HELLO, my name is John S. Anderson
Hometown: Kearney, Nebraska
When did you become a member of UMRA? In 2007, six months after I retired.
What was your very first job? I grew up on a farm and was involved in farm work as soon as I was able. My father died when I was a sophomore in high school. Then my work as a farmer/rancher increased tremendously. My mother and I entered into an agreement with my cousin’s husband to work and manage our two farms cooperatively. There was no paycheck. Classes in vocational agriculture in high school required keeping records of income, expenses, and hours worked. One year showed that I had lost about 25 cents for every hour worked. This prompted me to consider alternative career options!
What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? At the conclusion of my 39 years on the biochemistry faculty I was busy teaching biochemistry and also a high-enrollment course in biology that fulfilled a liberal education requirement. Especially satisfying was the development of an online course in biochemistry which, over a period of 6 years, reached more than 200 students in 25 states and 6 foreign countries. I also served as director of the general biology program.
If you could learn a new skill, what would you like it to be? It would be fun to renew and expand my acquaintance with playing the piano.
Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? The Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories located in Itasca State Park. I participated in Nature of Life, the program of the College of Biological Sciences that welcomes and introduces incoming freshman students in the college to the collegiate experience. Until the pandemic interrupted, 17 years of this program welcomed more than 6,000 students at Itasca. One can’t help but enjoy this place where the pine trees tower overhead and the wild rice and water lilies grow in the shallows of the lake.
What is a fun fact about you we might not know? One summer when I was an undergraduate and doing farm work, I used a farm tractor and a two-bottom plow to form about 8,000 feet of terraces which now, 60 years later, are clearly evident in the satellite view of the farm where I grew up. I left my mark on the earth!
News
Make your own discoveries in Portugal in 2025 on this journey to medieval monasteries, fertile vineyards and cities that are equal parts history and modern energy. Deadline to express an interest is Friday June 7, 2024.
Spend eight nights in Madrid and Barcelona in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace the colorful history of the Canadian Maritime provinces for 11 nights in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend four nights in Québec City in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
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Bright and bold living history awaits you in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: