Paynesville Historical Society Board of Directors

Reed Ringstad has been on the Paynesville Historical Board for three years and is currently the President. He has always enjoyed history and more so, Paynesville’s. His grandfather was the depot agent for the Great Northern Railway in Northtown and remembers coming up to visit and bringing his metal lunch box to work with him for the day. It was fun for him to check on everything. Ringstad moved to town in the 1960s and has been in Paynesville ever since. He remembers a lot of the town, people and businesses that were here and enjoys talking to people about it. He believes it is important to remember how and what people had to go through to make what we have now. That is why it is important to preserve it for future generations.

Doris Wendlandt has been a Paynesville Historical Society member for one year and a lifetime

member in the Paynesville area.

Doris has raised five children on the Wendlandt Family farm which recently is 150 years old.

Doris is co-owner of Queen Bee’s Bar & Grill, Inc. with her husband for the last 25 years, where

many stories are shared about the beautiful community.

Doris is involved with the Paynesville Chamber Commerce, Paynesville Lions, the City of

Paynesville and St. Louis Catholic Church.

Preserving our rich community is an important part of our community.

Jean Soine has lived in Paynesville 54 years and has been on the Historical Society Board for nine years and the Paynesville City Council for 25 years. She has always been involved in various organizations in Paynesville over the years. Also, she owned a business in downtown Paynesville for 25 years. Soine was asked to be on the board to fill a term, then found she had a great interest in history; it seemed to be a good fit and she is happy to assist where needed.

Linda Lorentzen has been on the Paynesville Historical Society Board for 2 years. Her lifelong interest in Paynesville history led her to volunteer at the museum after she and her husband retired to their summer home on Lake Koronis. She wrote a weekly, summer column, "A View From the Lake," for the Paynesville Press from 1990 to 2002; many of the columns featured historical events and places around Lake Koronis and Paynesville. She believes that everyone has an important story to tell and the more that we can capture the stories, the better for future generations seeking to learn from the past. Her work in non-profits led her to develop a love for finding funding for important, unfunded projects. 

Jerald Quarfot is a proud native of the Paynesville area and a 1984 graduate of Paynesville High School. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he dedicated 20 years of service, including overseas assignments, participation in the Gulf War, and working on classified programs at the Nevada Test Range. Jerald retired from the Air Force with distinction and returned to his hometown in 2014, where he chose to give back to his community by serving as a board member of the Paynesville Historical Society.

A lifelong history enthusiast, Jerald developed a particular interest in military history, with a focus on World War I and World War II. Outside of his historical pursuits, he enjoys hobbies such as stamp collecting, exploring folk music from the 1960s and 1970s, and engaging in HO scale model railroading. His diverse interests reflect a deep passion for preserving history and fostering connections within his community.

Steve Brown is new to the board, is a lifelong Paynesville Township resident living on a piece of the family farm homesteaded by his great grandfather, Frank Brown. He attended the Brown Country School, now located on the museum grounds. His maternal grandfather, Horace Sheldon, was township clerk for almost 50 years. Brown has always been interested in local history and enjoyed hearing stories told by his parents and grandparents about the way things were when they were growing up. Now that he is a grandfather, he enjoys passing some of that information along. He hopes to be able to add some to the Historical Society. He is a retired electrician but feels he is an old farmer at heart.

Steve Peterson joined the PHS Board in 2017.  He was born & raised in Paynesville, lived in the Twin Cities for 40+ years before moving back to Paynesville after retirement.  Paynesville is his home at heart and as he grows older Steve has a greater appreciation for preserving Paynesville’s history.  PHS is one of Minnesota's best small town historical societies.  He believes we need to better promote PHS by actively engaging community members of all ages.

Grant was born and raised in Paynesville, MN. He joined MAG Wealth Management in 2023 as an Accounting Specialist and later transitioned to Wealth Advisor & Tax Planner. In addition, he is the Director of MAG Tax & Accounting.

Grant is a 2021 graduate of St. John’s University, with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting. While there, he earned multiple accounting scholarships and graduated summa cum laude.

Grant resides in Paynesville, with his wife Katelyn, and their dog Russell. When Grant is not in the office, he enjoys spending time on Lake Koronis, golfing, fishing, visiting breweries, and spending time with family and friends. He is also an assistant football coach at Paynesville High School.