[PHOTO/CAPTION: Shirley and Don Morris at Dick Edlund's birthday party]

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Shirley and Don Morris at Dick Edlund's birthday party]

The Braille Monitor

February

2005

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Birthday Honors

by

Donald Morris

Shirley

and Don Morris at Dick Edlund's birthday party

From the Editor: Those

of us who go back a few years know Dick Edlund as one of the most colorful and

hardest-working Federation leaders ever to grace the organization. He has been

retired from national leadership for more than a decade now, and many people

have joined the Federation family during these years. These folks may not have

done more than hear Dick's name. The following report by Don Morris of Maryland

will bring a smile to the faces of those who know Dick and should pique the

interest of those who have not yet met him. This is what Don says:

For thirty-five years I've

been waiting for Dick Edlund to get old. Based on his vitality and good health,

which he demonstrated at his eightieth birthday party, I guess I will just have

to keep waiting. More than one hundred well-wishers (Federationists, friends,

family, and neighbors) gathered at the Delaware Lodge Masonic Hall in Kansas

City, Kansas, to share memories and good wishes with Dick on Saturday, December

4, 2004.

Born

December 5, 1924, Dick can boast a Federation career that spans five decades.

He was long-time president and mentor of the Kansas Federation of the Blind,

which he helped organize. Following the pattern established for state affiliates,

this organization became the NFB of Kansas. Dick joined the NFB board of directors

as NFB treasurer in 1974 and served until 1988. He returned to the board for

two terms, beginning in 1992.

During

his many years as owner and proprietor of Edlund's Hardware, Dick could be found

behind the counter or, just as likely, on top of a ladder, or measuring and

cutting custom glass for his customers.

Dick

has also owned his own airplanes and an airport to go with them. He owned and

managed a consignment auction barn at which he alleges to have sold the very

hatchet with which George Washington cut down the cherry tree. Dick said the

hatchet was so old that it had had four new heads and eleven new handles. The

auction barn was as much entertainment as ongoing garage sale. Upon his retirement

Dick decided to take it easy by running for and winning a seat in the Kansas

legislature. Representative Edlund defeated an incumbent opponent by a vote

margin of three to two. In his next two elections Dick ran unopposed. He served

in the Kansas House of Representatives with distinction. He chaired many committees

and was the successful sponsor of the Kansas Braille bill. Dick's oversight

of services for the blind in Kansas helped to bring about many necessary and

positive changes.

Several

of the well-wishers at Dick's surprise birthday party were legislative colleagues.

Among the many congratulatory and laudatory letters and cards Dick received,

two of the most heartwarming were letters from Governor Kathleen Sebelius, whose

note follows this article, and NFB President Marc Maurer. Here is the text of

President Maurer's letter:

November 17, 2004

Dear Dick:

It

is a great joy for me to wish you a happy birthday on your eightieth. We have

traveled many miles together, and we have fought side by side on many battlefronts.

We looked the director of the Utah workshop right in the eye, and we went together

to pound on the governor's desk. We have given NAC a piece of our mind, and

we have used up a lot of shoe leather in the process. We have shared stories

and felt together the awe that the Federation can bring.

We

have shared joy and sorrow; we have encountered the bitter wind on the picket

line; we have endured the heat of a Washington summer. Through it all we have

found strength and commitment in each other, and I am proud to call you a colleague

and a friend. You have been a member of this movement for more than three decades,

and my life and the lives of many others have been enriched by your presence

and your heart. I look forward to the decades to come, and I wish you the happiest

of birthdays.

With love and affection,

Marc Maurer, President

National Federation

of the Blind

Dick

Edlund and Pila Mahoney cut a giant birthday cake.

Dick and his well-wishers

enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. And of course the meal was topped off with a huge

birthday cake. The only down side was that the fire department would not permit

us to light all those candles. Thanking all who attended and who had sent cards

and letters, Dick extended an open invitation to join him at his ninetieth birthday.

To

further the celebration of his birthday, the next day Dick and Pila (Mahoney)

flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to tour and to enjoy a visit with Pila's sister.

Congratulations, Dick, and best wishes for your next decade.

Here is the text of the

note from the governor of Kansas. She and Dick were in the legislature together.

This is what she says:

November

16, 2004

Dear

Dick,

Happy

eightieth birthday, Dick.

It

is my honor and pleasure as Governor of the State of Kansas to send you warm

congratulations on this, your eightieth birthday. I send you best wishes for

a day filled with joy.

I

join your family and friends in wishing you a happy birthday, and many more

happy years to come.

Sincerely,

Kathleen

Sebelius, Governor of the State of Kansas

[Handwritten note] I enjoyed

our time in the House together. You are a great Kansan, and I hope you live

for another eighty years.

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