Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN) - Thursday, January 14, 2010
89, born December 13, 1920, in Embarrass, MN, died Monday, January 11, 2010 in Virginia, MN. Funeral service will be held Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 11:00 AM at the Range Funeral Home Chapel in Virginia. Visitation will be one hour prior. Interment will be at Waasa Cemetery, Embarrass, at a future date. Rev. Dennis Sundeen will officiate. Military rights provided by the Mt. Iron Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be donated to the American Heart Association or American Diabetes Association. Ed was a 1939 graduate of Embarrass H.S. He attended Eveleth Jr. College and served in the Army in WWII in the Pacific. Ed graduated from the U of M in 1947 where he excelled in track for two seasons and was known as "The Fying Finn." He then returned to Embarrass to teach and coach. In 1948 he started the track and field program at Embarrass High School that became known as the "The Flying Finns." Embarrass had no track but Ed persevered and built a strong program, which went on to win many statewide honors. In 1954 Ed went to Edina where he taught and coached over 40 state champions and started Edina's cross-country program. Edina won the state meet in '69, '70 and '74. Many agreed that Ed had one of the best track minds in the country. He retired in 1984 after 37 years of coaching and teaching. By that time he had trained more individual state track and field champions than any other coach in the state. Ed cared about his students and athletes and touched many lives throughout his career. He moved to Virginia, MN in the early '90s to spend the remainder of his retirement close to his family roots. His many honors included induction into the MN Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Edina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Ed enjoyed trips to many places around the world. He also enjoyed gardening and reading. He will be missed by his many friends, colleagues and family. Many thanks to the staff at St. Michael's for the care and kindness shown to Ed during his stay there. Survived by sister, Shirley (Art) Rand of Degraff, MN; Sister-in-law, Gertrude (John) Hendrickson of Virginia, MN; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents, Gust & Josephine Hendrickson; sisters, Saima Hendrickson, Selina (John) Nikunen, Sylvia (Leslie) Koskela, Sophia (Ernie) Hautala, Synne (Wayne) Maki; and brothers, Henry (Elma), John (Gertrude), Robert (Darlene), Ben (Kay) and Roy. Range Funeral Home 911 16th St. North Virginia, MN 55792 1-866-875-5011
Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN) - Thursday, January 14, 2010
CITE THIS RECORD
Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Minnesota) 14 January 2010, obit for Hendrickson, Niilo "Ed", GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/12D52681A53E1E60-12D52681A53E1E60 : accessed 2 July 2022)
Bruce Miller
Niilo Or Ed Hendrickson, 89
remembering
Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN) - Thursday, January 14, 2010
89, born December 13, 1920, in Embarrass, MN, died Monday, January 11, 2010 in Virginia, MN. Funeral service will be held Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 11:00 AM at the Range Funeral Home Chapel in Virginia. Visitation will be one hour prior. Interment will be at Waasa Cemetery, Embarrass, at a future date. Rev. Dennis Sundeen will officiate. Military rights provided by the Mt. Iron Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be donated to the American Heart Association or American Diabetes Association. Ed was a 1939 graduate of Embarrass H.S. He attended Eveleth Jr. College and served in the Army in WWII in the Pacific. Ed graduated from the U of M in 1947 where he excelled in track for two seasons and was known as "The Fying Finn." He then returned to Embarrass to teach and coach. In 1948 he started the track and field program at Embarrass High School that became known as the "The Flying Finns." Embarrass had no track but Ed persevered and built a strong program, which went on to win many statewide honors. In 1954 Ed went to Edina where he taught and coached over 40 state champions and started Edina's cross-country program. Edina won the state meet in '69, '70 and '74. Many agreed that Ed had one of the best track minds in the country. He retired in 1984 after 37 years of coaching and teaching. By that time he had trained more individual state track and field champions than any other coach in the state. Ed cared about his students and athletes and touched many lives throughout his career. He moved to Virginia, MN in the early '90s to spend the remainder of his retirement close to his family roots. His many honors included induction into the MN Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Edina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Ed enjoyed trips to many places around the world. He also enjoyed gardening and reading. He will be missed by his many friends, colleagues and family. Many thanks to the staff at St. Michael's for the care and kindness shown to Ed during his stay there. Survived by sister, Shirley (Art) Rand of Degraff, MN; Sister-in-law, Gertrude (John) Hendrickson of Virginia, MN; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents, Gust & Josephine Hendrickson; sisters, Saima Hendrickson, Selina (John) Nikunen, Sylvia (Leslie) Koskela, Sophia (Ernie) Hautala, Synne (Wayne) Maki; and brothers, Henry (Elma), John (Gertrude), Robert (Darlene), Ben (Kay) and Roy. Range Funeral Home 911 16th St. North Virginia, MN 55792 1-866-875-5011
Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN) - Thursday, January 14, 2010
CITE THIS RECORD
Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Minnesota) 14 January 2010, obit for Hendrickson, Niilo "Ed", GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/12D52681A53E1E60-12D52681A53E1E60 : accessed 2 July 2022)