"I was raised on a farm with my twin brother and 2 older brothers, near Avoca located in southwestern MN. I went to school in Slayton, MN. I graduated from Dunwoody Institute and worked in the highway construction and surveying industry for 8 years. I worked as a project manager for a small construction company for 3 years and later a salesman and owner of a sales company in Minneapolis for 11 years. In 1986 I entered the real estate business as a sales person. In 1992 I opened my own real estate office. After 11 years I closed the office and have been a salesperson again for the past 19 years. I have 2 children (Kim Defries Montgomery and Dan Defries) and 4 grandchildren. The grandchildren keep Grandpa on his toes and truly are a blessing. Here in Northfield I chose to get involved in the community to make a contribution of my time. I realized that I made a lot of friends and benefited greatly with those activities. I was on the City Planning Commission, Historical Society Board, Chamber Board and various church committees. The real estate business can be very demanding and a time consuming business. In the beginning I made the statement that I wanted to help people buy and sell their homes. For a while I thought that sounded corny, but over time I realized that it was truly what I felt and believed in. Over the years I have had wonderful success and I have made a lot of friends."