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MRS. JAMES W. BEZANSON

Mrs. Grace A. Bezanson, 81, of 21 Park lane, who died Saturday at Deaconess hospital, will be buried in Minnesota Acacia park after services tomorrow at 3 p. m. in Temple Baptist church. Mrs. Bezanson was a member of Temple Baptist church.

Survivors are her husband, James W. Bezanson; four daughters, Mrs. Carl Witham, Mrs. Arthur Bertelson, Mrs. Cedric Lindholm and Mrs. Charles Stone; a son, James P. Bezanson; a brother, Henry Thompson, and 12 grandchildren, all of Minneapolis.²

Bezanson

James P., age 82, of 5640 Colfax Ave. S. Member of Temple Baptist Church, Minnesoio Masonic Lodqe #224 A F. & A.M., Scottish Rite & Zuhrah Temple. Survived by wife, Mattie; sons, Robert K. & Thomas W. all of Mpls; daughter, Mrs. Jean C. Oberfeld of Isle, Minn; 9 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; sister, Mrs. Cedric Lindholm of Mnls. Services Thurs. 1 p.m. from Thomson Brothers funeral Home, 26th & Park. Interment, Acacia Park Cemetery. Visitation begins Wed. 3 p.m.⁵

Ann Lindholm, 110, Minneapolis teacher for 43 years, dies.

Byline: Kavita Kumar; Staff Writer

When Ann Bezanson Lindholm was a girl, doctors told her parents that she was frail and that the country air at their homestead by Mille Lacs might do her some good.

Apparently, it did her a lot of good. The frail little girl ended up outliving just about everyone.

Lindholm, who lived in three centuries, died Friday at Ebenezer Hall in Minneapolis. She was 110.

In her 43 years as a Minneapolis teacher, she touched the lives of more than 1,200 students. She taught at Hiawatha Elementary School and Waite Park Elementary School and later as a substitute teacher.

She and her husband, Cedric, who made marionettes and was a magician, were charter members of the Twin Cities Puppeteers Club. They started the club, which is still active, more than 60 years ago in 1939. He also was a Hennepin County probation officer.

She played bridge and drove her Buick into her 90s. When she first started driving, she drove a Ford Model T.

Through the years, she had no major health problems.

"I don't think she wore glasses until she was 80-some years old, and that was just to read," said Judy Bezanson, her great-niece.

About three years ago, she was called to jury duty. The mail showed her age as 7, not 107, Bezanson said. She ended up not having to serve.

At her 110th birthday in January, students at South High School in Minneapolis sent her a card saying she was their school's oldest living graduate.

"She lived her life up until the very end," Bezanson said.

Ann Bezanson was born in Minneapolis on Jan. 30, 1892, the fourth of five children. Her parents were from Nova Scotia.

After she graduated from high school, she worked at the Powers department store downtown where she met her future husband, who worked in the shoe department.

She attended Winona State Teachers' College, now Winona State University, and started going out dancing with Cedric while she was a schoolteacher. She was fascinated by his puppets and baffling card tricks, friends said.

In the mid-1930s, they became friends with other puppeteers and often met at one anothers' homes. They later formed a club.

She retired from teaching in 1968 to care for her husband after he had a heart attack. He died the next year - at age 82.

They always wished they could have children but never did, said Karen Backes, a friend.

In 1983, Lindholm moved into the Retired Teachers' Residence, where she enjoyed playing bridge and bingo and throwing annual Valentine's Day parties.

When she moved to Ebenezer Hall in 1998, she told friend Paul Eide the move was "just temporary."

"She was always looking forward," he said.

Eide, a member of the Twin Cities Puppeteers Club, had known Lindholm since 1960. He was 20 then. She was 68.

"She was just a wonderfully gracious and dignified woman with a great sense of humor," he said. "I used to speculate with her nephew Charles and with other people who knew Ann what was it that made her live so long.

"The only thing I could figure out is that she had such a positive outlook. I never heard her complain. And she was appreciative of life."

She always seemed to be genuinely happy to be with people - and always did so with a smile, Bezanson said.

"She didn't let things get her down, or if she did, she didn't let other people see it," she said. "When you'd ask her about it, she'd say, `Well, I loved my mother and my father and I had a good family.' I think the key was that she was always active."

Lindholm had many stories to tell about all she had seen and done during her life. But the memories she chose to pass on weren't about previous presidents or famous events like the sinking of the Titanic, Eide said.

She remembered her years as a teacher and starting off her class every morning with her puppet, Skippy, which Cedric had made.

And at her 110th birthday party, Lindholm was "still as gracious as ever," Eide said.

"She was pretty remarkable. I was hoping she'd make it to 111, and I was pretty sure she would. When you get that old, eventually we all wear out."

Survivors include a niece and two nephews, as well as many great-nieces and -nephews.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Ebenezer Hall, 2545 Portland Av. S., Minneapolis.⁴

Ann and Cedric Lindholm
     Ann Bezanson was born in Minneapolis in January 1892. She was the fourth child, born after Pearl, Edith, and James. Five years later, sister Grace was born. Her parents, French-Canadians, married in Nova Scotia and then came to the U.S., and settled in Minneapolis. Her father was a mounted policeman for the Minneapolis Police Department, and later took on the job of private detective for several downtown department stores, including Powers.
     All five children graduated from South High School in Minneapolis. After Pearl graduated and married, she got a job at Powers and later became a department head. She met a man, Cedric Lindholm, who worked in the shoe department. His father was an immigration agent for Sweden and the U.S. Cedric, who was born in Minneapolis and a graduate of West High School, had travelled with his parents and three siblings.
     Pearl and Cedric became good friends, and he often visited the family. Ann said that Cedric was just crazy about Pearl. He asked Edith out to dances, but she later married another man. At the time, Ann was engaged to a Presbyterian minister, Arthur Noehren, who went as a medical missionary to the Persian Gulf. Ann went to Winona State Teacher's College, and wrote to him every day, as he did to her. When he was home for a visit, they decided to break off the engagement, and he later married a nurse.
     Ann graduated from college after two years, with a teaching certificate. She started teaching at Hiawatha Elementary School in Minneapolis. During the next three summers, she supplemented her income with a variety of other jobs. She started taking evening classes at the U.of M. Cedric and Ann started going out dancing together. To Ann, he was fascinating, as he built marionettes, belonged to a magic club, and performed many of his tricks for her. But, when he asked her to marry him, she said that she wanted a man with more education and a better job. Cedric was now in love with Ann, so he found a new job, which was working with boys through Hennepin County. Judge Waite gave him a position as a probation officer, but he had to go to the U. of M. for classes. At the U., Cedric studied law, psychology, English, and drama and was an A student.
     Ann now agreed to marry him, and the wedding was held at sister Grace's home. The ceremony was performed by Dr. Babcock of the Temple Baptist Church, and all the relatives were there.
     Cedric and Ann moved into a lower duplex apartment, and she drove in her Model T Ford to Hiawatha School, where she would teach for 25 years. She began each morning with "Skippy", a girl marionette (made by Cedric), who talked to the children about their school work. She later gave Skippy to one of her students.
     At the U., Cedric took over the English Class when the professor was gone. His interest in drama came from his mother, who was interested in the theater. When his mother was young in Sweden, his parents had a portable stage in the diningroom, and the family put on skits for fun. After classes at the U., Cedric was promoted to supervisor of Juvenile Court in Minneapolis, a job he held for 27 years.
     In the fall of 1926, Cedric got the Park Board interested in running an ad in the paper on a puppet class he was starting. This was an extracurricular activity for adults. On the first evening, only three women showed up. One, Virginia Upson (later Houghtaling) was just a kid in high school. The class of four went ahead and built and operated several marionettes under Cedric's direction. He built a stage with two bridges. They performed the show, "Why the Chimes Rang", a couple times at Christmas. The class was then over, but Virginia remained friends with Cedric and Ann, who often visited the Upson family. They admired Virginia, who was so young, but dedicated to building marionettes, performing shows, and often pictured in the Minneapolis paper. Through Virginia and the Park Board, they soon met Irene Odegaard, Mildred Mitton, Bob Longfield, and Lem Williams. By the mid-thirties, about ten or so puppeteers had become friends and often met in each other's homes and workshops. Ann remembered soaking a lot of paper for the paper mache character marionettes that Cedric built. There was always talk about starting a puppet club.
     Never having children of their own, they enjoyed helping raise his sister Ramola's two girls, Roberta and Hope. Times were so tough that Ramola and her husband could not afford living expenses. Ann and Cedric paid half their rent for seven years, high school expenses for the girls, college tuition, and many other expenses.
     In 1937, they decided to build a house. They bought a lot on Park Lane, by Cedar Lake in Minneapolis, and had a colonial home designed by sister Grace's husband, who lived across the street. Grace had studied interior decorating, so she helped select the furnature and decorate the house. This project took about three years; meanwhile they lived in an inexpensive hotel in downtown Minneapolis, and came out to the site a couple times a week. Ann drove to work in their car, and Cedric went to work on the bus.
     In 1939, the puppet group got together and started the Twin Cities Puppeteers Club. In 1940, Ann and Cedric moved into their new home, and he finished the basement and screened in the porch, with money he made from doing magic shows. They soon had the TCP Club over, and Cedric was Vice-President in the early 1940's.
     Cedric ordered paper theaters by mail from England and France, and had a huge collection. He was very active as a wonderful magician.
     After 25 years at Hiawatha School, Ann taught at Waite Park Elementary School for another 12 years.
     In 1968, Cedric suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. Ann wanted to take care of him at home, so she retired from teaching, which Cedric wanted her to do. He was bed-ridden and she took care of him for about a year. Always quite cheerful, he got the mail every morning in his wheelchair. His bed was in the living room, where he spent his time. Ann set up his little paper theaters all around the room, as they brought him happiness and contentment. Our TCP Club had our summer picnic at the Lindholm's in July of 1969. It was the day the first man walked on the moon, and they all took time out to watch it on television. Ann said that it was a privilege to take care of Cedric. Before he died on November 27, 1969, at the age of 82, his last words were, "I love you dear". Cedric was missed by friends and family. He had belonged to a number of organizations.
     Ann continued living at 21 Park Lane. She started substitute teaching at Willard and then Grant Elementary schools, and then resigned six years later on Valentine's Day. She sold Cedric's paper theaters to a man from Chicago, who later displayed them in his bookstore.
     Ann continued as a member of our TCP Club, and often had the group over to her house for meetings and summer picnics. She kept busy by volunteering for "Meals on Wheels", doing printing for posters, and getting around in her Buick.
     Ann moved into the Retired Teacher's Residence in 1983, and enjoyed playing Bridge, Bingo, and attending events, there.
     For three years, Ann paid for a Valentine party for everyone living at the Teacher's Residence. It was in remembrance of Cedric who always mailed Ann a Valentine. He said it was a special card, when it came in the mail.
     Around 1998, Ann moved into the Ebenezer Home, where she is living at the present time. She enjoys visitors, and was very talkative and friendly to Diane Rains, Stu Janis, Paul Eide, and Karen Backes when they visited her in February 1999. In January 2000, a 108th Birthday Party was held for her at the Home. Paul Eide attended and took pictures for the TCP Website.
     We have been fortunate to have had Cedric and Ann as members of our guild since it's beginning. So many lives were touched by their kindness and generosity.
     Ann feels so fortunate to have wonderful nieces and nephews who have taken her many places. Three of Cedric's marionettes are displayed in a cabinet at the home of a great nephew. Three great nephews and a great niece who are especially dear to her are Carl Witham, Robert Bezanson, Charles Lindholm, and Peggy Albertson.²

Wahkon Girl Swims Two Miles.

In the face of a strong wind and a choppy sea, Miss Grace Bezanson accomplished the remarkable feat of swimming from the Bezanson dock at Wahkon to Half Moon island, a distance closely approximating two miles. Even in a calm sea such a record would be considered remarkable for a girl.⁵

STONE, Charles W., age 62, of Wayzata. Founder of Buck Hill Ski Area. Co-Founder of Midwest Ski Areas Association. CEO of Stone Machinery. Past Board Member of Courage Center. Member of Amateur Chefs Society. Graduate of Dartmouth College, 1953.

Preceded in death by his parents and sister, Elizabeth Ann Freeman. Survived by wife, Nancy; children, Charles W., III and wife, Cyndi, Cynthia Stone, Jessica Wiltgen and husband, Jeffrey, Polly Hanson & husband Fridolf; 4 grandchildren.

Memorial service 1:00 p.m. Monday at Cathedral Church of St. Mark, 519 Oak Grove St. Cremation Society of MN.

Ten thousand years ago, the last ice age receded from the northern half of the North American continent. The Minnesota River helped drain the glacier and just south of the river, a terminal moraine was formed which the local Indians later named Buck Hill.

In 1954 Charles Stone Jr. and his future wife Nancy Campbell obtained a lease from the landowner Grace Whittier of Northfield, Minnesota. Miss Whittier's father had bought the land for the price of the unpaid back taxes. Many people had skied on the undeveloped hill in the past, including two Minnesota Governors. In the 1930's Fred Pabst, founder of Bromley Ski Area in Vermont, started a ski area on this site, but the drought years with a lack of snow caused him to abandon the plan.
     
During the years from 1954 until 1961, Buck Hill was only open a few weekends due to very meager snowfalls. In 1961 the Stones added snowmaking and a T-Bar. This put a whole new perspective on the business and the area was able to operate for at least four months in the winter. In the following years, more lifts and trails were added, as well as a new chalet and rental shop, and the Sports Bucket Restaurant was added in 1978. In 2006, Buck Hill installed a new Quad chairlift at the south end of the ski area, and brought in over 100,000 yards of fill to raise the elevation of the top of the new chairlift.

Today [2015], Buck Hill offers 15 different runs to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, as well as snow tubing. Buck has 11 lifts including 2 Quads and a Triple chairlift. Buck also has one of the best snowmaking systems in the Midwest, enabling the area to operate even when Old Man Winter doesn't cooperate.

Buck Hill is still operated with the family in mind, offering a full range of skiing programs for the young and the young-at-heart. Buck's reputation as a quality ski area is known across the country. Our ski racing program is also nationally acclaimed. Ski magazines calls Buck the "Legendary Capitol of American ski racing." In 2006, Erich Sailer, long-time coach of the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team, was inducted into the US National Ski Hall of Fame.⁶

Chuck Stone founder of Buck Hill and a lover of ski racing is honored every year in this annual invite only ski race. Racers from all over the country come to Buck Hill for this high profile event. Past participants include many Olympians and US Ski Team racers.⁷

Burnsville's Buck Hill celebrates 60 seasons with anniversary bash
By Nick Ferraro

Buck Hill's beginning was bumpy.

The Burnsville ski hill opened in December 1954, but Mother Nature must not have received the invitation.

"The first two years, we were open a total of about 12 weekends -- no snow," said Nancy Stone, Buck Hill's owner and president. "The next two years, we weren't open at all because of the snow."

Looking back, Stone and her future husband, Chuck, eventually would realize their timing was spot-on.

Buck Hill began just as the sport of skiing was hitting its stride -- in popularity and gains in snow-making technology. Adding snow-making guns, as well as a T-bar mechanical lift, "made all the difference for us at that time," Stone said.

"It was stressful at first, but we hung in there," she said. "We were so excited about what we were doing."

A lot has changed at Buck Hill since the single tow rope days. Today, it has 16 runs and eight chairlifts, attracting close to 200,000 skiers, snowboarders and tubers each winter.

Now in its 60th season, Buck Hill has evolved into one of the most recognized and thriving ski areas in the Upper Midwest. Its reputation is the result of a commitment from the Stone family and its employees, loyalty from generations of winter enthusiasts and a top-notch ski racing club that under the guidance of longtime coach Erich Sailer helped nurture future Olympians Lindsey Vonn and Kristina Koznick, among others.

Saturday night, Buck Hill past and current skiers, snowboarders employees and others will gather to celebrate the latest milestone.
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"It's going to be very exciting," said Stone, 82. "We've heard of people who are coming that go back as far as me -- and that's pretty far. So, we'll see."

Stone likes to point out that Buck Hill's beginning actually dates back more than 10,000 years, when the last Ice Age receded from the northern half of the North American continent and left behind a terminal moraine -- large clump of rocks, soil and sediment.

American Indians were the first to call the moraine "Buck Hill," she said.

"They would ride to the top of the hill, I guess, and look down on Crystal Lake to see if there were deer down there," Stone explained.

In the 1930s, Frederick Pabst of the brewing family started a ski area on the Burnsville site. But a string of snowless winters caused its demise.

In September 1954, Nancy and Chuck decided to parlay their love of skiing into a business endeavor. Library research by Chuck to find the highest hill in the Twin Cities led the couple to Burnsville.

They were one of several parties interested in developing a ski area on the property, which was owned by Grace Whittier of Northfield, Minn. But Whittier agreed to lease the land to Nancy and Chuck in exchange for a percentage of lift ticket revenue.
One of Buck Hill’s founders, Nancy Stone, in a 1964 photo. In 1954, Charles Stone Jr. and his future wife Nancy Campbell obtained a lease from the
One of Buck Hill's founders, Nancy Stone, in a 1964 photo. In 1954, Charles Stone Jr. and his future wife Nancy Campbell obtained a lease from the landowner and opened Buck Hill. (Photo courtesy of Buck Hill)

So Chuck, Nancy and a group of their friends grabbed cutting tools -- and dynamite -- and began clearing the land. Chuck and Nancy had only $3,700 to work with, so they depended heavily on family and friends to get Buck Hill up and running.

Buck Hill, a 310-vertical foot, 50-acre hill 15 minutes south of the Twin Cities, opened with a single tow rope and two runs. A daily lift ticket cost $2. The tow rope was 1,000 feet long and powered by an old Ford engine. In order to make sure the tow rope operable when skiers showed up each morning, Chuck spent nights in an uninsulated tow house, running the engine for a bit every half-hour.

"I remember thinking he was crazy," Nancy said. "I certainly didn't join him there."

The Stones bought the property in 1985, at a time when Burnsville was experiencing a full-on growth spurt.

"We used to be completely surrounded by farmland," she said, adding that construction of Interstate 35 took quite a bit of land from Buck Hill. "You know what we're surrounded by now? There's housing everywhere."

The population growth of the Twin Cities only helps Buck Hill's success grow with it, she noted.

"We see lots of kids and hire lots," she said. "And they get a break on the skiing, so it's just worked out really well."

Chuck died in 1994, but the Stone family is still a big part of Buck Hill's daily operations. Nancy is on hand almost every day, and their daughter, Jessica, and son, Charles, also work there.

Jessica Stone noted how the international spotlight was back on Buck Hill this month at the Alpine world championships in Beaver Creek, Colo., where Vonn was among the favorites. Paula Moltzan, a former Buck Hill Ski Team member from Lakeville, finished 20th in the slalom.

"I was watching the NBC Sports coverage, and on Paula's run, they mentioned Buck Hill twice and Erich (Sailer) twice," said Jessica Stone, Buck Hill's vice president in charge of marketing and events. "That was really neat."⁸

The ski area was started by Chuck Stone, who discovered the sport as a child recovering from polio, and had worked as a lift attendant at Suicide Six in Vermont. Returning to Minneapolis, he wanted to start a ski area, and went to the public library to search out viable topography. The present ski area of Buck Hill was the tallest hill close to the Twin Cities, but was on private land, part of a remote farm owned by Grace Whittier. Stone (and his fiancée Nancy) convinced Ms. Whittier to lease them the property, succeeding where previous wooers had failed, and the ski area began operating in 1954. Ms. Whittier left the property to St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota, upon her death.⁹