Winona Area Chamber of Commerce

I brought the family (that my husband and I had raised in NC)to Winona recently so that I could show off my favorite spot in this world. I was born in Winona on the very day the first atomic bomb exploded in New Mexico, July 16, 1945. I am almost 79. My mother, on that day, was the first patient to use the brand new third story of the hospital because she wanted a private room that wasn't available downstairs, and she was friends with her doctor. As the only patient on the floor, she had a private nurse who did my mother's hair and nails just for something to do. My three brothers got to visit since there was nobody else up there, and my oldest brother said my head looked like a grapefruit. My family lived in Pleasant Valley right across from what was the Winona Country Club. My father managed and owned the Winona Hotel, my uncle was head of the Merchants Bank, my grandfather owned Hardt's Music and Art Store downtown, and I attended Phelps Elementary until the end of fourth grade. My parents decided to move to Florida because my oldest brother (of grapefruit-head fame) had gotten polio around his 10th birthday and had ended up in a wheelchair. They wanted a place with a one-story high school for him. I remember he was having to go to Lincoln School and was in a class on the first floor with all the "handicapped" kids, which my parents didn't think was ideal. However, thankfully we came back to our house in Winona for every summer. My birthday was in July and usually it came during Steamboat Days. I'd have a bunch of girls meet at the hotel and Dad would give us a bag full of dimes to go downtown and ride the rides. We would always watch the fireworks from the roof of the hotel that were shot off from the middle of the Mississippi River. It was the best of times. I could go on and on with memories like I did with my family. They seemed to enjoy the trip a lot also, but I didn't realize how much until 3 days ago. That was the day my 40+ year-old daughter had a baby. She surprised me by naming her "Winona."
Feb 15th, 2024

Jun 29th, 2022

Winning a Ford Bronco...
Aug 17th, 2021