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Former West St. Paul Mayor Ken Kube died last week at the age of 83 in Thief River Falls. He grew up on the West Side and graduated from Humboldt High School. A memorial service was held last week and a celebration of life service will be held this Friday in Mahtomedi.
- Ken Kube served as mayor of West St. Paul from 1980-1988. He also served on City Council from 1973-1977.
- In 1987, an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) led to the loss of his license and eventual charges of mail fraud. In the 1988 election, Kube faced four challengers in the mayoral race and lost in the primary. Kube’s trial came in 1989 and he was found guilty and sentenced to 22 months in prison.
- Kube did run for Council again in 1996, but lost.
Beyond his mayoral run, Kube was known as a hard worker and incredibly friendly.
Speech impediment: Suffering from a stutter, Kube initially pursued work that didn’t involve talking. But a speech therapist convinced him to get a job in sales where he’d be forced to talk. The approach worked, some said too well. “One of the reasons I speak so much is fear of starting to stutter again,” Kube said in a 1993 Pioneer Press story.
Turn around: After prison, Kube changed direction and spoke out about his experiences. “Being in prison was as close to hell as I ever want to get,” Kube said. “I don’t put a lot of stock in material things anymore. I put more value on health and friendship.”
Jobs: “I never realized how hard it was when a person comes out of prison to get a job,” Kube said. Turned down for over 50 jobs after prison, Kube turned to a series of part time jobs, including a vendor at Minnesota sports games.
Fun fact: Kube loved to ride his bar stool go-kart.
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