I often think of St. Cloud as being this smallish town that no one really knows about. That’s anything but true. We’ve had some pretty remarkable people start right here in this community and go on to do some pretty amazing things.

Check out this list of 16 famous people from right in our own backyard (or at least have central MN ties). Who knows, maybe one of these people could have been your neighbor?!

1. David Durenberger– He’s a former U.S. senator from St. Cloud. He attended school at Saint John’s University.

2. Garrison Keillor– He’s best known for creating the fictional town Lake Wobegon on Collegeville’s KSJR-FM. His stories became the basis for the 46-mile long Lake Wobegon Trail.

3. June Marlowe–She played Miss Crabtree in the original Little Rascals movie.

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4. Gig Young–He was an Academy Award-winning actor who was born Byron Barr in St. Cloud in 1913.

5. Stephen Sommers–He went on to become a famous movie director. He’s probably best known for directing “Catch Me If You Can” which was shot in St. Cloud.

6. Jodi Thelen–She’s an actress from St. Cloud. She played Kate in the 1998 film “The Wedding Singer.” The film also starred Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler.

7. Rod McCary–He was born in St. Cloud on April 15, 1941. He’s a famous actor and producer best known for his work on the 1994 film “The Flinestones” starring John Goodman and Rosie O’Donnell.

8. John F. Gross–He works in visual effects and animation. He has worked on films like “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Hellboy” and shows like “NCIS.”

9. Phil Schumacher–He was born in St. Cloud, MN, in 1909. He was an actor and stunt man. He worked on films such as “Singing In The Rain,” and “Coroner Creek.”

10. Jim Eisenreich–He’s a famous baseball player from St. Cloud that made it to the World Series. He played for the Twins, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Philies, Florida Marlins and LA Dodgers.

11. Jason M. Halverson–This St. Cloud native worked on visual effects for the film “Gardians of the Galaxy.”

12. Jim Fahnhorst–He’s a St. Cloud native that won a Superbowl XXIII ring.

13. Keith Fahnhorst–He’s a St. Cloud native that won a Superbowl XVI ring.

14. Rudy Fischmann–She’s originally from St. Cloud. She wrote and produced WWF Raw (1993), WWE Smackdown (1999) and WrestleMania 22 (2006).

15. Joel Gretch–He’s a St. Cloud native gone Hollywood actor. He’s best known for acting in the 2002 movie “Minority Report” starring Tom Curise and his work on the show “NCIS.”

16. Bobby Vee–He’s a St. Cloud native originally born as Robert Velline. He went on to become a famous producer and musician. His big break was “The Day The Music Died.” He is credited for starting “Joe Town Rocks” in St. Joseph, MN.

Bonus added from our listeners:

17. Nate Wolters--He's a Tech High School graduate who went on to play basketball in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks.

18. TyRuben Ellingson--He has worked on several films including Star Wars and Jurassic Park.

Notable

*Mattie Schultz: 2015 Erbert & Gerberts Franchise-Wide Fastest Sandwich Maker. Her average speed was 25 seconds per sub.

Is there anyone else from St. Cloud that should be on this list?

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