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It’s been a while, but there was a time when the Chisago Lakes area enjoyed the benefits of a number of very civic-minded lady entrepreneurs.  Shining examples of leadership emanated from the female head of the plastics manufacturing enterprise in Lindstrom, a female was calling the shots at Corey Oil Company, while down the highway the Rainbow Cafe, a community hub, had a woman at the lead.  And in Chisago City Donna Colberg was behind the curtain of many town doings,  alongside her husband, running Chisago Lakes Distributing and leaving her imprint on town history.  

Colberg is now being recognized for her legacy and will be in the lead unit for the Ki Chi Saga Days Parade Sunday, on Old Towne Road in Chisago City.

When hearing she’d been selected to be Grand Marshal her first thought was ‘why would they want me,’ she says. As the surprise wore off she felt humbled.

Donna, who was a Lundquist before marrying Dale, has been a resident of Chisago Lakes for 82 years.  

She graduated from Chisago City-Lakeside in 1959.  She recalls playing for a girls’ softball team named the Night Crawlers, who went on to win state.  It was made up of players “no other team wanted,” she claims.

She and Dale built the new home for the distributing company as the first structure to go up in the Chisago City industrial park in 1975. She served on the park board when it started and for years afterwards, she was on the planning commission, worked with the Historical Society in the city, was behind conserving the Dahl House Resort entryway pillars, organized a “birthday party” for author Vilhelm Moberg and was involved with the group that got the Moberg statue installed and put together a reception for the King and Queen of Sweden when they visited.  She also got involved with establishing a recycling program at the Day Activity Center (now the Development Achievement Center), her family dedicated an outdoor clock that stood in Triangle Park.

All this time her kids were bringing four grandchildren into the world and now she has four great grandchildren.

*Thank you to daughter Deb Colberg, who sent the photo and helped with compiling details for this Grand Marshal profile.

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