Today's Featured Biography

 
Julie Seegmiller Braaten

Where did the last 50+ years go and why so quickly.
So, my summary:
After High School, I attended Augsburg College majoring in Biology and upon graduation did a twelve-month internship in Medical Technology at Hennepin County General Hospital in Minneapolis.
John Braaten, a graduate of Luther Seminary and I were married and following ordination, moved to Boyceville, Wisconsin. During those years I worked in the laboratory at Memorial Hospital in Menomonie. We also added two little boys to our family.
After three years, John was called to Olivet in Fargo, North Dakota and I became a stay at home mom. I was active in League of Women Voters and participated in a committee to write a book on Coal Gasification in North Dakota. We also added a baby daughter to our family.
In 1975 we moved to Mayville, North Dakota. I went back to work this time as Lab Director at Union Hospital in Mayville. During those years, I earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Microbiology from the University of North Dakota. I was also active in the society of Medical Technologists and served a year as the Society State President.
In 1986, John was called to a church in Rochester, MN. I joined Mayo Clinic, working first in the Virology Lab and later in Basic Science research labs doing research in Osteoporosis and B Cell Multiple Myeloma. One of my B Cell projects was accepted for a national Immunology conference in California.
When we moved to Arizona I was able to transfer within the Mayo System to Mayo Arizona and found a new use for my degree as a Clinical Research Technologist. I had gone from Basic Science looking at cures for disease to working with new pharmaceuticals pre-FDA approval for disease. My first project was in the Urology Department. One of my projects was approved for a Poster Presentation at an International Urology Conference in Paris, France. Upon returning from France, I was asked to work in the Liver Transplant Department exploring new treatments for Hepatitis C. From those projects, I had several poster presentations at national conferences. Finally, after almost 25 years, I retired from Mayo.
Our oldest son, Jeff, is an Electrical Engineer and is an executive at Microsoft in Seattle. Jay is a commercial pilot based in Columbus, Ohio. Heather works in the Simulation Lab at Mayo in Rochester. Regular visits to our children keep us busy accumulating air miles. We have spent several summers with Jay and family touring our western National Parks.
Our first Europe travel adventure was a trip to Norway with my Mom and Dad. Included was a visit with Mom’s cousins in Bynesset outside Trondheim.
When dad heard of my conference in France he announced that he and Mom were going along so that we could visit Dad’s relatives in Alsace.
We continue to correspond with my family’s relatives in Norway and France. In fact, when one of the young girls in Alsace was married, John was invited to come back and preach at her wedding. And proudly one of the granddaughters was named Julie.
Our last European trip was a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. My bucket list includes doing the same on a Mississippi River Cruise.
My Mom is 98 and lives at the OES Nursing Home in Decorah. It is always good to get “home” to see her and to touch base with school classmates.
Many thanks to those of you who live in Decorah and carry the burden of planning Class Reunions and keeping up the web site.

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