Share your Story

I want to preserve the stories of those who have rooted themselves in our communities. The generations of yesteryear have long left their mark on our worlds. We often retell those stories over and over, so we can keep them alive in our memories. Remember the time when…

When I was a journalist full-time, I met the most amazing people with fascinating stories. Once people started to share pieces of their lives, my heartstrings would be pulled and I would be intrigued to learn more. Sharing a cup of conversation became a favorite pastime for me.

I loved hearing these stories and taking parts of them to share when I worked at the Hibbing Daily Tribune. We have our community journalists who continue to share stories each day. I will forever love the feel of reading the newspaper and not just the comic sections I did when I was a child. The people who love the written word are paid with passion as it is not for the paycheck. I can write about that another day.

For me this is not to take away what our newspaper journalists are working tirelessly to do for you. I want to instead tell the stories of those that may get missed otherwise. I once had a newspaper publisher who told me that a story would often get told in an obituary. It was a glance into a life of someone who was an integrate part of our region.

You do not have to be the person making headlines everyday to make a difference. Remember that. Each person here has purpose and has a story. I will sit down with you and find that story whether it was about the deep history of your time serving our country or the heart you have behind building a community.



Several of my close friends are those who I met by them sharing their stories with me and they are 40 years older than me. They provide wisdom and guidance and laughter. If you have not taken the time to listen to someone who is different than you, I encourage you to take that time. It’s amazing how perspective in our lived experiences changes the way we view the world. We all see the world through our own eyes.



My close friend, Jack Lynch, who was my adopted grandpa, was a creative storyteller and also had a story with depth. Several years ago a family I knew through my older sister told me how amazing their grandpa was as he was rooted into the history of Hibbing having been a lifelong resident. I sat down with Jim Juricich, a man of character in every sense of the world and listened to his story. We became friends as we laughed and chatted for hours.



Remember when people would ask you, what is your dream job? Well, I would like to be a best-selling author (yes, I am working on it). But, that aside I want to make an impact in my work. I recall working at the newspaper and I could not believe it was my job to write and share stories. I also had to cover council and school board meetings, public hearings, write obituaries, do extensive research, take photographs, and report on court cases. I found such a joy in the people who I met. These same people who I still get together with for lunch (well, pre-COVID-19).

I am a freelance journalist by heart, so I will always be willing to assist keeping community news alive. This though is deeper than than as it is those rooted in our communities – it’s the Range of Characters.