Slim Short, 70

Slim Short, 70, of Greenbush, MN, died in his home on hospice, Wednesday evening, July 24, 2024, with his sister at his side.

Slim was born on October 24, 1953, in Warren, MN, the fourth son of Ray and Ruth (Boardson) Short. He was given the name “Gayle” by his folks, though his 5th Grade nickname, “Slim,” seemed to fit him better. A friend to all, Slim attended public school in Warren, and was so well-loved, that he was given the opportunity to graduate with the class of 1971 AND the class of 1972.When it was time to leave school, Slim heeded none of his advisor's advice and went to a vocational school in Staples, MN, to follow one of his lifelong passions: cooking.

After he ended finished his classes, Slim picked up a job in the Minneapolis Airport kitchen, churning out breakfasts for travelers, cooking about 30-dozen eggs a morning. Following a near-fatal car crash, Slim returned to Angus, where he worked on the Wilbur Novacek farm. He was a cook for the Landreville Cafe, head cook at Toupin's Chalet, both in Warren, and the Prairie Schooner in Angus. He moved up to Greenbush, to work at the local supper club, before taking a job as manager, cook, and bartender with the Greenbush American Legion for 25 years. Slim also catered on the side. He cooked for Central Boiler's appreciation dinners for staff and vendors for 14 years, serving over 150 ribeye steaks and hundreds of “Slim's Famous Pork Chops” annually. He also worked various side jobs over the years, most recently with Arctic Cat.

Slim's other lifelong passion was singing. He joined a rock n' roll band in high school and was their front man. After they played the Oslo Prom and he was asked to sing “House of the Rising Sun” four times, he knew he'd made it. He joined Teen King & The Princes after attending a few of their shows, which segued into a touring the region with C.W. Moss & Co. Called the “Big Bopper,” Slim would come out during the third set, hair slicked-back with sunglasses and a leather jacket, ready to croon all the hits of the 50's and 60s. In his prime, Slim it was commonly accepted that he was “just as good, if not a little better” than Elvis. He was also Santa Claus for the City of Warren for three years and several private parties.

He was known by many, loved by all, and a helluva great guy. He will be missed.

Slim put together this obituary himself in 2021.