News & Events Archives

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Forums Archive

Forums Archive

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Living Well Workshops Archive

Living Well Workshops Archive

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Events Archive

Events Archive

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HIKING

June 19 hike

Event Date:

Meet at 9:30 at the Holland Lake Trailhead at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan (Cliff Road and Lexington Avenue).

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Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, book cover
BOOK CLUB I

June Book Club I

Event Date:

Beth Bedell will lead the discussion of Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 16.

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PHOTO CLUB

June Photo Club

Event Date:

Lunch at the Great Dragon at 11:30am  for those who are interested.

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HIKING

June 5 Hike

Event Date:

Let's meet at Longfellow Grill (West River Road and Lake Street) at 9:30 am for a 5 mile hike heading north and crossing the Franklin Avenue Bridge.

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Gilgamesh: A New English Version, book cover
BOOK CLUB II

‘Gilgamesh: A New English Version’ is FF Book Club selection for May

Event Date:

Stephen Mitchell’s Gilgamesh: A New English Version, published in 2004, has been acclaimed by scholars and critics alike as a lithe, muscular rendering of the epic of Gilgamesh, first published 5,000 years ago.

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BOOK CLUB I

Book Club announces May 19 and summer meeting plans

Event Date:

UMRA member Stephanie Daily will lead a discussion of Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce, which debuted as a New York Times bestseller in 2020, when the UMRA Book Club meets on May 19.

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FAMILY HISTORY

Family Stories: Open Discussion

Event Date:

Join us for our final Family History Interest Group (FHIG) meeting, an open forum for participants to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects,

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"Variations on Becoming" by Tom Berlein | Franconia Sculpture Park
PHOTO CLUB

Photo Club May Photo Shoot

Event Date:

The UMRA Photo Club is planning a photo shoot at the Franconia Sculpture Park. Lunch before at the Taylor's Falls Drive-In, if you are interested.

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Hidden Falls Regional Park, St. Pauo
HIKING

Hike Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul

Event Date:

Join the UMRA Hiking Club for a scenic hike along the Mississippi River through Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul on Monday, May 15.

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FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP

When will the Medicare Advantage bubble burst?

Event Date:

The overpayment by billions to health plans is well documented, and the fraudulent and surprising denials of claims has left some MA enrollees with large unexpected medical debt.  This zoom session spreads awareness to rein in this privatized system and protect traditional Medicare funding.

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Hiking Trails sign, Bloomington MN
HIKING

Hike Moir Park in Bloomington

Event Date:

On Monday, May 1, the UMRA Hiking Club will meet at Moir Park in Bloomington for a 4.5-mile hike along Nine Mile Creek on grass, wood chips, and paved trails.

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Empire Falls, book cover
BOOK CLUB II

'Empire Falls' is Fourth Friday Book Club selection for April

Event Date:

UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will meet April 28 to discuss Empire Falls by Richard Russo, winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is a familiar story of shuttered factories, failed businesses, and a diminished civic and cultural community.

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The Piazza Bra in Verona, Italy.
ARMCHAIR TRAVELER

Experience the beauty and history of Pavia and Verona, Italy

Event Date:

UMRA members Pieranna Garavaso and her husband, Lory Lemke, will share images of their recent sojourn to northern Italy. Pieranna was born and raised in Verona and the pictures and information they will share come from their many trips there over the years, in particular its Roman monuments, museums, and churches.

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BOOK CLUB I

April Book Club I

Event Date:

Joni Mitchell will lead the discussion of Elephant Company by Vicki Croke when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 21.

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Mississippi River Blvd. at Summit Ave., St. Paul
HIKING

Minnehaha Falls hike

Event Date:

Our April 17 hike will be in St. Paul, walking to Minnehaha Falls and back for an energizing 5.5-mile hike. We did this hike in November 2021, and hikers loved it.

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FAMILY HISTORY

Telling the stories of the living

Event Date:

UMRA members Vicki Gaylord and Larry Rudnick will share what they have learned about gathering, preserving, and sharing the life stories of family members living today while there are still opportunities to do so.

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Cat photo by Marilyn Ercikson
PHOTO CLUB

April Photo Club

Event Date:

“Domesticated animals” is the theme for the in-person gathering of the UMRA Photo Club in April. For those interested in having lunch together first, meet at the Great Dragon Buffet, across the St. Anthony Shopping Center parking lot, at 11:30 a.m. Newcomers are welcome!

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EVENTS

Mini Medical School: Aging and Health

Event Date: -

Last fall, the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs asked their Mini Medical School learners what they most wanted to hear from University experts, and the overwhelming majority said aging.  In April, you can attend a Mini Medical School series of three lectures on aging.  The series is free.

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Isles Bun & Coffee, Minneapolis
HIKING

Take a hike—or two!

Event Date:

Welcome to spring, UMRA hikers. April is when the UMRA Hiking Club returns to two hikes a month, on the first and third Mondays of the month. We may still have snow on the ground in April, making urban paved and plowed trails a better option.

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Love Medicine
BOOK CLUB II

Fourth Friday Book Club to discuss Louise Erdrich’s debut novel

Event Date:

Members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will discuss Minnesota-born author Louise Erdrich’s 1984 debut novel Love Medicine when they meet via Zoom in March. It is a story of love and survival, of the comic and the tragic.

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News Archive

News Archive

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Miss Benson's Beetle, book cover
BOOK CLUB I

Book Notes | ‘Miss Benson’s Beetle’

Event Date:
The power of friendship, the destructive impact of war, and genuine appreciation of the natural world are the overriding themes in this quirky, historical novel about an unlikely expedition by two women in search of an elusive golden beetle. More...
FAMILY HISTORY

Family Stories—Open Discussion

Event Date:
The May 2023 UMRA Family History Interest Group ZOOM presentation was an open discussion and question/answer session that covered a wide range of topics. More...
FINANCE AND LEGAL GROUP

When Will the Medicare Advantage Bubble Burst?

Event Date:
Recording spreads awareness to rein in the Medicare Advantage (MA) privatized system, and protect traditional Medicare funding. More...
UMRA logo
NEWS

Election of UMRA’s 2023–24 leadership to be held online

This year’s election of UMRA officers and new board members will be conducted via an online poll from May 15 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 23. Also on the ballot will be a vote to amend the UMRA bylaws.

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Silver Gopher volunteers at Every Meal, 2023.04.20
VOLUNTEER CENTER

Silver Gophers volunteer to help children experiencing food insecurity

Nearly 20 members of UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps met as a team in mid-April to pack food for school children facing food insecurity at home in Minnesota. The food-packing event, held at the Every Meal Volunteer Center in Roseville, was superbly organized. It felt “good to be involved in a worthy cause,” said Clif Ware, one of the volunteers.

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ARMCHAIR TRAVELER

Pieranna Garavaso and Lory Lemke's visit to Pavia and Verona, Italy

Event Date:
Pieranna Garavaso and Lory Lemke, retired professors of philosophy at UMM, took us on an incredible visit to Pavia and Verona, Italy. More...
NEWS

Cyber tips & tricks—UMRA member portal

The UMRA Member Portal, also called our member database, is where you will make reservations for upcoming events, and renew your membership. Beyond those functions, the portal has additional resources that you may find helpful.  

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Elephant Company, book cover
BOOK CLUB I

Book Notes | ‘Elephant Company’

Event Date:
Set in Burma after World War I, this “spellbinding” true story about James Howard Williams and his love for elephants provides lessons in courage, trust, and gratitude. More...
GRANTS FOR RETIREES

Still driven to discover?

Applications for UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees will be posted on the UMRA website this summer. It is an annual competition open to all U of M retirees, with applications accepted from October 1 to December 31.

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UMRA's Silver Gopher Service Corps made its debut for Newly Admitted Students Welcome Day on April 1, 2023.
VOLUNTEER CENTER

Silver Gopher Service Corps steps up to help fill the Class of 2027

An enthusiastic group of stalwart retirees trudged through snow, ice, and wind to greet future students and their families on the University’s first-ever Newly Admitted Students Welcome Day, hosted by the Office of Admissions.

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UMRA President Ron Matross and Treasurer Kristy Frost-Griep, pictured left standing, welcomed newcomers to the UMRA luncheon forum at Midland Hills in March 2023.
PLACE ON HOME

Time to renew your membership

Soon you will be receiving an invitation to renew your UMRA membership for the 2023–24 year. UMRA is an all-volunteer organization that depends on membership dues to provide a wide range of opportunities and other benefits to its members. We hope you’ll renew before you get busy with your summer activities.

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FAMILY HISTORY

Telling the stories of the living

Event Date:
Larry Rudnick and Vicki Gaylord shared how they have worked with living family members to gain more information and insight into their family trees. Gaylord and Rudnick explained the processes they used and gave great examples. More...
Cathrine Wambach, fishing
NEWS

HELLO, my name is Cathrine Wambach

Meet UMRA member Cathine Wambach, a recipient of the Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award. Her first paid job was as the organist and de facto choir director for her church—when she was in high school.

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JOIE

You’re invited to share your stories of retirement

The open-access Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays, sponsored by UMRA, invites you to share some of your retirement experiences for an anthology to be published later this year. 

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NEWS

Member discounts for improving health and wellbeing

Spring is a great time to take advantage of discounts offered to UMRA members by the Arboretum and the Center for Spirituality & Healing.

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