The cyclist killed by a train at 6th Street and 9th Avenue last week spent his winters in Tucson and summers in Minnesota.
His cousin Marv Vredenburg sent me an email sharing a little more about Carl Astrum.
Here is what he wrote:
“Cuzzin Carl” was a simple man and a man of few bad habits, he never touched alcohol and had quit smoking about two and half years ago. He was never married, was a plumber / fabricator by trade and loved to travel. Carl was a very cautious driver and bicycle rider and don’t ever recall him being in an accident with either.
For the last few years he spent his summers here in Minnesota and his winters down there in Tucson. He lived at my place and on my property for almost three years total. I believe I nudged him on more than once! But he always seemed to find his way back because he knew I had a soft spot in my heart for him. He spent many years before that in Montana & Oregon. Carl’s father passed about four years ago & is survived by his younger sister & mother in Minnesota.
“Cuzzin Carl” marched to a different drummer than most, he was a kind person and enjoyed a conversation with anyone along his way. I remember the good times when we would set out back in the evenings around the fire ring and he would tell stories about his travels and adventures around the country. Carl remembered every detail about his adventures, names of who he talked to, where he was and of course would have to go into every detail. It was really quite interesting.
My “Cuzzin Carl” was a character!
Thanks for sharing, Mike. Traditional news outlets don’t have time to show us the humanity behind the headlines.
This is so, so sad. May he be remembered.
Carl sounds a lot like my dad. Both had trades, great memories and a love of travel. I would’ve enjoyed meeting Carl.