Stand by Julie in Her Cancer Journey

On May 22nd, our mother Julie Krueger-Higgins was diagnosed with an aggressive form of small cell lung cancer. For the past 10-12 weeks, she has experienced medical complications and harsh symptoms. This has impacted her ability to maintain a steady and healthy lifestyle.

Things started moving quickly after the diagnosis. She was admitted to Mercy Hospital on May 23rd for additional testing, leading to the start of her first round of chemotherapy on May 24th. She has several more rounds of chemotherapy scheduled through the Summer of 2025. We are also exploring consultations and additional opinions with other doctors. This news has, of course, been a shock to our family and left little time for processing or overall communication due to the need to act as quickly as possible.

As many know, Julie was the powerhouse behind running a special restaurant, bar and music venue in Henriette, MN: the infamous "Ryders Saloon". Running Ryders Saloon was a passion, but it was also a job that required hands on attention 7 days a week and all hours of the day. It was a home to our family, a base for community, a place of discovery and welcoming for independent musicians both across the nation and locally, and a home to an amazing staff that our mom and us consider family.

Following her diagnosis, the difficult decision was made to close Ryders so that she could focus on her health and spend time with family. Ryders was truly a family business, and the abrupt closing resulted in a loss of jobs and income for Julie, Ben (son/brother), Bradley (son/brother), and Steve (husband/father). We anticipate these challenges to continue while our family gets our feet on the ground.

Our mom has a close-knit family supporting her, and we are no strangers to challenges. As Brad would say, 'our family knows how to breathe underwater.' We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out asking how they can help. We love you all.

If you are able, a donation of any amount helps Julie and our family take one more step toward stability and healing. If you’re not able to give, that’s completely ok! Please consider sharing this story or sending a message of encouragement—those mean the world right now.

Brad, Sam, Ben, Steve