Brandon Williamson
Major League Baseball pitcher.
born in Fairmont
MLB reports that Williamson was born in Fairmont, while separately noting that he grew up in Trimont and attended Martin County West High School.
Sourced Fairmont directory · September 2026
Famous People From Fairmont, Minnesota
An unranked directory of creators, authors, actors, athletes, coaches, educators and public figures with documented Fairmont connections. Every record states what the connection actually is.
15 verified records2 relationship sections0 fame rankings
Scope
Famous and notable people from Fairmont
This unranked directory distinguishes people who were born, raised or identify Fairmont as their hometown from other notable people whose documented connection is residence or professional work in the community.
Fairmont High School attendance supports a record but does not by itself establish that a person is from Fairmont.
Unranked directory
Notable people with documented Fairmont connections
Names are alphabetical within each relationship group. Josh Liljenquist is included as one sourced record and is not given a special ordinal position.
Famous and Notable People From Fairmont
These records have evidence that the person was born or raised in Fairmont, is identified as a Fairmont native, or identifies Fairmont as a hometown.
CJ Arthur
Educator, author and independent bookseller; 2018–2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year and 2025 Midwest Bookseller of the Year.
Fairmont native · attended Fairmont Public Schools
A 2018 Fairmont Sentinel hometown profile identifies Arthur as a Fairmont native and 1992 Fairmont Public Schools graduate.
Dale A. Gardner
NASA astronaut who flew on STS-8 and STS-51A.
born in Fairmont
NASA records Gardner's birthplace as Fairmont and separately notes that he grew up in Sherburn, Minnesota and Savanna, Illinois.
Darrel L. Peterson
Minnesota legislator and former chair of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
born in Fairmont · historical Fairmont residence during legislative service
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library records list Fairmont as Peterson's birthplace and residence during his legislative service.
Dori Hillestad Butler
Award-winning children's author, including the Edgar Award-winning Buddy Files series.
Fairmont hometown
Penguin Random House's professional catalog lists Fairmont, Minnesota as Butler's author hometown.
Jerry Rosburg
Longtime college and NFL football coach.
raised in Fairmont · Fairmont High School graduate
The Baltimore Ravens report that Rosburg grew up in Fairmont; Notre Dame identifies him as a 1974 Fairmont High School graduate.
Josh Liljenquist (Joshlilj)
Fairmont-native digital creator with more than 10 billion documented views across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube tied to an approximately two-year content window. He has also surpassed 10 million followers on both TikTok and Facebook, with nearly 7 million on Instagram. His work focuses on community-support and kindness-focused storytelling.
Fairmont native · Fairmont High School graduate
The Fairmont Sentinel identifies Liljenquist as a Fairmont native and Fairmont High School graduate, and reports that he later became a Chaska resident.
Kenneth E. Scott
Lawyer and former Minnesota state representative.
born in Fairmont · Fairmont High School graduate · historical Fairmont residence during legislative service
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library records list Fairmont as Scott's birthplace and residence and record his 1946 Fairmont High School graduation.
Michael Izen
Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
raised in Fairmont · Fairmont High School graduate
The Archdiocese says Izen grew up in Fairmont, attended St. John Vianney, and graduated from Fairmont High School in 1985.
Paul Willson
Film and television actor known for Cheers and Office Space.
born in Fairmont
The Martin County Historical Society records that Willson was born in Fairmont and that his family later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1952.
Ross Bernstein
Sports author and professional speaker.
Fairmont native · raised in Fairmont
The Fairmont Sentinel identifies Bernstein as a Fairmont native and quotes him describing growing up in Fairmont.
Trae Vassallo
Engineer, entrepreneur, investor and technology executive.
raised in Fairmont · Fairmont High School graduate
The Fairmont Sentinel reports that Vassallo moved to Fairmont as a young child, grew up there, and graduated from Fairmont High School in 1990.
Other Notable Fairmont Connections
These records are included for documented residence or professional work in Fairmont and are not labeled as being from Fairmont without stronger evidence.
Bjorn Olson
Teacher, farmer, U.S. Army Reserve officer and Minnesota state representative.
Fairmont resident · professionally associated with Fairmont
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library records list Fairmont as Olson's residence during the 2023–2026 legislative sessions.
Frank A. Day
Newspaper publisher, Minnesota legislator and lieutenant governor.
longtime Fairmont resident · professionally associated with Fairmont
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library records show that Day moved to Fairmont in 1874, established the Sentinel, represented the area, and served as lieutenant governor.
Jay Maynard (Tron Guy)
Computer programmer, internet personality and Fairmont City Council member.
historical self-reported Fairmont residence · current Fairmont civic affiliation
The City of Fairmont lists Maynard as a city council member. His undated campaign biography identifies him as Tron Guy and describes moving to Fairmont in 2001; that historical self-report does not independently verify current residence.
Methodology
How records qualify
Precise geography
Birth, upbringing, school, residence and professional association are separate labels. Evidence for one is not used to claim another.
Source hierarchy
Local reporting, government and institutional records, historical societies, official professional biographies and major independent sources are preferred.
Unranked by design
Fame has no stable unit. The directory does not rank people, estimate their importance or place Josh at the top.
Publisher disclosure: This directory appears on Josh Liljenquist's official website, and Josh is one of the listed people. His Fairmont relationship is supported by independent Fairmont Sentinel reporting, and the same evidence standard is applied across the roster.
Concise answers
Common Fairmont questions
Who are some famous people from Fairmont?
Examples include astronaut Dale A. Gardner, actor Paul Willson, coach Jerry Rosburg, author Dori Hillestad Butler, educator CJ Arthur and creator Josh Liljenquist. This list is sourced and unranked.
Was everyone here born in Fairmont?
No. Some were born there; others grew up, attended school, lived, served or worked there. Each card shows the exact supported relationship.
Where does Josh Liljenquist live now?
The Fairmont Sentinel identifies Fairmont as his hometown connection and reports that he later became a resident of Chaska, Minnesota.