History of the CURE Building

117 South First Street, Montevideo, MN

CURE Building in 1879
The building that houses CURE was built in 1879. This building was constructed by Bertha & Berndt Bonn for their millinery/shoe shop. Their family of nine lived in the upstairs apartment. The Bonn family owned the building until it was sold to MN Valley Co-op Light & Power Assn. in 1943.
CURE Building in 2008
In 2008, Ron Potter, Trudy Potter, John & Mary Sellner, members of a real estate partnership, donated the building to CURE. It had been vacant since Midwest Wireless (a regional cell phone service provider which was eventually acquired by Verizon) moved out. The upstairs, previously two poorly-maintained apartments, suffered water damage, graffiti, and ceiling holes due to roof issues.
CURE Building in 2010
CURE revamped the main floor for offices and gradually renovated the upstairs from 2009 to 2015. They upgraded electricity, fixed plumbing issues, and conducted various repairs over the years. This included painting the brick in 2010, replacing back windows in 2013 and upper front windows in 2016, and recoating the roof after hailstorm damage in 2016.
LSP Door on CURE Building
The Land Stewardship Project: Western Office was housed in the upstairs from 2016-2024.
CURE Building in 2018
In 2018, The CURE Building was in need of more love and attention again. With crumbling bricks and facade, CURE received funds from contributors and the City of Montevideo to revitalize the aesthetics and safety of the building.
CURE Building in 2024
2024 shows the results of our rehab efforts. We're set to be a main street gathering spot for the next 100 years.
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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.

Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!