CUTLINE: Ralph Bents, a Courtland City Council for over 20 years, is retiring. Thursday, Dec. 5 will mark his final Courtland City Council meeting. Photo by Karen Fluegge

COURTLAND – Long time City Council Member Ralph Bents will attend his last meeting this evening as a member of the council. He served over 20 years as a council member and as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Before moving to Courtland, Bents worked at Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) in Blair, Wisconsin. Bents’ work in Blair interacted with Nicollet native Wayne Wels, and Courtland native Ken Spoon, among many others, who worked at AMPI in New Ulm.

“When General Manager Mark Furth offered me a position at the AMPI Office in New Ulm, it was like finally getting to work alongside family I had known for 20 years,” said Bents.

Bents began working in New Ulm during the spring of 2000, but his wife and youngest daughter stayed in Blair for another year so that their daughter could finish her senior year of high school. Bents also took a part-time position at MBW Company in New Ulm. They provide supportive living service for people with disabilities. Bent’s position required him to stay in the New Ulm group house Sunday to Thursday nights so that the people living there had someone to help them as needed.

“Commuting back and forth to Wisconsin every week, I got to know Highway 14 very personally,” he said.

Bents and his wife, Carol, moved to High View Court in Courtland in June of 2001.

“We have a million dollar view overlooking the Minnesota river valley. It is truly awesome,” said Bents.

“When we first moved to Courtland, I used to chat with City Clerk Bonnie Hubert and Mayor Bob Schabert. I heard they were looking for people to serve the community. In 2001 a citizen opening came up and Schabert appointed me to the Planning and Zoning Commission. I served for several years in that capacity,” said Bents.

He added, “In the last decade, the Planning and Zoning Commission has been given more responsibilities and involvement. They have been a valuable asset in assisting the council with recommendations and decisions.” The Commission consists of the mayor, city clerk, and three appointed community residents.

A few years later, Bents was appointed to the Courtland City Council after one of their members moved away from Courtland. Bents was elected and served on the council for over twenty years, until December 2024.

When asked why he decided not to run again for his council position, Bents said, “It’s time. As my cousin from North Dakota once told me, when it’s time to retire, you’ll know. I really started to understand what she meant when I retired from AMPI in June of 2022. You do know when it is time.”

“The completion of the new Highway 14 feels like the biggest accomplishment during my time on the council. It is a blessing to see that completed. There was so much effort from many communities up and down Highway 14 to finally get it done,” said Bents. “Other notable projects were the new water tower and the water filtration plant.”

“Courtland has seen steady residential and business development. It has doubled in population since I first traveled on Highway 14. Managing its growth, working to keep a lower tax levy, and at the same time making city improvements, has been the focus,” Bents said.

During his years on the council, Bents worked with mayors, Bob Schabert and Al Poehler, and city clerks, Bonnie Hubert and Julie Holm, plus a variety of council members.

“My two cents is that people may have a difference of opinions or personality, but they have worked for the betterment of Courtland, and you can’t take that away from any of them,” said Bents.

Bents was also pleased to see the city office move from the Community Center to the current location on Main Street that formerly housed Alliance Bank.

“The city office needed to have their own dedicated secure space. Thanks to Mayor Al Poehler and the generous people at Alliance, this became a reality,” said Bents.

Bents’ advice for a new council member is to be sure to take the League of Minnesota Cities’ Newly Elected City Officials seminar.

“I remember the opening speaker at a seminar many years ago. He told us “congratulations on being sworn in to be sworn at!” There are some rare tense times on the council, but the good times outweigh the bad times when you are serving your community,” said Bents.

Bents and his wife Carol, a retired Jefferson Elementary paraprofessional, have two daughters. Their oldest daughter, an architectural graduate of Iowa State University, lives in Tennessee, is married and has two sons. Their youngest daughter graduated from Bethany Lutheran College and Minnesota State University, Mankato. She lives in Rochester. She serves the communities in the southeastern part of Minnesota as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

Traveling is one of Bents’ wishes for retirement, but he is thankful for already visiting Italy, Germany, and numerous visits to Oregon where his daughter previously lived. Bents hopes to revive his love for music and writing, along with spending time with family and his golden retriever. He also hopes to compile and organize his family history, which he discovered has some area connections to his paternal grandparents. They came to Minnesota from Germany in 1902.

Bents finished by giving what he calls bonus material.

“When you think of unfinished business, there is always unfinished business. Life is a journey, not a destination. To journey is the longer view. You may plan to follow a certain path, or road, but due to circumstances beyond your control, there are detours. Detours that take you to the most unexpected places, places that then become your home, a destination for a time and a season. And, then it’s time to journey on, some business is finished, some must be left unfinished for others to complete. Don’t fret over it. Your journey of a thousand miles always begins with one first step. A step you must take, for the journey to begin.”