A group of county residents enjoying Arizona. This group from left to right is Barb and Gene Erickson; Ina Huggenvik, Paule and Rod Wannebo, Sally and Bill Hennessy, and Barb Olson.
Eagan, Minnesota author Ron Erickson has spent a considerable amount of the past several decades in Cook County and exploring the Gunflint Trail. He describes some of his adventures in the Arrowhead Region in his new book, “Judges, JAGS and Jokesters.”
Ron first visited this area as a teenager. One of the first people he met was legendary game warden Earl Nelms. Ron describes a seemingly ordinary patrol with Earl that turns out to be far from routine. After many years spent exploring the area, Ron locates a suitable cabin site and builds a wilderness cabin on “Forlorn Lake” after the 4th of July 1999 blow down. Greg Lykins of Lutsen assisted Ron in the construction of the cabin. Ron also owns a vacation home in Lutsen.
Ron’s cabin is only a part of this book. Ron served as a military lawyer stationed in Germany during the Viet Nam period. He describes his adventures in Europe, both in and out of the courtroom. In one case, a soldier he was defending received a stiff sentence, but Ron managed to discover a grievous error made by the judge and the convicted soldier was released from Leavenworth. Although military regulations prohibited anyone from having fun, Ron managed to have his share of fun and adventure.
After leaving active duty, Ron remained in the Army Reserves and takes you back to Germany shortly after the wall came down in l989. He interviewed a soldier deployed at Checkpoint Charlie during that epic period. Ron tells you about an earlier visit to Berlin when he went through the infamous checkpoint to conduct his own tour of the Russian Zone of East Berlin.
The story ends with the tragic shooting death of a guest worker who was gunned down a few blocks from his office while on an evening dinner break. The widow brought a claim for worker’s compensation benefits. Ron’s criminal law experience comes in handy. A law school student was also mysteriously shot within the hour and only minutes away.
You will be taken behind the scenes of the criminal investigation and observe the efforts of the police detectives to solve both of these crimes. During breaks in the action, you will observe some of the inner workings of the judiciary and how the day-to-day life of a judge unfolds.
To obtain your copy of this recently released work you may contact Erickson Publications, P.O. Box 211286, Eagan, MN 55121. Price is $20 for book, shipping, taxes, and handling.
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