Man behind Orphanage Museum dies

A State Schooler himself, Harvey Ronglien worked tirelessly to ensure that the 10,000-plus children who lived at the State School orphanage in Owatonna between 1886 and 1945 would never be forgotten.
To that end, Ronglien and his late wife, Maxine, successfully spearheaded efforts to establish and expand the Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum in Owatonna.
Ronglien died Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Timberdale Trace in Owatonna. He was 94.
Following Ronglien’s funeral service Saturday, a hearse drove Ronglien past the museum en route to his final resting place near Maxine and their infant son at St. John Cemetery in Owatonna.
He wanted one last drive through the grounds, said his daughter, Cheri Ronglien of south Minneapolis.
It was a drive she and her father would often make together.
“Every week, I would pick up Dad and we would go to The Kernel to get ice cream.…we’d also go to State School, often watching the video in Cottage 11.”
According to Cheri, the museum and the myriad of related projects undertaken to preserve the memories of life at the State School and the children who lived – and died – were part of what her mother called Harvey’s “divine mission.”
“Receiving permission from the Owatonna City Council, Harvey took on the task of erecting a ‘State School Kids Memorial’ in front of the Main Administration Building of the former State School. This step led to the opening of a small museum inside the main building, as well as restoration of the State School Cemetery,” according to a 2013 museum newsletter.
Since 1992, the museum has been enlarged in the corridors of the Main Building, the cemetery received a second upgrade, Cottage 11 was restored, a memorial boardwalk now leads to the cemetery and an outdoor audio tour takes you through the grounds.
“He was so fearful people wouldn’t remember the State School,” said friend Sandy Dinse, whose mother also lived at the orphanage as a child. Dinse also served on the museum board with Ronglien.
In her eulogy at Harvey’s funeral service, Dinse said: “Living at the State School was a test of survival for those kids. Some left with scars that would last them a lifetime. Yet both Havery and my mom had the same philosophy of the orphanage. They had a place to sleep and something to eat, but there was never any love given those kids.
“He considered it home and he wanted the kids remembered,” said Dinse. “I’ll miss him because he was a part of my history. The connection, like the one he and Mom had, are gone…are missing.”
Something else missing for Ronglien was his wife, said Dinse.
“After Max was gone, he was so lost. He would talk about her and say he felt like a half of a scissors without her.”
Maxine Ronglien died in 2017, about a month after Harvey’s 90th birthday.
Harvey Ronglien arrived at the State School at the age of 5 with his brother Oscar, who was a year older. He stayed until age 16, when he entered the U.S. Army in 1945, serving in Italy and Germany during WW II and honorably discharged in 1947. Following his return from military service, Ronglien graduated from Owatonna High School in 1948.
He worked as a lineman for Owatonna Public Utilities for 35 years, retiring in 1984.
He was a member of the Golden Gloves Boxing Team, AA since 1981, Owatonna VFW and Legion, Eagles Club, Steele County Historical Society and was honored with the Book of Golden Deeds award in 2004.
In addition to serving on the museum’s board of directors, Ronglien served as tour guide until 2019 to the thousands of museum visitors, according to Anne Peterson, who has served as the museum’s director since 2013.
Ronglien’s book, “A Boy From C-11,” is one of 11 books sold in the museum gift shop and remains the No. 1 seller at the museum, said Peterson.
Nicole Wacek, of Owatonna, bought 10 copies of Ronglien’s book while touring the museum. She said her grandmother lived on Glendale and would check on the cemetery each night.
Through the years, Wacek’s friendship with Ronglien grew.
“I’m honestly going to remember his smile; he had it up until the end,” said Wacek, who regularly visited Ronglien. “He was a legend and I told him that the day before he passed.
“I would like people to remember him for the legend he was. He won’t be forgotten.”