Perfect Duluth Day | Duluth MN Blog, Events, News and More » R.I.P.

R.I.P. Jim’s Hamburgers

Paul Lundgren — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:16:06 +0000

Paper over the windows doesn’t necessarily mean this classic restaurant at 2005 W. Superior St. in Duluth’s friendly West End is closed for good, but the word on the street is that it has been closed for a few months and will stay that way. (It was included in the “Breakfast in Duluth” post 10 months ago.)

This was the last of four Jim’s Hamburger locations in Duluth. Jim Overlie was the founder, opening the first one in 1937. I think the West End location opened in the 1940s. Overlie sold in 1985 to Dick and Mary Christensen. Dick died in 2000 and Mary died in 2006. Their son Denny took over ownership.

Other Jim’s Hamburger locations were at:
502 E. Fourth St. (closed in 2005)
414 W. Superior (closed in 1995)
502 E. First St. (closed in 1982)

R.I.P. Mike Colalillo

Paul Lundgren — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:24:44 +0000

Minnesota’s only living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Duluth’s Mike Colalillo, died last night.

William (Billy) Harper found dead at UMD

Cory Fechner — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:25:12 +0000

UMD released the name of a student found dead in his dorm Monday. William “Billy” Harper, 19 from Coon Rapids, was discovered dead in his room at Heany Hall on Monday. Lisa Erwin, chancellor of student life, says it appears he died of natural causes. Billy Harper was enrolled in the Labowitz School of Business and Economics. He was very active in sports and talented football player in high school. My prayers are with his friends and family.

Jeno Paulucci dead at 93

Paul Lundgren — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:43:59 +0000

RIP, Clearwire in Twin Ports

wildgoose — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:08:27 +0000

Got this email last week.

It reads, in part:

As of 11/1/11, we no longer are selling new service plans in your Clearwire market. However, please know that your existing Clearwire service and device(s) will continue to work in the same great way that they have in the past. You’ll also continue to receive online and telephone support from Clearwire Customer Care whenever you need it.

RIP, Saigon Cafe

rhetoricguy@gmail.com — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:16:24 +0000

The best Vietnamese restaurant in the City of Duluth is gone. (Thank goodness we still have Lan Chi’s in Superior.)

This makes me think three things:
1. How sad I am to see our choices for good food diminished.
2. How sad I am to see out choices for good community diminished; Saigon Cafe was more than just a place to pick up takeout.
3. How much I wish there was a place for businesses I love to post: “We’re cash-strapped right now. If you could order just a little more food, a little more often, you’d get us over the hump.”

If anyone can tell me that the owners are out there, happy and healthy and maybe cooking somewhere else, I’d love to hear it.

RIP Lew Latto: 1940-2011

Danny — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:14:13 +0000

It’s being reported that local broadcast legend Lew Latto passed today while preparing for work.

Jani Lane found dead in his hotel room

Cory Fechner — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:24:51 +0000

Lead singer for 1980′s hair band Warrant was found dead at the Woodland Hills Comfort Inn in L.A. last night. Jani Lane was 47 years old and was probably best known for the hit “Cherry Pie.” The cause of death is unknown.

Maybe a band at this years Duluth Tribute Fest, at Bayfront Park Aug. 26-27, will cover a Warrant song or two in memory of Jani?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjyZKfdwlng

R.I.P. Scott LeDoux — The Big French Canadian from Northern Minnesota

Paul Lundgren — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:47:18 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkok09anNAE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJDaMG3NW7E

August 14, 1976 — Ol’ George Foreman couldn’t keep him down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SON_Spm7fcE

And he sent Howard Cosell’s toupee flying!

Cliff’s Barber Shop and Photos from the Clifford E. Johnson collection

Paul Lundgren — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 17:34:18 +0000

You may have noticed that Cliff’s Barber Shop in West Duluth is for sale. The proprietor, Clifford E. Johnson, died two years ago. I took the photo above in April, when Cliff’s shop was being cleared out after an estate sale.

At the estate sale were boxes upon boxes of old slides. Most of them were of vacations to Hawaii and so on, but I found two boxes that had some local images, so I plopped down $10 and brought them home for a slide show. The fine folks at Swim Creative have scanned a few of them for me to share on PDD.

The photos I’m presenting today are from a box dated “1964″ and titled “Myrtle and Bill’s Trip to Minn.” All of the shots I’ve chosen feature a guy I’m pretty sure is Cliff.

[UPDATE: It turns out, it's not Cliff. According to Cliff's son, Tom, all the family photos were removed from the slide collection, and he doesn't know who the guy is in these shots.]

I only knew Cliff briefly — he cut my hair about three times when he was 77ish years old. In these photos he would be about 45, if it’s him. [But it's not.]

[Now, as for the real Cliff Johnson ...]

The photo at left is actually of Cliff. It’s from his obituary. Cliff took over his father’s barber shop in 1953 and closed it in 2008. He was famous for only knowing how to do one haircut — his. No matter what instructions you gave him about how to cut your hair, you would end up with a flattop. But it was a perfect flattop. Cliff was a perfectionist.

My favorite memory of Cliff is that he would tell me long jokes and then put his clipper right next to my ear when he told the punchline, so I couldn’t hear it over the buzzing.

He also gave me a great piece of advice about marriage. He said a lot of people think it’s a 50/50 give-and-take thing. “Marriage is almost never 50/50,” he told me. “You’re always picking each other up. So sometimes you give 90 percent and get back 10. Sometimes it’s the other way around. That’s how marriage really works.”

Well said, Cliff.

The other images from Cliff’s basement I’ll be sharing are scenes of Duluth from 1962. Look for them in future posts.