Monday, January 19, 2015

A Chaska, Minnesota encounter


Until Wes spotted Stan's Minnesota hat on the Scottsdale multi-path near the Continental Golf Course today, the two had never met . . . , or even heard of the other, which is surprising.
Wes has a home in Chaska and owns a cabinet business in Chanhassen. Both Stan and Wes got business loans in the 70s from legendary Chaska Banker Red DuToit. Wes got an equipment loan for his fledgling cabinet enterprise, Stan and company borrowed $15,000 for something Red had never heard of: three computerized photo-typesetters. The loans were paid off and Stan and Wes spent their entire professional lives building the businesses and working in close proximity.
Wes still lives with his wife near the DuToit home on the Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska and sadly reported that Red passed away just two days ago.
Wes enjoys his winters in Scottsdale. In 2007 they bought a summer place on Lobster Lake in Alexandria . . . a few miles away from where the Rolfsrud family grew up.
Wes patronizes Chaser's Liquor in Chaska, which was owned by Stan's golf partner, Dave Chase, who winters with Jane near here. Dave was in the insurance business with Red for a time.
The big dog's name is "Cooper." He is not named after the legendary Chaska grocer by that name, however.
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There's no obit for Red yet, here's his late wife's obituary:
DU TOIT, Dorothy Gayle (Martin), age 85, of Chaska, passed away on May 7, 2011. Dorothy is survived by her husband of 65 years, Dana "Red" Du Toit and their seven children: Gayle Dungey (Duane), Jane Fox (Barry), Kathryn Heger (Dean), Suzanne Du Toit, Doree Du Toit (Tim Tengblad), Dana Du Toit (Diane), David Du Toit and Pam Du Toit; 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, sisters, Jane Hertig, Margaret Winkel and Mary Kozlov. Preceded in death by her parents, David Wallace Martin and Maude Williams Martin; her brothers, David and Richard Martin. Dorothy was an extraordinary wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend and volunteer. Family Services were held at Lakewood Cemetery. Memorials preferred to Hazeltine Junior Golf, 1900 Hazeltine Blvd., Chaska, MN, 55318 or Ridgeview Hospice Home, 9210 Shady Oak Dr., Chaska, MN, 55318. BERTAS FUNERAL HOME, Chaska (952) 448-2137. -