Gary Engstrand
My parents’ albums…were falling apart…
My parents’ albums, dating from the early 1900s to the 1960s, were falling apart and the pages were yellowing. I put everything on acid-free paper/plastic so I could at least preserve the photos. All of the photos are mounted on acid-free paper with acid-free double-sided tape and placed inside acid-free clear plastic sheet protectors, along with printed descriptive labels mounted on the acid-free paper. All inside three-ring binders, with each covering a certain period of years and branch of the family.
There were a number of photos of people I did not know—and had no one to ask who they were. Those got tossed. There were many of my parents' travels with friends or other engagements with friends and at events; I kept a good-sized representative sample and tossed the rest. It can be difficult to sort and pitch, but no one down the line will be interested in hundreds of pictures of people they do not know and are not related to.
Gary wanted to clarify that he used acid-free card stock, not regular paper. He found the stiffness of the card stock far easier to work with than ordinary paper.
Gary has also used some of these photos to illustrate several family stories. Here is beginning of the story about his paternal grandparents, Theo Engstrand and Bess Wilson. The full story will be posted on the Family History website shortly.
News
Declining government funding, inflation, loss of purchasing power, low birthrates, and lack of trust in the nation’s institutions have combined to create a confidence crisis in higher education not seen for decades. Minnesota is no exception.
Since its inception 40 years ago, the University Retirees Volunteer Center has focused on identifying where help is needed within the University community and has provided opportunities for thousands of retirees to use their skills, experience, and interests to help address those needs.
Meet UMRA member Nancy Carpenter. She grew up in the American heartland; nevertheless, she was surprised by the frigid, snow-covered landscape when she visited Minnesota for the first tine to interview for a job teaching chemistry at UMN Morris.
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees are intended to support projects related to University of Minnesota retirees' research, instructional or work history, or new scholarly interests that contribute to the academic reputation of the University.
After working decades in communications for the U’s Center for Transportation Studies, Pam Snople perks up whenever she sees transportation news. It’s usually the salacious stuff that makes the headlines. But, behind the scenes, vehicle automation research keeps rolling along — including key work by UMN researchers.
Renée Good was killed in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge. One month later, a community memorial to mourn her death and celebrate her life was held. Susan Ranney attended the ceremony and wrote an evocative essay on the service, which was published recently in UMRA’s Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays.
Professor Emeritus Alan Kagan has played many roles in his nearly 30 years of service with the University Retirees Volunteer Center. From assisting with phone calls to becoming office manager and eventually serving on and chairing the Volunteer Center’s board, Kagan helped build the organization into the robust operation it is today.
We’re already getting organized to identify and recruit members to step into leadership roles in 2027. As a well-informed and engaged UMRA member, you are invited to play a role in the process.
I’ve been an UMRA member for more than a decade and each year I’m impressed anew by the energy and dedication of the volunteers who do the work of the organization. I invite you to join in their efforts. But if that’s not possible, there’s something else you can do to help support UMRA: Renew your membership.
You don’t have to go far, and you don’t have to drink coffee. It’s the conversation that matters. It’s a new, experimental effort being organized by the wizards of UMRA; a meet-up of members who live in the same zip code.
UMRA will be collecting hats, mittens, and scarves at our November 17 Luncheon Forum to help keep Minnesota kids warm this winter.