Event Summary Archives
Event Summary Archives
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Damien Fair, PhD, offered a terrific presentation at the University of Minnesota Retirees Association luncheon forum on October 28. The audience of nearly 110 members and friends of UMRA paid close attention as he outlined an optimizing career path that led to his current research and program development at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.
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Wellbeing has six dimensions that range from health and relationships to community and purpose. It is not the absence of stress, but dealing with it through mindfulness.
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See this recording of Fin & Legal session on how the new "OHR Exchange" can assist?
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Author Janet Horvath was the associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1980 until 2012. The thrust of this story is about the her journey to uncover her father’s depravations during World War II, when he was forcibly relocated to a labor camp along with thousands of other Hungarian Jews.
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UMRA’s September 2025 Forum featured Beth Dooley, award-winning food writer, columnist, prolific cookbook author, and emerging voice for agricultural sustainability. She shared her own journey in thinking about food, drawing from her forthcoming book, 'In Summer’s Kitchen.'
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See the recording of David Foster, CFP©, CRPC©, CRPS©. Vice President, Senior Wealth Planner discussing Longevity, Distributions, Long Term Care, Social Security and Comprehensive planning
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Ann Hill Duin and her husband Doug Duin shared their recent “bucket list” tour of “Egypt: Temples, Tombs, Time.” Bill and Sheryl Lazarus took us on "A Tour of Lebanon, 2022." See the video.
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Figurative language, including personifications of animals and inanimate objects, give "West with the Night," a memoir by Beryl Markham, a poetic quality. As Ernest Hemingway said, “…She can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers—it really is a bloody wonderful book.”
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The UMRA workshop on September 16 featured representatives from the University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources and from Via Benefits, who introduced UMRA members to the changes that are coming now that the University will no longer be offering group health insurance plans for Medicare-eligible retirees. The hope is that the individual marketplace will offer expanded choice, lower premiums, and a more streamlined process.
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When the UMRA breakfast group met in September, we had a full house of book lovers, and a lively discussion about books we are currently reading, and favorite reads. The genres ranged from non-fiction history to mystery and fantasy. The group created a list (attached) of these books, with the author and genre. For more information about the book list or the UMRA breakfasts, please contact Lynn Slifer ([email protected]) or Bill Donohue ([email protected]).
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Watch the video below to hear how Ilene Alexander, while searching for information about her ancestors, became part of a “Not Parent Expected” category of people whose DNA test brought unexpected discoveries.
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Do you love the Minnesota State Fair and want to know more about its history? Then 'Blue Ribbon' by Karal Ann Marling, U of M professor emerita of American art and culture, is your chance.
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More than 40 UMRA members practiced skills for listening and sharing perspectives during a special workshop held at the Ramsey Country Library in Roseville in July and led by Braver Angels co-founder Bill Doherty.
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Written by New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid, "Daisy Jones & the Six" is about the rise of a fictional rock and roll band in the 1970s. It is also now a limited series available on Amazon Prime.
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A storehouse of information, author John Boyce Upholt’s 2024 book is an ambitious take on the geological, hydrological, ecological, sociological, political, and historical story of the “mighty Mississippi.”
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Author Ariel Lawhon's book of historical fiction is based on the real life of Martha Ballard, a midwife and healer in 1789 colonial Maine. Members of the UMRA Book Club liked the first-person narrative with Martha telling the story. Also, the descriptions of the woods and landscape, the Ballard mill, and the Kennebec River. It is a good read.
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It is not the level of one’s intelligence that makes people vulnerable to financial scams. But thinking you’re immune to scams can make you more vulnerable. And, despite efforts to make people aware of financial scams, fraud losses are increasing exponentially, according to Jay Haapala, head of AARP’s Fraud Watch Network and the guest presenter for UMRA’s May 2025 Living Well Workshop.
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The April 23, 2025 Armchair Traveler Program featured Ceeya Patton-Bolman sharing insights, maps, and photos based on her 20 years of experience in Rwanda, and Gene Allen sharing pictures, maps, and information about the British Columbia Coast and its San Juan and Gulf Islands.
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Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, discussed UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.
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Author Adrian Nicole LeBlanc spent 10 years hanging out in the Bronx with one loosely defined family, while she tracked its fate. Most UMRA Book Club members thought LeBlanc’s “unflinching documentary” provided more questions than answers.
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Barbara Brandt discovered her ancestor, Dr. Almira Fifield, “the Lost Heroine of Porter County,” buried in an unmarked grave in Indiana. Learn how she unlocked Almira’s story.
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Luis Alberto Urrea’s historical novel about the Red Cross Clubmobile women who served in Europe during World War II is based on the experiences of his mother, who joined the service in 1943.
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When the city of Albert Lea committed to becoming a Blue Zones community, the goal was simple: to help people live longer, healthier lives. The focus was on practical, everyday improvements. Today, the city serves as a compelling example model for other communities.
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Will Craig and Laura Ericksen discuss how they research family history using local and virtual resources.
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Author Bill Bryson describes his experience hiking the Appalachian Trail with Stephen Katz, a childhood friend from Iowa. The Appalachian Trail is 2,100 miles long and traverses 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. Bryson's commentary is done with accuracy, environmental consciousness, and hilarious wit and humor.
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Executive nurse practitioner and Lifespark Vice President Cathy Lauring, the guest speaker for UMRA’s February 2025 Living Well Workshop, discussed ways to stay mentally engaged, maintain emotional resilience, and ensure security while aging in place at home. She also offered suggestions for how to start the journey of planning and decision making with a spouse, partner, or other family member(s).
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UMRA’s first Armchair Traveler program of the new year included two presentations featuring travels in Japan with Wayne “Ironwain” Potratz and in Norway and Sweden with Lynn Anderson.
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'Tom Lake' by Ann Patchett is set in the early summer of 2020 at a cherry orchard on the shores of Lake Michigan, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the three daughters of the main character have returned home to help with the harvest.
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See the Family History presentations on sharing belongings that have historic value outside the family!
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Watch the video to help you choose the moves that are right for you in this coming tax season. Everyone's tax situation is different, consult with a tax professional to come up with a financial plan well before year end.
Event Presentation Media Archives
Event Presentation Media Archives
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