MONDAY, OCTOBER 9 .2000 Metro/State

Obituaries Esther Stassen, wife of former , dies at 94 She entertained presidents, diplomats and helped tllu By Kimbeily Hayes Taylor said Sunday. "We were a team Esther Stassen was an artist, Star Tribune Staff Writer ever since we were I2." whose oils and watercolors won The couple, married for 70 awards from the Smithsonian In- Esther Glewwe Stassen, who years, met in May 1918 at a stitution. entertained U.S. presidents, dip- church picnic in South St. Paul. Her daughter, Kathleen Stas- lomats and heads of state as wife , who served as sen Berger of NewYork City, said of former governor Minnesota's governor from 1938 that her mother encouraged her and U.S. presidential candidate to 1944, recalled first seeing his children to be creative, to write Harold Stassen, died Saturday at future bride as she ran down a and tell stories. They both be- her home in Bloomington. She hill during a race, her brunette came college professors. was 94. pigtails blowing in the wind. During an era when nearly During the writing of the Unit- As his wife, Esther Stassen of- half of American marriages end ed Nations charter in 1945 in San ten hosted dinner parties for as in divorce, Kathleen Stassen Ber- Francisco, where Harold Stassen many as 60 people. While her ger said, her mother taught her was a delegate, Esther Stassen husband was president of the how to hold a family together as was instrumental in keeping ne- University of Pennsylvania, she her husband made the transition gotiations from breaking down, entertained the presidents of from Minnesota farm boy to gov- herhusband said. Yale, Harvard and Princeton. ernor and to Republican presi- As hostess to the other dele- While he was a politician, she dential candidate. gates' wives, Esther Stassen dined with President Dwighr Ei- "Many people would not have learned that the Soviet diplomats senhower and British Prime Min- found Dad an easy person to fol- couldn't freely negotiate because ister Winston Churchill, said her low," said Stassen Berger, who of an order from Soviet dictator granddaughter Rachel Stassen- has been married for 33 vears. Ioseph Stalin. Berger of Minneapolis. "She gave us the example oihorv Stassen told her husband, who "She might be the only real to build and sustain a marriage Star photo got word to President Harry Tru- Tribune file lady I have ever met," Stassen- over a long, long time despite all Esther Glewwe Stassen, an awald-winning artist, and folmer Gov. Halold man. The president flew a diplo- Berger said. "She made things the things that happened. Their Stassen, shown in 1979, were married for Z0 years. mat They met in 191g at a to Moscow to meet with Sta- really beautiful. She had skills to love for each other was and is church picnic in South St. Paul. lin, who changed his orders to do things most of us never learn incredible." the Soviet U.N. delegates. The to do. . . . She had a certain gen- Other survivors include son to 8 p.m. Tuesday at English- tist Church, 14 Moreland Av. E., deadlock was broken and the ne- teelness about her. The seventh Glen Stassen'of Pasadena, Calif., Meeker & Kandt Funeral paul. gotiations Home, St. continued. "It was all of 12 children, even when she six other grandchildren and four 140 8th Av. N., South St. Paul. KimberlyHayesTayl.orcanbecon- because ofher and what she was was young, her siblings called her great-grandchildren. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. [email protected] able to find out," Harold Stassen 'Little Mother.' " Visitation will be held from 5 Wednesday at the Riverview Bap- www. pioneerplanet.cl$. (HeHAROLD STASSEN: 1907-2A01 was smart and he was bravet Forrner Minnesota ! ormer Gov. Ilarold Stassen, a political I giant who distinguished himself as the Gov. Harold yg-ungest man to hold Minnesota's highest office and went on to become a pere-nnial Stassen, presidential candidate, died early Suiday at a who nursing home in Bloomington. He was 93. died early Sunday, His public service spanned-friends the bulk of the 20th century. Family, and supporters gained a reputation remernber Stassen as an intellectual drid able politician, at least in his early years, as well for quiiotic runs as a lifelong reformer, - "He rose to the top for two reasons,', said for the presidency former Gov. Al Quib, a fellow Republican: "He was smart and he was brave.'A lot of pg-ople- are too chicken to (run for public in his later years. offiee)." T\t. As recently as January, Stassen attended t'ut ln nrs prune, the State of the State address of Gov. , where Ventura paid tribute to his he had a bold predecessor. "First lady Terri Ventura and I send our uston. condolences to the family of Governor Stassen," Ventura said Sunday. ,,As Min- BY IISA DONOVAN nesotans, we can be proud of a statesman who never gave up Uis AND BILL GARDNER lignt for a better state, DAWN VILLETLA/PIONEER PRESS FILE PHOTO a better country and a peaceful PIONEER PRESS world." Harold Stassen salutes during the dedlca. Former state GOP chairman Chuek Slocum tion of a state office building named after said Stassen believed government could him In St. Paul in May. His nlne bids for imp,rove people's lives, as it did with Great the presidency talnted his political image, but allies sald that runnlng for office was STASSEN coNTtNUED or.r 7A ) hls way to promote his ldeas. :lA!it i FrA{.Jt_ irt$f{Er.:11 Fni:ss FItON,{ Pr\G}i MOI{DAY. lz\ MARCH 5.2001 rffi $tacsenl Muny forgot he almost won the GOP presidential nomination in 194g 'lI ri(lNill.llli:t) | Riii?t tA r:ilarge of the l.iat'i"s pfisoner *'l the l\lutual Security Agoncy. an know what is wromg kltw l.ho prilate Ilarold Stassen, I)eprcssiorr u.cl.{rre-to-ivork pro- 0r,'acuation pfogram in Japan. Kandt-Funeral Home, 140 Eighth carly atternpt at arnts coutrol bc- wiru rias t'lrlng and conu/rssi0n- gfams. In 1945. Presideni l,'ranklin trveen . (and) I hnow what *n Ave. N., Soulh St. Paul. Scrvices "An"vole lhe hvo supe|powels, the ". ate tolvard every fantil;r rnember wlto lvas ar rJu jld hilt lloosevell. sent.stassen to Sau 'tire will be at 10 a.m. Saturdav at United States arid Soviet alo to ceirrect il." anC rvhose private life had the rame t0 sense a greatlcss at this I.rancisco as p:rrt of the U.S. dele, Union. iliverview ilaptist Church. l4-Mo- rlan's r:apar:it.v sarne iniogrity, trLrth and justice reland Ave. as a l.hiuker'. [{e ilrti0n t{i try t0 dfaft a charter for In i958, he movcd lo Pcnnsylva. fIAROTD S AS$EN U., West St. Paul" lookcd as his public pcrsona." The fanrily requests that to the fulule r.vith great thc Unitcd Naiions. Stassen was nia, rvhere he practiced law and ANNOUNCIh]G IIiS PRESIDENT!AL. merno- 0ptrnllsni ahd (in) IIe is also survived iry son Glen rials be sent that sense. he the last surviving signer of the lost races for governor and for 0Ar.rDtDACY tl.r 1992 to the Esther and rras like Fiubr:rt liunrphrey," Harold Stassen, of Pasadena, Harold Stassen Scholarship Slo- LI.N. Charter, ruayor of . lie re- Fund, cxm said. Calif.; scven grandchildren; and Fuller Theological Ilis attr:ntion then focused on turned to Minnesota in 1978 were {ewer and fewer people tvill- Seminai-y. Box four great-grandchildren. 235. I)asadena. Aiso like iiuntphley, iris career gainrng a more prorninent role in IIe nevel left behind his ing to listen t0 it." CA 91182. had huntble cam- Sen,ices wil] be hekl next rveek- beIilnings. S{.assen national p0litics. FIe was profiled paign for the Oval OIfice, howev- Privatelv, supporters also re- !tJ' end. Visitation rvill be 4 to B p.m. The Associated Press contributed to this flil lv ul, ;r i0gp{ahlr' [lr[rt irr by llarper's tnagazine as a "Young er. IIe rarr nine canrpaigns rn all. nrernbered him lol his devotion to Wes1. St. Paul, grildriatcd Friday ai the English-hleehel and rep0rt. front the Nian Going lionrewhere." the last in 1992 his family. i,rniversitl of' Mrunesota Larv I{c triad,'a lour nf EuruJre irr Announcing his carrdidacv at the "In politics, there's an awful iot lichool and was eleeled L)akota 19,17, nreeting wilh Sovir:t leader Nlirrnesota s'Late Capitol, Slassen oI people lvhr.r drift awav fronr ilouni.}' att..)rl]e]. at agc 23. .Ioseph Slalin, i)ope Pius XII and sald he was running because "1 their rvives," said forme; Gov. iie prs31 hcll tiral until 1!)lU. knorv what is wr.ong (and) Quie. "And he and his rvife loved l'hcn llepub)iciins u'ele ... I seaicliing Hn $,$4Sn Roosevelt sent know what to do t.r correct it." ciirh rlther ali the wav thi'ough." llrl an ;ritr':icti,;e caldiriate lo IIe rnade trvo final politicai birls Ilis daughter, Kafhleen Esther chalicngi: Gov. Ulrner Benson of $tass,e*r to lre part of at tlie errd of his liie. ln 199ti. Berger, of Nevr Yorli Cit.y, said she 1.hr: Iiarnii:r-l,alt0r Partv. the U.$. delegation to iitasscn offereci to serve as a run, thlr,ks hFr father's example rvill Stas:irYr's rlcr:lion rvis "a sur- on nrng nate iol Rcpublican pi'esi- ilve to tne.' ljl.assen try to draft a c$larter i)use recallod lat- dcntial candiriate ilob Dole. jok- "l)eople know the public llalold cr. Iic rvas 3i. lhcn tile i,ounge-sl f*rr the {Jnitecl Natians, ingly suggesting he could mike Sl.rssen. ryho was sotrtotxe whr.l go\'ern0r in U.:i. iii:rtori, and was llte ag111g crndirJalt'look I'r_rung bv could bring together heads oi quiclily dubbtd "the Bolt Wonder." $tassen wils the !;ist conrl)arisun. And in lggB, at age state, rich and poor," Ilcr:ger said As govnLicr. he pushcd tirrough surYivims sigmes' of tlre 91. ire lried to file as rn a.prepared staternent. "But I a cirri-scrvlc,.: polity a carrdidaie that all but lor govcrnor, but he rvas turned r:iiurinal.cd pLrlittr:ai patronagc. LI"hl. *harter. Ile rwaJ' bc( ruse h" had nu rrrnnirrg 'l:,, ;r 30-rily "r:uoliog ,rll i,rul)u:iod nlate. pr ltr,rl lu ltollr rt.s,rlvr, lrlrut. lorner Rritish Prirne lvlitrister The pcrenrrial lrrnrpaigns. likr rn:rn:tgclirent dispulcs. Winstc,li Chu..hill, among others. lh" slill torrpec ho worc late in A progrcssivc Ilcpublican. Stas- 'l'iraL I'ear ho :rlso published his iife. obscured his poiiticai irnage, :rn',rilsi ro,rleciod il 1940 and polilical beliefs in tlie booli but !:,JZ i{r' jtrlcnlir)n his closest allii:s say that was 1l.rtrre{ 11:llirrnal "Whele I Stand.:' Jllsl pill ol his eornplc:. it lirjstn. io 11)40 giving by the kr"vnolc ad- A veaf later carne nhat mav delstuorl. vipw ol :nlr.icr,. rltcss at the llepublii:an I'lal.ir_rrral lublrc I'ure bprn tlro pt'rrk uI llis p(,litica] lnteilectual and serious, Stassen ijonvLrntiLril in I)itiladelphra, u'hcre carecr: a carnpaign for l.he Repub- ';r'as describcd by journalist lYil- lli-: toid rlclcgal.cs that. i.lrr: tlnitccl ii<:an plrsidcnlial nonrinalion. iIe lianr lVhite as the person with "the lltates shouki becoure involvcd in nairowly lost to Clov. ri'rost profound absence r_rl i.lic glo.,ving a sense r:onilict in lluiopc. "f iiornas Dervey. rvho lrourrtet.l a r,l Itu'uul' ill 1\irtel i(an pulitics." ilnLlerjicol ing corn'icliorr, thll ht: {anrous antl unsuccesslul calr- Blrt li,noot {;{,\ l:lt;rrr ,\rlur.r rrsigI]ed in lir.lll fo,rnlist. in l.hc ijaign ag:lillst i{ally '{'r'urnan ihat s( lr l(,S0(r l1'1j 11,5 {Dggt.ij dt'l.t'r.rrri j\Jai.,'. 1!,'jtlirit rnlniis. l;cr:anrt: lrl lall. it:r{iot:: "littne pei}i_,lt thOriHht il ririe t.o Adrn. 'ililliarn "l:ju11" Hal- lilasscn drd eventually rnake it was abou[ $e]1-l)rolr]otion. brlt he slr,'. i:orrlrrarrder of i'.iut!h tlie Ira, ti; tlrt' Whitr: I{rlrse. IIe served in lhougirt bv rulrrring lrr rii.ic iiot'ire. fitt:v,:rr $'ls de|crated J;,residerrt, i)r'esideirt Dwight iliscnhower's it gave hirl ;r lol.uti ltrl his irleas. tlrlr:t tilnr:s, v.'as atvitliieii sil rri;i Cabiuct. ori tiri-' l\alion:-rl l-lccuritv IIc loll cunipcilcd iu krep preach. ti:r' ilrllir-r l;liii:r arriJ was pul_ in iloLritril. t{e wai also dirr:ctor of rurg his irie aL:, cven thorigh there