St. Lawrence Band Reunion

June 18th, 2005

The St. Lawrence Band is having a reunion. You haven’t lived until you’ve had to play saxophone while doing the foxtrot in a wool uniform in Minnesota humidity (grateful with every step that I didn’t play tuba, despite Tim McGovern’s seemingly effortless piroettes with his). I think enduring that, and selling Camp Fire candy door to door, gave me the attitude I need to do my work today! Here I am with my first saxophone (took another decade to get my Selmer VI) freezing to death before the St. Patricks Day Parade thirty-some years ago.

St. Lawrence.jpg

That’s the afore-mentioned Randy Ottoson on my immediate right with the snare drum, and none other than Kelly Doran for US Senate on my far left with the snare drum! For a long time, St. Lawrence and Sabathani were tied as the best marching bands in the state. Every summer, we spent weekends in a bus touring Minnesota, from Corn on the Curb to St. Patrick’s Day to the Aquatennial to Forest Lake. My father-in-law, Clete McGovern, ran the band when I was in it, mother-in-law Pat had been a fire baton twirler in the Aqua Follies — their family alone filled up 2-3 rows!

There’s about 500 members they’re tracking down, so if you were part of the St. Lawrence Band and haven’t heard a peep, here’s the poop. Mark your calendar:


Saturday, August 27, 2005
1:00-6:00 p.m. – and continuing…
St. Lawrence Church
1203 – 5th Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55414


Here’s a map and directions.

For more information, contact:

Cookie Ostrom (507) 232-4272 tcookieb7@yahoo.com
Dave Lucking (612) 781-1159 lealip@aol.com

One Response to “St. Lawrence Band Reunion”

  1. Paul McGovern Says:

    My Name is Paul McGovern. Brother in law to Carol. Hi Carol. Nice Picture. I have acquired many old negatives from the years 72 to 75 that I am scanning for my sister Peggy McGovern. There was a great picture of Carol in the last seat of the school bus that we always rode to the many summer parades. All of these band images would be presented at the reunion. Unfortunately I am not attending. Of all the luck, my wife of ten years is due to have our third child born four days prior to Aug. 27 and we live in the Seattle area. I would love it if anyone could bring a camcorder to the event and make a video record of the event.

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