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OSTLUND FAMILY Calling Minot Home for Generations The Ostlunds are a local family who have built a life in Minot over generations. This is their story and what they love about their hometown. David and Cheri are both Minot locals, and have lived here their entire lives. Cheri’s parents moved to Minot from Grand Forks so her father could work at the Minot Air Force Base in the 1950s. David spent his childhood in Minot riding his bicycle and playing basketball for Minot High. David and Cheri met on a blind date, dated for a couple years, and got married in 1991. They chose to stay in Minot to start their new journey of marriage. They now have two kids, Aaron, 25, and Jessica, 22, and a dog named Gus. David and Cheri decided to stay in Minot for a lot of reasons. They wanted a safe and comfortable place to raise their children. They like how close the community is and how easy it was for them to meet new people and make friends. David and Cheri’s favorite thing to do in the summer is riding their bikes around Oak Park and going to see the Arts in the Park concerts as often as they can. What they loved about raising their children, Aaron and Jessica, in Minot was the amount of things to do for kids. They were given so many different things to try, like ice skating, soccer, gymnas-
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tics, dancing, and swimming. The Roosevelt Park Zoo and the Roosevelt Pool was the focus of many memories for Aaron and Jessica. Their summers growing up were full of trips to see monkeys at the zoo and many sunny days swimming at the pool. Aaron is now attending Minot State University to become an English teacher. Between going to class and doing homework, Aaron’s go-to spot is Ebeneezer’s Irish Pub in Downtown Minot. Their Big Focker sandwich and Guinness on tap help him destress after school. Jessica recently got married, and she and her husband, Tanner, love finding new places for date night. Jessica and Tanner both grew up in Minot, but they enjoy being tourists in their own city by exploring places they have never been. Their perfect date night would include dinner at Wings and Rings, taking their two dogs to the Dakota Bark Park, and a movie at Oak Park Theater. Overall, the Ostlunds chose a life in Minot because it has always felt like home. They have never thought of leaving because everything is so familiar and comfortable in Minot. If you are from here or not, you’ll feel welcome in the “Magic City.”
2020