Lynn Stauss, mayor who helped rebuild East Grand Forks after flood, dies at 77

Lynn Stauss was just more than a year into his new role as mayor of East Grand Forks, Minn., when historic flooding along the Red River wiped out the city in 1997.

"I'm the first mayor to lose a city," he was quoted as saying at the time. "That's how devastating it is."

Stauss, whose legacy lies with rebuilding the city on the North Dakota border, died Sunday in his home. He was 77.

He had chronic kidney disease and had been on dialysis for several years, his family said. A former teacher, Strauss served as mayor for 21 years but did not seek reelection in 2016 because of his health.

The Red River rose to unprecedented levels 25 years ago and nearly all residents of East Grand Forks were forced to leave — and in some cases, stay away for weeks. In a city of about 8,000 people at the time, fewer than 10 homes were not affected by flooding. On a larger scale, the waters caused more than $300 million in infrastructure damage in Minnesota, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported.

Kelly Stauss recalled that her father worked relentlessly.

"We hardly saw him," she said. "He was gone, trying to fight and protect the city."

Days after his death, Stauss' friends and family remembered him as optimistic and energetic. He had big ideas that he saw to completion. He made strong connections and was a skilled fundraiser. He could give a 10-minute speech without writing down a word, City Clerk Megan Nelson recalled.

After the flood, all of this went into rebuilding the city, including a new city hall with its signature domed roof, which Stauss helped design.

"He touched so many things in East Grand Forks," said Greg Boppre, an engineer who worked alongside Stauss. "He truly loved his community.

"He was the right guy at the right time for the disaster we had."

Stauss is credited with shifting businesses displaced by the deluge into the Holiday Mall and bringing the major outfitter Cabela's to the city — a move that paved the way for more retailers. The Red River State Recreation Area campground, too, was built after the flood and has become a popular destination for visitors.

"In the middle of the crud and garbage and building materials, Lynn could see what could be in our community," current Mayor Steve Gander said. "Once we got past the moment that was not so pleasant, he knew enough to connect with people who could complete the vision."

Stauss brought this same energy to his home life. His daughter recalled his affinity for Christmas and likened her family to the Griswold crew in the "National Lampoon Vacation" movies. It wasn't enough for her father to have decorative reindeer on the roof, she said. They had to look as if they were flying.

Stauss always wore a USA sweatshirt during flood recovery, a look frequently captured in the local newspaper or on the television news. His wife, Marjorie, whom he started dating in seventh grade, eventually had to buy him a new one. Beneath his obituary on the Gregory J. Norman Funeral Chapel's website, an East Grand Forks resident suggested hanging the sweatshirt at City Hall.

Stauss had his own idea. He will be buried in it, his daughter said.