Posted: 4/16/03

Post made most of days on a bike

Walter Post never let the senior citizen years stop him from getting around on a bicycle. And get around he did.

The Columbus Township man was an avid bicycle rider who took the sport and hobby to new extremes and distances. He was 73 when he first biked from Seattle, WA, to Forest Lake, and seven years later he peddled the course in reverse, riding from Forest Lake to Seattle.

By his own account in 1996, Post had piled up more than 26,000 miles on a bicycle.

Post, a man whose name is also synonymous with senior citizen activities in Columbus Township, has died. Post died on Saturday, April 5, 2003.

He was 93.

He was 63 when he retired and moved to Columbus in 1972. He took up bicycle riding in 1974 as a serious hobby and a way to stay in top shape.

He was 73 in 1983 when he made his first major journey with a cross country bicycle ride from Seattle to Forest Lake.

At age 80 he teamed with grandson Donald to bike from Forest Lake to Seattle.

Post was also big on the benefit bicycle tour and helped raise money for the MS Society. He rode in the MS-150 five times and was 87 when he made his last MS-Sixty-30 ride in 1996.

He has raised several thousand dollars for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Minnesota over the years.

When he was in his late 80s he continued to bike about 10 miles a day. He continued to ride even after having hip replacement surgery in 1984.

By 1985 he had logged 500 miles on his bike and rode another 400 miles in 1986 getting ready for the MS Sixty-30 ride.

ìIím thankful that I have my health and am able to do things like this,î he said in a 1996 interview. ìRiding a bike is a great way to stay in shape.î

Farmer-machinist

Post worked in farming and as a machinist, pipefitter and mechanic for a number of companies. Walter and Minnie Post were married on March 19, 1939 in Henderson, KY, where she was a nurse.

He farmed for many years in Mendota Heights and also held jobs for various businesses. After retiring, Post moved to Columbus in 1972.

He became a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Circle Pines and was active in the choir for many years.

He was a founding member of the Columbus Senior Citizen Club and was named the Columbus Township citizen of the year in 1992.

A funeral service for Walter J. Post will take place at 1 p.m., Friday, April 11 at Good Shepherd Church, 1 Shepherd Court, Circle Pines. Interment will be at Acacia Park Cemetery, Mendota Heights.

A family visitation is planned 5-8 p.m. today (Thursday) at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake, and one hour before the service on Friday.

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