Kris MacPherson

life story

1952 - 2021

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

—Mary Oliver

Remembering Kris

Kristina (Kris) MacPherson, 68, died peacefully on June 20, 2021 at North Shore Health Hospital in Grand Marais, MN. Kris is survived by her husband of nine years, Tim Bassett; daughters, Elizabeth (David) Hilburg, Kate Huber, and Keiko Nishimura; grandchildren, Lilliana & Sakura; siblings, Laurie (Rob) Baxter & Lisa Smith, nephew and niece, Weston (Sunny) & Sara Baxter, and many other family members and dear friends.

Kris was a wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a knitter, birder, and baker of desserts (especially the chocolate variety). She loved her retirement life on the Gunflint Trail, working with Tim to build a log cabin, and spending time in town as a volunteer at North House Folk School and member of the Library Friends and Northwoods Fiber Guild.

Kris is also survived by the St. Olaf College community in Northfield, MN, where she built strong relationships with students, staff, and faculty members over the 35 years prior to her retirement in 2017. At St. Olaf, she took great pride in her work as a Reference and Instruction Librarian and in the Department of Asian Studies. She was involved in numerous programs related to Environmental Studies and led groups of students on study abroad trips. A lifelong student of Japanese language and culture, Kris traveled to Japan many times, first as a high school student, later as a college student, and eventually as a professor, leading student groups. Kris was also a longtime member of the Cannon Valley Friends Meeting in Northfield.

Connection to the outdoor environment was an important element of Kris’s life. This began in childhood during summers camping in the Adirondacks and continued into her days as a camp counselor and college student at Earlham College, where she participated in canoe, backpacking, and birding trips. As an adult, Kris was introduced to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN, during the annual family camp program. Wolf Ridge embodied many of Kris’s values, and was a place that gained special meaning for her, as she and her daughters lived and worked there over many years.

Kris will be missed by her family, friends, and the countless students whose lives she impacted. We will think of her when we put a canoe in the water, watch peregrine falcons over Lake Superior, or wait for a fresh pan of brownies to come out of the oven.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Wolf Ridge ELC in Finland, MN, or the North Shore Health Care Foundation in Grand Marais, MN.

memorial service

Memorial service information to come. Please complete the google form at https://bit.ly/2UJ6qK9 to receive a notification.