Aaron Elling
NFL placekicker and University of Wyoming alumnus.
born in waconia
The Baltimore Ravens media guide lists Waconia as Elling's birthplace and Watertown-Mayer as his high school.
Sourced, unranked county directory · September 2026
Famous People From Carver County, Minnesota
This sourced directory covers notable people from Carver County, Minnesota, along with separate sections for current Carver County-based public figures and people with other documented county connections. Every record states the exact community and relationship supported by its source.
35 verified records18 from the county3 current-base records0 fame rankings
Scope
County-wide, with exact local labels
Chaska is the city-level subset. All 14 Chaska records retain their canonical entity IDs and city evidence, while county-only records add Chanhassen, Waconia, Victoria, Watertown, Carver and historical township relationships.
Birth, native identity, upbringing, school, residence and professional work are not interchangeable.
Unranked directory
Notable people with documented Carver County connections
Names are alphabetical within each relationship group. Public officials are included factually and without partisan evaluation.
From Carver County
These records have evidence of birth, native identity, upbringing or a hometown relationship within a Carver County community.
Andrew Tapper
Historical figure associated with the county's last public execution.
born in carver county
The Carver County Historical Society identifies Tapper as born in Carver County and later working in the city of Carver.
Andy Bisek
Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler and two-time world bronze medalist
chaska native and alumnus
USA Wrestling identifies Bisek as a Chaska native who competed for Chaska High School.
Don Herbert
Television educator known as Mr. Wizard.
born in waconia
The Congressional Record memorializes Herbert as born in Waconia and documents his nationally influential science-education career.
Frank Ragnow
NFL center and multiple-time Pro Bowl selection.
victoria hometown
The Detroit Lions identify Victoria as Ragnow's hometown in an official player feature.
Harry Elliott
Major League Baseball outfielder and minor-league manager.
raised in watertown
The Society for American Baseball Research documents Elliott's Watertown schooling, graduation and play for the hometown Watertown team.
Jenn Bostic
Singer-songwriter and recording artist.
raised in waconia and alumna
The Grand Ole Opry biography records Bostic's Waconia upbringing; Waconia Public Schools identifies her as a 2004 graduate.
Jimmy Snuggerud
NHL player and University of Minnesota hockey standout
chaska native and alumnus
University of Minnesota records identify Snuggerud as a Chaska native and Chaska High School alumnus.
Kris Humphries
NBA player and University of Minnesota basketball standout
chaska hometown
The University of Minnesota roster lists Chaska as Humphries' hometown and Hopkins as his high school.
Marion Ross
Actor best known for playing Marion Cunningham on Happy Days.
born in watertown
Carver County Historical Society material and independent local reporting identify Watertown as Ross' birthplace and Waconia as an early childhood residence.
Matt Janning
Former professional basketball player and college basketball coach.
watertown hometown
Northeastern University identifies Janning as a Watertown native and documents his professional playing career and transition to college coaching.
Maxx Williams
NFL tight end and University of Minnesota football standout.
waconia hometown
The University of Minnesota roster identifies Waconia as Williams' hometown and Waconia High School as his school.
Monika Czinano
Professional basketball player and University of Iowa standout.
watertown hometown
The University of Iowa roster lists Watertown as Czinano's hometown and Watertown-Mayer as her high school.
Ross Travis
Professional football tight end and college basketball player
born in chaska and alumnus
The Indianapolis Colts media guide lists Chaska as Travis' birthplace and Chaska High School as his school.
Ryan Dungey
Professional motocross and supercross champion
raised in chaska
Independent reporting says Dungey spent his early years in Carver and Chaska before moving to Belle Plaine at age 15.
Sam Rinzel
NHL defenseman and first-round draft pick
raised in chaska and alumnus
Breakaway Academy says Rinzel grew up in Chaska and played three seasons at Chaska High School.
Stevo Klotz
Professional football fullback and Iowa State alumnus
chaska native and alumnus
Iowa State identifies Klotz as a Chaska native and Chaska High School graduate.
Susie Schmitt Hanson
Dressmaker and milliner whose business career spanned Chaska and Waconia.
born in carver county
The Carver County Historical Society records that Hanson was born in Chaska and later operated a Waconia millinery business for nearly 48 years.
Current Carver County Connections
These public figures have current residence, creator-base or professional-base evidence in Chaska. They are not described as county natives unless separate evidence supports that.
Jeff Isaacson
Olympic curler and Chaska Curling Center manager
current professional base
The City of Chaska's spring/summer 2026 guide lists Isaacson as Curling and Event Center manager; this is a professional connection, not a residence claim.
Josh Liljenquist
Minnesota digital creator known online as Joshlilj, with more than 10 billion documented views tied to an approximately two-year content window.
current creator base
Axios Twin Cities identifies Liljenquist as a Chaska-based creator. Chaska is the Carver County seat; his hometown remains Fairmont, Minnesota.
Joyce Sutphen
Poet and former Minnesota poet laureate
current chaska resident
The Academy of American Poets and the Loft Literary Center biographies list Sutphen as living in Chaska; those pages do not provide a publication date.
Other Notable Carver County Connections
These records document school, residence, public service, professional work, creative work or historical association. They are not labeled as being from the county without stronger evidence.
A.J. Carlson
Farmer, county commissioner, state senator and early East Union civic leader.
longtime resident and public service
The Carver County Historical Society records that Carlson settled permanently in San Francisco Township in 1861 and served the county as commissioner, legislator and postmaster.
Andrew Peterson
Swedish immigrant farmer, orchardist and diarist associated with the Andrew Peterson Farmstead.
longtime resident
The Carver County Historical Society documents Peterson's 1855 settlement near Waconia and the surviving farmstead and diaries that preserve his life in the county.
Brad Gulden
Major League Baseball catcher
chaska high school alumnus
MLB's player record and Chaska school records document Gulden's Chaska High School connection.
Brad Hand
Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher
chaska high school alumnus
MLB records identify Hand as a 2008 Chaska High School graduate.
Clara Judd
Early Chanhassen settler remembered in local Civil War-era history.
historical connection
The Carver County Historical Society documents Judd's early settlement in Chanhassen and her later return to the community.
Dave Snuggerud
Former NHL player, educator and Chaska hockey coach
longtime professional association
Local reporting documents Snuggerud's long-running work as a Chaska High School coach, educator and mentor.
Emile Amblard
French-born entrepreneur associated with Coney Island of the West on Lake Waconia.
historical connection
The Carver County Historical Society documents Amblard's 1893 purchase of Coney Island property, summer residence and business activity on Lake Waconia.
Erik Paulsen
Former Minnesota legislator and U.S. representative
chaska high school alumnus
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library identifies Paulsen as a 1983 Chaska High School graduate.
Jonathan Carver
Eighteenth-century explorer and namesake of Carver County and the city of Carver.
historical namesake connection
The Carver County Historical Society documents Carver's 1766–67 exploration and the later use of his name for the county and city; it does not present him as a county resident.
O.D. Sell
Historian and founding leader of the Carver County Historical Society.
longtime resident and professional connection
The Carver County Historical Society documents Sell's life near Waconia and his work organizing the county historical society.
Prince
Singer, songwriter, producer and founder of Paisley Park.
professional base
Paisley Park's official history and Minnesota preservation records document Prince's Chanhassen studio complex as a central creative and professional base.
Tim Mattran
Stanford football player and professional-football practice-squad lineman.
chaska high school alumnus
Stanford's historical biography identifies Mattran as a Chaska High School alumnus. This is a county school connection; its separate Chanhassen hometown field does not establish county origin.
Wendelin Grimm
Farmer whose winter-hardy alfalfa became known as Grimm alfalfa.
longtime resident and agricultural work
The Carver County Historical Society documents Grimm's 1859 farm in Laketown Township near Victoria and his development of winter-hardy alfalfa.
William A. Pondexter
Black pioneer remembered in Watertown community history.
resident and professional connection
The Carver County Historical Society documents Pondexter's work and death in Watertown and the community's public burial for him.
Parent and subsets
Carver County city directories
The county directory is the parent dataset. Each approved city directory remains a distinct geographic subset or relationship dataset with its own narrower classifications.
14 / 14 Chaska records matched
Entity ID, display name and known-for identity are consistent across both datasets.
Open the Chaska subsetMethodology
How records qualify
Exact geography
County and city relationships are stored separately. A Chaska school connection is not converted into a county-native claim.
Source hierarchy
County government, the Carver County Historical Society, municipal records, institutional biographies and independent reporting are preferred.
Unranked by design
Fame has no stable unit. This page does not rank creators, athletes, public officials, historical figures or Josh.
Publisher disclosure: This directory appears on Josh Liljenquist's official website, and Josh is one listed person. The same published relationship and evidence rules are applied to every record.