Meet the Locals: Tyler and Hailey Muehler

By Heather Rule 

From the grocery store to the bank, Tyler and Hailey Muehler are very much a part of the New York Mills community.

Hailey is originally from Wadena, while Tyler was born in Breckenridge and moved around every few years. He also lived in Wadena, and the Muehlers have lived in New York Mills for about five years. They have two children, a 5-year-old boy and a 4-year-old daughter. The young family enjoys the small-town feel that New York Mills offers. 

“People in New York Mills are unbelievably nice, and it’s just a great community that we want to raise our kids in,” Tyler said. 

Hailey has worked at Farmers & Merchants State Bank for more than five years. She enjoys the work at the family-owned bank, where coworkers make the environment feel more like a family rather than a job, she shared. 

Tyler is also part of a family business, literally. He’s the meat cutter at his family’s grocery store, Mills Country Market. His family has owned the store for more than eight years. While he’s at work, he likes talking with customers from the community daily. It’s helped him get to know people in town. 

Tyler is a Lions Club member and has also served on the New York Mills volunteer fire department for three years. He was nominated as rescue captain near the end of 2025. 

“It was something that I wanted to do to help people, more than just carrying out their milk to the car,” Tyler said. “Just really seeing the appreciation of the people that we help has been absolutely awesome.” 

Hailey is the treasurer for the education foundation and helps with the school’s parent-teacher organization. 

Beyond their work and community service, the Muehlers take part in the family activities New York Mills offers. Their kids love going to the library; the Muehlers are frequent visitors on weekends. They take their kids to swimming lessons at the outdoor pool in the summer. They went to ECFE programming when their son was younger, and both kids will be old enough for summer recreational sports this year. 

Of course, they enjoy the lakes for swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. The community-minded young couple is making the most of lake life in New York Mills.