Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

 

I met Ron almost nine years ago.

After a tornado near Armstrong destroyed his home and ultimately killed his wife, Ron Woodside was recovering at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea when he agreed to let me interview him about  what he endured on June 17, 2010.

I had never met Ron prior to that date, though he actually worked in the mailroom of the Albert Lea Tribune with his wife, Kathy, inserting advertisements into the newspaper and assembling the sections.

That day I learned Ron was a kind man who had experienced extreme tragedy, but despite this heartache, he was an inspiration.

Doctors called him a miracle.

During the tornado, Ron received 27 broken bones, including 19 broken ribs, broken collarbones and shoulder blades. He also suffered from a dislocated elbow and rotator cuff damage and was put on a ventilator for a while and had a tracheotomy.    

Despite his extensive injuries, he was released from the hospital after only five weeks to move on to rehabilitation.

That’s where I interviewed Ron. I remember hearing the grief in his voice and seeing the tears fall from his eyes when I heard about what happened and about the loss of his dear wife.

But I also witnessed a physical therapy session, where he showed his strength and determination to rise up and ultimately walk again.

About a year later, I met with Ron another time, this time at his new home on the same property where the tornado changed his life forever.

Outside of work, I saw Ron several other times. I could always count on him to come to our yard sales, as he sought to rebuild his DVD collections that were destroyed in the tornado. I also saw him every once in a while at Kwik Trip across the street from the Tribune office.

For some reason, I felt a kinship to this man, and I felt like we had been longtime friends. Even though we did not see each other often, it felt like running into a family friend when our paths did cross, and I walked away from our conversations each time with a smile on my face.

I was saddened to hear Ron died last week at the age of 85 at Good Samaritan Society, the same place I first met him those nine years ago.

In my job, I get the pleasure of meeting many people each week, and I will always consider meeting Ron one of the highlights of my time in Albert Lea thus far.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Tuesday.