(Editor’s note: The following was written by Kate Wodtke, a research and inventory specialist with the Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society, a Minnesota Author Project judge and a member of the Editorial Board of Maple Grove Magazine)
On Nov. 11th we will celebrate Veterans Day, an annual day of remembrance paying tribute to the brave women and men who have served in our military forces. While we acknowledge all veterans nationally, of note is the Oct. 11, 2024 commemoration of one of Osseo’s own: Corporal Peter Bottineau. Officially named ‘Pierre’, Peter was the third son of famed Metis frontiersman Pierre Bottineau and his wife Genevieve, a member of the Kenetino Tribe.
On the cool, cloudy Saturday morning of Oct. 11, Native Veterans Remembered, a volunteer organization whose mission is to honor Native Americans who served in the Civil War, welcomed the public to a Civil War style event that honored the service of Corporal Peter Bottineau. Pat Ruffling, of the Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society, participated in the ceremony.