Howard Rask

In life sometimes a person slips in and not until later the impact is realized.  We moved to Sioux City and Augustana the summer of 1992.  Perhaps a year later, member Howard Rask came to our home.  I don’t recall why he came.  I think he was an accountant and perhaps involved with budgeting at Augustana.

I remember Howard as tall and distinguished.  He stood erect.  He must have been in working retirement because he wintered in Texas and returned to Sioux City the rest of the year and did tax returns.  He kept his hair coal black. 

And back to his visit to our home…he asked what dreams or goals we had.  Mike said there had been a dream of a cabin in northern Minnesota, but it didn’t seem realistic with our budget.  Thoughtfully Howard listened and said things like….does it have to be in northern Minnesota?  Do you have to have a cabin?  What do you like to do at a lake?  Could you consider something closer?  You could start by looking at lots.  He also suggested we talk to someone else in Sioux City, Warren Baker.

Our evening ended cordially.  I don’t remember other conversations with Mr. Rask.  Indeed, we started looking around in the Spirit Lake, Iowa. There are many small lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes.  We were led to Loon Lake…about 10 miles south of Jackson, Mn and 10 miles north of Spirit Lake.  We found a bare acre for sale and by January of 1997 we purchased the lot.

In 1999 Mike was contacted by Augustana to do the committal service for Howard in Dunnell, Mn.