BLANCHE LAKE, Minnesota – Seventy-six years after opening Woodlawn Resort on Blanche Lake in Otter Tail County, the Narvesons are retiring from summers spent cleaning cabins, mowing lawns and repairing boat engines.

Bud and Phyllis Narveson have left a lasting impression on thousands of families who have vacationed at this simple, cozy resort north of Battle Lake.

Even the sign seems to welcome visitors to Woodlawn Resort near Battle Lake. A picturesque spot surrounded by trees, deer, and the water on the north side of Blanche Lake is home to families who have vacationed here for generations.

“I’m full of nostalgia because I’ve been here since I was born and all the people in the pictures are guests, but they’re also our friends and I’ve watched their children grow up and when they check out every week this summer, I tell them, ‘This isn’t goodbye, you’re a part of my life,'” said Kate Narveson, daughter of Bud and Phyllis.

Kate Narveson spent her summers here working with her parents, who founded Woodlawn in 1948. Both were still at Concordia at the time.

“Of course it’s work, but only on Saturday, the sales day,” said Phyllis, laughing.

This resort was Bud’s summer dream. Old photos show the early days of Woodlawn. It was a quieter, calmer time. The Narvesons became famous for teaching and hosting sailing and windsurfing regattas. Those who rent cabins now are among five generations who come here – this week alone they arrived from New York, Boston and Utah, in time to enjoy the Northern Lights.

“It’s a kind of homecoming place. Many of our guests talk about our resort. It’s their resort,” said Kate Narveson.

The high school students who spent their summers working on the docks and boats kept coming back, and one of those summer workers is back. Tyler Nelson, who loves this place so much he bought it.

“I’m just going to pick up where they left off, and we have a relationship that allows them to come back every year. I’m not going to make any drastic changes. It is the way it is for a reason, and it should stay that way,” Nelson said.

“That’s good, he understands that we want it to remain a small family resort,” Phyllis said.

At a time when so many resorts are being divided into condos, this resort is here to stay, Woodlawn. The families that have been coming here for decades will be back next summer. There is still the same little shop that smells of pine, ice cream, and lake. There is just nothing like it.