[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 170 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO WESLEY HEDSTROM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2003

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to former Cook 
County Commissioner Wesley Hedstrom, who passed away on November 7, 
2003.
  Wes Hedstrom was born in 1924 in Grand Marais, Minnesota, the 
youngest of thirteen children. After graduating from Grand Marais High 
School in 1942, Wes joined the U.S. Army and served during World War 
II. Returning to Minnesota, Wes, along with five of his brothers, took 
over operation of their father's business, Hedstrom Lumber, and he was 
company president from 1986 to 2000. In 1984, Wes was elected to the 
Cook County Board of Commissioners, on which he served for the next 16 
years.
  Except for the few years he was in the Army, Wes lived his entire 
life in Grand Marais, a small fishing town along Minnesota's north 
shore. Many people say that Wes was largely responsible for the 
enormous growth of his family's lumber business, turning it into one of 
the region's largest and most successful companies. For Wes, however, 
it was more than a business; it was a way of life. He had extensive 
knowledge of lumber and the woodlands. I learned more from Wes about 
forestry, forest management and sustainable yield forestry than from 
any other source.
  Wes understood the need for balance between the lumber industry and 
protections for the environment. He applied that fair-minded attitude 
to all the projects he worked on in the community, both as a County 
Commissioner and as a civic volunteer. From the renovation of a local 
hospital, to the creation of a new airport, to the advocacy for 
education funding, Wes worked to nurture people, find a consensus, and 
do what was in the public's best interest. That was his signature and 
his trademark.
  Some called him an activist. Others said he was a pioneer. All who 
crossed his path considered him a friend. I knew Wes since he worked on 
my first Congressional campaign in 1974, and over the years, I marveled 
at his friendliness, magnanimity and selflessness. To me, Wes was a 
teacher, counselor and partner in ventures for the Northland, and he 
was a good friend to me. He was one of those rare people who truly made 
a difference in his community. I know my colleagues join me in honoring 
Wes Hedstrom for his many years of dedicated service to his town, his 
State and his country.

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