“We had a pet bear that lived in Nevis at the Pur-Oil station… Growing up here was wonderful. I had the best this country ever had to offer…We’ve had the best of it, and we still do. ” – Gary Wolff, Nevis, MN
Gary Wolff grew up in Nevis, Minnesota. His family moved to town in 1949, the first year of what is now known as Musky Days – a mid-summer music and arts celebration in downtown Nevis. He and his wife Marsha had their first official date at a Musky Days event many years ago and 50-some years later, they still call Nevis home and adore their town and all it has to offer. Both Gary and Marsha are retired, Nevis, MN teachers. Gary taught art and Marsha taught English. Today, they own and operate Wolffworks Artisan Galleryin downtown Nevis where they sell their own art (Gary is a potter and painter while Marsha is a mosaic artist) as well as work created by other area artists.
In this segment of Let’s Visit, Katie Carter catches up with Gary and Marsha at their art studio. Through their eyes, Nevis is a blissful place to call home and a place they intend on staying forever. Gary shares stories of growing up in Nevis, trapping and hunting as a kid, his first guiding job at age 10 and even shares tales of a tame, local bear that had a penchant for orange soda. Marsha discusses their art studio and gallery and together they rave about the Nevis school district and the joys of living in this sweet, lake community.
“The town of Nevis is almost like a family…it’s a close-knit community. People here care about each other. And the school! it’s a remarkable school, it’s a hidden gem, it really is. That’s one reason why my son and daughter in law live here and send their kids to this school. Nobody falls thru the cracks. A very caring environment, there’s a lot of diversity in our little school and it’s great...a lot of different kinds of talents from our robotics teams to our sports teams and the music is wonderful, there are plays and art…. There is art and talent everywhere.” – Marsha Wolff, Nevis, MN
