Rural by Choice – Brett and Hannah Albright
By Heather Rule
Brett Albright, originally from Ohio, and Hannah Albright, from the Frazee area, met while they were both living in Minot, N.D. With Brett later stationed in the military in Idaho, the couple was searching for a place to live with some acreage. They found a place in Otter Tail County: A two-bedroom, one-bathroom house on the top of the hill just outside of Vergas along County Hwy. 17. They made the move to the area in October 2020.
“We thought it was a really beautiful place, and we got to know the community and the people around,” Hannah said. “It turned out really good.”
The couple, along with their dogs Roxy and Remi, enjoys the people and the scenery of the lakes area. They’re expecting their first child this spring.
Hannah has always enjoyed house cleaning, and she didn’t see too many places around that offered the service, so she started her own cleaning business in July 2023 called Hanners House Cleaning LLC (https://www.facebook.com/p/Hanners-House-Cleaning-LLC-100093305251701/). The tagline in the logo reads: “Loving the comfort of a clean home.” The business has grown by word-of-mouth and the strong quality of work she puts in. People see how much she enjoys her work.
“They let other people around the area know,” Hannah said. “That makes me super happy and appreciated. It makes me want to keep on doing the job more and more and making people satisfied and happy.”
Hannah also works off and on at Billy’s Corner Bar and Grill.
Brett, who got out of the military after eight years of service, is a maintenance worker with the Becker County Highway Department and also serves as a volunteer with the Vergas Fire Department. He enjoys the work and the camaraderie of the other firefighters.
The Albrights enjoy going to events in the area, ice fishing, hunting and spending time at the lake with friends. They knew moving to Vergas was the right place for them to land, and they’ve grown very attached to the area.
“’I don’t want to go anywhere else,’” Hannah said Brett told her. “He said, ‘we’ve gotten too attached to this area. Everybody is too nice. I can’t see myself living anywhere else in Minnesota.’”
