St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, military personnel, and others honored Jerry Relph Tuesday afternoon with a memorial bench overlooking the Mississippi River.
The granite structure now sits alongside various veterans’ monuments at Wilson Park.
Kleis called Relph “a man who made a difference in the world.” He added, “it’s hard to serve when times are tough, as Jerry did, countless times.”
Relph’s widow, Pegi, also addressed the gathering of nearly 100 people, including local media. She relayed how happy she is to have a place to “reflect” and called the spot “wonderful.”
The attorney, Marine Corps veteran and dedicated public servant represented District 14 in the Minnesota Senate for four years before his Dec. 18 death.
A St. Cloud resident since 1984, Relph was 76.
For more info on Relph’s impressive life, read the Alpha News obituary from two months ago.
A.J. Kaufman
A.J. Kaufman is an Alpha News columnist. His work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Florida Sun-Sentinel, Indianapolis Star, Israel National News, Orange County Register, St. Cloud Times, Star-Tribune, and across AIM Media Midwest and the Internet. Kaufman previously worked as a school teacher and military historian.
