Former Sheriff John Lyght
Much loved and well respected former Cook County sheriff John Lyght passed away on Friday, January 15, 2010 at the age of 82.
An icon in Minnesota law enforcement, Lyght was—and still is today—the only elected black sheriff in the state’s history. After being appointed sheriff in 1972, he won reelection in 1974 with 97.4 percent of the county’s vote. Lyght served in the county’s sheriff department for almost 30 years. He retired after that to attend to his well-manicured lawn and to catch as many fish as he could.
Although reserved and private, Lyght was outspoken when it came to defending his department and his deputies. Many times he would argue passionately with the county board for upgrades to his office that would enable him and his staff to do a better job to protect the residents of Cook County.
Tall and strong, with strength built up from years spent logging with his father and brothers, Lyght cut an imposing figure in his sheriff ’s uniform. Oftentimes a stern look from Lyght could end a skirmish or prevent one from beginning.
When asked in an interview about his philosophy, Lyght responded, “I try to reason with people and convince them that violence is not the way to get along in this world.
“The media doesn’t help. The more you report this stuff and the more you show it on TV and in the movies, the worse it gets. I have been involved in efforts to get violent programming off the air and violent music off the radio.
“I also remind parents that they should start being parents. Start taking charge of the family, get religion back into the home, get back to basics.
“Another thing. Think about how you can make it work so someone is there every day when the kids get home from school. And I know how tough that is. At one point, I had to work three jobs, but we did it.”
Lyght took a different route into the law enforcement field. After selling tickets at the Lutsen Ski Area between school bus runs, he also took on the role of bouncer. In 1968, he was hired as a part-time deputy for Cook County. In 1972 he was appointed by the county board to replace the retired sheriff.
Over the years John saw his department grow from one deputy to eight. He railed against judges who handed down light sentences, calling them “pantywaists.”
His first wife Anne preceded John in death. They were married from 1954 until her passing in 1994. They had three children, Mary Anne, Bill and Barbara Anne.
The son of two pioneers, H. P. Lyght and his wife Stella, John was one of 15 siblings. The Lyght family has lived in Cook County for almost 100 years. H.P. ran a logging operation and left his wife to run a seven-cabin resort that is now the site of Cathedral of the Pines church camp. John’s parents homesteaded 160 acres two miles up the Caribou Trail.
H.P. left Alabama in the middle of the night, “He didn’t want to be tied down and didn’t want to be bowing down to anybody,” John said to a Duluth News-Tribune
reporter in 1994. H.P moved to Virginia where he met Stella. They left for Pennsylvania before finding out about the possibilities of homesteading in northern Minnesota.
Lyght won six straight elections. The discipline Lyght had as a law officer came from his strict upbringing. When the kids got out of line there were birch switches that were used to get their attention. As a school bus driver for 19 years, Lyght wasn’t afraid to paddle students, “I treated those kids the same way I treated my own kids,” Lyght was quoted.
Early on, the Lyght family became known for its hard work and ethics. Stella once recalled the time that H.P. walked from their farmstead to Tofte to pick up and carry a calf home on his shoulders. That’s a long walk, even without carrying a wiggling, baying, extra 100 pounds on one’s shoulders.
“As far as being a public servant goes, John Lyght was as good or a better bargain than anyone else,” said Frank Hansen, a two-time county commissioner who worked with Lyght in the 1980’s.
“John was immensely helpful to the community. After Billy Peterson’s husband died, John would drive up to her place at Tait Lake and cut firewood for her. He would check in on her. She was a widow, all alone with no way to contact anyone. That’s just one of the people he would go out of his way to help,” said Hansen.
Hansen also talked about Lyght’s dedication to the people of Cook County. “After he was done working he would go out and check on people, businesses and just show up where he might be needed.”
John called that “face time.” He would show up and just talk with people, just to let them know he was there for them. He would do this throughout the county. On his time, not the county’s dime.
Another commissioner who served with Hansen was Chet Lindskog. Lindskog had this to say about Sheriff Lyght, “He was quite a guy. He was always there to help. He was very strict. He believed in respecting his elders. And even though he might disagree with you, he never held a grudge. He fought hard for his department (with the county board) and for the Search & Rescue squads. He had a high regard for those people. Let’s just say he was a good guy to have on your side.”
Former Grand Marais mayor and county commissioner Walt Mianowski said, “He was an exceptional sheriff, an exceptional man. Actually, that whole family was exceptional. John was a monster among men. He was so big and strong. But he was a gentle man. A kind man. It’s hard to express in words what he meant to the community.”
Lyght was instrumental in getting the Amber Alert passed in Minnesota. He also fought to have the term “Check Kiting” changed to “Theft by Check.” He won numerous state and national awards for his law enforcement work.
“He was fearless, he was principled, and he was a man of integrity,” said Hansen.
Of all his accomplishments, in 1994 Lyght told Mark Stodghill of the Duluth News-
Tribune
the following, “I’ve made more out of my life than I ever expected to. To work with the people of Cook County was an honor. And the way they backed me up was really something great. I’m most proud that I raised a good family—all of my children have done something good with themselves and the same with the grandchildren, the great-grandkids aren’t big enough yet to do nothing, but they have good parents over them and good grandparents over them.”
John’s funeral was held Wednesday, January 20 at 11:00 a.m. at Lutsen Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lutsen. He is survived by his beloved wife, Gayle.
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