Meet Al!

Meet Al

Born in 1919 in Bertha, Minnesota, Al had some change of scenery, moving from Verndale to Minneapolis and finally settling in the Saint Cloud area when he was about two years old. His dad was a barber who worked in a shop, in downtown Saint Cloud, until he was 95. His mom was a teacher in Verndale until she met Al’s dad. The rule then was that you couldn’t teach after you got married so she had to quit. After marrying she stayed home and took care of Al and his older brother. She was a wonderful cook and Al loved anything she made. Over the years Al watched her and learned to can his own fruit.

Al liked growing up in Pantown. He would play kick the can late at night and baseball. In the fall, he along with his brother and many friends, would go looking for vegetables that the neighbors missed when picking. They would ask for a little meat from someone’s mom and then find someone having a fire. They mixed it all together, called it booyah and said it was the best soup ever. After graduating from Saint Cloud Tech High School, Al worked for two years at a gas station and then many years at Saint Cloud Laundry.  And every year he would make a trip to Walker where his mom’s sister had a resort on Leach Lake.

Al is still loves baseball and is an avid hockey fan. He was one of the first season ticket holders for Saint Cloud State Huskies hockey and has a hockey stick above his bed autographed by the ’97 – ’98 team. He also loves candy, especially licorice.

Al likes it at the Good Shepherd where he has been for a little over a year, especially since he doesn’t have to cook now.

We are proud Al calls Good Shepherd home.