Category Archives: Uncategorized

Yesterday was till the garden day at the Munger Farm. The past two summers, I’ve been laid up for at least part of the summers with rotator cuff (last year) and knee replacement (this year) surgeries. Meaning, my beloved Better … Continue reading →

The new novel, a generational tale set in Slovenian from the 1920s to present-day, is now up on Amazon for pre-order of the Kindle version. The print version will be available on Amazon on 10/26. You can also pre-order the … Continue reading →

Labor Day. What a fitting time to call to mind my Slovenian maternal grandfather, Ivan (John/Jack) Bernard Kobe. Why so? Well, as other writers in this newspaper have expressed regarding their own ancestors, my grandfather was a diligent, hard-working Slovenian … Continue reading →

                                                A Forgotten Star                                                   By Mark Munger Special thanks to friend and dedicated Finnish American Steve Leppälä for handing me The Rosa Lemberg Story by Eva Erickson after sauna at Steve’s place with Steve and Dr. Arne Vainio. … Continue reading →

COMING AT THE END OF OCTOBER! MARK’S TENTH NOVEL, FIFTEENTH BOOK. The Sadness of Doves: A Novel of the Balkans. Zala Žižak, the young wife of the mayor of a Slovenian village, leaves the family farm, her husband, and her two … Continue reading →

A Reflection by Mark Munger  John Hurlbut and Jorma Kaukonen at Duluth’s Iconic West Theatre Stay with me, folks. I promise: We’ll eventually get to something Finnish in this ramble. A few years ago, the West Theatre, an old Art … Continue reading →

                                                                  INTERVIEW OF STEVE LEPPÄLÄ MM: OK, Steve. I gotta ask. What’s up with the car? (Steve has been known to own a vehicle completely painted as a Finnish flag. Prior interviewee, Dr. Arnie Vainio, owns one of Steve’s … Continue reading →

MM: Mary Jane, could you start off our interview by telling the readers of FAR a bit about yourself. MJA: I am fifty percent Finnish and as I like to say I have the DNA test to prove it. All … Continue reading →

                                                                        ((c) 2025, Mark Munger. This article first appeared in the December issue of the Finnish American Reporter.) MM: Describe your family’s immigration story. FE: My father came through Ellis island in 1899 and went to Ely, MN to join … Continue reading →

This essay recently appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Pheasants Forever Journal. Thanks to Tom Carpenter, PFJ Editor, for featuring not only my words but my wife’s art in this great, national hunting and conservation magazine. Thanks, as well, … Continue reading →