Remembering Bill Randall

Hi All!

1st of all, Blessed and Happy Easter to you and all, bunnies or not. Ask my garderner wife how much she loves the "Real" bunnies.

A bit of an "We Don't Know That," but despite the fact that these memories were collected by a grade school kid, I believe they would pass journalistic muster.

My family moved to 201 Montrose place, just south of T&CC, in 1963 and lived there for about 25 years or so.

Next door, directly to our south, was "Mrs. Randall's House."

The house was the very first built in the in the newly platted subdivison. I don't know the date, but the only other real estate was farmland and the golf course. Quite exceptional house -- it had a big 2-car garage which was very rare at the time. It was big and well designed. The Randall's built it and Mrs Randall was the last to live there (she was about 90 when she died so you can see where genes come in with her son Bill).

As a kid, I mowed the huge double lot and checked to make sure the furnace was keeping 50 degrees during the winter when Mrs. Randall was snowbirding.

The guy who paid me and spent alot of time visiting with me, imparting wisdom, was Bill.

I remember thinking who old he looked. Was shocked that he was still around until recently.

When I joined the GOP much later in my life, I always remembered my first Republican inspiration. "Conservative" was not a familiar term. You were either Democrat or Republican. My mom's family was fiercly DFL at the time and this was new learning to me.

I also remember his height, craggy looks and a basso profuno voice.

Mrs. Randall apparently didn't want Bill to run for Governor, and apparently he didn't campaign much for the endorsement. I think he was relieved to stay Ramsey prosecutor and leave the politics to Harold Levander.

Bill never had to do much if any campaigning to keep his position. But sometime in the early seventies a young DFL upstart named Tom Foley planted big lawn signs everywhere and Bill had to print a few little ones. Foley, by politicizing the position, kicked Bill's butt.

That is the end of my memories. Never saw him again, but assume he amassed a fortune in private practice.

RIP, William Randall

Cheers!