By JOHN ANDERSEN
“Gee, I didn’t know that.”
When Sue Hunter Weir writes an article for the alley, getting that response from a reader makes her smile. Yesterday we met in person and talked about her volunteer work.
Back in the 1990s there was a false narrative about the “poor, pitiful people” in the “crime ridden” Phillips Neighborhood. Sue, a longtime resident, got fed up with it. So, she hatched the idea of researching and writing about the lives of the people buried in the local Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery. She wanted to tell a more accurate story.
After having published more than 200 biographies over a 25-year span, she has completely changed that narrative.
In our chat, Sue started by mentioning John Effert, an unskilled railroad laborer who died in a work accident in 1911 and is buried in the cemetery. Effert, an activist, had only been in the USA a few years. He was a Russian Jew who had been part of a plot to overthrow the Russian Army, and therefore had to flee.
Sue taught me a bit about organized labor history. I had no idea that Minneapolis was once a hotbed for Trotskyites. They were supporters of Leon Trotsky, one of the key leaders alongside Lenin in the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
At another point in our chat, Sue noted that nearly 10,000 children who were ten or younger are interred in the Cemetery. Recently she hosted ninety 7th graders. She told the group that most of those children would have grown to adulthood had vaccines been available.
Some people think that Sue is a former history teacher. No, she’s a passionate citizen who wants people to care about the past.
Recently, I started writing for the alley myself. So far just two articles under my belt, but hopefully many more to come. Sue has definitely inspired me.
She adopted the Cemetery, and her loving care over the past quarter century has immeasurably benefited the local community. Phillips is not “poor and pitiful,” but rather a neighborhood with a fascinating history worth remembering. Sue has brought that history to life for thousands of readers.
No question, one person really can make a difference.
About John: John and his wife Mandy are early retiree nomads. John was a maintenance officer and administrative technician in the Air Force, a small business owner, and a light rail vehicle technician. He and Mandy are currently exploring La Paz, in Baja California for six months.
