[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DICK AND DOBIE HUNEGS

 Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the 70th 
wedding anniversary of Dick and Dobie Hunegs of Saint Louis Park, MN. 
Dick and Dobie met at a picnic in North Commons Park in North 
Minneapolis as teenagers. That moment in the park marked the beginning 
of a partnership that would bring about three loving kids, nine 
admiring grandchildren, three wonderful great-granddaughters, and a 
world forever enriched by their devotion to community engagement and 
service to others.
  Dick and Dobie were married on August 30, 1953, at Beth El Synagogue, 
Dobie's childhood congregation, on what they both remember as ``one of 
the hottest days of the year.'' Fortunately, what they lacked in air 
conditioning, they made up for in pure joy. In their early years of 
marriage, Dick, who had been an ROTC officer at the University of 
Minnesota, was called up for service first at Fort Bliss in El Paso, 
TX, and then at Fort MacArthur in Los Angeles, CA. Upon the conclusion 
of Dick's service, Dick and Dobie kissed the sweltering summers goodbye 
and made their return to the familiar cozy winters of Minnesota.
  Both of them had successful careers. Dobie was a dental hygienist at 
a time when few women worked outside of the home, and Dick was a 
plaintiff's attorney who fought like hell to get railroad workers the 
safety equipment and compensation they deserved. They had so much to be 
proud of professionally, but their true pride and joy was their three 
kids, Carolyn, Craig, and Steve. According to Steve, growing up as a 
Hunegs meant growing up raised by ``the original Saint Louis Park power 
couple.'' Dobie knew just about everyone in town because she cleaned 
their teeth, and anyone who didn't cross paths with Dobie as their 
dental hygienist likely had Dick as their football or hockey coach.
  Carolyn, Craig, and Steve all found success in their adult lives. 
Carolyn was an active volunteer for the Blake School and continues to 
support Jewish organizations in Minnesota. To this day, the family 
knows that if they call Carolyn for help, she will come running. Craig 
helped bring now-classics like ``ER,'' ``The West Wing,'' and 
``Friends'' to the masses as a television executive at Warner Brothers. 
Steve is the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations 
Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, where he has distinguished 
himself as an outstanding advocate for our State's Jewish community. 
All three of them raised their own families, and Dick and Dobie 
couldn't be more proud.
  I have known Dick and Dobie since I was in law school. We should all 
be so lucky to find the kind of partnership and love that they found in 
each other. I congratulate them on their 70 years of marriage and wish 
them nothing but joy and happiness as they embark on their next 
adventures.

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