Terese Amazi makes history next month.

Barry J. Simonson becomes part of history.

Amazi will take office as the first elected female sheriff in Minnesota history. She was elected to the post Nov. 5 after defeating Todd Clennon, an Austin police officer.

That's what Simonson was, when he became Mower County sheriff eight years ago.

Simonson defeated long-time incumbent Wayne P. Goodnature in 1994 and was re-elected four years later.

Goodnature hired Amazi to be the first Mower County female sheriff's deputy. She so impressed Simonson that he moved her up the ranks to become his chief deputy.

Then, Simonson endorsed Amazi as his successor.

Now, the outgoing Mower County Sheriff looks back on a career in law enforcement and ahead to retirement.

Barry J. Simonson

A retirement party in his honor attracted a large crowd Dec. 23 to the Austin American Legion Post No. 105. There were gifts -- both serious signs of affection and "gags" -- plus the sharing of memories.

Simonson became a police officer Feb. 23, 1970. Because he was hired and on the city's payroll in late 1969, Simonson was a police officer or county sheriff in five decades.

He credited old-timers, such as Bobby Bahl, Dick Nordby and Lt. Don Mattice with helping the rookie police officer "learn the ropes."

Becoming a school teacher was his first vocation choice, but police work soon became his passion.

It also provided a comfortable living for his wife, Earlene, and their son, Brent, and a daughter, Emily.

A more than three decade-long career in law enforcement saw many changes and modernizations in public safety.

"We used to have what we called the 'gumball' car," Simonson said. "That was car No. 49 and it was the detective's car by day and it didn't have a red light like they do today."

"Worse yet," Simonson continued, "it had an electric motor siren, that would slowly wind up to full force and then slowly wind down, when you arrived at the scene of an emergency," he said. "The sound of that siren used to drive me crazy."

The Austin Police Department also had a Volkswagen Beetle it used for escorting business people to local banks with their deposits and for patrolling back alleys and other tight places.

Officers would fill their patrol cars with gas at the local Erickson service station, where teenage attendants would wash the windshield, check the oil, double-check the tire pressure and be extra polite … just in case.

"We used to '10-10 CK,' which meant we were stopping to eat at the Country Kitchen," Simonson said. "Harry's Cafe on the east side was another favorite hang-out for police officers."

Officers walked a beat without portable radios when Simonson started his career in law enforcement.

"When they did issue us radios, the first must have weighed all of three pounds," he said.

A .38-Special revolver was necessary, but the two-cell Rayovac flashlights seldom worked or gave off inadequate illumination.

Officers directed traffic at busy Austin intersections in the years before Interstate 90 took motorists around Austin.

Officers dreaded being assigned the patrol car occupied by a well-known officer on an earlier shift who smoked the "cheapest, smelliest cigars Nemitz's ever sold," according to Simonson.

"Being drunk was a crime back then and not a disease like it is today," he said.

The stories of bygone days in local law enforcement flow one after the other, as Simonson recalls his career.

Starting a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in Austin public schools is one of his proudest accomplishments.

"I made it work," he said with obvious pride.

Now, he watches over the Mower County Sheriff's Office's own D.A.R.E. program in out-county schools.

"I'm convinced it's as important today as ever," Simonson said.

Simonson said allowing deputies to take their squad cars home is an improvement to public safety he helped implement.

He also relishes the progress made to improve communications with a new enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system for citizens.

Also, Simonson said the county-wide paging system for emergency service providers and county-wide addressing in the rural areas are other accomplishments that will have lasting benefits for citizens.

Communications were always a priority for Simonson and he said he's been able to reach people through weekly newspaper columns and radio shows.

Also, Simonson believes the inroads he made in encouraging and teaching crime prevention will also be remembered after he is gone.

Simonson also said he has helped county officials begin planning to answer ail overcrowding questions and concerns about a new radio communications system for deputies and others.

A conversation with the out-going county sheriff is a tour-de-force in story-telling.

What lies ahead? Only Simonson and his wife, Earlene, know for sure.

But this day, he is sure of two things. About the contrast in public safety styles between his predecessor and Simonson, he said, "Appearances can be deceiving."

And, discussing his decision to become a peace officer, Simonson said, "I'm glad I took the risks."

"It's been an interesting challenge," he said. "Every time I've wanted it, something new and interesting has come along. Going from the night shift to the day shift, making sergeant, starting a D.A.R.E. program, running for county sheriff and winning and then running for re-election and winning.

"There must be at least five or six different job descriptions in there, so I've had quite a variety of experiences."