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A smiling Frank Moe stands at the back of the Dragon Boat he steered to a fine finishing place in the fun-filled competition. Frank was often a willing participant in other fundraisers like the Dragon Boat races. Photo courtesy of Bryan Hansel
Everyone who was lucky enough to know Frank Moe will surely miss his smile, positive energy, intelligence, humor and upbeat nature. Frank passed away on Wednesday, January 12, after a long fight with inoperable brain cancer. He was 56.
According to the Go Fund Me page set up on his behalf, Frank passed away with his wife Sherri and his mother Vonda in the room with him and friends.
He made the decision to stop treatment and entered hospice care on Saturday, January 8, 2022.
Frank was a Democrat legislator who represented Beltrami, Cass and Itasca counties from 2005-2008.
As a legislator, Moe served on the Environmental Policy and Environmental Finance committees and helped write the legislation that put the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment on the November 2008 statewide ballot. He also carried the bill protecting Minnesota’s wild rice from genetic contamination. This was the first bill to become law that protected a native species from genetic contamination.
When Indy, one of Frank’s sled dogs went blind, he didn’t give up on Indy, training the talented dog to continue to race with his team. Photo courtesy of Frank Moe
Tired of politics, Frank and his wife Sherri moved from Bemidji to Cook County so they could pursue a simpler life and invest in their passion for sled dogs and nature. That said, Frank was convinced to run for the Cook County Board of Commissioners and won the District 1 seat in a coin toss over his rival when the votes were tied. He served two years from 2016-2018, leaving because of health concerns.
In 2012 Frank ran his team of ten sled dogs from Grand Marais to Saint Paul, where he delivered over 13,000 petitions to Governor Mark Dayton from Minnesotans opposed to sulfide mining in northern Minnesota.
All told, Moe spent eight days on the trail meeting people and gathering petitions as he covered 362 miles on his circuitous route to the capitol.
Moe said the purpose of the trip was to “Inform Minnesotans about the potential hazards of the sulfide mining projects proposed for Northeastern Minnesota.”
While the governor, who at that time hadn’t taken a position on the proposed sulfide mines and was reluctant to meet with Moe, he certainly hadn’t heard the last from him. So, Frank raised $17,241 from 173 backers and created a documentary film about his trip that was shown throughout the northland.
Frank worried that when the mining companies extract copper, nickel, silver, or other metals from these sulfide ores, the exposed refuse creates sulfuric acid when rain falls. The sulfuric acid then leaches into the water tables, pollutes lakes and rivers, and harms humans, fish, and wildlife. To date, there has never been a sulfide mine that hasn’t caused a great deal of pollution.
Sled Dogs to Saint Paul was a non-profit group formed by Moe and several others to spread the word about the dangers of these mines.
In 2020 Frank gained some unexpected fame when he entered his 12-dog sled team in the Gunflint Mail Run 100-mile race; his team included Indy, a blind seven-year-old Alaskan husky.
No big deal, he thought.
But watching a blind sled dog run with a team of other dogs opened a lot of people’s eyes, and the story went viral.
One of Frank’s race handlers posted a picture of Indy and Frank on the team’s Facebook page during a break in the race, and the story blew up. “We didn’t have any idea that would happen,” said Sherri, who also assisted with the dogs and sometimes raced a team when she wasn’t too busy with her career as a mental health counselor.
People Magazine posted a story about the race, with additional print and TV media contacting the Moe’s about their blind sled dog.
“Indy was one of our rising stars when he was two and finished the Beargrease Marathon in 2015 in 6th place,” he said. “That next year, he lost the sight in his left eye. It’s called lens luxation, and it’s a rare genetic issue. However, Indy was still able to compete that year, 2016, with one good eye. He trusted his buddy Popcorn to run on his left, and he was still on our main team.
“That spring, the same thing happened to his right eye. We were so sad for him but just took care of him and did what we could to help him get used to being totally blind for the next year. He was still happy and healthy otherwise.”
Before serving in the Legislature, Frank taught environmental studies at Bemidji State University. In 2008, after leaving the Legislature, Frank received a Bush Fellowship to study outdoor education issues, emphasizing how to better engage young people in outdoor experiences and conservation issues.
Growing up in the Twin Cities, Frank was a graduate of Bloomington Jefferson High School in 1965. A scholar and an athlete, Frank attended Carlton College, where he played football and wrestled in addition to school. His wrestling coach and mentor was the late Senator Paul Wellstone. Frank earned a B.A. from Carleton College and an M.A. from the University of North Carolina. In addition, Frank worked for Stone Harbor as a kayak and climbing guide during the off-season.
Frank and Sherri owned Motown Kennels which had 38 dogs in 2019. Frank was very active in the sled dog community, helping and racing at events.
As the vice president of the John Beargrease sled dog marathon, in 2020 Frank announced the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon was one of four international sled dog races picked to be part of the new World Series of sled dog racing.
On October 8, 2019, from Oslo, Norway, Aker BioMarine launched the international dog racing championship: QRILL Pet Arctic World Series (QPAWS).
The first season of the World Series featured four legendary sled dog races, the Femundlopet in Norway, the Volga Quest in Russia, Alaska’s legendary Iditarod, and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.
Frank traveled to Oslo with the former Beargrease board president. They spent five days working with Aker BioMarine reps and other boards of the international sled dog races to work out details of the new series. He was excited about the new launch of a program that featured not only dogs and mushers, but the handlers who worked with the teams as well.
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