ON-GOING HISTORY TURMOIL

Many people battle demons like depression, anxiety, addiction, past traumas or self-destructive tendencies. But for an 89-year-old history lover, he’s not facing any of those internal struggles, but rather an external fight from an unsuspecting source that’s taking a toll on his health.

For more than two years, Lloyd Kaplan, of Owatonna, has faced a battle with the Steele County Historical Society, an organization made up of mostly volunteers -- including, at one time, Kaplan, who has served on its board of directors.

It reached a boiling point in September 2023 when Kaplan and his longtime history partner, Terry Prokopec, also of Owatonna, received “cease and desist” orders from a Twin Cities law firm hired by SCHS. And it has set off a firestorm of internal battles within the history community.

The hurt and anger lingers today as the historians seek to clear their names and resolve the issues that no one seems to want to deal with.  

SCHS leadership declined to be interviewed for this story, though it issued a short, prepared statement late last week after its director turned in her resignation days earlier.

In the meantime, Kaplan and Prokopec are left frustrated and family members of at least one of them are concerned about what the allegations have done.

“My dad will never get over it,” said Gail Kaplan, whose father has been accused of wrongdoing. “He’s sad, he’s depressed. It’s hard for him and it has taken a toll on him. His heart doctor has shared that it’s not good to continue to stress over it.”

At the core of the controversy is Gus’ Station, a beloved community hub that served Ellendale for a half century before closing in 1980. The station fell into disrepair before the Ellendale Area Heritage Society and the SCHS partnered to move and restore it to its original appearance. It is now on display at the Village of Yesteryear in Owatonna.

Lloyd Kaplan was heavily involved in preserving the landmark and turned it into a popular site for car shows and community events. Prokopec was his sidekick, and has also been dragged into the dispute.  

The duo has been banned for life from any property of SCHS and told to never represent the organization in any fashion.

In 2024, while walking through the Village of Yesteryear during the county fair, Prokopec and his wife were escorted off the property and given a stern warning to stay away.

Both Kaplan and Prokopec are convinced the public needs to know just exactly what transpired and why they are no longer involved with Gus’ Station, which essentially has sat idle since the fallout began.  

“They’ve destroyed it,” Prokopec said, emphasizing nothing has taken place at Gus’ Station because nobody else has the historical knowledge that he and Kaplan have.

On Sept. 25, 2023, Kaplan and Prokopec were each issued a “cease and desist” order by Wagner, Falconer & Judd, the law firm representing SCHS. Attorney Janell Stanton wrote, “This letter serves as a formal demand for you to IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST all unauthorized use of the Historical Society’s logo and name, any volunteer activities you may be involved in on behalf of the Historical Society, and any misrepresentation of yourself as an employee, board member, volunteer or any other form of agent of the Historical Society.”

The letter outlined five allegations by SCHS against Kaplan and Prokopec:

• Unauthorized usage of logo and name for creation of T-shirts.

• Solicitation of financial contributions without proper tracking system for funds raised, potentially leading to the misappropriation of donated funds.

• Unauthorized sales of T-shirts at Steele County Free Fair.

• Creation of confusion surrounding a capital campaign aimed at establishing a service bay.

• Engaging with the Steele County Times regarding the capital campaign without consent from SCHS.

The letter went on to say, “Furthermore, you are hereby prohibited from accessing any Historical Society property, including all locations owned and operated by the Historical Society.”

Through the attorney, SCHS said the men’s behavior was “not only unacceptable but also detrimental to the Historical Society’s reputation and mission.”

The attorney also threatened that their continued engagement of activities would lead the Historical Society to have no choice but to consider all available legal remedies, including possibly obtaining a restraining order or initiating a lawsuit.

It appears the board has been divided about the legal action.

According to the minutes from the June 2025 SCHS Board meeting, multiple people weighed in on the situation.

Comments ranged from “we all do wrong things once in a while” to acknowledging that while the men’s actions may have been “wrong from our viewpoint … they weren’t being malicious.”

Another member suggesting reviewing the expiration date on the no trespass letter, because “normally, a no trespass letter is good for a year.”

One of the members was “concerned about negativity,” and was “trying to understand why people are at the meeting/speaking up now.”

To date, no additional legal steps have been taken.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Kaplan said upon receiving the cease and desist letter. “We had approval from the former director and board of directors to do what we did.”

SCHS’ action forced both Kaplan and Prokopec to retain private attorneys. When Kaplan met with his attorney, “He busted out laughing saying this is the most stupid thing ever,” Kaplan said.

For Kaplan, the most troubling aspect of the entire matter is the implication that he and Prokopec misappropriated donated funds. “She (Jennifer Thiele, SCHS director) is making me out to be a thief,” he said.

The question about donated funds arose with a “money jar” left inside of Gus’ Station during the fair, so visitors could make small cash donations. When it was time to go home, Kaplan found the jar visible from the window and nobody from SCHS came by to pick it up.

Worried that someone may break into the station, he took the money and stored it at home, as it was after business hours. Kaplan later brought the money back to SCHS, but Thiele felt they hadn’t returned all of it.

Asked if he feels like a criminal, Kaplan said: “Yes, and I didn’t do anything wrong. They are accusing me of stealing money that I didn’t steal.”

Added Prokopec, “They are painting me as a bad guy… that I am a thief, and I didn’t return all the money. I’m not a thief.”

Gail Kaplan is shocked and perplexed that her father has been accused of theft.

“My father taught me integrity long before the military did,” said Kaplan, who retired from the U.S. Army after 28 years. “It’s alarming and disturbing to hear when he has donated so much to Gus’ Station,” she added.

She doesn’t want to speculate on why the accusations were made, but said, “If SCHS felt there had been a theft, why wasn’t it investigated?” She noted that to her knowledge, no police report has ever been filed.

Recognizing her father is old school, she has had conversations with him about how the money situation could have been handled differently – but is also quick to point out SCHS had no policy around collecting money at the end of the night.

Looking back, Kaplan admits he erred in taking the money home with him, but maintains there were no protocols in place.

While being accused of theft has been difficult enough, there’s also that lifetime ban.

Both Kaplan, 89, and Prokopec, 74, have been told to stay away forever. It’s been hard for them to accept, as they were found hanging around the History Center fulfilling their passion for history.

“We want our name cleared,” Kaplan said. “We want to enter the History Center. They need to get rid of the cease and desist.”

Prokopec said, “Everything that Lloyd and I did was for the benefit of Gus’ Station. That’s what we were living for.”

While current leadership has declined to speak, at least one former worker at the History Center shared her thoughts about what has happened.

Stephanie Kibler was the meetings and events coordinator from 2016 to 2019, when she took the executive director position at the History Center of Freeborn County in Albert Lea.

She related how Kaplan and Prokopec have been “an issue for 10 years” at SCHS.

“There are a handful of folks that are toxic and should not be involved at the history center, and Lloyd and Terry are two of them,” she told the Times. “They mean so well because Gus Station is important to them, but they want it done their way and have no idea what staff time is involved in order to make it happen. They go rogue on it and have sabotaged it.”

Kibler finds the cease-and-desist order against the pair as being warranted.

“If you have one or two people that come in and create an environment that’s difficult to work with, it’s counterproductive. They are tearing people down every time they are involved.”

She pointed out how Kaplan and Prokopec had no board or director approval for anything they had done with Gus’ Station in the later years.

“They also hijacked the donation jar to cover the cost of T-shirts,” Kibler claimed.

She described the men’s behavior as “ abusive,” and said they often were verbally abusive and used physical posturing to be confrontational and intimidating.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if someone brings a lawsuit against them eventually,” she said.

Within recent months, there have been several informal meetings outside of Steele County to deal with the ongoing controversy involving Kaplan and Prokopec.

“There are people fighting to clear our names,” Prokopec said. “I’m glad it’s being brought to life and there are people willing to back us.”

Prokopec has requested to meet with one member of SCHS leadership at least three times, but has been told, “it’s between you and Jennifer (Thiele),” he said. He added he would like the opportunity to go before the entire board to tell his side of the story.

To add to the equation, Gail Kaplan said there are personality conflicts in play.

“I think there are individuals at the history center that no longer wanted Lloyd and Terry to be a part of the historical society,” she said. “They lied and used it as an opportunity to have both of them removed. At the end of the day, it’s a lie. They didn’t take any money.”

And now she believes it’s time for SCHS to make changes in order preserve the nonprofit for the benefit of the entire county.

“There needs to be a change in order to salvage its image,” she said.

And she has choice words for those who wish to volunteer at SCHS.

“If you volunteer, be careful because you, too, may be accused of thieving money.”

TIMELINE OF GUS’ STATION CONTROVERSY

2010- Lloyd Kaplan becomes involved with Gus’ Station project; later Terry Prokopec joins in

2012- Gus’ Station moved from Ellendale to Owatonna

2014- Kaplan and Prokopec start Gus Car Show that ran for nine years, ending in 2023

2023- SCHS issues a “cease and desist” order against Kaplan and Prokopec in September 2023 accusing them of theft among other things

2025- Informal meetings with history board member have taken place outside the county to deal with this controversy as Kaplan and Prokopec push to clear their names

Last week- SCHS director resigns, though she did not link her departure to Gus’ controversy