Upon retiring from teaching elementary music at Hawley Public Schools for 33 years, Jan Lerohl was looking for someplace relaxing, cozy, and close to family for her and her two dogs, Lilly and Rooney, to call home. Granite Falls checked all of those boxes. She grew up on her family’s farm in rural Sacred Heart so she was already familiar with the area and all the great amenities it has to offer.
Jan’s parents both graduated from Granite Falls High School and many relatives live in the community, so she had already spent a lot of time visiting the area before she called it home. She always enjoyed the beautiful scenery that made up Granite Falls. Cross-country skiing at the Upper Sioux Agency State Park, picnics with family at Memorial Park, walking across the footbridge watching the Minnesota river and the wildlife that inhabit it were some of her favorite things to do when visiting. Now that she is a resident, these are things she gets to enjoy regularly.
Since moving to Granite Falls, Jan has jumped right in as an active member in the community. Her passion for helping older adults has led to many volunteer opportunities. When she first moved to the area, she volunteered with the Living At Home Block Nurse Program which led her to become involved in the Living At Home Block Nurse Program's Act on Alzheimer's initiative, which then led her to the creation of the Building Bridges Memory Choir, which she is the director of.
The Building Bridges Memory Choir is made up of people with memory issues, their caregivers, and volunteers who enjoy singing and seek to strengthen their memories through music activity. Working with this choir led her to accepting a part-time position as Senior Advocate, where is schedules and oversees social activities at the Granite Falls Senior Center. She is grateful for the many opportunities Granite Falls offers to be involved and active in the community.
“Granite Falls has a variety of businesses to meet the needs of its citizens. It has several active community organizations. It has parks and recreational and camping areas for those who enjoy the outdoors. It continues to foster creativity by supporting a variety of local and regional artists through various events.”
With so much to do and see, it is hard to pick a favorite. That is the great thing about the town, you never run out of things to do. Needless to say, Jan is happy she made the move to Granite Falls and is loving everything about the place she calls home.
Granite Falls EDA
320.269.1878 | eda@granitefalls.com