Friends and family look to immortalize Minnesota car show icon Vern Hendrickson

HUGO, Minn. — Friends and family are looking to memorialize Vern Hendrickson, who they say was a selfless car show icon.

It's the last big hurrah of the season at the Northern Lights Car Show in Hugo. But this year, it's missing a huge presence.

"I can't put into words what great of a person Vern was," said Amanda Gilbert. "Everybody knew Vern Hendrickson."

Gilbert had known Hendrickson through her father since she was 9 years old.

"I think of every Back to the 50s [car shows], getting to the car show early on Saturday with my dad and Vern," she said.

He served as a mayor of sorts for their car club, The Detours. Back in May, Hendrickson passed away after a battle with cancer.

"A lot of us didn't know the full extent of things," she said.

Hendrickson kept a lot of things, including the extent of his illness, to himself.

"For me personally it was extra weird he actually passed on my birthday," she said.

"It didn't matter who you were, Vern would be there. If he knew you, you were a friend for life," said friend Don Meysembourg.

Zach Delvalle, Vern's grandson, now drives Vern's car to shows.

"He always would help out people," Zach said. "He was very caring, always put other people forward. Like, whenever I would need help with my car when I first got it, I would call him up because I didn't really know what to do."

Friends and family are now collecting money for Vern's Bench — a memorial bench at the Minnesota State Fair — to immortalize the man whose personality matched his 6-foot-4 stature. They are trying to raise $1,500 for the bench. So far, they have raised more than $600.

"We couldn't think of anything better than to get him a bench to honor him and have something of him that could live on at the fairgrounds," Gilbert said.

The return of a favor to the man who would do just about anything for a friend.

"I get a good laugh knowing that he wouldn't be surprised that I couldn't help myself but to say something, to do something in his honor," she said.