Discovering The Mature Lifestyle
Robbin Gallery showcases talent of local artists Page 3
Arts
April 16, 2015
April Issue
Two Plymouth Gun Club stalwarts get Lifetime Achievement awards BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Two boys, lifelong Minnesota residents, both born in 1935, had fathers who taught them how to handle guns and hunt in their pre-teen years. The two didn’t know each other then, but for more than the last two decades, they have been lynchpins at the Plymouth Gun Club. Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik was on hand March 29, as Ron Hentges and Dick Nelson were presented with Lifetime Achievement awards at the gun club’s annual spring banquet at the Medina Entertainment Center. Their wives, Shirley Nelson and Marge Hentges, who had been in on the surprise awards, were presented with bouquets of roses. “Ron Hentges has been the person that opens the club, welcomes members and non-members alike, collects the money, keeps the score sheets in order and deposits the money in the bank at the end of the day,” Slavik said. “Neither rain nor snow or gloom of night prevents Ron from completing his self-appointed responsibilities. He is the friendly face all of you have become accustomed to seeing every time you visit the club.” Nelson, according to Slavik, “has been the guy that has assumed responsibility for
ordering ammunition, organizing paint crews to keep the buildings looking good and making sure workers are on hand to unload targets when the semi-truck arrives with a delivery. He keeps the tractor running like a Swiss watch and keeps the driveway and trap/skeet fields plowed right after each and every snowfall. He orders gravel for the driveway, and makes certain the lawn mowing equipment is running Ron Hentges, a native of Watkins, Minn., Dick Nelson got his start with guns when he smoothly and always has sharp blades on joined the Plymouth Gun Club 25 years ago. went pheasant hunting on his grandparents’ it. Dick also is the go-to guy when any of (Photo by Sue Webber) farm in Hector, Minn. (Photo by Sue Webber) the traps need attention.” Club President Jim Sable, a member since the late 1980s, said Hentges has “the didn’t know about that,” Hentges said. “The city has been very good to us,” Nelvolunteer unpaid position of club manNelson agreed. son said. ager.” “It was the best-kept secret since the Nelson recalls getting his start with “He does everything everyone else takes Normandy Invasion in 1944,” he said. “I guns when he went pheasant hunting on for granted,” Sable said. didn’t have a clue, and neither did Ron.” his grandparents’ farm in Hector, Minn. He Hentges, a native of Watkins, Minn. A resident of Wayzata who joined the continued to pursue the sport. who now lives in Golden Valley, said he gun club 38 years ago, Nelson said he was Now, in addition to his own interest in was 11 years old when his dad first showed working at FMC in 1978 and shooting at shooting, he’s made maintenance at the him how to handle guns. Hunting followed an area behind the plant until it was shut club a priority. from there. He joined the Plymouth Gun down because of development. “We’ve got a pretty big area to maintain,” Club 25 years ago. “We started looking for another place Nelson said. “We’ve got a good-sized parkHentges admitted to being completely to shoot,” Nelson said. “There were only a ing lot to plow.” surprised at receiving the recent Lifetime couple of other gun clubs.” But Nelson finds lots of members, many Achievement Award. When they inquired, the Plymouth Gun of whom are retired, who are willing to “Between Dick and I, we know every- Club said it would be glad to add another thing that’s going on at the club, but we league. CLUB - TO PAGE 6