Owners Joe and Christina (Caleb, David, Tyler, Selah)
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Hello there! We're the DeRose family.For nearly a century, families have been making treasured vacation memories at Riverside Resort on Cedar Island Lake, returning year after year to relax, rejoice, recharge, and reconnect.
We’re now the fourth generation to continue the family tradition. Riverside Resort has proudly been in our family since it was built by Joe’s great-grandmother in 1927. We took over the ownership in 2012, but we like to say that we manage the resort for God. Because, like the generations before, what matters to us are faith and family. We feel blessed to live here and to get the opportunity to warmly serve your family during your stay. We want to help make your summer vacation one that you’ll always treasure. Whether your goal is to rest, swim, fish, waterski, play games, watch the sunset, or make S’mores around the campfire with family and friends, Riverside Resort on the magnificent Sauk River Chain of Lakes is the picture-perfect place to have an unforgettable family vacation. We can't wait to welcome you! Joe & Christina DeRose
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Thank you for supporting our family-owned and operated business. We hope our friendly, personal service will bring your family back year after year!
The history of Riverside Resort
October 1926Anna Kurtz was a widow with eleven children (a twelfth child had sadly passed) who moved her family from Fingal, North Dakota, to Richmond, Minnesota. She purchased a 1910 home with some land on Cedar Island Lake. A few of her older sons began building some simple guest cottages.
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11 children!
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Spring 1927In 1927, Riverside Resort became one of Minnesota’s earliest family vacation destinations. When the entrepreneurial Kurtz brothers began operating the resort, the rustic cottages had no indoor plumbing and furnishings were simple. Kerosene stoves were used for cooking and heating, and ice boxes provided the only means of refrigeration. Although accommodations were primitive, resort guests consistently found the trademarks of the family-oriented fishing and vacationing resort to be cleanliness and friendliness.
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Riverside's been operating since 1927 by the same family
An old advertisement
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Prior to 1940The ownership and operation of the resort eventually fell into the capable hands of one of the Kurtz brothers named Art. Art poured his heart and soul into the resort business, building and remodeling cottages until, in 1940, he could proudly advertise eight housekeeping rental cottages!
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Art Kurtz
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November 1943Art married a young and courageous Montana school teacher named Evelyn Bell who joined the resort partnership. The couple not only managed a successful business together for over 25 years, but also lovingly raised four children: Glenn, Elaine, Jeanette, and Florence. Evelyn became an integral part of the operation of Riverside Resort, working alongside her husband until his death in April of 1969.
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Art and Evelyn
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1970Evelyn was a woman of deep faith. Realizing that the only way she could continue to operate the resort without her husband was to rely on the Lord’s guidance, she and her children dedicated Riverside Resort to the Lord. Evelyn began to offer interdenominational outdoor Sunday church services – a summer tradition that continues today!
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1979Evelyn’s daughter Jeanette and her husband Jim took over the family business and ran Riverside Resort for another 32 years. They also purchased Riverside Inn hotel in Cold Spring in 2003 and then Riverside Aloha on the island of Kauai in 2007.
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Family Tradition continues!
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January 2012Jeanette and Jim turned over the ownership and operation of Riverside Resort to their son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Christina. Sadly, in November of that same year, Jeanette went home to be with the Lord, and Jim carried on running the hotel.
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Jim and Jeanette pass the torch
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Present dayJoe and Christina DeRose carry on the tradition of bringing faith, family, fishing, and fun together on Cedar Island Lake. With warm personal service, clean and comfortable cabins, and activities for all ages to enjoy, Riverside Resort remains a picture-perfect family vacation destination in central Minnesota.
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Current Owners: Joe and Christina
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Our family has made visiting Riverside Resort a welcomed experience for many years. We reunite, celebrate birthdays, engagements made under the stars and make precious memories together. Our grandchildren consider Riverside their special place.
Thanks for the memories, dear friends. Campfires, fishing, star gazing, swimming at the beach or playing on the splash pad and so much more. Our grandchildren with dollar in hand would go running to the store for Riverside candy or meet on the lawn waiting for Riverside rabbit to appear. Such fun.
Thanks for the memories; you’ve become part of our family.
Thanks for the memories, dear friends. Campfires, fishing, star gazing, swimming at the beach or playing on the splash pad and so much more. Our grandchildren with dollar in hand would go running to the store for Riverside candy or meet on the lawn waiting for Riverside rabbit to appear. Such fun.
Thanks for the memories; you’ve become part of our family.
The Hadden Family
"I'm bored!" (said NO ONE EVER at Riverside Resort)
Whether you’re a swimmer, water-skier, tuber, paddle boarder, fisherman, boater, or love floating off into a beautiful sunset, you’ll find a staggering concentration of water to enjoy on the Sauk River Chain of Lakes.
Prefer to stay on shore? Riverside Resort has plenty of great amenities and activities to keep the kids having fun and the adults as busy (or as relaxed!) as they’d like to be.
Plus, with “80 Miles of Shore and So Much More” to explore in the Richmond area alone, there are endless places to go and activities for the whole family to enjoy throughout central Minnesota.
Prefer to stay on shore? Riverside Resort has plenty of great amenities and activities to keep the kids having fun and the adults as busy (or as relaxed!) as they’d like to be.
Plus, with “80 Miles of Shore and So Much More” to explore in the Richmond area alone, there are endless places to go and activities for the whole family to enjoy throughout central Minnesota.
