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Kathryn “Kathy” Benson spent fifty years of her life employed at Concordia College. Through her work at the Kjos Health Center and beyond, she touched the lives of many and supported both students and staff in their physical and mental wellness. Benson was a deeply valued and beloved figure during her time at the college.

In 1888, Joachim Murie and Marie Frimanslund moved from Yavick, Norway to Moorhead, Minnesota and married soon thereafter. Together with Marie’s brother, Henrick, they purchased a homestead. Their first child, Olaus, was born on March 1, 1889. Marie gave birth to five more children, including Martin (1891) and Adolph (1899). In 1895, Joachim died at the age of thirty-seven likely due to tuberculosis. In April of 1899, Marie married Ed Winstrom, a Swedish bartender in Moorhead. Unfortunately, Ed died from tuberculosis two months into their marriage, but Adolph was already conceived.  He was born September 6, 1899.  In 1909, the family also adopted a girl named Clara. Olaus and Adolph both developed an interest in nature as boys. To help with family finances, they cut grass for their neighbors, worked for local gardeners, and hunted and fished alongside the Red River. Olaus and Adolph both attribute this time of camping, hunting, fishing, and canoe-making to stimulating their fascination with the natural world.