Ken Novak

Treat others as you would like to be treated and mean it. Grow and be the best you can in all endeavors. By the way we are going to make mistakes. Forgive. The hardest thing to say is “I’m sorry” and mean it, to apologize and mean it. People can tell. Remember this, in your short life, by the time of high school there is going to be someone who will pass on. We think it will happen to the other guy. Always be kind, generous and be the best you can be. That is easy to say but hard to do.

Ken Novak

My name is Ken Novak. I was born in 1929. I grew up in Crosby-Ironton near Brainerd. My father came from Europe. He came to this country in 1923, and had a 5th grade education. He had to quit school to farm with his five brothers and a sister. I am very proud of my father. The more education you have the smarter you’re suppose to be, but the smartest man I knew was my father.

I grew up on a street called Balkan street. Very few spoke English. My parents spoke English because they wanted to be Americanized. What we had was a melting pot of people from Europe. It was the greatest place in the world to grow up.

During the Depression there were no jobs. I started working in 5th grade. My brother and I would get up at five in the morning and go on the train tracks, hauling coal from the mines.

I was called into the Korean War. I went to Fort Sheridan and then to Maryland and I played ball and went to Walter Reed Hospital for two years as a basketball coach. I was a medic. A medic is the guy who manages to keep you from dying. I worked with amputees and paraplegics.

I tried out for the Minneapolis Lakers. I was sent to Baltimore and after 30 days I was cut. I went home and saw my daughter Sherry for the first time. I’ll never forget the feeling I had. I started as a basketball coach in 1955. St. Cloud State offered me the job as head coach at 24. I stayed a year and then I went to Hopkins. It was a city of down-to-earth people. I like the diversity it has today. Someone asked "How can you coach 57 years?" It’s because of the type of kids I’ve had. They made it easy. I wanted to stay young and hopefully help people change their lives and grow up to be the people I would have liked to be and I have.

I have always been a collector. I was a coin collector. I used to collect watches and sold them when I needed money. I chose clocks because they are all so different. I had up to 200 clocks with one 100 years or older. I was on The Antiques Road Show for my clocks.

I never needed a lot. My wife and children are so good to me. My wife says just take it and be grateful. There’s such a thing as the joy of giving. When you give you really feel great.

I had a daughter who passed away three years ago. I didn’t think I could survive. I experienced many sad things in my life, but nothing like that. Life is hard and life has challenges. I am blessed so many times over and I want to stick around for a long time. I am blest with the grandchildren. They’ve made me a better person.