When Harvey Ronglien married Maxine Grubish in 1952, they built a life together, raised their family, and pursued their respective careers. Neither could have imagined that their retirement years would lead them into a new calling: preserving the history of the Minnesota State Public School.

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In the early 1990s, Harvey and Maxine began the campaign to preserve the story of the State School by seeking permission to add a monument to remember the 10,635 children. Harvey knew that story firsthand. He had become a ward of the state in 1932 and brought a wealth of personal knowledge and memories to the effort. More importantly, he was deeply passionate about making sure the stories of the children and the State School were not forgotten.

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The early preservation efforts were led by the reactivated West Hills Commission, a mayorally appointed body. Maxine served as its chairperson for several years, quickly becoming a driving force behind the effort. She had a remarkable ability to bring people together, organize the work, and turn ideas into action.

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In 1999, the Orphanage Museum officially incorporated. Maxine served as Chairperson and Chief Operations Officer until her retirement on June 14, 2011, yet she continued to serve as an advisor afterward.

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Maxine would be the first to say that she did not preserve this history alone. The museum would never have become what it is without the countless people who donated money, artifacts, photographs, memories, and knowledge. But it is equally true that much of this history might not have been preserved without Maxine's tireless volunteer efforts. As the primary organizer, she was the person who kept the vision moving forward and brought the right people together to make it happen.

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Together, they became a remarkable team—Harvey carrying the memories of the State School and Maxine making sure those memories would have a place to live on.