More Than a Funeral...Voices of the Red River Valley

Send us Fan Mail On a 96 degree evening in May, we caught up with the members of Tucker'd Out.  They are John Trelstad, Lynn Trelstad, and Ryan Haug.  We sat down in the Troll Lounge of Kringen Lodge # 25, Sons of Norway in Fargo, ND, where Tucker'd Out perform the last Thursday of each month.   We talked about their "Feel Good Music" as it has been called but finding a specifi...

Send us Fan Mail We visited with Andrea Feigum, Advancement Director, and Tim Kahnk, Social Enterprise Director with New Life Center in Fargo, North Dakota.  The course of our conversation can be summed up in the Mission Statement of New Life Center: To serve people who are on the journey from homeless and hurting to whole and healthy by meeting basic needs and transforming lives through the love...

Send us Fan Mail Farm in the Dell strives to provide meaningful job opportunities where employees are given fair wages and a steady paycheck – helping to give them confidence and fulfillment. ​Unfortunately, individuals with disabilities are often overlooked and marginalized by our current society – especially in the workforce. At Farm in the Dell, they offer a non-competitive setting where their...

Send us Fan Mail Furniture Mission is a faith-based organization that accepts gently-used furniture donations and re-gifts the furniture to people coming out of crisis.​ Jordan McCormick, Executive Director shares how they came to be and how they function in the lives of area families that are experiencing "furniture insecurity."   www.furnituremissionrrv.org 701-729-1410 2600 - 3rd Aven...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to care for animals in our community?  In this episode, we visit with the Executive Director of Homeward Animal Shelter, Tasha Haug, an organization dedicated to rescuing, sheltering, protecting, and rehoming dogs and cats right here in our area. We talk about what life inside a shelter actually looks like, how animal welfare has changed in recent years, a...

Send us Fan Mail As the new year begins, many of us think about resolutions that help us live better - but some of the most meaningful intentions aren't talked about very often.  In this episode we explore healthcare directives as a quiet but powerful act of care: a way to give yourself a voice, ease the burden of loved ones, and bring clarity to uncertain moments. From there, the conversatio...

Send us Fan Mail HIA Health (Hearts In Action) formerly Hospice of the Red River Valley is an amazing story of vision and compassion.  In 1981, a small group of visionaries understood the value of providing end-of-life care to patients and their families, where and when they needed it.  Over the years, they have expanded their services into western North Dakota, serving a total of 56 counties in b...

Send us Fan Mail We "took to the streets" to ask the average citizen (whatever that is!?) what they are thankful for.  We compiled quite a few audio clips that reflected this season of gratitude and thanksgiving.  Some are humorous and some are a bit more serious, but all of our guests are genuine and sincere in their thoughts.   As we come into this Thanksgiving holiday, take some time...

Send us Fan Mail Chaplain Stephen Streed (we call him Chaplain Steve) is originally from Rockford, Illinois. After a brief study in commercial art and graphic design, Steve followed the call into ministry and served in several parishes in North Dakota and Minnesota.  He joined Eventide Lutheran Home (now Eventide Senior Living Communities) in 1990 and has never looked back.   Chaplain Steve talks...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Norman, Attorney with Norman Law Office, Ltd., of Moorhead, Minnesota spends a few minutes talking about the simple legal tools you can use to ensure your wishes are followed and to protect yourself, your assets, and your family. We inserted a few questions from our perspective in funeral service so that it pertains to the families we serve. Ken can be reached at 218-233-2495,...

Send us Fan Mail Tim Bauer has been a good friend and associate with Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service for many years.  Tim has gradually moved into retirement but is definitely not letting the dust settle.   We visited with Tim and he filled us in on his early years in the ministry and his journey to where he is today, both professionally and personally.  He has a unique story we know you will...

Send us Fan Mail We had an interesting visit with Pastor Taylor (AKA "Taylor") the other day and he shared his story of his life journey up to this point.  From the early years in the Minneapolis area, Bible camp experiences, seminary, and now.  Pastor Taylor also talked about his love for music.  We hope you find the conversation as interesting as we did.   Pastor Taylor is the Pastor o...

Send us Fan Mail Kevin Wallevand has been a reporter at WDAY-TV since 1983. He is a native of Vining, Minnesota in Otter Tail County. His series and documentary work have brought him to Africa, Vietnam, Haiti, Kosovo, South America, Mongolia, Juarez,Mexico and the Middle East. He is an multiple Emmy and 4-time National Edward R. Murrow award recipient. We had a good conversation with Kevin to disc...

Send us Fan Mail Jasper's Theater, located one mile east of Park Rapids, Minnesota, provides clean music, magic, comedy variety shows with 4 generations of family and fabulous entertainers from the region.   Director, Kathie Brekke and her husband, Shawn, sat down and talked about the history of Jasper's Theater, the people and cast involved, and the shows for the upcoming 2025 season.  ...

Send us Fan Mail Stuff!  Admit it, we all have it and it can become overwhelming in time.  Joan Windus, Senior Move Manager and owner of Change is Good! visited with us about her business and her mission to help families deal with "stuff."  Whether it is moving across town, across country, or just wanting to downsize, Joan offers wonderful insight and experience on how we can deal with &...

Send us Fan Mail Petra Gunderson-Leith is the Archivist at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.  Our initial interest was to talk about the history of the first cemetery in Moorhead, Prairie Home Cemetery, and our conversation soon meandered to other cemeteries in the area.   Petra also shared interesting stories of the first settlers in the rural areas and the eventual establishmen...

Send us Fan Mail Memory Cafe' is an incredible resource for families faced with the reality of dementia in its many forms.  From a simple beginning in 2017, Memory Cafe' has grown to offer support through many programs and support groups.   We visited with Maggie Ness, LBSW, Executive Director at Memory Cafe' and she talked about it's inception and it's growth to where it...

Send us Fan Mail On a cold January afternoon, we had a warm conversation with Kelly Krenzel.  Kelly is the originator and creative force behind "Hope Blooms."  Kelly had a dream to make a difference in lives of individuals, one at a time, with the message of "You Matter."   Kelly shares her personal story of how Hope Blooms came to be, the numerous outreach opportunities they h...

Send us Fan Mail Curt Cannon and Jennifer Conklin are part of the dedicated staff at the Clay County Veterans Service office.  We talked about their responsibilities and the programs available to veterans and their families.  We only scratched the surface and we encourage veterans, and their families, to contact their office at 218-299-5041 with questions  they may have.   We can be reached at 218...

Send us Fan Mail We visited with Shawn and Sarah Nygaard on Thanksgiving eve 2024 and talked about their life journey and how it came to pass that they purchased Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service from George and Ruth Korsmo. They shared stories of their early years in rural North Dakota and how that has shaped their lives.  Raising a family and balancing the roles of parents and business owners...

Send us Fan Mail It's difficult to compress 100 years of a full life and decades of experience in funeral service into one 38 minute podcast.  We sat down with Paul Korsmo in October of 2024 and visited about his life and his vision in funeral service.  Paul's faith and his family were, and continue to be, an integral part of this vision.   We touched on the highlights and shared some gr...

Send us Fan Mail Hey podcast listeners.  We'll be launching the first official podcast on November 2nd, so subscribe or follow for more interesting people and topics we feel are of value. We can be reached at 218-233-1533 or an email to wecare@korsmofuneralservice.com You can also visit us online at www.korsmofuneralservice.com Thank you for listening and have a great day.