Generations of generosity

Dottie and Jackie Nelson’s generational link to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch begins with Ervin Schumacher, Dottie’s father and Jackie’s grandfather.

“Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is like family,” Dottie said. “It’s just in the blood. My dad wrote his life story, and there is a paragraph about what an honor it was for him to be involved with the Ranch. He wrote, ‘The Dakota Boys Ranch of North Dakota was, and is, one of my most cherished endeavors.’ When Dad believed in something, he went full tilt, and he believed in the work of the Ranch.”

Ervin was on the board of directors early in the Ranch’s history and was instrumental in raising the funds to build a chapel on the Ranch’s Minot campus. Each of the board members was tasked with raising $25,000 for the chapel project, which Dottie points out was a lot of money at the time. Ervin wasn’t one to back down from a challenge and was proud of the part he played in making the chapel a reality.

“My dad was a businessman slash farmer slash politician,” Dottie said. “He had one of the largest farms in the Drayton, ND, area at the time, and was involved in all of the clubs and associations, including the Farmer’s Union, the Grain Terminal Association, and the PCA [Production Credit Association].”

Dottie said her father was a man ahead of his time.

“He saw the future and made it so our family was comfortable,” Dottie said. “We had our own generator and had running water and electricity long before most people had those things.”

Ervin also had a heart for older men down on their luck.

“These guys had alcohol problems or were homeless, or things like that. I don’t know how they found dad, but when they did, he would give them a chance,” Dottie said. “He gave them a job and a place to live, and Mom fed them. He kept a lot of them on until they couldn’t work anymore and then he’d make sure they got to a nursing home and were taken care of there.”

Ervin and Anna were very involved in their church, Trinity Lutheran Church of Drayton, and Dottie thinks that must be how her dad got involved with the Ranch.

“It’s kind of neat that it’s generational from Grandpa to Mom to me,” Jackie said.

And it doesn’t stop there. Brent Mattson, Dottie’s cousin’s son, is also a long-time supporter of the Ranch and is currently on the Ranch board of directors.

“Dad would be so proud of him,” Dottie said.

In addition to carrying on her father’s love for the Ranch, Dottie inherited his business mind. When she and her husband moved back to North Dakota after living in California for ten years, Dottie opened a beauty salon.

“I’m not a beautician, so I was just the owner,” she said.

Dottie later opened a gourmet cheese shop, the Nibble Nook, and her daughter, Jackie, was the mascot.

“I was Melissa the Mouse,” Jackie said. “I’d dress up and we’d take a tray of meat and cheese to a business every week.”

In addition to running two businesses and raising three children, Dottie had, and continues to have, many interests.

“I love to cook and bake, and my husband and I square danced,” Dottie said. “When we lived in California, I made some of my kids’ clothes. I also made stained glass, crocheted, and knitted. I tried everything but majored in nothing!”

About the time Dottie retired, Jackie bought The Olive Barrel, a business in Grand Forks, ND, that sold ultra-premium olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

“I was working in nutrition research at UND at the time, but I couldn’t let The Olive Barrel close down because the product was too good. My mom and sister helped run it, and during COVID, my position [at UND] was eliminated, and I was able to put all of my energy into the business,” Jackie said. “The good Lord was looking out for me, knowing what was going to happen and making sure I had something to do. The Olive Barrel is my little happy place.”

Dottie’s husband died in 2008 and she has lived with Jackie in Grand Forks since 2010. At 95 years old, she continues to help at the store, despite health issues that limit her mobility. She goes to work with Jackie on Mondays and Fridays, and other days if she is needed. When it comes to ordering and the business side of things, Jackie said her mom is a great sounding board.

“I like to get out a bit,” Dottie said. “I like to read and watch TV a little bit when I can, although it’s getting harder for me to see. But you can’t just sit here all day. That’s the thing. If you sit here all day by yourself, you’re gonna mold.”

Dottie and Jackie both continue to support the Ranch financially.

Jackie said, “Growing up, memorials always went to the Boys Ranch. It’s just second nature.”

“I give to the Ranch because it’s in our state and I know where the money will go. It’s the right thing to do. We have so much and can use that to help someone in need,” Dottie said. “It’s a very important job you are doing at the Ranch, and that’s why I continue to be involved.