Overview
Faribault is where two chapters of the Stadum family story begin and end.
On December 28, 1969, Rodney Stadum and Kathy Anne Nienow were married here — just months after Rodney's graduation from St. Olaf College in nearby Northfield and his enlistment in the United States Air Force. The wedding marked the beginning of a marriage that would produce three children: Amy (b. 1972), Kristin (b. 1975), and Scott (b. 1977).
Decades later, Faribault became Kathy's home again. She served as office manager at Trinity Lutheran Church for fifteen years and became a central presence in her community. Amy and her family — including Marvin, Delaney, Remy, and Mason Lloyd — also lived in the Faribault area. Scott Stadum has ties to the city as well through family connection.
Faribault sits in Rice County along the Straight River, south of Northfield where Rodney and Kathy first met at St. Olaf. The proximity of these two cities — wedding site and college campus — makes this corner of southern Minnesota a significant node in the family's geographic story.