March 2023

Mary Beth, as most of us knew her, worked throughout her life to bring justice to a world full of injustice. She was a strong and independent woman who tried to give voice to the voiceless and empower those who felt powerless. She was a lifelong social justice advocate who sought out opportunities to support those she thought needed her help. Consequently, Mary Beth was a very busy woman throughout her life. Mary Elizabeth Faimon was born on April 5, 1944, in her beloved Saint Paul. She passed from this world on January 18, 2023, at Methodist Hospital after struggling with chronic, and finally, acute respiratory issues. Her chronic lung issues took her strength and robbed her of her independence, and finally of her life. Mary Beth was born to Edward A. Faimon and Hildegard Mary Faimon (Jesh). She was the granddaughter of the Honorable Albert Faimon, a Minnesota state representative from 1939 through 1941. She attended St. Luke’s for grade school and graduated from Our Lady of Peace High School in 1962. In 1967, Mary Beth graduated from the College of St. Scholastica with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Following her college graduation, she entered the Peace Corps in 1968 and volunteered her talents in Ubon, Thailand where she taught English as a foreign language through 1969. While she was there, she also traveled to Cambodia, Laos, and Burma. Following her return to the United States in 1969, she worked in Ramsey County Human Services as a social worker. She also returned to school at the University of Minnesota and in 1981 earned her Master’s degree in social work. She also received a post-graduate certification in behavioral analysis. After completing these programs, Mary Beth developed and directed the In-Home Family-Based Services Project from 1981 through 1983, and worked at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work to direct a grant project. Mary Beth then shifted her focus when she was recruited and began her teaching career where she taugh

Jane Hanson was the 6th of 10 children born on the family farm to Edith (Hanson) and Art Hanson in Pine City. At the age of 15, Jane went to Minneapolis to find a job during World War II and found a position in a factory, as those jobs were plentiful at that time, but she would often have to switch jobs when employers would find out she was only 15! She married Al Kurkowski on September 9, 1947, and the couple had three children - two daughters and one son. They tried their hand at farming near Pine City until Al’s allergies to the animals prompted them to move in a different direction.