On Sept. 30, 1988 – the day I turned 16 – there was something I did that made me so incredibly happy.

I got to work the closing shift at the Dairy Queen. Yes, you read that right. I was happy because I was finally old enough to work the late shift.

I started working at the DQ a few months before that and because I was only 15, I could only work until 9 p.m.

The DQ was located in Willmar, my hometown and it was my first “real” job.

I remember working that closing shift like it was yesterday. My mom and dad stopped in and brought me flowers. My mom felt bad I had to work on my birthday. But I didn’t. I was having fun!

I loved the DQ. And it wasn’t just because I worked with a great bunch of coworkers or that I got to make and decorate cakes, a task I loved, or that I got to eat a lot of yummy treats. One other reason was because of my boss – Fred Anderson, who was in his 40s when I worked there. I thought he was the bee’s knees. And I can admit, I may have had a little crush on him. He kind of looked like Tom Selleck. Kind of. Well, at least he had a mustache like him.

Anyway, Fred really was a great guy. And I say “was” because on Saturday, Nov. 2, my husband and I attended a visitation for him.

Fred passed away on Oct. 29

at the age of 76.

What is kind of weird about it, is that a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about Fred and wondered if he was still alive. I Googled to see if there was an obituary for him in case I missed it. Apparently I hadn’t.

Even though I can’t really remember the last time I saw Fred, I was still sad to hear that he had passed away. I worked for him for six or seven years, although it wasn’t all at one time. I quit once, but then came back. I even became the manager. Fred and I even had serious talks about me buying the business and taking over for him when it was time for him to retire. He taught me so much

about the business

. He was such a great mentor.

The only reason I ended up quitting the second time was because the guy I was with at the time didn’t like telling his friends that I worked at a Dairy Queen. But that is a whole other story and frankly, it eventually led me to moving to Alexandria and to where I am at now. And I am super happy about that.

But the memories I have of working for Fred are some of the best memories I will always cherish. My mom even worked for Fred for a bit and we had a great time working together. I met some incredible people working at the DQ, some of whom I am still in contact with today.

I remember so many things working there: How we could always tell when Fred came through the backdoor by his familiar whistle; how he would crank the radio up when a song came on the radio that he liked, sometimes even singing along; how in the summer Fred would invite all of his employees over to his house for a pool party as a way to thank us; changing the “Dairy Queen” bags when they were empty and what a mess it could be; how Fred would remind us that it wasn’t ice cream, it was Dairy Queen; snitching pieces of cookie dough, candy bits, brownies, etc. when filling their containers; cleaning all the different machines, which was quite the task; having the DQ machine “pop” on you when air got in it; perfecting my curl at the top of a cone; and so many more memories.

After moving to Alexandria, whenever I would go back to Willmar for a visit, I would often stop by the DQ if I saw Fred’s familiar Suburban parked in the lot. One time, he even let me behind the counter to see if I could still make a cone. I think I did OK.

I am not sure I ever thanked Fred for hiring me and for giving me the opportunities he did. I hope I did. If not, this is my thank you. Thank you, Fred, for believing in me and being one of the best bosses around. Rest in peace, Fred. Rest in peace.

“It’s Our Turn” is a weekly column that rotates among members of the Echo Press editorial staff.

Celeste Edenloff is the special projects editor and a reporter for the Alexandria Echo Press. She has lived in the Alexandria Lakes Area since 1997. She first worked for the Echo Press as a reporter from 1999 to 2011, and returned in 2016 to once again report on the community she calls home.