Minnesota Dames gathered on a beautiful fall day at the home of Barbara Peterson Burwell. We enjoyed perusing materials from our history on this 125th anniversary of our founding, a brief presentation by Jayne Kinney, our regional scholarship winner, and a presentation by Joanie Holst of the Wayzata Historical Society. Joanie spoke on the History of Lake Minnetonka. She talked about early inhabitants of the lake and how the lake and the town of Wayzata came to be called by their present names. She went on to describe the lake’s heydey as a vacation destination, the arrival of James J. Hill after the original railroad serving the area went into receivership, and some of the legendary homes occupied by recent inhabitants. These included a few of our own, such as Eleanor “Judy” Pillsbury. 

After Joanie’s presentation, a delightful lunch was served and Dames had the choice of dining inside the patriotically decorated home or outside on the sunlit deck overlooking the sparkling lake. Each Dame left with the updated 125th anniversary history booklet in addition to the yearbook. 

Our thanks go to our hostess Dame Barbara Burwell, event organizer Sandy Hull, and all who made it such an enjoyable day.