Video (01:47) : They were extraordinary. Inspiring. They did not last long enough. We reflect on just a few of the many remarkable Minnesotans we lost this year. It is by no means a comprehensive list. It would have been easy to pick a dozen more, and a dozen after that, and on and on. This is just a sampling, from the humble to the famous. Their lives teach us something about living well.
A dozen Minnesotans -— from the powerful to the humble -— who personify the lives we lost in 2012 and the legacy they left to us. We call them the "Northern Lights."
One brought the blues to Minnesota, another made art accessible to the blind. They were groundbreaking women, cheeky small-town sportscasters and civic powerhouses. One lifted a native community from poverty to power and wealth. Another graced her neighborhood with kindness and tough love.
"They can still send their light, even though they stop burning," performer Kevin Kling observed about one. He could have been talking about them all.
From the Duluth bay front to a rough St. Paul neighborhood to powerful boardrooms, they left a lasting imprint on our state.
To start reading about the "Northern Lights," please swipe to the right.
Minnesota Senate GOP files ethics complaint against Sen. Nicole Mitchell
Body camera video shows Minnetonka man shooting at deputies several times before dying in firefight
Charge: Driver going 77 mph ran red light, fatally hit man crossing St. Paul street and kept going
High school archer focuses on target: another national championship
