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Thursday, August 27, 2009
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Bevans: 'We talked about family and life' Brainerd City Council member has fond memories of meeting Kennedy Associate Editor Sen. Edward M. Kennedy may have been used to being the center of attention but for the 15 minutes Kelly Bevans of Brainerd had the chance to talk with him, he was just another proud father.
Bevans, a Brainerd City Council member, said politics didn't come up when he met the Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts at a Washington, D.C., banquet sponsored by the U.S. Jaycees in 2000.
"We did not talk politics," Bevans said. "We talked about family and life."
Kennedy died early Wednesday in Massachusetts at the age of 77.
Bevans, owner of Kelly's Garage in Brainerd, attended as one of the 1999 Ten Outstanding Young Men of Minnesota. He was sponsored by the Brainerd Jaycees.
Kennedy was at the banquet to honor his son, Edward Kennedy Jr., who was named as one of the 1999 Ten Outstanding Young Americans, nationwide, by the U.S. Jaycees. The younger Kennedy was honored for his work with cancer survivors. He lost his leg to bone cancer as a young boy.
Although it's a bit dusty, Bevans displays a picture showing he and his wife, Sue, and Sen. Kennedy at the banquet. A prank-prone customer, who may have been expressing a political opinion, had placed a picture of a head of a donkey on Kennedy's head, but Bevans had switched it over to his own head in the portrait.
"The man was truly interesting to talk to and very gracious," Bevans said of Kennedy.
Noting that people have strong feelings about the longtime senator, Bevans said he came away from his brief meeting with Kennedy with a much better impression than he had gained from media reports. He was "less extreme" and "very down to earth," in Bevans' view.
The two of them talked about fishing, lakes and winter in Minnesota, Bevans said. And, of course, Kennedy talked about how proud he was of his son.
"I think he probably dedicated his life to what he thought was the betterment of the U.S.A., whether you agreed or disagreed," Bevans said. "I think he put a great deal of effort - dedicated his life - to trying to make America the best he could."
MIKE O'ROURKE may be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.
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