After World War II, two young doctors (and war veterans) A.J Olson and F.C. Anderson returned to start their medical practice as partners in Owatonna, Minn. During the war, they had both married nurses, and after the war, having been boyhood friends, they built houses on the same street. They contributed to the baby boom by both having five kids, who all became good friends.
About 1953, they decided it would be great to have a lake cabin to escape to, and friends pointed them to a nice, clean little lake between Faribault and Mankato. To save money for growing families, they decided to build one cabin for the two families. And because the cabin was within 45 feet of Owatonna, their simple agreement was to split all costs 50/50, and to have one family have cabin time the first six weeks of summer, the other the last six, alternating which family went out first each year.
While a family enjoyed the lake, the doctor-dad commuted daily to work in Owatonna. This happy arrangement continued for the next 50 years. And the 10 kids grew up enjoying the lake and having great times together with all four parents and 10 kids there for Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. The now nine kids (one tragically died of cancer at 21) grew up, went to college, got jobs, had kids, and moved all over the country. But we all kept coming back for time at the lake. Our kids — the grandkids — learned to swim, fish, canoe, sail and water ski there, as well as to play board games instead of watching TV.
But as the wheel of life turns, the doctors and their wives aged, and in their 80s they decided to pass the cabin to the nine kids. The torch was passed.
The nine families of the kids got together, brainstormed how to keep this great place working and developed the Anderson-Olson Cabin LLC Operating agreement. The agreement spelled out how things would operate, dues to cover operating and maintenance, officers, annual meetings, and how to handle every negative thing we could think of, in advance of it happening. Part of the agreement is that if the cabin is ever sold outside the families, all the proceeds will go to the Olson-Anderson Owatonna Clinic Foundation, which provides scholarships for local children pursuing medical careers.
In many ways, the agreement is like a nine family timeshare — only better because we are all good friends.
Now, 10 years later, all nine families are still involved, we're all still good friends, and grandkids and great-grandkids of the patriarchs and matriarchs are enjoying this wonderful place.
Hopefully, the next generation will figure out how to keep the cabin in the families, and keep it all going.
Alan Anderson, Northfield
