They were called heroes for the first time in their lives, for their willingness to work at a time when bars, restaurants and fitness centers were closed to stem the tide of a deadly virus. These reliable employees played key roles in sustaining critical elements of the economy at a time of uncertain peril when so little was known about COVID-19. In Rochester, Minnesota, a handful of these everyday workers represents a microcosm of all of those who kept life moving when everything else stopped.