Ben Rodgers

brodgers@stcloudtimes.com

St. Cloud locals Bernard Boland and Jim Pehler spoke about the kind and accommodating nature of former governor Wendell Anderson after news of his passing Sunday.

"He was very supportive of me in many things," Boland, a former Stearns County District Judge and colleague of Anderson's at Gilbert Mediation Center, said. "I am really sorry to hear he passed away."

Anderson, known for the "Minnesota Miracle of 1971" and succession to Walter Mondale's senate seat, died Sunday at the age of 83, according to a release from Gov. Mark Dayton's office. Anderson died at Our Lady of Peace hospice care in St. Paul.

Anderson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1958 and we re-elected in 1960. He also served in 1962 and 1966. Anderson was elected to governor in 1971 and served until 1976. He was one of the youngest governors in Minnesota's history.

Boland said he first got to know Anderson in the late '60s while he and his wife were active in Democratic politics.

"He was a straight arrow and very disciplined," he said about Anderson as a politician. "Very committed to good government."

While serving as governor, he passed the "Minnesota Miracle of 1971", a bipartisan agreement that financed Minnesota public schools and local governments.

Pehler was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1973 and remembers working with Anderson on education and tax committees in the House. Pehler said Anderson always approached meetings between the majority and minority parties with a give and take attitude.

"He was always willing to sit down and discuss," Pehler said. "He was also very firm, though, about what he wanted as an end goal."

Pehler said the former governor seemed shy when he was around people, but Pehler said that was Anderson taking his time to listen to what was being said.

"I liked it because I felt very comfortable going into his office and be able to say 'OK, here are some things we need in the St. Cloud metro,' " Pehler said.

Pehler said one of the topics he remembers speaking to Anderson about was the bonding bill that helped start up the Stearns County Historical Society.

"He was a very strong supporter of maintaining the heritage of individuals in Minnesota," he said.

Anderson succeed Mondale in the senate in 1976 after Mondale was elected to vice president. He served in the senate from 1976 to 1978. He also served on the Minnesota Board or Regents from 1985 to 1997.

After his time in government, Anderson served as a lawyer at the Gilbert Mediation Center, where he worked with Boland. Boland said he had one very fond memory Anderson during his time there that showed what sort of person Anderson was.

Boland said one day he and his wife were working with clerks and secretaries to send out a mailing to the post office. He said Anderson walked in, saw what they were doing and dropped everything to help fill envelopes for the rest of the afternoon.

"It's not every ex-governor that would do that sort of thing," Boland said. "That's kind of who he was."

Pehler also described Anderson as a "hockey nut." Anderson played hockey during his time at the University of Minnesota and went on to play for the U.S. Olympic Hockey team in the 1956 Winter Games.

Pehler said because of his love of hockey, Anderson supported St. Cloud State University as they joined division one hockey and supported the building of the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Both Boland and Pehler said they were pleased with the opportunity to know Anderson and respected his commitment to the state.

"I considered him a very good friend, a very good colleague and have a tremendous amount of respect for what he did as governor," Pehler said. "I was very fortunate to be able to work with him."

Memorial service arrangements are expected to be announced in the following days.