Coming Home to Roseau After Almost A Lifetime Away

by Jeff Olsen

For Neil Elsmore last weekend, it was returning to Roseau, a place he lived just briefly, maybe a year at the most, and marveling at the town he'd heard about only from his parents.

Steve "Elsy" Elsmore and his wife Paddy, an original Swiss Miss, left Roseau 13 years ago.

Steve had worked as a mortician for Helgeson Funeral Chapel, and Paddy worked for Border State Bank.

They now live in Esko, near Duluth, and their son, Neil, 14, plays for the Cloquet Bantam A hockey team.

Neil wasn't expecting a cakewalk in their opening game on Friday afternoon against Edina.

There are no free...