Morrison County Influentials: 71-75

Last week’s Morrison County Influentials are celebrated people who were born and/or lived in Little Falls and who have had an influence on the rest of the world.

66. Louise Erdrich (b.1954).Author.Born Karen Louise Erdrich in Little Falls, Minnesota, Louise Erdrich grew up in North Dakota.Her books often contain Native American themes.Titles include Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, Tracks, The Bingo Palace and The Master Butchers Singing Club.Erdrich’s mother was Ojibway-French.Her grandparents operated a butcher shop in Little Falls.

67. Jessica Lange (b.1949).Movie Actress.Born in Cloquet, Minnesota, Jessica Lange’s family moved often when she was young. According to an April 16, 1995 article in the Morrison County Record, “Jessica was about eight years old when her family resided in Little Falls. Her father (Al), operated Lange Ford and the family lived at 514 Northeast First Street. Langes bought the house from Leonard and Margaret Sweeney.” The Lange family was in Little Falls in the late 1950s, eventually moving back to Cloquet where Jessica graduated from high school in 1967. Jessica Lange won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1995 for her movie, Blue Sky. She has appeared in many films throughout her career, including King Kong, Tootsie, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cape Fear, Rob Roy, Titus and Big Fish. Lange made her Broadway debut in 1992 in the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by American playwright, Tennessee Williams.

68. Keri Pickett (b.1959).Photographer.Keri Pickett attended school at St. Francis High School in Little Falls.Pickett’s photographs have been exhibited throughout the United States.Life and People magazines and Good Morning America have featured her work.Pickett’s book, Love in the 90’s, is filled with photographs of her grandparents.Other published works by Pickett include Saving Body and Soul:The Mission of Mary Jo Copeland and FAERIES:Visions, Voices & Pretty Dresses. Her first documentary film is The Fabulous Ice Age, a film documenting a century of theatrical skating.

69. Duane Bobick (b.1950).Boxer.Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Duane Bobick grew up in Bowlus, Minnesota, and attended three years of high school in Little Falls.Bobick started his boxing career with the Little Falls Golden Gloves boxing team.In 1971 he won the Pan American Games Heavyweight title and in 1972 he was the heavyweight Golden Gloves champion.Bobick was a member of the 1972 United States Olympic Boxing Team in Munich, Germany.Bobick currently serves as a Little Falls City Councilman.

70. Gale Gillingham (b.1944).Football player.Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Gale Gillingham moved with his family to Little Falls when he was a junior in high school.In 1966, Gillingham was the first-round draft pick for the Wisconsin Green Bay Packers.He played with this team for ten years and earned two Super Bowl rings.Gillingham currently owns Goedker Realty in Little Falls.

This week’s Morrison County Influentials:

71.Vernon Pick

72.Val Kasparek

73.Alex Huddleston

74.Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota

75.Fr. Edward Ramacher