When she starts at Bemidji State University this January, Amayah Littlewolf will extend a family tradition that began with her grandmother and continued with her mom.

Littlewolf’s mother, Wenona Kingbird,  is a 2009 Indian studies graduate who works with Leech Lake Child Welfare’s Family Preservation Program. Her grandmother, Gail Kingbird, graduated in 1988 with an elementary education major and a minor in Indian studies. She teaches at Lincoln Elementary School in Bemidji.

Family Traditions
Learn about the family of C.V. Hobson, namesake of the Hobson Memorial Union, and five other families with extensive ties to BSU.

“I was happy Amayah chose to attend BSU,” Wenona said. “It’s a beautiful campus that’s not too big or too small, and the American Indian Resource Center has a good support system.”

With appreciation for Bemidji State’s importance in their life journeys, many graduates inspire the next generation — and the next — to take the same step. Others are joined by an entire generation of siblings.

The Berkelands

Graduate Maria Berkeland of Fairbanks, Alaska, followed the example of her mother and grandfather when she graduated in 2015. All three earned a degree in biology.

When it came time to choose a college, Berkeland said Bemidji State caught her attention for its biology program, plus its size, affordability and access to outdoor activities. Family history didn’t hurt.

“My family connections definitely played a role in my decision to attend BSU,” she said. “I wanted to go to college outside of Alaska, and I wanted to be close to my grandparents and extended family.”

Her grandfather, Allan Wake, taught biology for a few years after graduating from Bemidji State before taking up farming near Federal Dam. Her mother, Patricia Berkeland, moved to Fairbanks in 2001. Now a special education aide, she also helps coach high school cross country, drawing on her experience as a runner at BSU.

Maria Berkeland is now back in Alaska, working as a wildlife technician near the Fort Wainwright Army base. But her family’s three generations of biology majors gathered in Bemidji for her Commencement. They had lunch with Dr. Evan Hazard, professor emeritus in biology. Both her mother and grandfather were his students, and Patricia Berkeland lived with Hazard and his late wife, Elaine, for a year.

“Both my mom and grandfather have said he was the most influential teacher they had while at Bemidji State,” Maria said.

The Rynders

The Rynders family can trace their university connection to 1950, when they settled on a farm west of Bemidji. Ric, the eldest of eight children, was the first to attend the Laboratory School at what was still called Bemidji State Teachers College. They got to know some of BSU’s most famed faculty.

“Most of the supervising teachers were Ph.Ds in education and also taught at BSC,” said Faith Rynders, who now teaches music at Kabul University in Afghanistan. “Marie Bishop, Alice Christiansen, Floraine Neilson and Dr. Art Lee were some of our teachers — as children.”

Ric also was the first to attend Bemidji State College, graduating in 1961 with a degree in education. Over the next decade and a half, six more Rynders siblings would attend Bemidji State, and four would graduate. Tom graduated in 1965 with a degree in elementary education, starting his own three-generation run of BSU grads that includes his daughter, Colleen, and granddaughter, Bridget.

Among the remaining Rynders siblings, Carol graduated in 1971 with a psychology degree and later earned a master’s degree in counseling; Faith graduated in 1970 with a degree in music and pursued some graduate study in music at BSU before eventually earning an MBA; and Eldon graduated in 1972, also with a degree in music.

“All of us were required to take an instrument at the Lab School from fifth grade on,” Faith said. “I learned quite early that my mother wouldn’t bother me to do chores if I was playing the piano, so I played for hours — usually not my lessons.”

She went on to study music at BSU with such luminaries as Paul Brandvik, Carl Thompson and Patrick Riley.

The Walraths

It’s difficult to imagine that one family could have sent more sons and daughters to Bemidji State than the Walraths of Roseau did from the late 1950s into the mid-1970s.

Starting in 1958, 12 current members of the Walrath family attended Bemidji State — eight Walraths and four men and women whom those Walraths met in college and subsequently married.

Margaret Walrath was the first to attend Bemidji State, starting in 1958. She graduated cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in English and library science in 1971. Next came Robert, who attended Bemidji State from 1959–61 before completing his education at the University of Minnesota.

Katherine Walrath graduated from Bemidji State with degrees in English, journalism and speech in 1962. She was followed by Patricia Walrath, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1967. Chuck Walrath transferred from a two-year college in 1967 and earned two bachelor’s degrees from Bemidji State —  one in social studies in 1970 and another in elementary education in 1974.

Jim Walrath graduated cum laude from BSU in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health. A four-year track and field and cross country athlete, he was inducted into BSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Diane Walrath attended BSU from 1969–73 and graduated magna cum laude in accounting.

The Walraths have established a scholarship endowment in the family name to benefit up to 12 second-year or transfer students every year.

The Walrath children and their spouses each made their way to Bemidji State for their own reasons: they followed high school classmates; they came for the lake and the outdoors; they came because it was close to home and affordable; they came because their older brothers and sisters shared their own remarkable experiences at BSU.

‘I can be close to family’

Amaya Littlewolf believes she also has found what she’s looking for at Bemidji State, where she plans to study biochemistry and eventually go to medical school. But her journey from 2015 graduation at Bemidji High School included 18 weeks of National Guard training last summer at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Littlewolf completed her training with honors, earning a sharpshooter badge and achievement awards for combat readiness and fitness.  She stayed on in Ft. Leonard Wood to train as a motor transport operator.

Littlewolf said she considered a few other schools. But basic training had deepened her appreciation of home and family, giving the edge to Bemidji State.

“I can be close to family, and it’s a really good school,” she said. “So it just had everything I realized that I wanted this summer.”

– By Andy Bartlett