These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
July 20, 2025
At the January 8, 1995, Roseau County Centennial Birthday Party, when the Overtones quartet group asked the audience for any information about the author of the Roseau County Song, the request piqued one history lover’s interest.
Roseau County Historical Society board member and Greenbush resident, Milt Sather, thought he recognized the name and after the birthday party, he started searching.
After a couple of telephone calls, some letter writing between Milt and Gunerius C Lee’s granddaughter Carol, and some research investigating, he found the historical information. Carol communicated with her aunt Sylvia, who had in her possession a handwritten collection of his poems and songs kept in a 3-ring binder. Sylvia confirmed that Gunerius C. Lee, often called G C. Lee, wrote words to the song, at the request of the Roseau County agent, to the tune of “My Bonnie,” that were printed in the county’s 4-H song book.
He was born in Story County, Iowa in 1871, shortly after which his parents moved to Minneota, Minnesota, where he grew up. He was married there in 1899 to Amelia Orsen. In 1909, Mr. Lee moved with his family to Roseau County and bought a small farm near Fox and continued teaching school which was his accustomed work. He taught at Ross Township School District 48 during the years 1911-1913. A souvenir booklet from that time shows his photo as the teacher along with a list of his students. He also taught at Haug School.
When there was a vacancy as manager of the Farmers Elevator in Badger, he accepted that position which he held for a number of years. In the meantime, he bought a farm two miles west of Badger which he improved by erecting a fine residence and barn. An October 16, 1922, advertisement in the Strathcona Star indicates he also ran for county auditor.
While the family lived here, many of the seven Lee children completed their high school education, Mr. Lee was a leader in community work as well as in activities in the Lutheran Church and held a high place in the community.
In 1924, Mr. Lee and four of his daughters, all teachers, attended teachers’ institute in Roseau.
Tiring of the arduous duties as manager of the elevator he resigned, and with his family moved to Halma where he taught in the school there for a number of years, moving to Karlstad in 1932. Mrs. Lee died in 1937 and until the fall of 1942, he had lived practically alone before moving to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Elmer Heide, at Larimore, North
Dakota, where he died on August 6th, 1943. He was buried in the Karlstad Cemetery on August 10, with Reverend E.B. Kluver and Dr. L Dordal officiating at the service.
While I’m talking to you today, if you’re going to be at the Roseau County Fair this week, I want to encourage you to come and see our exhibits in the Arts and Cultural Heritage Building next to the Magnusson Building. Our theme this year wil be “Where Have You Been in the Last 30 Years?”. We hope to expand on the family histories included in the Heritage Book from 1992. It’s also a chance to submit your family’s story for our family files in the Research area of the Roseau County Museum if you didn’t submit one when the book was printed. We’d love to see your photos and hear your memories from Roseau County and your family’s history here. Think about businesses that are no longer here, people you remember, school days and activities you enjoyed. We plan to have forms available to help direct your thoughts, and will gladly arrange a time to interview you after the fair if that would be helpful. Come to the Roseau County Fair and visit us.
Thank you to 
for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.