State Senator Becky Lourey of Kerrick enters the 2006 campaign for Governor of Minnesota with a solid foundation of varied life experiences and numerous public policy successes. With boundless energy and enthusiasm, Becky has built an incredible record of legislative and public policy achievements out of her passionate advocacy for families and communities.

Born September 24, 1943, in Little Falls, Minnesota, Becky is the younger daughter of Alice and Everett—known to most as “E.A.”—Savage. When Becky was two years old, Everett's position with Minnesota Power and Light took the family to Park Rapids where they remained until she was 12. The family then returned to Little Falls to settle permanently.

Despite the vast physical distance between them, Becky remains close to her older sister, Judy, who resides in Turkey. Recognized for her prodigious talents from an early age, Judy is a concert pianist and taught music at the Istanbul Conservatory of Music.

Daughter

Becky’s parents instilled in her a strong sense of service to the community. Often, civic leaders visited the Savage home to discuss the important local priorities of the day. Although she was routinely excused from these gatherings of adults, it was easy enough for Becky to eavesdrop from the top of the stairs. She learned that Republicans and Democrats alike can set aside their partisan differences and work together for the common good.

From an early age, Becky’s father filled her with a love of the outdoors—hunting, fishing, and camping—activities from which Becky gained many useful life skills. Her marksmanship with a rifle earned her an award from Field & Stream magazine in 1960 when she took down a buck in Montana, shooting 650 yards from one mountain ridge to the next.

Wife

In 1962, after a year at Asbury College in Kentucky, Becky married Eugene Lourey. She originally became acquainted with him as the brother of a close friend. Becky and Gene spent their “honeymoon” acquainting themselves with the University of Minnesota, where Gene was finishing work on his degree and Becky attended as a transfer student.

After Gene completed his degree, the couple moved near Washington, D.C., where Gene had landed a job with the National Security Agency as a codebreaker. In 1968, Gene and Becky worked on Hubert H. Humphrey’s presidential campaign in Pennsylvania. In 1969, with a growing family of three sons, Gene and Becky decided to move back to Minnesota. They strongly believed their home state was the best place to raise a family.

The Loureys lived in the Wedge neighborhood of Minneapolis and Gene worked at the University of Minnesota. Becky and Gene joined with others in their neighborhood to form the Wedge Neighborhood Association, helping transform a declining, high-crime area into a highly desirable quarter of Minneapolis. The organization today remains an energetic and important pillar of the Wedge neighborhood’s success story.

Mother

Family is central to Becky’s life, and the experiences of raising 12 adopted and birth children are a touchstone for the public policies she has pursued as a Minnesota Senator and member of the House. Becky and Gene have 15 grandchildren. The Lourey siblings are all very close and supportive of their family.

Their oldest son, Tim, works for Minnesota Power as a driver and boom truck operator and is a member of the IBEW union. Originally, Tim took an interest in farming when the Lourey family had cattle. He is an incredibly creative music writer and guitarist. Tim and his wife Lori have three children: daughter Michella, and sons Dallos and Sal.

When he was young, Matt always looked for fun. In track, he was especially successful and held high school records. Matt also enjoyed basketball, although he was not a regular player on the school team. On parents’ night during his senior year, he played and contributed four points on two baskets—the margin of victory for his Askov basketball team—and the crowd cheered his success. Matt had a love of flying from an early age, and he fulfilled his dream by serving his country for 21 years in the Marine Corps, Army Reserves, and the U.S. Army. Guard. He was a decorated Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army. Matt died May 27, 2005, as a result of injuries received in combat over Buhriz, Iraq, where he was serving in his second tour of duty. He was married to Lisa, an Army Finance Officer with 18 years of service currently serving as one of 20 Joint Chiefs of Staff / Office of the Secretary of Defense Interns and completing her master’s degree in Policy Management at Georgetown University.

Tony has a degree in philosophy, and is currently in law school. He always said, “It helps to be a philosopher when you grow up in a household of 12 children.” His wife, Marlana, has worked as both a broadcast and a print journalist. With a strong interest in politics, Marlana managed Becky Lourey’s successful state Senate campaign in 1996. Tony and Marlana have three children: a daughter, Chelsea, and two sons, Stuart and Colton.

Jay shared a bedroom with Matt. They also shared an interest in airplanes. In 1971, at the age of five, Jay asked why airplanes dropped bombs instead of love. He drew a picture of an airplane dropping loads of love, each one bigger than the last one. The next day, he died during an open-heart surgery intended to repair a congenital heart defect. Jay was full of love for his family and everyone he met. The tragedy shook Becky and Gene’s confidence, but Tim, Matt, and Tony helped their parents regain their strength and go on to adopt seven more children.

Their daughter Leah, having returned to Minnesota after running a dentist’s office in Alaska, is the human resources director at Nemadji Research Corporation (NRC). She is known for her talents as a cook and ballet dancer. Her husband Ken is a carpenter employed by NRC in charge of remodeling and maintenance. He also runs the company’s value-added wood operation. Leah and Ken have a son, Kody, and a daughter, Sage.

Kristin is a physician working in an emergency room in western Wisconsin. She graduated from medical school after working as a physical therapist. In high school, Kristin was an MVP basketball player and Athlete of the Year in her senior year. Her husband, Scott, flies for the Air National Guard out of Duluth, operates two small businesses, and is an avid golfer. Kristin and Scott have a daughter, JoLee, and an infant son, James.

Kim has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and languages. Based at NRC in Bruno, she runs the Los Angeles County project and brings diverse areas of expertise to the business. Kim entertains the family by providing unique and often humorous perspectives. Her husband, Dan, who is very musical, plays in a band and teaches music. Kim and Dan have a daughter, Emily.

Ben graduated with degrees in psychology and communications, then attended bartending school before moving out west. He also received an associate degree in paralegal studies. He earned his master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in global management while working for his current employer Dolby Laboratories, in California.

Heidi has a degree in criminology. Her never-ending generosity is an inspiration to the Lourey family. She carries that generosity over into the much-needed and much-appreciated help providing child care for a non-profit organization located in the same building as NRC. She was a gutsy little girl and kept her fearless, can-do attitude as she grew older. When the family moved to the farm in Kerrick, fixing the fence was on the list of things to do. Cows wandered right up to the house, and preschooler Heidi stepped out the door and said, “Get out of here, cows;”—and they actually obeyed her. For the past 15 years, Heidi has helped run NRC, and is currently in charge of running the Alameda County, CA, project.

Maria has a degree in psychology and communications. She is known for keeping the pulse of the the Lourey family, keeping everyone informed of all the happenings. At NRC, she works in the production and billing departments. Her husband, Joe, runs the equipment for the organic farming operation near the Lourey family homestead in Kerrick and works in the production department at NRC. Maria and Joe have a daughter, Allison, and twins, Jacob and Isabella.

Fernando, known to most as "Nondo", had a heart filled with love for all. His passion was his son, his family, and the great outdoors. He was always the first one to give a much-needed hug or smile. A very good football player in junior high school, he was especially difficult to tackle when he carried the ball. He came home one day expressing concern that so many opposing players had gotten injured trying to tackle him. “I don’t like hurting people,” he said, but he was well-liked and enjoyed participating on the team, so he decided to stay on as the water boy. At graduation, his teammates recognized his contributions and friendship. He inspired his co-workers when they learned how he had overcome his special challenges. Working at a hotel in 2001, Nondo died in a swimming pool accident. Fernando has a son, Thomas.

Nick overcame 24 childhood surgeries to earn honors as the Most Valuable Player on his high school basketball team in his senior year. His very accurate three-point shooting always made him a threat to score. Working at Nemadji Research, Nick is involved in several aspects of the business, including accounting and claims payments auditing.