New ownership at Brookside Motel

Wadena's Brookside Motel is under new ownership.

Michelle Cox and Michael Unterseher purchased the 14-room motel from Ray and Dorothy Beyer on Sept. 25.

Cox moved to Wadena and now manages the motel. Unterseher, who is originally from North Dakota and has family in Fargo and Anoka, Minn., plans to move to Wadena in a few months.

"He'll probably be the maintenance guy. I'll be the office girl," Cox said.

Previously, Cox was on-site manager at a hotel in Palm Desert, Calif. for 13 years.

Cox and Unterseher were looking for a hotel to own, and Unterseher told Cox about the Brookside Motel in Wadena.

The north Jefferson Street motel is surrounded by evergreen trees with the brook in back.

"I fell in love with it from the pictures," Cox said.

During a walkthrough and inspection in July, Cox said they were impressed by how clean and well-kept the motel was.

Ray Beyer said he was impressed with the new owners and is confident they will keep up the motel's quality.

Cox also appreciates the attention that has been given to the property.

"Ray and Dorothy Beyer put in a lot of work," Cox said. "They had it for about 10 years and did a fantastic job. And I hope to continue that."

Brookside was originally built as fishing cabins. It was later converted to a motel in the mid-1960s, and has had several owners throughout the years.

Beyer said Brookside had a long history of meticulous ownership. It was owned in the 1970s and 1980s by Harvey and Loretta Wagner, and in the 1990s by Doug and Alice Bergdahl.

"I see the same thing in the new ownership," Beyer said.

After selling the motel, the Beyers plan to concentrate on their other business, Now & Forever Wedding Gallery.

Cox was originally from Alabama before moving to California, but after living in the California desert she decided she wanted to get out of the heat.

"Here I am - nice, cooler weather," Cox said. "I'm sure when it's below zero I'll feel differently, but the temperatures right now are awesome."

Cox added that people in the community have been welcoming and nice, and she and Unterseher wanted just that: a small town atmosphere with good family values. She said she still gets phone calls welcoming her to the community.

Shirley Uselman, executive director of the Wadena Chamber of Commerce, said Wadena's hotels and motels are beneficial to the town's economy, since people who stay overnight also buy gas, food and other necessities around the community.

With beneficial amenities nearby, Cox hopes to provide beneficial service.

"We're going to maintain the quality that the Beyers established here and continue as a nice, budget-friendly motel," Cox said.