Daniel “Danny" Urshan grew up on a lake in the town of Twig, just 10 miles north of Duluth, MN. He spent his summers swimming in the lake and helping the family raise young Labrador pups. Danny’s family loved all animals, but they really loved their dogs!

In the mid 1960’s the Urshan family bought a young black Labrador pup named Duke that would become a member of their family and a best friend to the Urshan kids. Everyone loved Duke. Even neighbor Mr. David Jackson, a widower, took a liking to him and forged a lifelong friendship with both Duke and the Urshan family.

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Danny now goes by the name Dan and is married to his wife Cindy of 34 years. Together they have two children and five grandchildren. In Dan’s spare time he likes to spend time with his family and friends, retelling some of his childhood stories. His grandchildren love it! Their favorite is the “Where’s Duke?” story about the time when Duke went missing. This story has been told countless times along with many of Dan’s other childhood adventures.

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When Dan isn’t spending time with family and friends he stays busy running his business and helping with community causes. Dan has been in business for 34 years, is a former city councilman and has been a two-term mayor of Hermantown MN. In 1998, Dan (Mayor Urshan) also received the American Hometown Leadership Award for "highest standards of dedication, ability, creativity and leadership in local government" from the National Center for Small Communities. Dan is thrilled to be an active member of his community and looks forward to serving for many years to come.