REFLECTIONS

LeMar Nelson was a man of many hats: teacher, principal, coach, actor, author, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.

This GIANT of a man was 87 years old when he left us on Jan. 9, 2020. He was born Nov. 19, 1932, in Watertown, S.D.

He was most famous for the impact he had on his family, students, friends, co-workers and community.

I only knew LeMar for six years, after Judy and I moved to Blooming Prairie in 2014.

During that short time, I began to know him well. I realized that our move back to the Blooming Prairie was for the purpose of meeting people like LeMar and for the purpose of extending my journalistic career.

Retirement again?

The move was also for retirement reasons. What is retirement? Judy tells people who we meet that I have retired three times and still haven’t gotten it right.

My journalistic career began when I was 16 and grew up on a small dairy farm seven miles southwest of Blooming Prairie. I graduated from Austin High School in 1963 and from Austin Junior College in 1965.

Fast forward to 2014, when we arrived in Blooming Prairie and soon met LeMar. I met him at the Steele County Times office in downtown BP. LeMar was helping cover sports.

As my duties increased at the Times, I began to know him better, even to the extent of helping him overcome some of his health challenges.

I, like LeMar, love to write. I read his writings, and he proofed my journalistic pieces.

LeMar inspired me

I never dreamed of continuing to write after I retired. Soon, with LeMar’s inspiration, and after being invited to help publisher Rick Bussler, the fire to write rekindled itself.

Look what has happened. I have continued to write and have been working side by side with one the best newspaper owner/publishers in Minnesota.

It’s true, the Steele County Times is now called THE BEST weekly newspaper in Minnesota after winning the Mills Trophy. I have watched the emergence of some fine writers tutored by Mr. Bussler.

My very small part in working for an award-winning newspaper was made possible because of LeMar. I remember my telephone ringing and hearing LeMar say quietly, “I fell and can’t get up.”

The sports editor at that time and I came to rescue. I found out at that very time how much of a physical GIANT he was. Soon after several health episodes, his daughters moved him into an assisted living complex in Minneapolis.

He still covered sports from his favorite easy chair moved with him from Blooming Prairie.

In writing a weekly column for the Times, LeMar would salute achievers by writing, “I tip my hat to _______.”

We at The Steele County Times miss you and thank you for being part of that championship team that helped put more “spit shine” on the trophy.

Also, thanks go to the late Deb Flemming for being part of this.

The Steele County Times tips its hat to LeMar Nelson.