fionareid – eober

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Charlie Kelly

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Charlie Kelly, a very important member of the Oberholtzer Foundation community.

No one loved Mallard Island more than Charlie Kelly, and that says a lot. Charles A. Kelly passed away yesterday, August 10th. Charlie followed in his father’s footsteps as a friend and staunch supporter of Ernest Oberholtzer’s work and island life, and he stepped into a career in estate law in part because of the experience of organizing the legal effort after Ober’s death. They were good friends— Ober and Charlie— and corresponded during the last decades of Ober’s life. Charlie was then the second Foundation board president, stepping up after the death of Hugh Monahan in 1980. He served in many roles with the organization, most of them concerned with the archives or the investments and financial health of the organization.

In recent years, he and his wife Jean E. were repeatedly dinner hosts to the foundation’s board at their summer home in Ranier. They were constant supporters of the many volunteers and diverse programs that happen on Mallard Island. Jean E. Kelly’s son, George Glazier, now serves as the Foundation’s board president.

Charlie Kellyfionareid2021-08-11T20:34:10+00:00

Transition From Bob Norbie, Foundation President:

Transition
From Bob Norbie, Foundation President:

The challenges of 2020 – the pandemic and its impact on Mallard Island programs – reminds me how important and powerful the Anishinaabe expression, Gi-bezhig-oomin, is in our lives. Translated, it means “We are All One” and it has become central to how we breathe life into our mission. As uncertain and disruptive as last year was, Gi-bezhig-oomin reassures us that when we nurture and revere our relationships, think collaboratively, act as one and responsibly to steward the earth, we can find our way through a myriad of challenges and changes. In spite of the coronavirus, the assault on our environment, the racism, and the incivility and divisiveness of politics that have ravaged our nation, by working in the spirit of Gi-bezhig-oomin, Mallard Island continues to be a beacon for calm and harmony—if we pause long enough to listen. Indeed, listening is one of Mallard Island’s most important tenets. Mallard Island encourages and enables her guests to deliberately and deeply listen. To listen to the familiar grand song of the tiny White Throated Sparrow. To listen to the wave’s raucous laughter against the rocky shoreline. To listen to the love notes whispering through the White Pines. And to listen to one’s inner thoughts and feelings from any number of magical spots on Mallard Island. The strength of Gi-bezhig-oomin in the life of our mission was evident with the transition of leadership coming into the New Year. Herein I speak of our beloved executive director, Beth Waterhouse, who retired at year-end after serving passionately and skillfully for 13 years, but not before supporting a smooth and seamless transition with our new and very capable executive director, Rebecca Otto. Herein I speak of our past board president, Peggy Anne Smith, who for the past three years faithfully, gracefully and purposefully shepherded our mission, vision and values. Predictable as the rising sun off the easterly end of Mallard Island, Peggy brought much sunshine and clarity through the quality of her person and leadership of the Foundation. Thank you, Beth and Peggy, for being you! As we look forward with new leadership and a vision for helping the world live in harmony through the teachings of Ober and Mallard Island, we invite each of you to continue being a steward of this spot-on Rainy Lake and wilderness in general. We look after and care for these jewel islands (Mallard, Crow, Hawk and Gull) during this vulnerable time. When we serve in the spirit of Gi-bezhig-oomin, our connectedness and oneness will ensure that these treasures will enlighten generations to come. Chi-Miigwech, Bob Norbie President, Board of Trustees

Transition From Bob Norbie, Foundation President:fionareid2021-02-17T18:35:53+00:00

Crew Topples Old Structure on Gull Island

Following a 2018 decision by the Oberholtzer Board of Directors, an old building fondly called the “LP” (for Low Profile) will be completely removed in the next year from its perch near the south shore of Rainy Lake’s Gull Island. Huge progress toward that goal was made this month by Facilities Management Chair, Michael Reid, and an intrepid crew of two others: Craig Fernholz and Doug Kelley, all three men of St. Paul MN. See photos of the building-down-flat and the three workers seated on a bench inside a traditional lodge.

Here is a brief history of Gull Island and this structure. It takes off from the ownership of William Hapgood in mid-Twentieth Century. A fire took an old cabin of Hapgood’s, and he notified Ernest Oberholtzer that he would like a replacement cabin by June of that year (we assume early 1950s). Ober was a busy man, and he solicited help from the local community but accepted the compromise of a re-purposed Wanigan in the style of our current kitchen boat. When Hapgood returned to see the placement and the makeshift structure, he rejected it, and his family apparently never used it at all.

Meanwhile and some decades later, Gull Island and its structures were purchased by Rosalie Heffelfinger Hall and her husband, Ted Hall, of Rainy Lake Chronicle fame. They enjoyed the small structure as a guest house while they mainly inhabited the floating houseboat that they and Rainy Lakers called “The Frigate.” The LP went into disrepair after the death of Ted Hall, and the entire island and any structures came into the ownership of the Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation, at the bequest of the Halls or the donation of Thomas Hall.

We are now happy to open up the airspace near a lovely sandy cove, and to enjoy the island without this old structure. No specific plans have been made about further development of Gull Island; we appreciate its natural beauty. Meanwhile, more work will be done this year to clear the area, and eventually that site will come back to nature, complete with a lovely spine of rock that once flowed under the stilted structure.

Enormous thanks to the workers for facing the cold of the North and for managing to get us this far with this project.

Crew Topples Old Structure on Gull Islandfionareid2019-04-25T23:16:57+00:00

Don D. Maronde

Don D. Maronde 1935 to 2018

Way back in 1983, before there were solid roofs on the Oberholtzer cabins and before much was happening as far as “program weeks” on Mallard Island, Don Maronde was introduced to the books in Ober’s collection. Don went on to share his knowledge, muscle, tools and hopes with Mallard Island for nearly 30 years. On October 19, 2018, Don died of congestive heart failure. His was a warm and loving heart, but no heart lasts forever. We can look back and thank Don Maronde for roofs on Cedarbark and Front House and the Library, for a strong south wall on Cook’s House and for the entire 2001 re-build of Artists’ Room, now a coveted individual space near the channel. In 2003, Don also installed the Clivus Multrum composter, a structure that changed all our experiences on Mallard Island and that has made continuous program activity possible each summer. If you’ve been on Mallard, you’ll know that each of these repairs was artistically done and in such a way that it often looked “older and better” after Don got done with it. Don Maronde, since 2004, was also married to Executive Director, Beth Waterhouse, who says that without Don she would never have embraced the job in the way she currently understands it. Don’s quiet ways, dry humor and pie-for-breakfast eating habits will be sorely missed on our favorite isle. A memorial service for Don will be held at Judson Baptist Church in South Minneapolis on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at two o’clock p.m.

Don D. Marondefionareid2018-12-17T22:55:14+00:00

Organization Receives Cultural Heritage Grant & Tim Heinle

Organization Receives Cultural Heritage Grant

In late February, the Oberholtzer Foundation learned that it will receive a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant through the Minnesota Historical Society to update the Oberholtzer photo collection. Specifically, we will be creating a database and expanding upon an inventory of the photo images that was first established by Ray Anderson of International Falls. We have hired, on contract, an Archivist ~ Historian who will help design a collection inventory with standardized fields, help volunteers perform that inventory this summer, and begin the process of improving both organization of and access to the collection of images. Oberholtzer took black and white images and later transferred his skills to colored slide photography. Ober’s work was both documentary and artistic in nature. The image of the swimming moose (shown here) was taken by Ober in 1910.

For this new effort, we have continued and expanded upon our relationship with Ms. Paula DeMars, “Archivist, Historian, Researcher” who manages a small business for herself to do “custom creation, design, and maintenance of document and archive management systems.” You have read Paula’s words in the last two Mallard Island Newsletters, and she is also writing about history of Indigenous Peoples in the far north. We are eager to continue this professional relationship and to get a better understanding of this part of the archives, held by the Foundation. Ernest Carl Oberholtzer lived a long, interesting and far-reaching life, and he documented and enhanced a great deal of it through his love of photography.

Tim Heinle 1939-2017

It is with heavy hearts that we share with you the sad news of the death of our great friend and long-time Treasurer, Timothy M. Heinle of International Falls. Tim died on September 13th, one day shy of his 78th birthday, of various and overlapping health issues. He had been hospitalized in Duluth and died in the Solvay Hospice there. Tim’s memorial service was held in International Falls on Monday, September 18 to a standing-room-only group of friends and family.

Tim lived life with a go-getter attitude, and with the strength and will to get jobs done. He loved hard work. He spent decades in a leadership capacity at Camp Koochiching on Rainy Lake, and he left them a far stronger organization. The Oberholtzer Foundation welcomed Tim to its board in 2004, and we can certainly say that he also left us in a stronger and more sophisticated financial position. Plus, he made his mark in so many areas including building and wall maintenance, as a member of the “Inaakonigewin” (Anishinaabe) committee and as chair of the Finance and Fundraising Committee. It’s also true that the way that Tim “was” leaves as much of a mark as all the things he accomplished. Here was a man who was always smiling, constantly welcoming, continually cheering us on. “Need any help?” he would always ask. He accepted change, and he gently taught people about conflict resolution. “Tim was as good as they come, and I am forever glad that I got to work all those years with him,” said Executive Director, Beth Waterhouse. “He often ended his letters with the phrase, ‘seek the joy of being alive,’ and I believe he lived that philosophy to the fullest.”

Tim’s family graciously named The Oberholtzer Foundation as one recipient of memorials in Tim Heinle’s name. We are honored to accept them, though we would far, far prefer seeing Tim’s smiling face just one more time. There will also be a memorial event for Tim sponsored by the Camping and Education Foundation in Cincinnati in November. And there may well be more ways to celebrate Tim’s life, as time goes by. He will surely be missed.

Organization Receives Cultural Heritage Grant & Tim Heinlefionareid2019-09-18T22:56:54+00:00