[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 109 (Friday, June 30, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S9481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      A TRIBUTE TO NILS M. SANDER

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a long time 
friend, Nils M. Sander, of Kingston, NH.
  Nils was a deeply religious man, a devoted husband and father and a 
true American patriot. Although he would not immediately be recognized 
by millions of Americans, he embodied the essence of the American 
people and their spirit.
  Nils Sander died on March 17, 1995, but it is his life that I want to 
share with my colleagues today.
  Nils was born in 1917 in Stockholm, Sweden, the second son of John 
and Maria Sander. It was soon after Nils' birth that the Sander family 
began immigrating to America. Initially it was several aunts and uncles 
and then as word spread among the family that in America the jobs were 
plentiful and opportunity was boundless, Nils' parents, John and Maria, 
brought their whole family.
  Nils, his brother, Arnie, a pregnant mother and a hopeful father 
disembarked from the boat at Ellis Island. Nils' sister, Nana, was 
later born in America and it was her birth as a U.S. citizen that 
enabled her to sponsor the rest of the family into citizenship. Nils' 
father, John, the industrious and hard-working Swede, found work as a 
machinist and was soon able to buy his family a home.
  Nils grew up in a generation that knew the value of a strong work 
ethic. He saw the Depression. He saw it devastate the lives of his 
neighbors, family and friends. Nils' brother left home so there would 
be one less mouth to feed. His mother pawned her wedding ring to feed 
her family. Nils learned the value of saving and he learned the 
machinist trade from his father. He learned to love America.
  In 1942, Nils married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Seaburg. While 
his wife was expecting their first child, World War II was raging. Nils 
joined the Navy because he knew that freedom was not free. Nils put his 
life on the line to preserve that freedom not only for his generation 
but for his children and grandchildren for generations to come.
  He served as a machinist mate on board the U.S.S. Doyle C. Barnes in 
the Philippines and New Guinea. It was in 1944 that Nils returned from 
the war. He came home to a son who was ready a year old. Nils found 
work at the Watertown Arsenal and then later at MIT as a tool and die 
maker.
  In 1947, Nils moved his family to Kingston, NH, and a second son was 
born. He rode his bike 2 miles to the train station in the next town in 
order to make his way to and from Haverhill, MA, where he taught at a 
trade school. The family was soon able to buy a car and life became 
easier.
  The agreement at Yalta removed forever any lingering Socialist ideas 
that had been brought from Sweden with his parents. No man or nation 
had the right to determine the sovereignty of another nation. 
Individual freedom with responsibility began to root itself deep into 
Nils' beliefs. Those beliefs formed the basis for his conservative 
philosophy.
  Nils' family remembers very clearly the lengthy conversations around 
the dinner table had about communism, his compassion for people 
imprisoned within the Communist state, and his determination that 
freedom must prevail against those tyrannies.
  For Nils, there was never a problem with defining right or wrong. His 
faith in God and knowledge of biblical lessons were all he needed to 
direct his life and to teach his family, his students, and all who came 
to know him.
  Nils was a founder of the Kingston Community House, a volunteer 
organization formed to help those in need in the community. They 
provided food and clothes to those who were without. They provided 
Christmas gifts for needy children, and they ran a weekly meal program. 
The success of the Kingston Community House brought Nancy Reagan to 
Kingston because of her interest in voluntarism.
  Nils became active in the New Hampshire Republican Party and 
campaigned tirelessly for those conservative candidates who shared his 
ideals. Those he worked for included Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, 
Ronald Reagan, Gordon Humphrey, Mel Thomson, and Bob Smith. Nils was 
not only our supporter--he was our friend.
  Nils was there for me in the beginning when it was tough going. He 
did not have to help me but he did, and he never asked for anything in 
return. Not one thing did he ever ask in return.
  Nils helped to craft the conservative platform which now guides the 
party. He was one of the quiet people who never asked for anything but 
good government--and the less the better. He believed with all his 
heart that government should do only what people cannot do for 
themselves.
  Nils never ran for public office. So you would not know him. Instead 
he preferred to serve from the sidelines. He was always there when a 
void needed to be filled which could further his conservative beliefs 
in the preciousness of freedom, the sanctity of human life, and the 
importance of family.
  Nils and his wife, Ruth and his daughter, Asta, and the rest of the 
family, were quiet but active Americans who deserve a great deal of 
credit for the revolution which took place in last November's election. 
They never sat back and let the liberal agenda destroy the fragile 
freedom we enjoy. They went to work every day. They taught their 
families right from wrong and they taught them to love God and to love 
America and to take their responsibilities seriously, to save for the 
future, and not to be a burden to society.
  As I indicated, Nils passed away a short time ago. He suffered from 
Alzheimers, a cruel disease that has also stricken one of his beloved 
political leaders, Ronald Reagan. Because he was in the final stages of 
Alzheimers, Nils was unable to witness the November elections and enjoy 
the fruits of his labors.
  Nils--I know that you are watching now and smiling as you see your 
old friend in the majority in the U.S. Senate.
  I am a U.S. Senator today because of Nils Sander. Nils believed in me 
at a time when it was tough. And I believed in him. I will miss my 
friend, and I intend to honor his memory by continuing to fight for the 
conservative principles he espoused.
  Yes, Nils Sander, one man can make a difference * * * and you did.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. Pryor and Mr. Hatch pertaining to the 
introduction of S. 1006 are located in today's Record under 
``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')


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