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2008 Outstanding Seniors
receive award at Minnesota State Fair
Lt. Gov. Carol
Molnau and Mary Koep, chair of the Minnesota Board
on Aging, presented awards to outstanding senior
citizens Aug. 28 at the 2008 Minnesota State Fair.
Award recipients were Betty Wenner, St. Peter,
representing Nicollet County, and Don Brand, New
Ulm, representing Brown County. Runners up were
Lorraine Linser, Grand Rapids, representing Itasca
County, and Dale Mowbray, St. Peter, representing
Nicollet County.
Other outstanding
senior volunteers from counties across Minnesota
were also on hand for the ceremony.
Outstanding seniors are judged on leadership,
diversity of accomplishments, variety of volunteer
services performed, quantity of accomplishments
and quality of activities. Only volunteer services
performed after the age of 65 are considered by
the judges.
 From left to right: Don Brand, Lt. Governor Carol Molnau, Betty Wenner and MN Board on Aging Chair Mary Koep
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Wenner received
her award for helping in classrooms in the St.
Peter schools, serving the Benedictine Living
Community, assisting with the annual Nicollet
Relay for Life cancer walk, volunteering at the
St. Peter Senior Center, working with the American
Legion and supporting youth educational and
sporting activities. She also is a Sunshine
visitor to shut-ins and organizes and leads day
tours for senior citizens.
Brand is board chair of the New Ulm Area Food
Shelf and has been active in it for 10 years. He
also has been a volunteer with the Second Harvest
Heartland Food Shelf, with the buckthorn removal
project and the redesign of Loretto Park. He has
been active in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
parish and with the New Ulm Area Catholic Schools.
He is active in the American Legion, the Senior
Center, Minnesota Valley Action Council and the
Lutheran Social Services home-delivered meals
program. He also volunteers with Pro Kinship for
Kids, a program for children from disadvantaged
families.
Mowbray
transports senior citizens to medical
appointments, volunteers for Habitat for Humanity,
is a health insurance counselor for the Minnesota
River Area Agency on Aging and is a board member
and singer with the Riverbenders Barbershop
Chorus. He volunteers with the St. Peter Senior
Center, assists seniors with tracking finances and
other personal business, is a driver for the
Nicollet County Veterans Service and is a member
of the Greater Mankato Optimists Club.
Linser has volunteered for many years at
elementary schools in the Greenway School District
and is a volunteer at the YMCA. She also
volunteers serving the homeless at the Community
Café and at the local nursing home. She has
volunteered at the Kids Fair, at the Coleraine
Senior Club, at the Bruce Bauer Senior Center and
at her church.
About the Outstanding Senior Award
The Minnesota Board on Aging,
along with the Minnesota State Fair Board and the
Minnesota Federation of County Fairs began
honoring outstanding senior citizen volunteers in
1965. County Fair Board staff advertise to the
public to nominate individuals who contribute
significantly to their communities.
Outstanding seniors are judged on leadership,
diversity of accomplishments, variety of volunteer
services performed, quantity of accomplishments
and quality of activities. Only volunteer services
performed after the age of 65 are considered by
the judges.
Two individuals are selected at the county level
and recognition is given at their county fair.
Each county Fair Board, then submits these two
individuals and their volunteer history to the
Minnesota Board on Aging. Judging of nominations
is conducted by a panel of 9 representatives from
the three sponsoring agencies. Four
individuals are selected, 2 runners-up and 2
winners. All awards are signed by the Governor and
presented on Senior Day at the State Fair, the
second Thursday of the Fair.
Minnesota's 2007 Outstanding Seniors
The Minnesota Board on Aging,
along with the Minnesota State Fair Board and the
Minnesota Federation of County Fairs honored four
outstanding seniors at the Great Minnesota
Get-Together on Thursday, August 30,
at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell.
The 2007 recipients of the Outstanding Senior
Awards are: George Rossbach, of St. Paul,
representing Ramsey County; and Everal O’Brien, of
Hibbing, representing St. Louis County. Runners up
were Phil Busch, Akeley, representing Hubbard
County; and Dorothy Harsh, Lake Park, representing
Becker County.
Presenting the awards were Governor Tim Pawlenty and
Mary Koep, chair of the Minnesota Board on Aging. Outstanding senior
volunteers from counties all across Minnesota were
on hand for the ceremony.
Pictured left to right, KSTP-TV personality Leah
McClean, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Outstanding Senior
George Rossback, MBA Chair Mary Koep, and MBA
Executive Director Jean Wood.
See
larger image
In addition to the Outstanding Senior Citizen
Awards program, the Minnesota Board on Aging also
has a booth at the State Fair. The MBA booth is
open in the Ramberg Senior Building from 8 a.m. to
8 p.m.
2006 Outstanding Seniors
The Minnesota Board on Aging, in
cooperation with the Minnesota State Fair and the
state’s Federation of County Fairs, honored 95
outstanding senior volunteers at the 2006
Outstanding Senior Awards ceremony held at the
State Fair on Aug. 31, 2006.
Outstanding seniors were judged on
leadership, diversity of accomplishments, variety
of volunteer services performed, quality of
accomplishments and qualify of activities. Only
volunteer services performed after the age of 65
are considered by the judges.
Governor Tim Pawlenty joined Board
on Aging Chair Jeanette Metz in presenting the
2006 Outstanding Senior Award to Marlene Rolloff,
of Brown County, and Louis Henderson, of Freeborn
county. The event was emceed by Kristin Stinar, of
KSTP Television News.
 Pictured
left to right: Outstanding Senior Award winner
Marlene Rolloff of Brown County, Governor Tim
Pawlenty, and Jeanette Metz, MBA
See larger image
 Pictured
left to right: Outstanding Senior Award winner
Louis Henderson of Freeborn County, Governor Tim
Pawlenty, and Jeanette Metz, MBA
See larger image
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