The other guests included: Ed and Elaine Barnett, John and Mary Goodpaster, Bruce and Carol Foster, Jim and Mary Doyle, Ron and Lorna Anderson, Dave and Joan Wood, Lynne Hendren, Jack and Linda Zastrow, Reg and Peg Rezac, Ardyce Oman and daughter, Jay and Liz Rippberger and Michael and Karen Herzig.
We always look forward to the next gathering and seeing the new faces around the Ranch.
Front row: Pete Toppan, Mary Lou Fay, Nancy Toppan, Creeda Faegre, Janis Peters, Billy and John Maxwell; second row: Paul and Susan Knopick, Linda and Ron Hesslein, Pam Van Overwalle, Cheryl Smith, Karen DiPietro, Suzanne Cote, June Fuller, Ron Cote, Frank DiPietro, Henry Fuller, Dee Frazier and Jim Sico; third row: Rick Smith, Phil and Cynthia Sweet, Ray Peters, Jack Faegre, Terry Abernathy and Rick Gensheimer.
New England States
Nancy Toppan
New England is a region located in the northeast corner of the USA. The region is made up of six diverse U.S. states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
The natural beauty, culture and history of New England attract and delight visitors from around the world. Fall is for viewing the colorful foliage; winter brings all manner of snow sports; spring is the time for urban fun, museums and cultural attractions; and summer is for getting outdoors in the mountains, meadows and beaches.
The states of New England have a combined area of only 71,991.8 square miles, making the region slightly larger than the state of Washington and larger than England.
This April the New England States gathering was at the home of Nancy and Pete Toppan. Twenty-eight people attended with New Englanders from all six states present.
Everyone enjoyed a tasty array of hors d’oeuvres, delectable desserts and assorted drinks. We all introduced ourselves and commented on the state or states we resided in.
Fun and casual New England gatherings have also been held in the homes of Janis and Ray Peters, Cheryl and Richard Smith and Kitty and Joe Mislaszek. Cheryl Smith and Janis Peters formed the New England group in the fall of 2012. New Englanders always bring their “Rs” and good conversation.