Captain Elmer Nordlund was born in 1917. He married his wife Mary on December 30, 1939.
Their son John was born in January 1941 and later that year, in November, Captain Nordlund joined the Minneapolis Police Department.
He started out on the Vice Squad and although he was 24 years of age, his baby face made it hard for him to get into the bars to do his work. Over time, he was promoted to Detective and assigned to Theft.
He was known for his photographic memory which his daughter Diane said allowed him to spot stolen cars on the streets as he drove past them.
Captain Nordlund had a morning radio show where he broadcast news about accidents with the intention of reducing traffic mishaps and promoting safe driving.
By the time that he was promoted to Captain – the youngest Captain ever in the Department – he and Mary had a total of four children: John; Barbara Ann; Nancy; and Diane.
During his more than 40 year career with the Minneapolis Police Department, Captain Nordlund also worked at the Minnehaha Station, was Assistant Chief under Pat Walling, was an Inspector, and then also was Deputy Chief in charge of Patrol. He served as Second Precinct Commander and was also Chief under Mayor Al Hofstede.
When he passed away, he was just a few short months from retirement. His widow, Mary said, “He could have retired at 50, but he loved his work.”
Many Northeasters and others spoke highly of Captain Nordlund and his contributions to the city.
Here is a link to the full tribute to Captain Nordlund from The Northeaster of April 17, 1982:
https://digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/p17208coll7/id/42344/rec/10
“The Northeaster” of April 17, 1982 courtesy of Hennepin County Library