Thursday, October 31, 2013

His Halloween debut. . .

He came as The New Kid on The Block and played the part well.

We didn't see a lot of trick-or-treaters this year, only twelve by 7:30. Probably more later, but our bet is that this is the first Halloween ever for this little feller, gleefully caught up in the excitement generated by his mom and sister... and a pushy, giddy poodle who needs to be in the middle of everything.

Update: Sadly, twelve treaters was all we got. Our supply of Kit Kats and $10,000 Bars was distributed. However, we still have an inventory of Butterfingers, Nestle's Crunch, Baby Ruth, Reeses Pieces (all full sized) to dispose of.

(The large cache of Hershey chocolate bars somehow never made it to the front door.)

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Turkey shoot

Photos by Stan Rolfsrud
By the time the photographer had rushed back to the scene with his camera, the two dozen wild turkeys had departed the No. 3 Fairway and headed for the adjacent meadow. Owing to the drizzle and cold, the golf course was vacant and they had it to themselves, hunting and pecking, as if fattening for the upcoming holidays.
Two red-wattled Toms managed the flock. The company had ranged a half a mile from its home in the Notermann nature preserve and was understandably edgy.
Questionable weather notwithstanding, Greg and Stan played 27 holes starting in the late forenoon today. It got better. No wind, no rain, 55 degrees. . . and no other golfers. . . or turkeys.
Very enjoyable playing in the mist. They just imagined they were in Scotland.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Downhill Deeds of Derring-do



Mom's pal, Beneta held up the treasured photo
so Stan could copy it.


On a bright Saturday afternoon in February 1989, Kathleen and her mother-in-law Beverly swooshed briskly down Andy's Mountain near Alexandria, Minnesota. Stan and Erling waited for their daring, athletic women at the foot of the twisting slope and watched Kathleen take a dramatic tumble at the final turn. Beverly helped her partner to her feet and this photograph was taken. 
The oft-told tale was repeated for Mom's housemate and pal, Beneta, yesterday and she was suitably impressed -- Mom was, after all, 68 at the time.
--------------------------------------
St. Paul Katie's Sunday noon NFL pix:
$3000 stake
Update, 
Five correct, one wrong. :(
New Orleans (correct)
Kansas City (correct
Detroit (very difficult game-- got it correct in a miracle finish)
New England (correct)
Philly (got it wrong, unbelieveably, they lost to the GIANTS!)
San Francisco (correct)



Saturday, October 26, 2013

Climbing out of her bottle. . .



The Genie came out of the bottle today, practicing her moves in preparation for the Eden Prairie Community Center Halloween Party this afternoon.

Emily with her beloved Poof Ball.
She's in Second Grade.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Out on the very nicest day of the week. . .

Actually, it wasn't all that unpleasant today, Greg will tell you.
It's 231 yards from here to the center of the 
#9 green,  the gizmos agree.

A "break" in the weather of a high of 55 degrees with moderate winds was enough to pack the Creeksbend Golf Course today with eager golfers thinking this just may be the last chance. 
It also provided an opportunity to try out the new Garmin GPS rangefinder that a benevolent Hai Dang presented to Stan last week to help Stan find his way around the golf course. 
Stan was joined by his pal Greg Johnson today. Greg already has a spiffy Garmin GPS, which earlier had caused the toy envy that Hai had detected and generously acted upon.
The Garmins worked great, giving yardages that were much more precise than the subsequent golf shots. It made for a fun day, hopefully not the last outing of the year. . . but in Minnesota. . . you never know.

Stan's track coach died

Stan with Coach Fischer and the late Gary Goodrich in this yearbook photo.
(Stan briefly held the all-time school record for the 120 yard high hurdles)
Bun Fischer, a beloved track coach notorious for fudging practice times to encourage his runners, died this week. He was the head coach for the Alexandria Cardinal track team in the mid-60s. To encourage his charges to believe in themselves, he was thought to have a "slow finger" on his workout stop watch, which resulted in faster times. Occasionally logging faster practice times was thought to build individual confidence and create beliefs that one could run like the wind.
You couldn't prove anything, of course, but some senior teammates thought they had the old psychologist figured out.
William "Bun" Winston Fischer, 92, Barrett, died Monday, October 21, 2013 at Barrett Care Center.
Bun was born to William and Oline (Hegg) Fischer on September 19, 1921 in Glenwood.He graduated from Glenwood High School in 1939. His college years at Augsburg were interrupted by military service in World War II with the Army Air Corp in Adak Islands, Alaska.
In 1946, Bun married his first wife Betty Nastansky. They had four children: Tona, Mary K, Scott and Nathania. They lived in Appleton and Alexandria, where the Lord used Bun to impact young people through teaching and coaching. He pioneered a new work with young people in Alexandria, which became known as the Resurrection House.
Bun married Sandra Wagner on June 16, 1980 in New Ulm. They travelled across the country ministering to the broken for 18 years until moving home to Alexandria. He was a member of Destiny Church of rural Ashby and was active with Full Gospel Business Mens Fellowship International. Bun loved children and ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Bun and Sandra lived in Alexandria until he entered the Glenwood Retirement Village in 2000, then to Prairie Senior Cottages in Alexandria in 2001 and in 2002 the Pelican Lake Nursing Home in Ashby Minnesota, later moving to Barrett Care Center in 2008.
Bun is survived by his wife, Sandra of Barrett; four children, Tona (Mike) Gillespie of Mankato, Mary Kay Fischer and Scott (Barb) Fischer of Stewartville, two great-grandchildren of Alexandria and Nathania Fischer of Hancock; sixteen grandchildren, Thadd, James and Kelly Gillespie, Joel, Aaron, Sahr, Andy, Katie, Kadi, A.J., Kimberly, Julia, Roman, Rakitta, Rakeem and Esther; two great-grandchildren, Mara and Nora Bea Fischer; one sister, Kathleen (Jerry) Probst of Carmel, Indiana; and two brothers, Hank (Betty) Fischer of Detroit Lakes and Keith Fischer of Detroit Lakes. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. His parents, William and Oline Fischer, preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 26 at Destiny Church of rural Ashby, with pastors Steve Quernemoen, David Drexler and Mike Bartolomeo officiating. Military Honors were by the Minnesota National Guard.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Five years ago

Today's photo of the Ladies Who Lunch.
Five years later.
Five years ago chums M'liss and St. Paul Katie headed to Canterbury for a chat, lunch and some poker. They're back there again today, in yet another chapter in the long-running saga of The Ladies Who Lunch. Meanwhile, back at the house, what's Stan to do? Regis is on Rachel. Now there's a highlight. That, and leftover pumpkin pie.

On to the Holy Land, Bud and Paula


Last night's spontaneous Bon Voyage party (below) was understandably not attended by the busy honorees, who were packing, etc. for their departure to Israel this morning. Here are Bud and Paula, along with John, their international airport concierge and chauffeur, waving goodbye on the tarmac. Good journey, Bud and Paula!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

We say NO to cabin fever. . .

. . . 8, 9, 10, Flash. We took this selfie with our little tripod and timer.
Did you know that John was six years old when
the REA brought electricity to the farm?
That was a happy day, remembered well.
Today they upgraded their iPod.
Consecutive days of unseasonal, unreasonable cold and clouds have driven the citizens of Abbey Point indoors and threatened to bring on the mid-winter gloomies during this premature interlude. Resisting the forces of darkness, these stout souls rallied tonight in our basement, raising a hearty glass in the spirit of Gemütlichkeit, all the better to chase away any early onset of cabin fever.
Kathleen served pumpkin and apple pie with big, loud squirts of whipped cream.
Joe, Tom, Mary, and Mina went for the apple. John, Stan, Sandy and Kathleen had pumpkin. Before adjournment, it was resolved to do this again and often.

That settles it. . .

We will be leaving Shakopee this winter for the safety of New Orleans.

Man shot dead in Shakopee
Shakopee police are investigating the shooting death of a man on the 800 block of Prairie Street Tuesday night. Police say the man, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, was dead at the scene.

Police were called to the home at about 7 p.m. on a report of an armed robbery.

The suspect was described as a young, dark-skinned male of unknown ethnicity, wearing glasses and a gray hooded sweatshirt. At this time, there is no indication that this incident poses a threat to the general public, police said.

Investigators from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Shakopee Police Department are investigating the shooting. The BCA processed the crime scene.

--- Shakopee Valley News

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Yes, probably in the bottom half

When Stan's classmate, Karen Benson, saw this photograph passed around today along with the pictures of a recent mini-Class of 1965 Reunion, she couldn't help but quip:
"I don't recognize these two. Were they in our class?"

Monday, October 21, 2013

Recycled wood gets new purpose


This brand new homemade shelf is made from old 2x4s and an amazing 15-inch wide plank salvaged from Jennifer's century-old Dundas home. We're not sure of the species of this soft wood, but it was milled over 100 years ago and is now  thoroughly dried and very easy to work with, becoming the perfect perch for Jennifer's convection oven in her temporary galley kitchen.
The countertop was made earlier from the same material, sanded smooth and polished off with a few coats of polyurethane.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Breakfast at Canterbury

Photo by Melissa
Bill and Cindy met us for breakfast this morning at our usual table in the Card Room at the racetrack. Stan and Bill have been out for lunch before, but this was our first chance to get to know Cindy, a Michigan gal who has lived all over the country, raising two kids with Bill in California, becoming a Colts fan in Baltimore, enjoying the scenery near the Bitter Root in Montana and spending a couple years in northern Minnesota.
They are now Eden Prairie residents so we explained how they'll have to get used to winning just about every high school football game their new home team ever plays.
Bill is the new boss at Southwest Newspapers, taking Stan's old job.
After Melissa served up our ham and eggs, we adjourned upstairs to the Race Book to enter our NFL perfect picks (see below) and take a run at the Second Race at the Belmont. Kathleen showed Cindy how to bet on a horse, meanwhile looking over Donny Kieger's shoulder for a tip on her Exacta Box. Cindy and Bill's horses didn't cooperate with the beginner's luck rule, but Kathleen's $4 became $30 when Balderdash and Forever Utopia combined in a thrilling finish.
St. Paul Katie with her winning ticket and her
 coach and mentor, St. Paul's Don Kieger.
We're feeling lucky today, we have new friends and good times. Let's see if our luck holds out, here's St. Paul Katie's NFL winners... her chance at winning $2000 more today.

Update -- Batting 500
Atlanta (correct)
Cincinnati (correct)
Miami (missed by two points)
San Diego (correct)
New England (missed in overtime)
Philadelphia (missed this one too)
Washington (correct)
St. Louis (missed)


Balderdash and Forever Utopia finished together
at Belmont Park to pay $30.20 for an Exacta Box.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Handy, long-legged and good-looking too

A neighborhood garage sale lured us in the other day and that's where we spotted them. These two gorgeous stools beckoned, the perfect pair to go with the condo's black granite counter tops, don't you think? Solid as rocks, the handsome ebony jewels were tagged at just $4 apiece. Since it was a garage sale, we felt obliged to offer them $7 for the pair, but the seller held firm. We peeled eight George Washingtons off our wad, tossed the stools into the hatchback and delivered them today to the 10th floor of The Chicago Lofts in Midtown. Above, ace stool model Steve smiled his approval, he'll doubtless be seated right there again tomorrow morning, spooning his milk and granola.

Master of the Front Desk

Photo by Vera
Remember when you could call a business and a real person actually answered the phone? Remember when you could ask that person questions and get an answer that was useful? Well that person may have been Deb Gnerer, the front desk person at the newspaper office in Shakopee. She's the real, genuine thing, loves being the answer person and getting things right.
It's Deb's last day today, she and her husband Jerry bought a house in Deer Valley, AZ, and they are outta here before the snow flies. Good for them, too bad for Southwest.
Seasonal treats for the departing employee well-wishers
We dropped by to wish Deb the best today and reminisce about the day we hired her back in 2000. She'll be missed. Editor Pat Minelli says she's so helpful with customers that if one called and asked her to come out and shovel their sidewalk she'd say "I'll be right out." Pat's favorite time is when Deb makes an official, throat-clearing announcement on the public address system: "Attention Employees, birthday cake is being served in the lunchroom."
All the best Deb, enjoy Arizona! and thanks for your good work!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

The Days Dwindle Down. . .

Photos by Stan Rolfsrud
He walked nine holes alone today, scuffling through the fallen leaves on a crispy afternoon that was drier and warmer than they said it would be. Couldn't help but go back home to get a camera, then walk another glorious nine.
So far, retirement hasn't been too bad, he thought.

Oh, it's a long long while
From May to December
But the days grow short
When you reach September

When the autumn weather
Turns leaves to flame
One hasn't got time
For the waiting game

Oh, the days dwindle down
To a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days
I'll spend with you
These precious days
I'll spend with you

Willie Nelson - September Song


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Matt's got a new iPad

Her hair is naturally curly, Grandpa says.
He just got back home to Shakopee after four weeks at the fish camp in the Canadian wilderness. They got it buttoned up for the winter, tanks drained, bear boards in place. Matt's retired, stays in great shape, and serves as a handyman at the camp. Not sure how much fishing gets done.
Matt can do most anything, install a toilet, paint a fence, grow potatoes and tomatoes -- but he doesn't do computers. His wife Anne bought him an iPad anyway and he flew in to Canada with it, thinking he could watch the news on it once in a while, even if it was taped and a day old. They've got a solar-powered satellite connection up there and others use it, but Matt's frustration with the whole doggone deal was quite evident.
No, this is not the successor to Steve Jobs...
despite the black turtle neck.
"I don't know why she bought this thing for me, I just use it as a camera, that's about it," he confided to Stan today over coffee at his kitchen table. Sure enough, upon examination, there were 122 photos in it, many beautiful cabin and lake views, evidence of woodchopping and other camp chores. Then there were also a batch of photos of his grandchildren. . . which may have been taken by the grandchildren, they enjoy using it with their grandpa.
Just for the heck of it, Stan showed Matt that he can email those photos at will, anywhere in the world. Matt didn't seem all that impressed, said there was no point in telling him how to do it. So call it magic, but the email came through to us and here is a picture of Emma, helping out with a pumpkin. She's in first grade.
Okay, Grandpa, now type in www.........

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Progress in Dundas

Yes, we'll paint the wall on the right, as soon as the mud dries.
In the works is a shelf for the convection oven, it will hang about
where the frying pan is now.
We installed the new counter top today, the one made from 100-year old planks that had faithfully served for a century holding the lath and plaster for the interior living room walls in Jennifer's house.
The old planks came down to make way for some changes, but they are back at work again, now serving as a food preparation surface in Jen's warm area. The holes made by the square nails have been filled with sawdust and glue, sanded and the surface coated with five applications of water-based polyurethane.
Meanwhile, Joe and Jen finished a new sink on the other side of the kitchen, reusing the old sink and most of the fittings, but adding a spanking new curved faucet.
The temporary kitchen is just about set up, ready for winter, while on the other cold side of the wall, rehabbing continues at its own pace.


Monday, October 14, 2013

Sisters

 In 1995 Stan's late Uncle Richard sketched this watercolor of his sisters, Beverly and Kaye, visiting at his house. He never finished the project, but in 2000 he sent it to Stan's mother Beverly for her 80th birthday anyway. Recently, Sosie found the birthday card in mother's things and so she sent it to her again, along with Richard's note . . . and Mom enjoyed receiving the card all over again.

A note from The Continent

Our neighbors write from sunny Spain!


Buenos Dias
We are back in Barcelona, getting ready to go to the airport. It has been a great trip.
We were at the Casino in Monte Carlo and reserved a place for St. Paul Katie.
See you late tonight ... Well maybe in the a.m.
Tom & Sandy

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Prepping for another Big Day

That's not a kerchief on Jen's head. That's the color of her hair!
Jennifer and Joe paused for a hearty breakfast this morning on what may be one of the best days of the rest of the year. They're busy closing up Jen's house for the winter. Today they blew a ton of cellulose insulation into the attic, using a rental blower from Menard's.
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Turns out, they needed all the energy they could get, insulating a narrow attic is a hard, dirty job but someone has to do it. All in all, it went pretty well. It's handy having Menard's a block away. They were short nine bales of cellulose, so Stan made a dash for refills so the blower could keep blowing.
Later, Stan continued to sand down the 100-year-old boards salvaged from the interior house walls, then he filled the holes from the square nails and polished the surface to make an eight-foot counter top in a temporary kitchen set up.
It's a free counter top. . . if you don't count labor... which you don't when you've got a willing retired guy who finds such a project amusing. It's fun working with materials that aren't available anymore, he says.
The dark board is the original condition of the 100 year old planks.
The finished planks under it have been glued edge to edge, holes filled.
Closeup of project materials, before and after.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Brian Berglund 1947-2013

He was in a lot of Stan's classes throughout junior and senior high, starting with Mr. Woodward's math class in seventh grade where they struggled to learn to use binary numbers because it was going to be important someday if they ever wanted to use something called a computer.
Bowling with pals Byron "Gopher" Peterson and
Bobby Watson at the Garden Center Lanes.
Most recently, Stan and Brian renewed friendships in Phoenix with other classmates from Jefferson in Alexandria, Minnesota.
Cancer claimed Brian this week. He was a kind man and lived a good life.
-----------
Brian Berglund, 66, Fountain Hills, AZ died Oct. 2 after a hardfought battle with cancer. 
Born to Joe and Toby Berglund in Alexandria, he moved to Phoenix in 1967 to follow his parents and two siblings. Following graduation from Arizona State University with a BS in Business Administration, Brian began a career in the insurance industry that would span 40 years, much of which was spent as the owner of a family-owned agency. 
He enjoyed fishing the coves of Roosevelt Lake, the occasional golf outing and hosting cocktails and hors d'ouvres with his loving wife Rosemary to catch up with family and friends. 
Brian is preceded in death by Joe, Tibby, brother Michael and other loved ones. He is surveyed by his wife and five sons, their wives and grandchildren.

Classmates gathered in 2010 in Surprise, AZ. Phil Noonan, Mike Foss,
Stan Rolfsrud, Brian Berglund, Tom Tessmer, Sara Smith Sevey. 

In the photo below, that's Foss again (far right), Tessmer (far left) and Berglund
(center) in toga at the Ninth Grade Latin Banquet.

And, oh, by the way, a tree fell on your house

Our family friend, Joe Simenstad, was helping Jennifer and Stan this weekend in Dundas, getting Jennifer's house ready for winter. Joe moved a sink and hooked up the plumbing, while Stan worked on a counter top.
Joe took a phone call from his Mom with some family news, then she mentioned another detail: a wind storm dropped a tree on Joe's old log project house. Joe's been restoring this family heirloom near his parent's home, adding a nice new metal roof among other things. He's been at it off and on for a few years. . . now there's more to do.
Two steps forward . . . one step back, Joe.

Friday, October 11, 2013

R-19

Cold weather is on its way, so we are sealing up an exposed wall adjacent to Jennifer's living space. Should be snug now, the tricky part was the random widths between the studs. When they built the house over 100 years ago, they weren't planning for 14.5 inch insulation batts. So some of the cavities are 16 inches wide, some are 12. Makes for an interesting afternoon.
Another interesting thing: the two by fours. They are actually two by four inches.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Sensation at 7:07

Photo by Stan Rolfsrud

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Stan's drinking buddy dies at 85

When it was quitting time at the Chaska Herald back in the mid-70s, it often meant a visit to Butch's Tavern a few doors down the street. And, to Stan's delight, it often meant a visit there with Curly Roberts, a thoughtful and charismatic gentleman who was busy designing projects for Jonathan Development Corp.
Jonathan was the new town in Chaska, controversial, loved, hated, always interesting.
Herald file photo
Curly was a first-class architect, and shared insights into design principles with his eager junior drinking partner. He explained the esthetics of the Martini (the reasons the olive, delicate stemware and clear liquid work so well together),  he explained the elements of fine design in a Manhattan, with its heavy red hues and bulky glass, and he explained to his student the compelling tension and balance in the unique geometry of the female breast. A few graceful lines rendered in an architectural hand on a cocktail napkin made his point.
Stan had wanted to be an architect when he grew up, but Curly's inside view of the rough and tumble of the business made Stan grateful for his own career path.
When Jonathan Development Corp. went belly-up and the economy brought a halt to building projects, Curly faced some struggles supporting his family. He proved to be quite resourceful bridging hard times.
There's a modest car wash on Marschall Road in Shakopee that bears his unique architectural style, no job too lowly when there's a family to feed. Stan used it once to wash up a suckling pig for a Hawaiian-style luau at Rich Lyman's farm. Can't remember if Curly came. . . he was certainly invited. That car wash still stands, a reminder of good times and of a good friend.
For a time Curly flirted with an AmWay franchise, mysteriously inviting all his friends over for a "secret meeting" at his house, revealing its disappointing purpose after it was too late to escape. Not sure if he sold any soap or got any investors to sign up that afternoon, but he sure got an A for effort, even slipping a shill into his eye-rolling audience. Curly's shill actually stood up and with a straight face said "Curly, can we talk more about some of the products?" 
Curly died last week, visitation is Friday in Chaska with burial at Ft. Snelling. 
Stan will carefully mix a Whiskey Manhattan in his memory, remembering to enjoy the light that casts a warm red and amber hue through the walls of the weighted tumbler, all the while thanking his old drinking buddy for helping him to notice this, and so much more.
---------------------------
Here's the obituary that appears in this week's Herald.

Reynold “Curly” Roberts, 85, of Chaska, passed away Friday, Oct. 4.

Roberts was hired in early 1972, as the senior architect for the Jonathan Development Corporation, to work on the “New Town” of Jonathan.

Today, Jonathan is considered a homeowner association or Chaska neighborhood. However, when it was first announced by developer and state legislator Henry McKnight in 1967, Jonathan was revolutionary.

Although it was part of Chaska, Jonathan was separated by farm fields from historic downtown. The development relied heavily on federal funding, initiating design ideas that were a 180-degree turn from then common practices -- trails instead of sidewalks; preserving natural landscapes; innovative residential architecture.

Roberts moved his family back to his home state of Minnesota from Shaker Heights, Ohio, to take the job, recalled his daughters Susan Prather and Becky Earl.

NUMERIC NEIGHBORHOODS

Roberts was part of the team that brought the Jonathan Development Corporation's ideas to fruition, reporting to Ben Cunningham, Jonathan's chief architect.

Even the numerical names of the Jonathan neighborhoods were revolutionary. The neighborhoods were assigned numbers because Cunningham didn't like names, Roberts explained in a 2001 Herald interview. Names elicited a variety of positive and negative responses, so Cunningham decided, "Let's not put names on them, just numbers," Roberts said.

Roberts opened his own architectural practice, Roberts Architects, in 1973. The firm designed 14 business/warehouse buildings in Jonathan’s Crosby Park, as well as the Jonathan Information Center.

“The concepts that he seemed to emphasize were separating the industrial [development] from the neighborhoods, and the greenways were important to him,” Earl said.

The Jonathan Development Corporation folded by the end of the 1970s, and the complete Jonathan plan never was completed. “He was every excited about the whole concept of [Jonathan]. Very excited to be part of it, and very disappointed when things kind of fell through,” Prather said.

However, many original Jonathan concepts, such as the trails, can still be found in Chaska today.

LOVED PEOPLE

Roberts went on to work with other architecture firms. One of his specialties was creating logos.

In 1982, Roberts suffered a massive stroke. He worked to get his speech back, Earl recalled. The stroke affected Robert’s right side, and since he couldn’t draw, he learned AutoCAD -- a computer program for design and drafting.

“We’re amazed with what he did. It’s that drive that made him so successful as an architect,” Earl said. “But also, he loved it so much, and loved people so much, it’s almost as though he insisted ‘I’m going to get better.’”

“He bounced back really well. He was able to carry on his career until beyond retirement,” Prather said.

In his retirement, Roberts enjoyed his local morning coffee group, which originated at the Chaska Bakery and later moved to The Lodge at the Chaska Community Center. He also frequently met with alumni from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis.

Roberts was a photographer, and held local shows of his work. During one show, Reynolds displayed his photographs with the work of Gary McLaughlin at the Chaska Community Center. In a 2004 interview, McLaughlin, who had worked as a designer and illustrator at Robert’s Architects, said his friend and former boss was the "best guy in the world, ever, to work for.”

Besides photography, Reynolds also loved gardening and playing with his grandchildren, Prather said. “He really enjoyed life and enjoyed his grandkids,” Prather said. “He was really a good man.”

Roberts is survived by his wife Stella and five children (see complete obituary on A6). Visitation is 4-7 p.m., Friday at Bertas Funeral Home, 200 West Third Street, Chaska.