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Events Archive
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PHOTO CLUB
Doors Open Minneapolis photo shootEvent Date:Join us for the Doors Open Minneapolis photo shoot. More... |
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HIKING
Cedar and Brownie Lakes hikeEvent Date:May 4 is a beautiful Urban hike around Minneapolis’ Cedar and Brownie Lakes. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
'North Woods' by Daniel MasonEvent Date:The secret of North Woods by Daniel Mason, its blending of the comic and the sublime, lies in the way Mason deftly manages to do both. A hint: Little House on the Prairie it is not. More... |
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ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
“No, Manchester is not the ‘armpit of England’” with Ilene Dawn AlexanderEvent Date:Across 15 years, Ilene Dawn Alexander has made at least a dozen visits to England and Wales, all with longer sojourns in Manchester and Liverpool. Each journey has disproved the dismissive description of Manchester as “the armpit of England.” Join UMRA’s Armchair Traveler program on April 22 to learn what Alexander has discovered these outside-of-London cities have to offer. More... |
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HIKING
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge hikeEvent Date:On April 20, we will welcome guest leaders Bion Beebe and Linda Bjornberg from Twin Cities Hiking Meetup, to show us their favorite trails from the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge trailhead in Bloomington. More... |
BOOK CLUB I
'Rin Tin Tin' by Susan OrleanEvent Date:UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean when it meets via Zoom on Friday, April 17. Diane Madson-Kay will lead the discussion. More... |
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EVENT SUMMARY
UMRA Breakfast: Keeping up with technologyEvent Date:The UMRA Breakfast meeting on Thursday, April 16, will be a discussion of technology for older adults: what works best, what is confusing, and what are the best resources for seeking help. More... |
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EVENTS
Third Wednesdays in the West WingEvent Date:"Third Wednesdays in the West Wing" is a pilot program for spring 2026. More... |
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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinets of Curiosity: Masonic Institute for the Developing BrainEvent Date: -As a follow-up to UMRA’s October 2025 forum with neuroscientist Damien Fair, PhD, co-director of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain in Minneapolis, he has generously agreed to host us for a visit. Participation will be limited, so don’t wait to register. More... |
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PHOTO CLUB
April Photo ClubEvent Date:This month's theme is mountains, valleys and canyons. More... |
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EVENTS
Campus Conversation with MarCom VP Chris GadeEvent Date:Chris Gade, VP for University marketing communications, will join UMRA members on Tuesday, April 7, for the first in a new series of informal “Campus Conversations” to be held at the Campus Club in Minneapolis. More... |
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HIKING
Theodore Wirth Park hikeEvent Date:Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Monday, April 6. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
'Seabiscuit' by Laura HillenbrandEvent Date:'Seabiscuit' by Laura Hillenbrand More... |
BOOK CLUB I
‘The Bohemian Flats’ by Mary Relindes EllisEvent Date:UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss The Bohemian Flats by Mary Relindes Ellis when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 20. Jim Lewis will lead the discussion. More... |
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PLACE ON HOME
Third Wednesdays in the West WingEvent Date:Join fellow UMRA members for “Third Wednesdays in the West Wing" lunch at the Campus Club in Minneapolis. This is a pilot program for spring 2026. More... |
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EVENT SUMMARY
UMRA breakfast: The current state of public healthEvent Date:Public health is extremely important—and right now it is very confusing. Join us to ask questions and share your thoughts and concerns about the current state of our public health system. More... |
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FAMILY HISTORY
DNA testing and analysisEvent Date:Please join the UMRA Family History Interest Group meeting on Wednesday, March 11, via Zoom, when Michelle Casey will present “DNA Testing and Analysis Using 23andMe, Ancestry, and MyHeritage.” More... |
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PHOTO CLUB
Theme: "Churches and Graveyards"Event Date:The UMRA Photo Club will next meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony branch library in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards in St. Anthony, just north of the Twin Cities. For those interested in lunch, meet at the nearby Great Dragon Buffet at 11:30 a.m. |
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HIKING
Take a hike to welcome spring!Event Date:Spring is just around the corner and a great time to get outdoors to witness our natural world waking up from winter. If you’ve been thinking about getting more exercise and want to meet new friends, now is the time to join the UMRA Hiking Club. More... |
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BOOK CLUB II
'Growing Up' by Russell BakerEvent Date:Growing Up by Russell Baker. More... |
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EVENT SUMMARY
Challenges in trusting public health institutionsEvent Date:John Finnegan, emeritus dean of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, recently joined 20 members and friends of UMRA for an in-depth and thought-provoking discussion on the erosion of trust in public health institutions and where to turn for accurate, science-based information. More... |
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GRANTS FOR RETIREES
UMRA grants program announces six awards for 2026UMRA’s 2026 grants for retirees will help to support scholarly and creative projects focused on art, architecture, creativity in children, public humanities, understanding human aggression, and volunteerism. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
Regents welcome end of ICE “surge”The University Regents’ meeting on February 13 began with heartfelt remarks from Regent Joel Bergstrom regarding the damage inflicted on Minnesota by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement violence. More...Published: |
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VOLUNTEER CENTER
A time and place to serveThe University Retirees Volunteer Center offers a variety of opportunities to be of help. “We all want to help stressed communities during this difficult time in Minnesota,” says Michelle Trudeau-Spanjers, URVC’s liaison to Neighborhood House, which is providing emergency groceries and other necessities to St. Paul families worried about their safety. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
HELLO, my name is Kristy Frost-GriepMeet UMRA member and stalwart treasurer Kristy Frost-Griep, a Renaissance woman who learned the value of hard work and the importance of customer service as a young teen, working in the family business. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
UMRA to host 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association ConferencePlanning is already well underway for UMRA to host this year’s annual meeting of the Big Ten Retirees Association in late July on the U of M Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. More... Published: |
FAMILY HISTORY
What did grandfather find in America?Event Date:Family history with Jim Kurle. A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota including my grandfather, whose unusual relationship to several churches, and religion in general, was one of the reasons for his emigrating. More... |
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BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend’Event Date:Members of the UMRA Book Club learned a lot from Susan Orlean’s book about the life and times of the dog rescued by an American soldier from a World War I battlefield, including the evolution of the movie industry from silent films to talkies, the development and increasing popularity of the German Shepherd breed, the use of dogs in World Wars I and II, and the domestication of animals from farm animals to pets. More... |
FAMILY HISTORY
An Icelandic sagaEvent Date:When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further. More... |
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BOOK CLUB I
Book Notes | ‘52 Loaves’Event Date:In William Alexander’s humorous memoir, readers are taken on a wild ride as he searches for the recipe and technique to replicate—from scratch—the “perfect bread.” He tries his hand at growing, harvesting, and threshing the wheat, attends a kneading conference in Maine, and even enrolls in a week-long bourlangerie class at the École Ritz Escoffier in Paris. More... |
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NEWS
Final call for UMRA Board nominationsOne last reminder that the Nominating Committee is looking for your suggestions for candidates to serve on the UMRA Board—primarily president-elect, who serves as Program Committee chair for one year before becoming president; secretary; and up to five directors. The Board meets monthly from September through May and directors serve three-year terms. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
A time to address 'pressing opportunities' for serviceVolunteerism is declining across the country, and the University Retirees Volunteer Center is gearing up to help reverse the trend. Please be on the lookout for a short survey in February or March. URVC wants to hear about your interests, experiences, and suggestions related to volunteering. More...Published: |
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NEWS
HELLO, my name is Nanette HanksMeet UMRA member Nanette Hanks, a fourth-generation Texan who has hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain nearly 40 times! She’s going back in June, and still has a couple places left if you’d like to join the group she will be leading. More...Published: |
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PLACE ON HOME
Cyber Tips—Protecting your identity and your moneyThere are some relatively easy things you can do to help protect yourself against identity theft and online and telephone fraud. Here are some New Year’s resolutions to help make your 2026 a safe year. More...Published: |
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EVENT SUMMARY
Understanding the history shared by the University, U of M Physicians, and Fairview Health ServicesEvent Date:A large group of UMRA members gathered at the Original Pancake House in Edina in early January for a discussion led by UMRA member Frank Cerra, MD, former dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School and senior vice president of the U’s Academic Health Center, who retired from the University in 2011. More... |