01 OKO 04-24

Family focus at
Fillenwarth resort
Great love of theatre
Big impact, small space
APRIL 2024
VOLUME 37 | NO. 2 | $4.95
gratitude
Giving back is second nature to Andrea Waitt Carlton
FACES
OF THE
LAKES

Spring is here.
Drive into Volvo Cars Sioux Falls for the luxurious
Volvo XC90 SUV.
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APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 3

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OKOBOJI CONTENTS
SEE OUR
ARCHIVES
OF INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE PROFILES
AT OKOBOJIMAG.
COM
23
30
18
FACES
OF THE
LAKES
FEATURES
13 LENDING A HELPING HAND
Giving back is at the core of what
Andrea Waitt Carlton lends herself to
18 ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
For Michael Burke, Okoboji Summer
Theatre is much more than a stage
23 FAMILY FUN
Treasure Village was a family affair
for Garth and Bonnie Neisses
36
30 PLACE IN THE SUN
Generations of families have returned
to FIllenwarth Beach resort each year
36 BACKSWINGS
Randy Rohlfsen turned his love of
the game into successful business
ON THE COVER 13
Andrea Waitt Carlton near the State Pier
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 5

OKOBOJI CONTENTS
42 be
Ryan Maris proves that with proper planning, a small space can
transformed to have everything you need, and look good too
OKOBOJI Magazine
is dedicated to an upscale,
fun-filled midstates
lifestyle, exemplified by
the homes, activities and
traditions that make up
the Iowa Great Lakes. The
magazine is distributed
in northwestern Iowa,
southwestern Minnesota,
eastern South Dakota and
eastern Nebraska. We
welcome suggestions, story
ideas and letters to the editor.
founder and publisher
Peter W. Wagner
president
Jeff Wagner
editor
Myrna Wagner
sales
Brittany Dolphin
SPECIAL
writing team
Kate Harlow
Rylan Howe
editorial design
Kirsten Elyea
Thea Sterrett
42 DO IT YOURSELF
Ryan Maris tackles townhome
renovation, creating a warm
welcoming space
47 TAKING A VICTORY LAP
Volunteers pour their time into
Riley Rides, to benefit Special
Olympic athletes
47
advertising design
Carissa Frohwein
Elizabeth Myers
Chelsea Parks
Kira Spaans
photography
Rylan Howe
IN EVERY ISSUE
APRIL 2024
VOLUME 37 | NO. 2 | $4.95
54
8 EDITOR’S VIEW
So much good to see in people
52 OKOBOJI TOUR
Looking ahead with plans set for Live
at the Lake, Okoboji Summer Theatre
54 OKOBOJI FOOD
Five-ingredient pasta is on the
table in less than 30 minutes
60 LOOK AROUND THE LAKES
Road work resumes, Rotary car sets
record, trail work continues, pizza
place replaces landmark restaurant
OKOBOJI Magazine is published
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Okoboji Magazine
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No material from this publication
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6 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

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Licensed in Iowa

EDITOR’S VIEW
Greatness all around, if we pause
long enough to notice
I
choose to believe that most
people are good.
I believe people want to do the
right thing. They want to help others.
They want to give back. They seek
meaning and purpose in their lives.
They desire healthy relationships.
But we live in a broken and flawed
world, so certainly that isn’t always the
case. Yet all-in-all, I’m going to maintain
that belief.
Here in our little Okoboji corner
of the world, there are countless
examples of people doing good things.
What that looks like is as unique as the
people carrying out the missions, and
we are thrilled to be able to share some
of those stories on the pages of this
issue, our annual “Faces of the Iowa
Great Lakes” edition.
Our cover features a generous
benefactor whose connection to the
area reaches back to her toddler days,
traveling to the family’s summer home
at Okoboji. She continues to come
back, and the Lakes area is lucky to
have her. Andrea Waitt Carlton has adopted
a Biblical philosophy to remind
her of the importance of philanthropy
— “to whom much is given, much is
also required.”
The list of projects in the Iowa Great
Lakes area that have benefited from
Waitt Carlton’s efforts is lengthy, and
includes well-known entities like Arnolds
Park Amusement Park, Pearson
Lakes Art Center, Iowa Lakeside Lab,
Brooks Golf and the Dickinson County
Conservation Board.
A remarkable individual, whose
efforts will have an impact for generations
to come.
Doing good isn’t always philanthropic
in nature, as is the case of
Michael Burke. His passion for theatre
contributes to our area boasting one
of the most unique summer theatre
programs in the country. Countless
hours of work are required to maintain
and improve the property, to train and
educate students, to build relationships
with patrons, to maintain high
standards of excellence.
No one would make that kind of
commitment over multiple decades if
they didn’t truly love the work.
Okoboji is grateful for Michael Burke
and his love of theatre.
Garth and Bonnie Neisess have also
loved theatre in the Iowa Great Lakes,
building from the ground up a children’s
theatre program that spanned 50
years at Treasure Village along Highway
86.
Their efforts included more than
just theatre, acting upon opportunity
whenever it presented itself. Miniature
golf, tasty ice cream, gospel concerts
and flea markets have all contributed to
bustling summers. It was a family affair
as well, with the couple’s daughters involved
and now carrying things forward
as Garth and Bonnie transfer leadership.
Randy Rohlfsen is another individual
who took advantage of opportunity
when it presented itself. His love of golf
combined with his business acumen
led him to purchase Emerald Hills Golf
Course back in the ’90s. Since that
time he’s reinvested in the course, in
employees and in players who want to
improve their game.
Rohlfsen loves what’s he doing, and
embraces life, even when a round of
golf doesn’t quite go as well as hoped.
Providing recreation and family
opportunities in the Iowa Great Lakes
is also what Fillenwarth Beach Resort
is all about. Lynn Fillenwarth grew up
and grew into her family business —
twice over. She has been working at
the resort since she was old enough
to sweep, but she’s also a practicing
attorney, as were the other members of
her family.
Lynn loves sailing and if you’re
lucky enough to stay at Fillenwarth this
summer, be sure you take advantage
of the opportunity to sail Okoboji’s
waters on one of the resort’s vessels. If
you’re really lucky, Lynn may take you
out herself. That’s the good fortune my
sister and brother-in-law experienced
last season as they finished up their
morning coffee from the deck of their
vacation unit and struck up a conversation
with “a lovely lady down on the
dock.”
Turns out that was Lynn.
I’m not sure how the story would
have ended if they started chatting with
Lynn while she was out sweeping!
Keep doing good things and keep
believing in people. There are plenty of
good ones right here in Okoboji, and
they all have a story to tell.
8 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

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APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 11

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OKOBOJI PHILANTHROPY
LENDING A
TEXT BY KATE HARLOW
helping hand
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE
“To whom much is given,
much will be required.”
Luke 12:48
This line of wisdom
from the gospel of Luke is not
only part of Scripture for Andrea
Waitt Carlton. It has become her
life’s mantra.
Her personal mission and her
guiding principle as president of
the AWC Family Foundation is
to use philanthropy to help do
good for others.
Andrea currently lives in
Nashville, TN, but in her heart
she’s an Iowa girl and she returns
to one of her favorite places
every summer — Okoboji.
She was born in Sioux City,
and traveled to Okoboji every
summer since she was a toddler
with her parents, John and Julie
Holtze.
It’s a place that she returns to
every summer with her husband
of more than 20 years, Rick Carlton,
and their two sons, Samuel
and Wesley. In a real way, no
matter where she has lived,
Okoboji has been her
home away from
home.
“I’m still very
much a Midwestern
girl to
the bones. So I
love the people
of Iowa. I love the
people of northwest
FACES
OF THE
LAKES
SEE OUR ARCHIVES OF INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE PROFILES AT OKOBOJIMAG.COM
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 13

PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS
OF ANDREA WAITT CARLTON
GREATLY IMPACT THE LAKES
Iowa. They’re so down to earth and they’re fun
and they’re smart, and I’ve known a lot of them my
whole life,” Andrea said. “My kids and my husband
have loved Okoboji since the moment they could
remember. And so for our family, it’s just one of
those places we love to gather. And we live on a
beach with a lot of other families that have been up
there for generations too. So we have a lot of fun
socializing with them, being out in the lake or the
dock or having dock time and playing games and
playing golf or going out on the boat.”
After graduating from North High School in
Sioux City, she went on to study French at the University
of Iowa. For a time she worked for her father’s
property management company before helping
build Gateway Computers in the 1990s.
She was living in New Mexico when her attention
began to shift away from business. She did
something that she had always felt called to do.
Andrea focused on philanthropy and started the
Messengers of Healing Winds Foundation in Santa
Fe, New Mexico, in 1998. That foundation was renamed
the AWC Family Foundation in 2009 when
Andrea and her family moved to Tennessee.
“I always use the Bible verse that says to whom
much has been given much is expected. So I had
a lot of financial success. And to me, it was just
natural to give back. I felt strongly about it,” Andrea
said. “Somebody had given me advice that when
you give, make sure you give to things you are passionate
about so that it means a lot.”
Philanthropy isn’t just a part of her work — it’s a
part of Andrea’s DNA.
“I’ve always felt deeply, I guess. And I would feel
very deeply when I was a young girl and I would
see different animals being hurt, or I remember
seeing some baby harp seals getting bludgeoned
for their white coats. So I mean, I’m not someone
that just goes, oh, that’s too bad. I think of, oh,
what can I do to help?” Andrea said. “I think it’s
just my nature, number one. But I also think that
we were kind of taught it as a Christian virtue. We
were taught to help out and help your fellow man in
whatever way and do the right thing. I always say,
‘I have to look at myself in the mirror in the morning,
and I don’t want to have to make an apology to
myself.’”
It was a virtue she learned about in church as
well as through watching her parents live out that
lesson.
“I think my parents always gave of themselves
and they gave of their time. Always volunteered,
but both volunteered in different ways,” Andrea
said.
Through both Messengers and the AWC Family
Foundation, Andrea has provided financial support
to hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Sante Fe,
Nashville, South Dakota, southwest Florida, and
the Iowa Great Lakes, according to her biography.
She has been honored with the Board of Directors
Award from Animal Protection of New Mexico;
Woman of the Year by the Okoboji Summer Theatre;
Philanthropist of the Year by Cheekwood Estate
and Gardens in Nashville; the George Washington
Generations Yet Unborn Award by The Heritage
Foundation; and the J. Clark Akers Award for
Wildlife Conservation by Tennessee Wildlife Federation,
among others, according to her bio.
Her contributions to the community have
also included an investment of time and leadership
through board service. She has previously
served in this capacity for the Okoboji Protective
14 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

Association and Santa Fe Preparatory School, and
currently serves on the boards of Montgomery Bell
Academy and Belmont University, both in Nashville.
The AWC Family Foundation has five main areas
of focus including: welfare and advocacy for
animals; conservation of land, water and wildlife;
preservation of our nation’s founding principles,
history, traditions and values; honoring and supporting
America’s military veterans; and the betterment
of our communities and fellow citizens.
These were determined based simply on the
fact that these were areas that Andrea is personally
passionate about.
“It’s evolved through the years. I always felt
strongly about protecting animals and the environment
as far as land preservation,” Andrea said.
The Iowa Great Lakes has greatly benefited due
to Andrea’s foundation and her love of the Iowa
Great Lakes.
Her list of personal and philanthropic accomplishments
in the Iowa Great Lakes is long and
distinguished. In 1999, Andrea spearheaded a
group of concerned citizens to ‘Save the Park,’
preventing the demolition of Historic Arnolds Park
by developers. More than $6 million was raised,
initiated by $1 million from Andrea and her husband
at the time.
In 2001, Messengers funded the
original Art Smart children’s exhibition
at the Pearson Lakes Art Center. In
2006, the Iowa Lakeside Laboratories
dedicated its main lobby as ‘Andrea’s
Atrium’ in honor of a $500,000 grant.
This was the second building on the
campus named for Andrea, following
the Waitt Lab building constructed in
1998.
In 2019, Andrea and her husband,
Rick Carlton, acted on their
vision to save Brooks Golf, forming
Brooks Management to assume operating
control of the golf course from
the Dickinson County Conservation
Board and preserving this community
amenity for years to come.
More recently, Andrea and the
AWC Family Foundation provided financial
support for the new aquatics
center at the Bedell Family YMCA;
created Preservation Plaza at Arnolds
Park through the creation of a conservation
easement to protect the popular green
space; was the lead funder for a revamp of ‘Art
Smart’ at PLAC; helped Ducks Unlimited secure
the 160-acre Reed Farm for natural restoration and
a return to public land; and is funding a refurbishment
of the dog kennel area at the Humane Society
of Northwest Iowa.
These are just a few of her efforts, but there are
numerous other large and small ones that have
made a vast difference to the people who benefited
from grants from Andrea and the AWC Family
Foundation.
“I have to say that I am most proud of saving
Arnolds Park, but also it’s sometimes even the littlest
gifts I’m happy about because — it’s not always
the size of the gift — it’s just how it means
to the people involved. And we try to be proactive
and be meaningful. But I mean, there’s so many
areas that I love,” Andrea said.
The efforts of Andrea Waitt Carlton’s guiding
principles and determination to support her communities
can be seen throughout the Iowa Great
Lakes. The fingerprints of her philanthropic work
are evident all around and that work stands as a
testament to others of what can be accomplished
when someone who has been given much, expects
much from themselves in return. •
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 15

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16 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 17

OKOBOJI PASSION
Sparks.
When Michael Burke starts talking theater
the sparks of passion and joy are plain to
see.
It’s a passion that became a vocation that has
been bringing Michael to the Iowa Great Lakes and,
specifically, the Okoboji Summer Theatre almost every
summer for 40 years. He serves as the director
of production and operations of at Stephens College
and at the Okoboji Summer Theatre.
The theater bug bit him at a young age and it’s a
passion that hasn’t diminished decades later.
His excitement was palpable when he told me the
story of falling in love with the magic that is theater
when he was in fifth grade.
“I clearly remember the very first show I saw,
FACES
OF THE
LAKES
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18 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

TEXT BY KATE HARLOW
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE
Michael Burke has a lifelong
love of theatre. You won’t see
him on stage at the Okoboji
Summer Theatre, but his presence
is key behind the scenes.
which was ‘Oliver,’ done by junior
high kids. It was wild. Then the
next year was ‘Music Man’ and it
starred Quint Redmond. His name
is burnt into my brain just because
he was so brilliant — this junior
high kid,” Michael said.
At that point, Michael knew he
loved theater but he didn’t understand
how much he would want to
be onstage and behind the scenes
making the magic until a few years
later.
When Michael reached junior
high and music was no longer a
required class anymore, it was his
brother who recommended he go
ahead and take the class — the
teacher was a nice one, he was
told.
“I decided to take the choir
class and the teacher, his name
was Barry Roberts, he liked to do
shows,” Michael said.
So Michael did shows. His very
first show in junior high was “Little
Abner” and Michael’s passion for
theater was officially sparked and
has been doing shows ever since.
“Those things were burned into
me. I constantly think about those
shows because of the sparks —
the connection that was made and
I was like, this is what I want to do.
And I’ve been lucky enough to do
it my whole life,” Michael said.
Michael went on to trod the
boards and light the stage at
Wheat Ridge High School in Wheat
Ridge, Colorado, until he graduated
in 1982. It was his love of theater
that brought him first to Stephens
College and that would lead
him to Okoboji, a bit by chance.
“I was in high school and a student
who had gone to Stephens
College came back to tell my high
school drama teacher about it and
how there was this scholarship
program for men,” Michael said. “I
was literally hanging a light, standing
on the ladder on the stage and
I’m listening to this conversation
going, ‘Someone will give me a
scholarship to do this?’ I’m in.”
He went to Colorado State University
for two years and focused
on completing his general education
requirements and then as soon
as he was able, applied for the
scholarship to Stephens. He interviewed
and got accepted, and his
career at Stephens College as a
technical theater student began far
away from the campus in Missouri.
“In May of 1984, when school
ended, I packed my bags and
came straight to Okoboji,” Michael
said.
His first show at Okoboji
all the world’s a
STAGE
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 19

Summer Theatre was “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
It’s a show that taught him a valuable lesson.
“I was 20 years old thinking I knew everything and
I was building this show and everything was beige. It
was just a big beige box and I couldn’t understand it.
I was thinking to myself that this was the ugliest thing
I’d ever seen and it was so boring,” Michael said.
“But when we got it into the theater and put lights on
it — it was magic. It was really a marker for me.”
He enjoyed the spotlight, but found he much preferred
to be the person behind the spotlight.
“When I first got to college, I was trying to do both
things — be on the stage and work on the technical
side of things. My first technical director in college
said, if you do production work, you’ll work anywhere
and he’s been right,” Michael said.
He graduated from Stephens in 1986 with his degree
in technical theater. He took a job at the college
as a shop foreman in the theater department.
While at Stephens, he met and fell in love with the
woman who would become his wife, and future Okoboji
Summer Theater co-manager — Ruth Ann Burke.
Ruth Ann danced and Michael worked in theater in
Minneapolis and then in Kansas City. Ruth Ann went
back to school and got her masters degree and the
couple continued to work in the arts sphere first in
Des Moines and then in Seattle. Before moving to Seattle,
the couple realized they had the summer free,
so Michael returned to Okoboji Summer Theatre and
brought Ruth Ann along for the ride.
“The summer of 1993 was Ruth Ann’s first summer
at OST. We both came up here and worked and then
after that summer we packed our belongings and
headed off to Seattle,” Michael said.
Michael worked for 15 seasons at the Fifth Avenue
Theater in Seattle and would continue to come back
for summers to Okoboji. In 2000, he took a leadership
role at OST and then in 2007, both he and Ruth Ann
were offered positions at Stephens College.
It felt like the perfect next step.
“We had kids who were getting close to college
age and we felt like this was the perfect opportunity
for us at this point,” Michael said.
So after wrapping up their summer at Okoboji
Summer Theater, the family packed up and moved
to Columbia, Missouri, where Michael and Ruth Ann
started working full-time, year round for Steven College
and also at Okoboji Summer Theatre in the summer.
And they’ve been coming back every summer ever
since.
This will be Michael’s 36th summer at Okoboji
Summer Theatre and the 40th anniversary of when he
first arrived in 1984 as a new Stephens College student.
It’s a legacy that has included his wife, Ruth Ann,
and their children, who would come to Okoboji during
their childhood years.
“I’m really proud of my kids and they have so
much confidence. They’re unafraid to meet and talk
with new people and to advocate for themselves.
I think OST has had a huge impact on them. Every
summer they met so many new people and it made
them very adaptable,” Michael said.
There are many things that make Okoboji Summer
Theatre special to Michael.
“I enjoy the pace of it. We have weekly shows so
our decision making is quick,” Michael said. “I like
working with the students at this pace, because I
think building quickly and safely builds a lot of confidence.
We are going to work until wehave to stop.
The curtain’s going to open on Tuesday night. I think
that’s great for our students to see. We’re not going
to get everything done, but we’re going to work to try
to make the very best show for the audience.”
In his day-to-day role as head of production at
Okoboji Summer Theatre, Michael does a bit of everything.
“My job is really to make sure that all the people
I work with have what they need. Sometimes that
means running an errand to pick up more one-by-four
lumber as our local lumber supplier has run out, because
we use a lot of it, to helping out a sound designer
if they are having a problem with the monitors.
I’m also making sure the toilets are flushing, the hot
water heaters in the cabins are working and more,”
Michael said. “I am an extra pair of hands in any area
that we need it.”
His job requires him to both be attentive to the details
so that the goal and mission of Stephens College
and Okoboji Summer Theatre are allowed and runs
smoothly.
“I was trained in a way that I have what I call a big
vision. I pay close attention to every part of the property
and to look at everything. I constantly have lists
of what is going on,” Michael said.
When he’s back home in Columbia, he switches
more into teaching and production mode and serves
more as a technical director and production manager.
Michael feels honored to be a part of a place that
20 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

MICHAEL BURKE
CELEBRATES 40TH
ANNIVERSARY AT
OKOBOJI SUMMER
THEATRE
has meant so much to the people
of Okoboji.
“It’s always been the community
wanting this theater here.
From 1962, when the local business
group handed the deed
over to the college because they
were serious about Okoboji Summer
Theatre and were dedicated
to keeping it here and helping it
thrive,” Michael said. “There has
always been tremendous community
support for Okoboji Summer
Theatre. We feel very connected
to the community and appreciate
them so much.”
It’s a place for magic for everyone
— including Michael Burke. •
Michael Burke has more than three decades of experiences and memories with the Okoboji Summer Theatre and is grateful for
the community support that continues to make such a unique theatre experience possible.
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 21

LOOKING FOR A REWARDING
CAREER IN HEALTHCARE?
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www.lakeshealth.org/careers
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OKOBOJI TREASURE
Gold and jewels aren’t buried
anywhere and there is no “X”
marking the spot, but Treasure
Village has been a true gem of
the Iowa Great Lakes for more than 50
years.
Started in 1973 by Garth and Bonnie
Neisess, the venue on Highway 86
north of Milford has seen melodramas,
gospel concerts, putt-putt golf, flea
markets and fabulous ice cream keep
visitors coming back year after year.
ORIGINS
Garth grew up in Western Minnesota
while Bonnie lived on a farm and ranch
in North Dakota.
They met at the University of Sioux
Falls and moved to northwest Iowa
when Garth took a job as a school
counselor in Milford.
TEXT AND
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
RYLAN HOWE
SEE OUR ARCHIVES
OF INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE PROFILES
AT OKOBOJIMAG.
COM
FACES
OF THE
LAKES
FAMILY FUN
for more than five decades
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 23

Garth and Bonnie Neisess saw a need for family
entertainment during their early years in the Iowa
Great Lakes, acted on their ideas and began planning
for the construction of a putt-putt golf course.
The first seeds of what would become
Treasure Village were planted during their
first half a dozen years in the area.
Arnolds Park Amusement Park wasn’t
in the best of shape in the early 1970s and
there wasn’t as much in the way of family
entertainment compared to what exists today.
They figured they could do something
about that.
Garth built up a sketchbook full of ideas
for miniature golf holes inspired by family
camping trips during the summers and
soon enough their opportunity to build
something would come to fruition.
MINI GOLF
“My dad had a lumberyard so I grew up
using tools and thought it would be fun to
build some obstacles for a mini golf course
and we had some friends help us pour
concrete and put in rails,” Garth said.
The first course was built over the span
of two months before they opened to the
public in July of 1973.
The first major upgrade came the following
summer when they added a new
building to the property—with indoor
plumbing.
“So now we had bathrooms out there
so that was a real improvement!” Garth
said.
About five years later they added a set
of nine holes purchased from the Clay
County Fair.
“They had a wooden course so we
bought those and put them in as our back
nine. Part of the reason was they had
some nice metal obstacles on that and
had some motors in them,” Garth said.
“Over the years though we found that
those would get ruined too easily so we
eventually went to all non-motorized types
of obstacles.”
Year to year they add a few surprises,
24 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

make tweaks to existing holes
and build new obstacles so visitors
always have a fresh challenge
no matter how many summers
they return to play.
“We have the Three Little Pigs
with their houses of straw, wood
and brick, and we have Humpty
Dumpty, which is probably one of
the toughest holes because it’s
so long — it’s pretty hard to get
a hole-in-one on that one,” Garth
said. “Most of the holes you can
get a hole-in-one with maybe a
couple exceptions. We want it to
be easy enough for families so
little kids can have fun, yet challenging
enough for parents to enjoy
too.”
ICE CREAM
The building they added in the
second year soon added something
beyond mini golf supplies
and restrooms.
Ice cream would provide the
perfect pairing for a summer afternoon
of putt-putt.
“Right now we have eight flavors.
They come in three gallon
tubs and we went through about
100 tubs, so 300 gallons of ice
cream last summer. That’s a lot
of dipping and scooping!” Garth
said.
“We have some folks that consistently
come visit us just for the
ice cream,” Bonnie added.
Like the obstacles on the
course, they like to change out
the flavors from time to time, giving
their regular visitors something
new to try.
The most popular flavors
seem to vary depending on the
age of the customer.
“For us mature people it’s
been French Silk Pie. We’re
probably the only place around
that has that particular one,”
Garth said. “For the kids, I think
Cotton Candy, the blue color
specifically. Sometimes people
say oh, you don’t have vanilla,
but we’ve found over the years
vanilla doesn’t sell very well for
us compared to all these flavors.
Another favorite is White Chocolate
Raspberry Truffle.
Toppings like sprinkles were
added as an option last year, and
while they’ve talked about doing
root beer floats they haven’t
quite gone that far yet.
FAMILY THEATRE
As they were building the golf
course that first summer, a friend
suggested having some sort of
theatre production as well, so
they had a Morton building put
together with a slope in the floor
leading to the stage.
That first season consisted
of about five melodrama performances.
Bonnie noted that they got the
idea of melodramas from seeing
them in the Black Hills area and
seeing they required few people
and the scripts were inexpensive.
She would play heroine roles
and Garth would be the villain
and also direct some of the productions.
They hosted gospel concerts
for more than 40 years and developed
a children’s theatre with
GARTH AND BONNIE NEISESS INVITE
EVERYONE TO TREASURE VILLAGE
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 25

morning performances.
“All our kids were interested in theatre and
drama and were talented more so than we were,
so we were blessed that way,” Bonnie said.
“The miracle was they were all so good at these
things, our middle daughter, Jan, was talented
on stage too. Her work and her husband’s work
took her to Kansas City and has led them to different
places.”
Daughters Linnea and Deborah and their families
moved back to the Lakes in the early 2000s.
“They both had two kids so we had four
grandchildren that wanted to be on stage or running
lights,” Garth said.
They’ve had actors from local high schools
and colleges taking on all kinds of roles on
stage.
“There’s so many that have been a significant
part of it over the years,” Garth said. “I sure was
blessed to have a lot of contacts at schools and
I could see who might want to be on stage.
“For a while we had more college than high
school kids that were coming and could actually
get internships or college credits for being with
us,” Bonnie added.
Slowly though they began to run low on actors
to perform each summer and with COVID
likely playing a role as well, they decided to
close the curtain on the Family Theatre after 50
years.
“The kids wanted to do one last show, so we
did that,” Bonnie said. “That was our 50th year
26 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

Treasure
Village was
home to 50
years of summer
theatre
productions,
where Garth
and Bonnie
Neisess enjoyed
having
their family
involved in
nearly every
aspect of the
shows.
and we wanted to celebrate. We had great
attendance and it was great to see so many
alumni come back.”
FLEA MARKETS
With all the activity already underway at
Treasure Village, it would have probably
been easy to call it good, but there was one
more endeavor they would decide to pursue.
“In the mid ‘70s I had a friend ask if we
would build him a building out at Treasure
Village — it’s that green antique one —
and he said we should start a flea market,”
Garth said. “We hadn’t thought about doing
that at all and I told him I didn’t know anything
about flea markets, but he was able
to recruit about 12 vendors that first year,
probably in the late ‘70s and it just grew
from there.”
As soon as their second summer they
would be hosting the now traditional three
flea markets on Memorial Day weekend, Labor
Day weekend and around the Fourth of
July.
“It’s like another family with all our vendors
now,” Garth said.
FUTURE PLANS
“It’s like family, seeing people at the golf
course that come back every year,” Bonnie
said. “There was one from Saudia Arabia
that came for 10-12 years for the plays
and to play golf. They haven’t been able to
since COVID, but we also have groups and
families that get together and come out and
have tournaments. Groups of 60 or more
that have been with us a lot of years and
have the tournament winner’s name engraved
into a wooden paddle.”
With all the years and thousands of visitors,
it’s probably not a surprise that Garth
and Bonnie, as well as their daughters,
sometimes get recognized outside the Iowa
Great Lakes.
In some cases halfway across the country.
“Even down in Arizona or different places,
people ask us if we know them from
some place — it was at Treasure Village,”
Bonnie said. “We were at a Vikings game
a long time ago and someone behind us
asked us where they’d seen me before and
I had no clue. We finally narrowed it down to
Treasure Village and they remembered me
from stage as the Wicked Queen in a production
of Snow White.”
It’s not always just random recognition either,
but a true indication of the impact Treasure
Village has on families.
They’ve heard from students and teachers
who were inspired to get involved in theatre
and speech after taking in a play, maybe
getting selected to join the cast on stage.
“One of my favorite shows was Snow
White and the Seven Dwarves partly because
we would pick out kids to come on
stage and play the roles of the dwarves,
and we tried to do stuff like that in a lot of
shows,” Garth said.
They may have drawn the curtain on the
theatre, but the supplies are still in the building.
“We still have the popcorn machines
and chairs and we have a whole stock of
costumes, lighting and sound equipment,”
Garth said. “We’ll wait to see in years to
come if there’ll be any revival or not, the
girls say no, but we’ll see,” Garth said.
In the meantime they’ll continue the yearly
process of opening Treasure Village for
the summer for flea markets and mini golf.
Painting, repairing and building obstacles.
Brainstorming new ice cream options
to try. Trimming trees, mowing lawns, planting
new flowers and much more goes into
getting ready for another season.
“We take it one year at time. We’re thankful
for our health in our early 80s — we’re
young 80s, and feel more like 60,” Garth
laughed. “We love being down in Arizona for
four months but we love coming back, not
only because of Treasure Village, but having
family right there, so we’ll keep going as
long as we’re able. When we got the land
we had no idea what we were really doing
and the Lord just provided people and ideas
along the way.”
Great ideas and fantastic people at Treasure
Village. •
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 27

28 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

LENDER
It’s not LUCK
that separates us
from the rest.
It’s
experience.
buy or sell this spring
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272 hwy 71 n. arnolds park
sellboji.com
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 29

OKOBOJI CARETAKER
place in the
su
SEE OUR
ARCHIVES OF
INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE PROFILES
AT OKOBOJIMAG.COM
FACES
OF THE
LAKES
TEXT BY KATE HARLOW | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE
LYNN FILLENWARTH CARRIES ON
THE FAMILY LEGACY
30 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

un
Lynn Fillenwarth views herself not as
an owner necessarily, but instead, as
a caretaker.
Fillenwarth Beach Resort got its
start long before she was born and she’s
determined to keep it going strong for future
generations of families who come to
enjoy the Iowa Great Lakes.
The story of Lynn Fillenwarth actually
starts in 1919 when her grandfather, Arthur
Theodore, or A.T. Fillenwarth, who hailed
from Sanborn, purchased property on the
shores of West Okoboji Lake right where
the Fillenwarth Beach Resort office sits today.
He built a cottage on the spot. It wasn’t
long after that other people took notice.
“He was a private owner just like anybody
else. It was a simple cottage, but
people came along and they wanted to rent
the cottage from him. He said, ‘well, sure,’”
according to Lynn. “He would rent out the
cottage and go back to Sanborn and then
he’d stay there until the cottage was vacant
again. And this kept happening So then he
decided to build more cottages.”
A.T. bought more lakeshore property and
built seven cottages. After seeing the success
of those, he built 16 apartments below
those cottages, which brought his total
rentals up to 23. This all took place during
the 1920s and ’30s.
In addition to starting to build what
would become Fillenwarth Beach Resort,
another special thing happened during that
time.
“My dad was born in 1924, right here at
the lake cottage,” Lynn said.
Lynn’s dad, Ken, was an only child and
grew up in the resort business. Ken and
A.T. worked together in the 1940s updating
the original cottages. They also started to
expand.
“My grandfather also bought a cottage
near the Amusement Park and then he
bought land that we call our North Beach
and they built cottages there as well,” Lynn
said.
When it comes to the Fillenwarth family
business it doesn’t stop at the resort. Lynn
is also a third generation lawyer taking after
her grandfather and both of her parents.
“My grandfather was an attorney in Sanborn.
Dad grew up and got drafted into the
war. When he came back he went to law
school at the University of Iowa and there
he met my mother, Ruth Hartkopp, who
was also a law student,” Lynn said.
Ken and Ruth knew they wanted to settle
somewhere closer to the resort so they
settled on Estherville as the town to open
their law practice in 1949. Ruth worked fulltime
in Estherville in their law offices, while
Ken shifted his focus to the resort during
the summer months and then refocused
back on the law practice in the offseason.
Lynn was born on the Fourth of July,
1951, and her sister, Julie, was born in
1953.
The family had an apartment over their
Lynn Fillenwarth notes that she couldn’t manage and run
Fillenwarth Beach Resort without the help of her longtime,
trusted employees.
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 31

law offices in Estherville as well as an
apartment above the resort where they
stayed during the summer months.
“We spent all of our summers here.
We had a summer long babysitter and
my mother would drive back and forth
every day and we always had dinner
together every night. We were always
together every night — no matter if
we were at the resort or in Estherville,”
Lynn said.
Lynn started from the ground up at
the resort.
Her first job, at the age of eight or
nine, was sweeping.
“When I was a little bit older, I started
doing some cleaning. I haven’t
thought about my first job in forever,
but still to this day, to me, sweeping
is really important,” Lynn said with a
laugh. “I still go out and sweep with the
staff. I really enjoy it.”
During the time when Ken and A.T.
were running the resort together it was
a time of construction including the
main building of the resort and the pool
which sits on the site where the original
cabin was built in 1919.
“My grandfather died in 1971 and
then my father built the pool where the
cottage was. In fact, the pool happens
to be the same dimensions and is almost
an outline of the footprint of the
original cottage,” Lynn said. “My dad
used to say that he was born in the
pool.”
In 1974, they purchased the South
Beach that used be to called the
Parkview Motel. In 1978 they continued
their expansion with the purchase
of the Gatewood Cottages that sit between
the lake and the highway. They
call that area the cottage colony. All
of these additions brought their total
rental units to 96 that accommodate a
range in size from two people to 18.
“As Julie and I grew older, we did
more at the resort from cleaning the
cottages to working in the office and
more.” Lynn said.
The sisters grew up with the tradition
of two family businesses — the resort
and the law practice. After graduating
from Estherville High School, both
sisters attended college and followed
in the family tradition of law.
“We both went to Creighton Law
School and we came back here and
practice law with mom and dad,” Lynn
said.
And the sisters’ personalities naturally
drew them to different areas of the
family businesses.
“Julie, she was quite the character.
She was very beautiful and a very
strong personality. She had a great effect
on people and most people loved
her. She gravitated away from practicing
law, just like my dad did, and so
she spent most of her time here at the
resort,” Lynn said. “Where my dad enhanced
the resort by acquiring more
property and building more, Julie enhanced
it by bringing it up into the
21st century as far as amenities in the
rooms and decorations.”
Lynn, on the other hand, followed
more in her mother’s footsteps and focused
more on the family law practice
until 2017.
“My dad died in 2014, and my mom
died in 2006. Unfortunately, Julie died
of metastatic breast cancer in 2017.
Neither Julie nor I had children and so I
happen to be the last living Fillenwarth.
I am married and my husband’s name
is Rich Meyer. He is an attorney as well
and joined the family law firm also,”
Lynn said. “I had been practicing law
up until Julie’s death, but since then I
changed my law practice around to
accommodate working here at the resort.”
She now serves as the manager and
owner of Fillenwarth Beach Resort as
well as practices law at Fillenwarth &
Fillenwarth in Estherville.
Her strong work ethic helps her
manage both jobs and she says she
couldn’t do it without the help of the
work family she has at the resort including
employees who have worked
there for decades.
Lynn is determined to continue the
32 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

work of those who came before her with updates
to the property every year during the
off season.
In addition to managing the resort and
helping ensure her 11 regular employees and
70-80 summer staff have everything they
need to be successful, Lynn’s favorite part of
working at the resort is being involved with
the activities they offer — especially the sailing.
“It was my father who started the activities
back in the ’40s when he was a teenager,
himself. He had a Chris Craft boat and my
father really liked to take girls out for a boat
ride,” Lynn said with a laugh.
The resort started offering boat rides to
all of their guests and offered water skiing
lessons. They acquired a number of boats
along with a 28-foot E scow sailboat, which
is Lynn’s favorite.
“Julie really gravitated more toward the
motorboats and the water skiing and I loved
sailing. I’ve been the sailboat driver from
1968 on,” Lynn said.
They have hired professionals to drive the
boats as well, but Lynn still takes the sailboat
out to give guests a ride at least once
a week. They offer a history cruise, a million
dollar home cruise, an environmental cruise
in addition to the other boat cruises they
have. The resort also offers some fun options
in the evening from Wine Wednesday to a
beach party every Monday evening with live
music.
Fillenwarth Beach Resort has changed a
lot since her grandfather started it in 1919,
and Lynn is honored to be carrying on the
family legacy.
“I love life. I love the resort and I love being
here. I love all the people that work here
and vacation here. It’s just something I enjoy
so much that the notion of doing anything
else — not being here is just totally foreign to
me,” Lynn said. “We love that families love to
come here and spend their time here.”
Serving people whether through helping
them with legal issues at the family law practice,
or helping them wring every drop of fun
from their stay at her family’s resort is Lynn’s
mission. It’s a tradition her family started
more than 100 years ago, and she’s happy to
be carrying it forward. •
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 33

More than just a place to stay
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2024 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Lakes Premier Golf Course
Kentucky Derby Golf for the Cure............................................................................ May 3
2nd Annual IGL Realtors Golf Tournament............................................................ May 16
(Memorial Day) Monday Fun Day 4 Person Best Shot....................................... May 27
Cyclone Wrestling Club Fundraiser....................................................................... May 31
Two-Man Best Shot................................................................................................... June 2
Camp Foster YMCA 8 Inch Cup................................................................................ June 7
Couples Best Shot Tournament.............................................................................. June 9
E H Junior Program Golf Clinics............................................................ June 10, 11, & 13
U S Open Draft.......................................................................................................... June 12
4-H Foundation of Iowa 4 Person.......................................................................... June 14
Two-Gal Best Shot................................................................................................... June 18
Hope Haven Benefit Golf Tournament.................................................................. June 19
1st Annual Emerald Hills Member Guest Tournament..................................June 22-23
32nd Annual E H Junior Golf Camp..................................................................June 25-27
American Legion Auxiliary Benefit Tournament................................................. June 26
Sam Chozen Memorial 4 Person...............................................................................July 5
PGA Drive – Chip & Putt Local Qualifying..............................................................July 11
Colton Baschke Charity 4 Person Best Shot.........................................................July 13
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Four Gal Best Shot Tournament...............................................................................July 16
Cattlemen’s Regatta Golf Tournament....................................................................July 19
32nd Annual Parent- Child Best Shot Tournament...............................................July 28
Wrestling Club 4 Person Best Shot Fundraiser.................................................August 2
Ruebin’s Legacy Two Person Best Shot..............................................................August 4
Quest Wealth Management Woun. Warrior/1st Responders Am Classic.....August 5
Emerald Hills Club Championship Weekend..............................................August 10-11
Morningside College Alumni.........................................................................August 16-17
6th Annual Beth Huseman Memorial “Beth Ball”..........................................August 24
Abben Cancer Center Classic.............................................................................August 25
Iowa / Iowa State Golf Clash @ Spencer G & CC.......................................September 2
U of O Couples Tournament........................................................................September 6-8
EH Eight Inch Cup 4-Person Best Shot.......................................................September 14
Captain’s Getaway Men’s ABCD Best Shot...............................................September 22
Three-Person Best Shot......................................................................................October 6
EH Fall Classic Four Person Best Shot............................................................October 20
EH 2 Person Triathlon.........................................................................................October 27
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34 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

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APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 35

OKOBOJI OUTDOORS
Backswings
TEXT BY RYLAN HOWE | PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED, FILE PHOTOS
AND PUTTING GREENS
There are no desks. There is
no chalkboard. Not in Randy
Rohlfsen’s classroom.
Instead there is the long
green expanse of the driving range,
the gentle slopes of the practice
green, and beyond that the 18 pristine
holes of Emerald Hills Golf
Course.
Rohlfsen, born and raised in Paullina,
went to Wayne State College in
Nebraska on a basketball scholarship
to study physical education and business.
While that could have led directly
to a post teaching at any number of
schools, it was a job while on campus
that opened his eyes to another path.
“While I was there my summer job
was working at the Wayne Country
Club and I did that for four years, so
by the time I got my degree and was
interested in teaching and coaching, I
had got really involved in golf,” Rohlfsen
said.
He would stay on for a couple
more years earning a master’s degree
in education while also coaching with
the golf and basketball teams as a
graduate assistant.
And so in 1974 he decided to get
into the golf business.
“I guess it just fits my personality.
To be able to work one-on-one teaching
golf lessons as opposed to being
tied to a classroom,” Rohlfsen said.
“With golf you’re in and out and dealing
with a great sport, so after being
in both environments and looking at it
neutrally, I jumped straight into a golf
position and never looked back.”
First up was an apprenticeship at
Omaha Country Club, followed by his
first head golf pro job in Yankton, SD.
Next was a stint at Sioux Falls Country
Club and finally another trip down
Interstate 29 to Omaha Country Club
once again, this time from 1990-1992
as the head golf professional.
Soon he would start looking up the
I-29 corridor once again.
This time with designs on buying a
golf course in the Iowa Great Lakes.
“I was ready to move in a little different
direction and I’d learned that
Emerald Hills was for sale,” Rohlfsen
said. “So then it was about getting together
with lawyers and bankers and
searching for partners and resources
to buy a golf course, which was quite
a process.”
That process began in 1993 and
now Rohlfsen enters his 32nd year at
the golf course.
The transition from working under
a board of directors for the early
part of his career came with a bit of
a learning curve, but one made easier
by his previous education.
“When you’re an employee of a
country club you just go to the pay
window and pick up your check, but
when you’re the owner in charge of
the bottom line and every bill associated
with running the club, the financial
part of it is the major difference,”
Rohlfsen said. “How do you control
your expenses versus your revenue,
NUMBER
TWO
The golf courses
around the Iowa
Great Lakes play
a big role in the
summer schedule
for tourists and
locals alike, but
Rohlfsen says they
all know where
they stand in the
scheme of things.
“I think Okoboji
View, Brooks,
Indian Hills and
Emerald Hills,
we’re all a big part
of the tourism
industry but I also
look at it as we
know our place in
Okoboji. We’re at
least number two!”
Rohlfsen said with
a laugh. “The lake
is number one.
That’s what gets
people here with all
the water sports,
restaurants and
entertainment on
the water. All those
things are the big
draw. We know
that on a beautiful
sunny day people
want to play nine
or 18 holes early so
they can hurry and
head to the lake.
So we know our
place, and it’s like
the Avis Car Rental
line, you work
harder when you’re
number two!”
36 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

ut I’ve enjoyed that part through the years
too. Had I been a history or English major, I
might not have been quite as prepared but I
had the background to handle it.”
With the business end of the course sorted
out, Rohlfsen could turn his attention to the
course itself and set about building membership,
filling out tournament schedules, teaching
programs and lessons.
The course itself was already a fantastic
base from which to start.
“One of the things is we took a good layout
and through the years have primped the maintenance
program to where the turf is really
among the best in Iowa,” Rohlfsen said. “I owe
a lot to ground superintendent Mike Vander
Pol. He has a really good program and anyone
who has played Emerald much at all will say
the greens are the best around, the fairways
are super and the layout has been good all the
way back to the original owners. We started
with a tremendous venue and all we’ve done
is try to build on that. It’s truly a fantastic golf
course.”
Thanks to the foundation laid by the quality
of the course and the quality of staff, Rohlfsen
says they’ve built up a pretty good reputation
to the point where membership is pretty full,
leagues are full, as are the tournament and junior
programs.
And it’s the interaction with all those golfers
on a daily basis that Rohlfsen has truly enjoyed
the most over the years.
“I get told all the time I’m kind of a workaholic,”
Rohlfsen said. “I like being there early
in the morning and seeing those early golfers
off the tee box and I also like being there in
the later afternoon and interacting with golfers
when they get done. If I spend a little time
away from the course it’s during the
middle of the day.”
The teaching aspect of his
job is perhaps still his fondest
part of his day-to-day activities.
Rohlfsen estimates he’s
probably worked with anywhere
between 8,000-10,000
FACES
OF THE
LAKES
SEE OUR ARCHIVES OF INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE PROFILES AT OKOBOJIMAG.COM
APRIL2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 37

BACK TO SCHOOL
The path to a career in golf course
management has become more
streamlined since Rohlfsen’s time at
Wayne State.
While his dual degrees in business and
physical education prepared him quite
well ahead of his apprenticeship at Omaha
Country Club, prospective students now
have an option directly tied to their
future interests.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is one
of 17 universities across the country to offer
a professional golf management program
and Rohlfsen has seen several former
students and assistants of his at Emerald
Hills take advantage of the option.
“Now you can get an actual four-year
degree in golf management learning
not just the game and how to play, but
you’re learning business and learning
how to teach the game properly, how to
put together a tournament program and
everything there is in the daily process of
running a golf course,” Rohlfsen said.
As part of the program students can
also take advantage of placements for
internships at major clubs around the
country for a hands-on learning experience.
“Kyle Brandt, now the head pro at
Hazeltine, his brother, Ian, went to Lincoln
and already has working at Augusta on
his resume — the resumes they build
there are unbelievable,” Rohlfsen said.
“Kole Carstens, who also worked for me,
signed a deal for a 6-month internship at
Pinehurst. I have to say, what I did certainly
did the job, but now the PGM program is
so much better and streamlined.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Getting started correctly is the first step to
enjoying the game of golf.
“I’d say number one is to find a
professional to build you a good grip,” said
Rohlfsen as a top tip for first-time golfers.
“If you’re just getting started, build yourself
a good grip then learn the basics of taking
a back swing from someone who knows
what they’re doing and knows how to
teach properly.”
Deciding to venture out on your own can
lead to developing bad habits that are more
difficult to unlearn.
Someone who’s never golfed is easier
to teach than someone who’s spent
years practicing bad habits according to
Rohflsen.
“That’s what goes into the saying ‘practice
doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice
makes perfect,” Rohlfsen said.
junior golfers starting at seven years old during his summer
programs.
Some of those golfers would go on to play in college
and many have come back to the course as members.
“You know, seeing kids come back that I had in the
junior program and now are full members — that didn’t
happen all by itself, so I do take some gratification from
teaching and building from the ground up a lot of those
golfers,” Rohlfsen said. “And on the other end of the
scale I’ll have folks getting into their 50s with retirement
on the horizon that want to take up golf. There’s nothing
more fun than seeing someone get started with the game
for the first time then maybe two years later they’re playing
in a league having a blast.”
In addition to all the league play, a full tournament
schedule also keeps Rohlfsen busy running around.
And while the tournaments themselves are loads of
fun, many have also helped raise hundreds of thousands
of dollars every year for charitable causes and foundations.
Camp Foster and the YMCA’s Strong Kids campaign,
38 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

RANDY ROHLFSEN TEACHES GAME
OF GOLF ACROSS GENERATIONS
Golf has been
in Randy
Rohlfsen’s life
since college.
Emerald Hills
brought him
back to northwest
Iowa
when the
course came
for sale in the
early 1990s.
Teaching golfers
of all ages
remains his
favorite part
of the work
of owning a
course.
Wounded Warriors, first responders, American Legion
Auxiliary and the Humane Society are just some of the
organizations that have been the beneficiaries of charity
golf tournaments at Emerald Hills.
“We were part of about $400,000 of charity fundraising
last year,” Rohlfsen said. “We’ve raised $60,000 or
more over the past 15 years or so for the Abben Cancer
Center, and I’m a cancer survivor so that’s one that
is near and dear to my heart. From the entry fees and
fun side events we dream up like having an 8-inch cup
— it’s unbelievable — that’s grown from literally nothing
to being huge over the past 30 years and it’s not going
away. When people get done with one of these tournaments
they say put us down for the same time next year
and our tournament calendar is full because of that.”
The one part of the calendar that isn’t full is winter
time.
Of course it’s hard to golf in freezing temperatures
with snow on the ground.
For many years Rohlfsen filled that time frame with an
assortment of other jobs like substitute teaching, coaching
girls and boys basketball, boys golf in the spring and
teaching golf management classes at Buena Vista University
in Storm Lake.
The winter activities have since shifted to a more leisurely
pace these days.
“For the last three or four years I’ll get all my yearend
stuff and planning for next year— get all that done
in the fall and say I’m going south for two-and-a-half
months to relax, put my feet up and do interviews over
the phone from Southern California. At 73 years old,
I choose not to shovel snow anymore,” Rohlfsen said
laughing.
Instead of shoveling snow, he and his wife will play
golf in the sunshine as many as five days a week, visit
their children in Lake Tahoe and the Virgin Islands, and
take it easy until it’s time to open the course once again
in the spring.
And while a full retirement plan may be on the horizon,
it’s not front and center quite yet.
“I have my good health again and just really enjoy
what I do. I know how lucky I am. Going to work every
morning, I love it,” Rohflsen said.
He’ll be there every day when Emerald Hills opens for
the 2024 season — greeting those golfers teeing off in
the golden early morning light. •
APRIL2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 39

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APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 41

OKOBOJI HOMES
the right
do it
wa
yours
TEXT BY KATE HARLOW | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE
Ryan Maris’s townhome in the Iowa Great
Lakes just goes to show that good things can
come in small packages.
Measuring in at 1,600 square feet, it’s the example
of doing a lot with a little. The three bedroom and two
bathroom living space got a new lease on life when Ryan
Maris purchased the property and decided to roll up his
sleeves, get his hands dirty and do some DIY remodeling.
He moved back to the area in 2021 after traveling and
living in the west. He attended college in Montana and
lived and worked around Houston, TX, and Salt Lake City,
UT. His decision to return to Okoboji was due to a pandemic.
“I’m incredibly close to my family. During the pandemic,
I was trying to find a place to settle down and grow
roots when I realized there wasn’t a better place to do so
than the the Iowa Great Lakes,” Ryan said.
He decided to put down roots, in the form of real estate
— which makes sense because that’s the business
he and his mom are in. Ryan is a Realtor as is his mom,
Amy Maris, with Okoboji Realty.
Ryan purchased a few townhomes and is up to six
units currently that he rents out. And while he was excited
about owning the townhomes, he hadn’t planned on living
in one.
“But then I just figured that it would be pretty seamless
to do a remodel while I live here and look for another
place, and then later I’ll just continue to rent it out with
the rest of them,” Ryan said.
Ryan soon realized he had a lot to learn as
well as a lot of demo to do.
“This place was nasty when I got in. The
previous tenant was burning trash in the fire
place — Doritos bags, Chinese takeout — all
sorts of things that you’re not supposed to
burn in a fireplace,” Ryan said. “My friends
and family I brought through here initially
doubted my wisdom of purchasing these
townhomes.”
He’s determined to put his mark on his
42 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

self
ay
—
to
Ryan Maris tackled a major remodel
with his own two hands for the
townhome that would become his
home. He also knew when to turn
the professionals for help.
TOWNHOME
SHOWCASES
SMALL SPACES
CAN MAKE A
STATEMENT
properties. The goal is that every time a tenant moves
out, Ryan’s plans to do something to improve the unit.
And when it came to the townhome he’s living in
now — he went all out on his first flip.
“I’ve pretty much worked on every inch of the
space. I’ve gutted and redone the kitchen, bathrooms,
flooring, doors, lighting and everything,” Ryan said.
“I found demolition’s the fun part — smacking things
and ripping stuff out. That was fun.”
For the majority of the remodel
Ryan did the work by
himself but sometimes with
some helping hands from
friends, and some additional
help from a professional
plumber and electrician.
But then he took the time
to make educated and smart
choices when it came to building
it all back up with new materials.
He also made sure to ask
for some expert advice when it
came to decor.
“We work with Shannon from Midwest Modern a
lot for staging with Okoboji Realty and I’ve been trying
to pick up hints and ideas for how to create a cozy
feeling within a home and create flow through working
with her and others,” Ryan said. “When it came to
this place, I had about 60 to 70 percent of it done, but
then I reached out to Shannon to help give me some
ideas.”
When it came to the kitchen, he removed the laminate
vinyl flooring and replaced it with luxury vinyl
plank. He brightened and opened up the space with
a new layout and new white kitchen cabinets, backsplash
and countertops.
The rest of the living space got a spruce with
the removal of the old carpet, installation of new,
freshpaint, a thorough cleaning of the functioning
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 43

Furnishing
choices lend
a comfortable
and
modern feel
to the home.
Choices
were made
to be functional
and
aesthetically
pleasing to
make the
most of
the limited
square footage.
wood-burning fireplace and specifically selected
high quality furniture pieces that elevate the
townhome.
Instead of a television taking up prime real
estate above the fireplace, Ryan chose to show
off antique Indian textile dyeing screens.
“Definitely tried my hand for the first time at
interior design and I’m one that’s a little bit old
school. In an effort to create a space conducive
to creative thought and genuine connection
with others, I don’t have any TVs or WiFi,” Ryan
said.
He also did extensive work in the bedrooms
and bathrooms of the townhome. In fact, he
converted one of the bedrooms with a special
purpose in mind.
Ryan plays with a church in the Iowa Great
Lakes and has dedicated an entire room in his
townhome to music. He plays piano, bass,
electric and acoustic guitar, and he sings.
The walls of the room are a testament to his
profound and deep love of music, which he
says has been passed down.
Ryan even decorated the walls with antique
music that he has a personal connection to.
“My great-great uncle, Everett Peterson,
used to go around and he’d occasionally play
gigs at people’s houses. He had a little tote
bag, one of those old leather suitcases with all
of his music. So there were all these original late
1800s early 1900s individual, handmade pieces
of sheet music he used to carry around,” Ryan
said.
When Ryan’s grandma offered him the pages
she had no use for, Ryan snatched them up.
Ryan decided to frame them and use them
as artwork.
“Anytime I can get a little bit of an escape
for reading, writing, music — all that — I have it
right here,” Ryan said.
When this 24-year-old isn’t hard at work, remodeling
or playing music, he is the program coordinator
for Youth In Philanthropy, helps coach
the Bedell Barracuda Swim Team, and enjoys
spending time with friends and family, and enjoys
spending time with his friends and family.
Despite his young age, he is proud his living
space isn’t your average bachelor pad. It’s
got taste and flair and it’s proof that despite its
small footprint — sometimes small spaces can
make big statements. •
44 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 45

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46 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

OKOBOJI RALLIES
TEXT BY RYLAN HOWE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE, SUBMITTED
victory
TAKING A
lap
Parades celebrate all kinds of events every
year all around the world.
Towns across Iowa celebrate their
anniversaries with parades. There are
parades for the Fourth of July and the world
famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Professional sports teams regularly draw hundreds
of thousands to parades celebrating
championships.
So of course when Riley Poss won a gold
medal in the shot put at his first Special
Olympics in 2009, his grandparents Craig and
Patty Poss decided to celebrate with a parade.
In this case it involved a handful of friends
and motorcycles but it would quickly evolve
Riley Poss with his
mom, Sheri Poss-
Jones, share the
story of how Riley
Rides got its start
as a fundraiser for
Special Olympics
athletes in the Iowa
Great Lakes area.
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 47

to become much more.
“It started off with just my dad and some of his
friends doing a motorcycle ride every year then we
added a free will donation breakfast and dinner,”
said Sheri Poss-Jones, Riley’s mom and owner of
Outback Lounge in Milford.
An auction also became part of activities, with
Craig serving as auctioneer.
“We just had a few things then more and more
people throughout the years caught on and wanted
to donate,” Sheri said. “Then we started going
around asking for donations and making it bigger
and people came in to volunteer. It’s evolved from
maybe seven bikes that first year and now I think the
biggest one we’ve had was 68 bikes. That was impressive.
It’s been amazing.”
Known as Riley Rides, the event raises tens of
thousands of dollars each year and will be celebrating
its 15th ride this spring.
Proceeds benefit Special Olympics athletes in the
Okoboji Community School District, helping pay for
things like lodging at the statewide event in Ames,
gear like warmups and Special Olympics T-shirts
and much more.
The festivities get underway at 9 a.m. with a free
will donation breakfast featuring all the favorites like
biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, cheesy hash
browns and made-to-order omelets at Outback
Lounge.
Engines start revving up close to noon as the riders
gear up to take off to the first of usually five or
six stops including Everly, Lake Park, Superior, Spirit
Riley Rides will be celebrating its 15th year in 2024. All
proceeds raised from the event go to support Special
Olympics athletes in the Iowa Great Lakes.
Lake and back to Milford.
Grandparents Craig and Patty passed away a
few years into the ride but their spirit still leads the
charge.
“My dad’s bike still leads the ride,” Sheri said.
“We sold it to a friend of the family and it was said
then that you could buy this bike but we get to use it
one time a year for Riley Rides and whoever rides it
leads the pack.”
Sheri usually hangs back in a support role picking
up hats or sunglasses that get dropped along the
way.
The midway point is typically at Softail Saloon in
Superior where volunteers have already set up shop
after breakfast and are busy getting ready for another
meal.
Piccadilly Circus Pizza donates pizzas that are
sold by the slice and bake sale items are available
with all proceeds again adding up to the grand total.
Among the many volunteers in recent years is
Alyssa Umscheid, special education instructor at
Okoboji Middle School.
“We’ve been involved the past four to five years,”
Umscheid said. “It’s just so much fun and the
amount of money and support that’s been raised
over the years has been amazing.”
48 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

RILEY RIDES RALLIES COMMUNITY
FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
RILEY RIDES
“This all started with a grandfather’s pride for his
grandson’s first place win at the Special Olympics.
He and his friends started a small ride amongst
themselves to help raise funds so that each and
every family could enjoy the magic, excitement and
buzz that goes on at the campus of Iowa State
University for that weekend. Little by little, year by
year, Riley Rides has grown into something that no
one could have seen coming, with the help of friends,
family and our community.”
— Sheri Poss-Jones
The ride eventually circles back to its starting
point at Outback Lounge for one more meal and
a live auction that sees the place packed full of
people doing their best to outbid one another.
Roberta Seil, a teacher associate at Okoboji
Middle School, helped out last year for the first
time and was amazed at what she saw.
“What I thought was awesome was the actual
auction itself,” Seil said. “You have people very
willing to donate and it’s just a very fun event.
It’s a true auction style and some people will
buy something then give it back to be auctioned
again to raise even more money and that’s cool.
You may want the item but it’s more about the
cause you’re supporting.”
For Sheri, having the extra hands on deck
has been key in keeping Riley Rides going, and
growing, in recent years.
“Riley is 24 now and at times after he graduated
I didn’t know if I would continue because
it’s a lot of work for me and two of my bartenders,”
Poss-Jones said. “Having the teachers
come in has been heaven sent. It’s been a big
help. They’re able to help do a lot of stuff and
they know a lot of people so we’ve been able
to grow our donations and we’re now almost
a finely greased machine. They’re an amazing
group and I probably couldn’t do this at this
point without them.”
The appreciation is mutual.
“We are just so thankful for Sheri for this
opportunity to partner and have fun with this
event,” Umscheid said. “It’s huge when you
have a great working relationship like that and I
hope she knows how much we appreciate her.
She’s so great.”
And as the event has grown, so has their ability
to give back.
Sheri estimated they raised about $20,000
last year and that number has consistently
grown year over year.
So in addition to funds for Special Olympics
athletes, Riley Rides in 2018 started awarding
two scholarships, the Jennifer Prentice Career
of Service and the Jennifer Prentice Courage
Award, for students aiming to pursue a career in
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 49

special education.
Any leftover funds are added to the school’s
general fund and is utilized for other opportunities
for special education students.
“I think it’s really important that if we’re not
able to give them a state Special Olympics experience,
that we give them one here, so we
go to the zoo and other things like that and
it’s because of money from Riley Rides that
we have those kinds of opportunities,” Umscheid
said. “What I think is really cool is our
community really rallies around our Special
Olympics athletes and our special education
students. I think the exposure we’ve had with
a lot of people seeing us doing Big Splash on
Wednesdays, they’re seeing what we can do
and that’s really cool. We are able to do a lot
of things and want to show the community the
greatness we have.”
Bringing more awareness to special needs
students and their capabilities is at the core of
the mission for Riley Rides.
That’s what keeps Sheri Poss-Jones and
the volunteers and teachers coming back each
year to grow the event beyond anyone’s original
expectations.
“We get little thank you letters at the end
from the kids and hang them up for people to
see and we’re getting more parents coming for
the auction or bringing their kids to the breakfast.
They love seeing bikes and the riders
have no problems starting them up and letting
them take pictures,” Sheri said. “Just hearing
people say thank you — that’s all we need.”
Riley Rides is scheduled for May 4 this year.
Saddle up and join the parade. •
50 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

A
G
FOR
R
E
A
T
L
A
K
S
E
updated weekly
www.FunAtBoji.com
who's playing • what to do • who to see • where to go • and more
I O W
Experience wonderful flavors,
meet new people and find
interesting places to explore
JULY 2023
Okoboji Magazine
Seven
smooth
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APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 51

OKOBOJI TOUR
Live at the Lake is back
Free music at Preservation Plaza
is back on the agenda for Saturday
nights in Arnolds Park.
Live at the Lake will offer up a
summer full of music in the great
outdoors with West Okoboji Lake
in the background. It all gets started
on Memorial Day weekend.
May 26: Xpedition
June 1: Smash Mouth
June 8: Brule
June 15: TBA
KATYLYNN
BOUTIQUE
June 22: Ragdolls
June 29: Thunderstruck
July 4: Rolling Stoners
July 5: The Trip
July 6: 90’s Rock Show
July 13: Arrival from Sweden
July 20: Everclear
July 27: TBA
Aug. 3: Trippin Blues
Aug. 10: Blue Water Festival
Aug. 17: California Transit Authority
Aug. 24: The Pork Tornadoes
Aug. 31: Arch Allies
OST ANNOUNCES
66TH SEASON
Summer is almost here and that
means the return of Okoboji Summer
Theatre for their 66th season.
They recently announced their lineup
for the 2024 season and started
selling tickets in February. Tickets can
be purchased by e-mailing the box
office at boxoffice@okobojisummertheatre.org
and online at Eventbrite.
Here is the lineup for the season:
June 25-30: “Leader of the Pack:
The Ellie Greenwich Musical”
July 2-7: “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville”
July 9-14: “Freaky Friday”
July 16-21: “The Mousetrap”
July 23-28: “My Way”
July 30-Aug. 4: “Barefoot in the
Park”
Aug. 6-11: “The Music Man”
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& sign up
for our
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classes!
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www.katylynnboutique.com
HEN HOUSE HOURS:
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PECKISH HOURS:
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Happy hour: 4:30pm Fri.
403 Grand Avenue, Spencer, IA
712-262-4839 • henhousespencer.com
52 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

Spring
in Okoboji
Explore The parks
Reel in a big one
Hit the links
Get Creative
Ride the trails
Embrace okoboji

Has spaghetti night run its
course when it comes to your
weekly meal planning? Pasta
is an affordable and versatile
pantry staple, but it certainly
doesn’t have to be predictable. Try pesto
with your pasta, or mix some dairy into
your red sauce for a creamy alternative.
These five recipes are each five
ingredients or less, and on the table in
under 30 minutes.
Pasta night just got even better.
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY MYRNA WAGNER
54 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

CHICKEN BROCCOLI ALFREDO
6 ounces fettuccine or
linguine
2 4-ounce boneless,
skinless chicken
breasts
½ cup broccoli florets
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated
Parmesan
Bring large pot of water to boiling. Add 2
teaspoons salt, followed by the pasta. Return
to boiling, reduce heat and cook 9 minutes.
Add broccoli to the boiling pasta for an
additional 90 seconds of cooking time. Drain
and return to pot.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and
pepper on both sides. Heat 2 tablespoons
of olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add
chicken to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes per
side, turning once. Remove from heat when
chicken is nicely browned and has reached
OKOBOJI FOOD
an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees.
The meat will continue cooking slightly as it
stands, to reach internal temperature of 165.
Remove chicken from pan, add heavy
cream and bring to simmer, watching closely,
Whisk in the grated Parmesan until melted and
thickened. Pour over the hot pasta and toss.
Slice the chicken in strips, and layer over
the pasta mixture to serve.
*Freshly grated nutmeg is a nice touch to
finish the dish, though not necessary if it isn’t
an ingredient you have on hand.
*These recipes also use extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, which are not listed in the ingredient list.
PRESTO!
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 55

56 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024
PASTA NIGHT
GETS A NEW
TWIST WITH
A LITTLE
IMAGINATION
AND CREATIVE
INGREDIENTS

TORTELLINI WITH ROASTED
TOMATOES AND SPINACH
10 ounces fresh tortellini, your choice of filling
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2-3 ounces fresh spinach
2 cups chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes with 1
tablespoon olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt.
Spread on baking sheet and roast for 13-15 minutes, until
softened. Remove from oven and set aside.
In large heavy skillet, heat 2 cups chicken broth. Add
the fresh tortellini, cover with lid, and cook 4-5 minutes,
according to package directions. Vent the lid as
necessary to prevent boil over.
When pasta is al dente, remove with skimmer to a
plate or bowl. Whisk cream cheese into the hot chicken
broth until combined, then add the spinach. Cover with
lid and allow to wilt for 90 seconds. Return pasta to
the skillet, along with the roasted tomatoes. Toss to
combine.
Garnish with parsley and Parmesan, if desired.
CREAMY SAUSAGE
RIGATONI
8 ounces rigatoni or other tubular pasta
3 Italian sausage links, about 10 ounces
12 ounces prepared pasta sauce
4 ounces cream cheese, at room
temperature
Bring large pot of water to boiling. Add
2 teaspoons salt, followed by the pasta.
Return to boiling, reduce heat and cook
13-15 minutes, or as directed on the
package. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive
oil in heavy skillet. Remove casings
from the sausage and chop into bitesize
pieces. Brown in hot oil, turning
frequently to cook evenly. Remove
to paper towel-lined plate. Wipe any
excess fat from the skillet and return
to heat.
Add pasta sauce to the skillet,
followed by cream cheese. Whisk
over low heat until combined.
Add the drained pasta to the
skillet, followed by the sausage.
Toss to coat. Top with snipped
parsley and fresh Parmesan to
serve, if desired.
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 57

PESTO SALMON PASTA
8 ounces dry orzo pasta
4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
½ cup prepared pesto
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Bring large pot of water to boiling. Add 2 teaspoons
salt, followed by dry orzo. Return to boiling, reduce heat
and cook 9 minutes, or until just tender. Stir as needed to
keep pasta from sticking.
Over medium heat, toast the pine nuts in dry skillet
for 2-3 minutes, or until they just begin to brown. Watch
closely so they do not scorch. Immediately remove nuts
from pan to cool in small bowl.
Meanwhile, season both sides of the salmon with salt
and pepper. In the same skillet used to toast the pine
nuts, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
When oil is hot enough to sizzle, place salmon fillets skin
side down and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until salmon
easily releases from the bottom of the pan. Flip fillets and
cook an additional 2 minutes, or until fish is opaque and
flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Drain the pasta, return to hot pot and stir in the pesto.
Serve pasta alongside the salmon, topped with pine
nuts and Parmesan.
BROWN BUTTER PASTA WITH SCALLOPS
6 ounces angel hair pasta
8 large sea scallops
4 ounces butter, divided
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup dry white wine
ADD A BIT OF FRESHNESS TO
THIS DISH WITH A LEMON WEDGE
Pat sea scallops dry on a paper towel and season both sides with
kosher salt.
Bring large pot of water to boiling. Add 2 teaspoons salt, followed by
pasta. Return to boiling, reduce heat and cook 3-5 minutes, or until just
tender. Drain pasta and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat in heavy
skillet. After the butter melts and foams, swirl the pan and let the mixture
begin to brown. Watch closely so the butter only browns, but does not
burn. Pour browned butter into small bowl and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon butter to the pan, along with 1-2
tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add the scallops in single layer,
being careful to not crowd the pan. Allow the scallops to cook 2-3
minutes per side, depending on thickness. Turn the scallops when the
bottoms have browned, and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Baste
with the butter mixture while the scallops cook, but do not disturb them.
Remove scallops to plate.
Reduce heat and add the crushed garlic to the skillet, cooking for 30-
60 seconds, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the browned
butter and white wine, bringing to simmer. Add the drained pasta and
toss to coat.
Layer pasta on serving plates or a platter, top with the scallops and
squeeze with a wedge of fresh lemon, if desired.
58 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

MEET
Breathtaking
Outdoor
Design
Bringing
Heaven
TO YOUR
OUTDOORS
BRITTANY
DOLPHIN
SALES MARKETING
REPRESENTATIVE
712-363-1073
bdolphin@iowainformation.com
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
OVER 31 YEARS EXPERIENCE
SERVING THE LAKES & SURROUNDING AREAS
Outdoor
Heaven LLC
dba DeMuth Landscaping & Design
Highway 71 S., Milford, IA
Phone 712.320.3021
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT
THE IOWA GREAT LAKES?
I enjoy the carefree
atmosphere of the lakes and
getting to know and see all the
unique businesses and their
owners. I take pride in finding
the hidden gems and sharing
their business with our readers.
I love helping everyone from
locals to vacationers find all the
best places at the lakes for the
in-between times of enjoying
the sun and water.
BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE
CREATINGBEAUTIFULSMILES
AFTER AFTER AFTER
THERE IS NO REASON YOU CANNOT HAVE CONFIDENCE AND A BEAUTIFUL SMILE!
Specialist in Orthodontics
and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Delta Dental and
Hawk-i Provider
MAGAZINE
okobojimagazine.com
CRAIG E NEWELL, D.D.S.,M.S.
Show the world your
smile, not your braces.
611 18th St, Spirit Lake • 712-336-3428
www.newell-orthodontics.com
Show the world your
smile, not your braces.
Practice specific marketing is sponsored by the provider and not by Align Technology, Inc.
©2017 Align Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Invisalign is a registered trademark of Align Technology, Inc. PD13-005 REV 1
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 59

LOOK AROUND THE LAKES
LITTLE
SPIRIT
ON THE MAP
Presto!
Pasta is on the table in less than 30
minutes with these tasty recipes
READ MORE ON PAGE 54
SPIRIT
LAKE
1 Lending a Helping Hand
Through her foundation, Andrea Waitt Carlton
impacted the Lakes for generations to come
READ MORE ON PAGE 13.
2 All the World’s a Stage
Michael Burke puts in long hours doing what he
loves, and Okoboji is blessed by his efforts
READ MORE ON PAGE 18.
3 Family Fun
Along with their family, Garth and Bonnie
Neisses built a treasure load of summer fun
READ MORE ON PAGE 23.
CENTER
LAKE
6
4 Place in the Sun
Lynn FIllenwarth’s family juggled diverse
businesses - law work and summer resort work
8
2
9
EAST
OKOBOJI
READ MORE ON PAGE 30.
5 Backswings and Greens
Golf has been good to Randy Rohlfsen, and his
course has been good for the Iowa Great Lakes
WEST
OKOBOJI
10
4
1
LAKE
MINNEWASHTA
READ MORE ON PAGE 36.
6 Do it Yourself
Ryan Maris proves just what can be done with
determination, hard word and a small space
READ MORE ON PAGE 42.
3
5
LOWER
GAR LAKE
7 Riley Rides
Motorcycle ride benefit event raises money
for local Special Olympic athletes
7
READ MORE ON PAGE 47.
[ BY THE NUMBERS ]
16 total number of days the
Rotary car was on the ice
14 miles of the Iowa Great
Lakes “Spine” Trail
60 miles, and counting,
accessible from the spine of the
Iowa Great Lakes trail system
60 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

ROCK THE ROOF
10
The Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music
Association has announced the lineup
for the Rock the Roof Concert Series:
June 6 - DC Drifters - Majestic Pavilion
June 13 - Surfin’ Safari - Majestic Pavilion
June 20 - Richie Lee - Roof Garden Ballroom
June 27 - Mogen’s Heroes - Majestic
Pavilion
July 11 - Rock a la Carte - Majestic Pavilion
July 18 - Starfire - Majestic Pavilion
July 25 - Sean Benz - Majestic Pavilion
Aug. 1 - Lake Patrol - Majestic Pavilion
Aug. 15 - Richie Lee - Roof Garden Ballroom
Aug. 22 - The Expressions - Majestic Pavilion
ROADS PHASE 3
The third phase of road reconstruction on Highway 71 through the Lakes corridor was set to
begin in March. This phase includes work on a section of highway in Okoboji north of Sanborn
Avenue up to Stakeout Road as well as intersections at Broadway Street and Linden Drive in
Arnolds Park. May 24 is the scheduled completion date for this phase.
8
BOSS’ PIZZERIA & SPORTS BAR
The new eatery took over the space formerly occupied by Minerva’s in Okoboji and
opened in late January after a remodel, which included the addition of several televisions
and sports memorabilia among other changes and upgrades. As the name suggests, the menu
includes a large variety of specialty pizzas as well as pasta, appetizers and more.
ROTARY CAR
DROP
The Iowa Great Lakes Rotary Club Car Drop
Contest set a new record for the shortest
amount of time on the ice after the car
dropped through Smith’s Bay on
Feb. 8, beating the previous record of
Feb. 23 back in 2017.
9
TRAILS
UPDATES
A trail loop near the Pearson
Lakes Art Center is in the
works with plans for art installations,
sculptures, potentially a tree house
and connection to the Nature Center
Trail. In addition to that project,
the final stretch of the Tatanka Ska
Trace rail trail connecting Spirit Lake
and Lake Park is scheduled to be
completed by late July.
4 stages of the reconstruction
project for Highway 71
MARCH 20
typically the first official day of
spring
MARCH 19, 2O24
first official day of spring due to the leap
year
APRIL 2024 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE 61

OKOBOJI LIFE
The sun sets across the water
from Pikes Point State Park
on West Okoboji Lake
where the ice is beginning
to break up and
recede, a sure sign
that spring is on its
way and summer is
right around the
corner.
62 OKOBOJI MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

The Audi Q5 blends the sporty performance of a
sedan and the versatility of an SUV—for all of life's journeys.
Where sophistication and versatility come standard.

For Sale
WALKING DISTANCE TO
EAST LAKE OKOBOJI
1203 SANBORN | OKOBOJI
$255,000
2 2
Sold
LAKE MINNEWASHTA
51 BASCOM
ARNOLDS PARK
2 1
Sold
WEST LAKE OKOBOJI
16400 BAYSIDE
SPIRIT LAKE
5 4
Sold
WEST LAKE OKOBOJI
15924 HWY 86
SPIRIT LAKE
5 2
Sold
EAST LAKE OKOBOJI
24400 182ND
SPIRIT LAKE
4 3
Sold
WEST LAKE OKOBOJI
19720 HWY 86
WAHPETON
3 3
YOUR OKOBOJI REAL ESTATE EXPERTS
The Brickyard south of Kum & Go l 1003 Hwy. 71 South l Okoboji, IA 51355
www.ExploreOkobojiHomes.com • www.OkobojiHomes.com
LENDER
NICK BJORNSTAD
nickb@okobojihomes.com l 712.339.0580
KIRK STAUSS
kirk@okobojihomes.com l 712.320.0123
NICK STAUSS
nick@okobojihomes.com l 712.320.1230
MEGHAN SLOMA
meghan@okobojihomes.com l 712.332.2470
MARK LEISS
okobozo@aol.com l 712.330.2045