2021 Vol 15, Issue 1 January Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 The Real Gem of Gem Lake—Dick Arcand (continued from page 1) Dick remembered moving across Europe around Thanksgiving time of 1944. “We were right behind the lines, setting up logistics. I don’t remember having turkey or any kind of holiday meal that year. However, I can’t even look at a can of SPAM to this day. We ate a lot of C-Rations!” In the early 1950’s, he and Shirley lost one of their children to a tragic accident. Five-year-old Larry followed his dog across the new Highway 61, when it was being constructed, and was hit by a car. Sixty years later he told me what his wife was wearing that day and what his son was going to have for lunch. The day remained frozen in his memory. Later, his oldest daughter died of cancer. In 2000, his wife died of Alzheimer’s. He cared for her for years prior to her death, taking her on long car rides to occupy her mind and keep her happy. Currently, two of his sons and one of his daughters live in Gem Lake, with the others living nearby. Because his children were close, Dick was able to continue to live independently in the family home, despite being legally blind. Dick maintained his can-do attitude despite blindness and, amazingly, continued to bike around Gem Lake. At times, it was extremely scary and extremely cool to see him tooling around happily. He once told me that he ate a lot of microwave meals because it was easy. I asked him how he read the directions and he replied, with a laugh, “I just cook everything for three minutes on high.” Dick served for a time on the Gem Lake City Council during the time when Henry Hoffman was mayor. He told me ten years ago that he hoped Gem Lake could maintain its rural feeling, while still “moving with the times.” A week before he was hospitalized in November, he was blowing leaves in his yard. He remained as active as possible until near the end of his life. Dick passed away in his sleep on December 6. There was a funeral mass in his honor the following week at St. Mary’s Church, where he had been a parishioner and volunteer for many years. Dick will be remembered with fondness and missed by everyone who knew him. When Dick moved to Gem Lake, he described it as having a “quiet village feeling. Everyone knew everyone,” he said in an earlier interview. At that time, Highway 61 ran right in front of their store, not behind it, as it is today. Highway 61 was a two-lane roadway that was in dire need of straightening and increased capacity. (Today, the street is called Hoffman Road.) Shortly after he began to build the family house, the end of his driveway intersected the new, wider and straighter Highway 61. He was concerned about traffic right from the start. But, Ramsey County worked with him to plant trees to shelter the home from the increased noise. (Today, the home is nestled behind a grove of mature trees.) He grew to love the community of Gem Lake and had many ties here. His father-in-law, Henry Hoffman started several businesses in the Hoffman’s Corner area. (The area is named for Henry) Henry became mayor in 1959. Henry’s daughter Kathy, Dick’s sister-in-law, still lives in the community. Hoffman Food Mart was used by most of Gem Lake and became a bit of a hang out and meeting spot. He and Shirly got the chance to meet and know nearly everyone over the years, and their eight children (four boys and four girls) had many friends in the area. “My four daughters all rode horses, so this was the perfect place for them,” said Dick. His property bordered land once used as an old horse trail around Gem Lake. “All the folks with horse farms used the trail, so the kids had a lot of fun.” From the beginning, Dick’s experiences with Gem Lake involved the animal kingdom. The Arcand family kept three horses and three ponies, as well as a variety of dogs. Deer, fox, pheasants and wood chucks routinely wandered across his property. Dick had his share of adventure and tragedy. He served in the 7th Army during World War II. Although he would always mention he was in Patton’s Army as it marched across Europe, he would then add, with a humble laugh, that he served predominately as a barber. During a portion of his time in the war, he was housed in the estate of German General Rommel in Germany. When things got rough, he also helped care for injured soldiers.