Ron and Laura Romnes decided to take a chance on starting an archery business.
So far, the customers have flocked in as quickly as the arrows have flown throughout their building in Elysian.
“It’s been awesome seeing people in here shooting their bows and arrows and socializing with each other,” Laura mentioned. “We’re building a community here.”
With how many have welcomed the Romneses and Elysian Archery, you would have thought they had been here for a while. Although they haven’t lived in Elysian for many years, they’ve been in the area.
Ron was born in Minneapolis, but his family moved to the St. Clair area when he was nine. Laura grew up in Waseca. They had lived in Mankato and Waterville, but spent about 22 years in Owatonna before returning to the Elysian area in about 2020.
The two decided to start an archery business because they saw a need for local archers like them to hang out and practice their shooting.
“We like to shoot bows,” Ron explained. “I got into it when I was in my late 20s. I gave it up for a bit while we were raising kids.”
“We were looking for a place to shoot bows in this area,” he added. “We always had an eye on this building because it was long enough for an archery spot. We had asked the owner if he’d sell it.”
And he did. About two years ago, the Romneses bought the spot on Main Street in downtown Elysian. They’ve been steadily renovating it over the last year. “It took time,” Laura mentioned. “It was a learning process for us.”
The front of the space has a few tables and chairs for customers to hang out, and the majority of the back is dedicated to...
To see more on this story pick up the January 15, 2026 print edition of the LifeEnterprise paper.