John Calvin Rezmerski

1942 - 2016

Poet, editor and author John Calvin Rezmerski, 74, of Mankato, Minnesota, died Nov. 5, 2016 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota of complications from a stroke.
Born to John J. and Augusta R. (Dickinson) Rezmerski on Jan. 15, 1942 in Kane, he grew up in Johnsonburg and graduated from Johnsonburg Area High School in 1959. He attended Gannon College in Erie, graduating in 1963 with a major in English and minors in social studies and philosophy.
In 1963, he received a teaching assistantship in English at John Carroll University, earned his master's degree in 1965 and accepted an assistant instructorship at the University of Kansas.
He married Mary K. Naegle in 1966. Their daughter Marysia (now Bubacz, of Esko, Minnesota) was born that year, and in 1967, they moved to St. Peter, Minnesota, where he had accepted a position at Gustavus Adolphus College. Son Nicholas (Minneapolis, Minnesota) was born soon after they arrived, and another son, Peter Jacob ("P.J.," of St. Peter) was born two years later. In 1981, the marriage ended.
In 1987, he married Lorna Jane Johnson, of Minneota, Minnesota. After a year of living in Minneota, they moved to Eagle Lake where they resided until moving to Mankato in 2004. John's children and Lorna's daughters, Jill Johnson (of Chandler, Arizona) and Jorun (Al) Ahmann (of Minneota) became a blended family which now includes eight grandchildren: Hayley, Brittany, Lindsey, Alex, Jade, Casey, Olivia and Nevaeh and also four great-grandchildren: Dezirae, Kyleigh, Destin and Theo.
At Kansas, he had the opportunity to attend master classes conducted by nationally known poets. In 1969, he won the Devins Award for Poetry. In 1973, he received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and since then received other writing awards, eventually publishing, editing, performing, conducting workshops, and winning attention for his poetry, journalism, fiction and dramatic work. He published more than 20 books, chapbooks, anthologies, and plays, and his work has appeared in well over 100 journals and anthologies. His chief aim in writing and performing was always to make poetry accessible and meaningful to the general public, rather than addressing it only to academic or formal literary audiences.
Appointed Writer-in-Residence at Gustavus Adolphus in 1996, he was also active in organizations promoting poetry, science fiction and regional history. In 2002, he retired from Gustavus, and has served as a member of Southern Minnesota Poets Society, League of Minnesota Poets (including a term as the League's poet laureate), National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Utah State Poetry Society, the performance group Lady Poetesses from Hell and the board of trustees of the Blue Earth County Historical Society. As a BECHS volunteer, he helped with programs, editorial assistance and coordination with other organizations. He has been a member or supporter of civic and arts organizations, including the Cambria Eisteddfod, Bothy Folk Club, St. Peter Food Co-op, St. Peter Arts Center, St. Peter Community Theater, Cherry Creek Theater, Rural America Arts Partnership, Mankato Toastmasters, Laws of Life competition, Minnesota Writers Publishing House, Minnesota Literature Newsletter, Betsy-Tacy Society, Friends of the Library, Good Thunder Reading Series, Emy Frentz Arts Guild, Mosaic Theater, Deep Valley Book Festival, and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, writing reports to constituents, speeches, and campaign literature and designing campaign advertisements. He also performed similar work for local festivals in various communities.
During college and graduate school years, he supplemented his income working as a cook. He was respected for his skill in cooking for large groups and for preparing expert 15-course Chinese banquets at the homes of his hosts during creative writing residencies, or for benefit auctions. Friends frequently called on him for culinary advice. His "road-kill chili parties" were locally legendary, featuring four or five vats of various styles of chili and he once (with two helpers) served 200 steak dinners done to individual preference in 40 minutes from a single restaurant grill.
He is survived by Lorna, their children and grandchildren, by sister-in-law Cathy Rezmerski, nieces Hayley and Hilary and grandnieces Kylie and Carly, all of Minnesota, and by aunts Marie Rezmerski of Johnsonburg and Maxine Gardner of Simi Valley California.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mary Catherine Rezmerski, and his brothers William and George Daniel "Todd" Rezmerski.
After cremation, a memorial gathering was held at the Universal Unitarian Fellowship of Mankato at 937 Charles Ave. on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 10:30 a.m. The funerary urn will be privately interred at St. Paul's Cemetery, Minneota, Minnesota at a later date. Some of the ashes may be scattered later by family at locations he felt attached to.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Blue Earth County Historical Society.