MINNEAPOLIS, MN (August 2, 2017) — The body of John Carlson, an 81-year-old janitor at Minnehaha Academy, was recovered tonight from the rubble at the site of a gas explosion that destroyed the center section of the Upper School campus this morning. The body of another longtime employee, Ruth Berg, had been discovered earlier in the day.
Carlson was “beloved” at the school, former faculty and staff said. A story published in April 2016 by the student-run online newspaper highlighted his love for the students: “In his 13 years working at Minnehaha, Carlson has become known for this particular act of kindness; handing out Dilly bars to students waiting for rides or doing their homework.”
Carlson attended the high school as did his children. He went to work for the school after he retired and his wife saw an ad for the position in the church bulletin.
“I’ve spent half my life there I might as well work there too,” Carlson told the paper. “I’ve enjoyed it. It’s a wonderful job for me because I still have a lot of energy.”
Carlson attended Bethlehem Covenant Church in Minneapolis and Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton. Jim Stanley-Erickson, co-pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, wrote in a Facebook post this evening that Carlson had worked as a part-time janitor at Bethlehem Covenant for some 40 years.
“I succeeded him for a while and he gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received,” said Stanley-Erickson. ‘Never learn how to run the dishwashing machine. Because then when you’re cleaning up after a wedding or event and are asked to finish the dishes, you can honestly say you don’t know how to run the machine!'”
Former principal Dean Erickson recalled, “You’d see him in the hallways and he’d say I’m praying for you. ”
Berg, 47, was the school receptionist. In a Facebook post this afternoon, Minnehaha Academy said Berg had worked for 17 years at Minnehaha, where she “welcomed everyone with a smile and was always willing to go the extra mile to help our students, families, and staff.”
Covenant leaders asked people to be in prayer for everyone affected by the tragedy.
Northwest Conference Superintendent Mark Stromberg released a statement this afternoon, saying, “The Northwest Conference is deeply saddened by the tragic explosion at our beloved school, Minnehaha Academy, earlier today. We ask that Covenant people throughout the country pray for those who were injured, those who are still unaccounted for, and those who have been emotionally shaken by this event. As you can imagine, a number of faculty and administration members, as well as students, who were in the building are deeply shaken by what they experienced. Please pray for them and us as we seek to come alongside those who have been most traumatized.”
ECC President Gary Walter said, “The entire Covenant stands in prayer for the victims, as well as with the entire school community.”
Bethlehem Covenant Church held a prayer vigil this evening at the Lower & Middle School campus.
The K-12 school has three separate campuses. The high school is located in the Upper School.
The explosion at the Upper Campus was reported at 10:20 a.m., and emergency responders arrived and found the building on fire and that the two-story section had collapsed. A student soccer player who was outside the building preparing for practice when the explosion occurred told a local news station that the the blast had knocked him off his feet.
Officials said the explosion was caused by contractors who were working in the basement of the building. Erickson said they were building a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classroom.
Erickson added, “Even though I don’t work there now, I’m emotionally distraught.”
At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Betsy Hodges said the school is “beloved” in the city. The school, considered one of the elite high schools academically in the state, was started by Covenanters in 1913.
