Edmund Cease

E dmund “Ed” Francis Cease, 92, of Bagley, MN died on Wednesday, June 16, 1999 at the Clearwater County Memorial Hospital in Bagley, MN.

Edmund was born June 27, 1906 in Arco, MN (Lincoln County), the son of Edmund D. and Anna (Reynolds) Cease. He was raised and educated in the Arco-Ivanhoe-Canby area and moved with his family to Elma, Iowa moving to Bagley in 1920. He graduated from Bagley High School in 1926. He started working at the Neujahr Drug Store and Funeral Home in 1925, where he would work until 1930. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Mortuary Science Program in 1928, He married Florence Hanson on June 28, 1930 in Hills, MN. They lived in Bagley where he worked at the H.C. Peterson Hardware and Funeral Home as a funeral director until combining both funeral homes in 1942 under the name of Cease Funeral Home. He was very involved in his community. He was a city councilman for 7 years and was elected mayor for a term in 1950. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and served as its president. He was a member of the Bagley Volunteer Fire Department and served as Fire Chief. During WW II, he was the Clearwater County chairman of the Red Cross. His church was a very important part of his life. He was church president and was chairman of the church building committee during the construction of Faith Lutheran. He provided ambulance service for the county from 1930 – 1965. He was elected Clearwater County Coroner and served in that position from 1940 – 1990. He was a Clearwater County Memorial Hospital board member during the construction of the hospital and for the next 28 years. He was very active in the Minnesota Funeral Director’s Association, serving all the chairs, and was State President 1964 – 1965. He was extremely proud to be honored at the May 1999 MFDA convention as the oldest living Minnesota licensed Mortician. His son, Wayne, joined him as a partner in the funeral home in 1958. They expanded to Clearbrook and Gonvick. Later, four of his grandchildren joined the family business as they expanded to Bemidji, Park Rapids, Cass Lake, Nevis and Blackduck. He spent the last 40 winters in Tucson, AZ where he had many friends. He loved to do woodworking, fish and play cribbage. He had great passion for Golf. He was a charter member of the Twin Pines Golf Course serving on the board and helped build the golf course. His keen sense of wit, humility and humor will always help him to be remembered as a true gentleman.