02/24/2026
SHS Past President Al Patton
Meet the People
By Wendy M. Wheeler
Decades of hard work, service to his country, and devotion to family and community have shaped a man whose integrity, leadership, and quiet determination continue to inspire all who know him.
Meet Alvin William Patton
Alvin and his fraternal twin brother, Malvin, were born in Sauk Rapids and spent their first four years on a farm in Granite Ledge Township. In the early 1940’s, their father moved the family to the east side of Sartell after taking a job at the Watab Paper Mill. The Patton boys remained Benton County residents, and neighbors, for the rest of their lives. Alvin and his wife Joan live in a house, just 300 feet from where he grew up.
Because of the granite shelf beneath Sartell, the town did not have running water or sewer service until the 1950’s. As a boy, Al caught minnows in the Watab Creek and stored them in one of the Wheeler quarries or a live box sunk in a ditch, saving them for fishing in the river. Due to World War II rationing, fishing and hunting were not just hobbies, they helped feed the family. Carrying a cracked-open shotgun through town was an acceptable sight. Pheasants, rabbits, ducks, and squirrels were welcome additions to the dinner table supplementing vegetables from the garden and the chickens and hogs they raised.
River water flowed into the paper mill to start the paper-making process, with intake grates preventing debris from reaching the grinders. Fish often became trapped in the grates, and workers would take them home for dinner. Occasionally, some workers even fished at night through the mill windows.
The Patton family, including Al’s two sisters, participated in the war effort. Al gathered scrap metal and filled gunny sacks with milk w**d pods. The fibers were light weight, naturally buoyant and were used to stuff life jackets. Neighbors took turns serving as airplane spotters, sitting on top of the Sartell grade school, to watch for enemy aircraft and monitoring blackout drills, ensuring no light escaped from the windows revealing their location to potential enemies.
At twelve years old, Al and Mal began working for their uncle in his Sartell foundry. When their uncle retired, they took over the business and renamed it the Great River Aluminum Bronze Foundry. They manufactured valve parts for Dezurik’s and components for companies supplying an aircraft agency and NASA. After 30 years in business, they closed the foundry and sold its assets.
As a teenager at St. Cloud Technical High School, he had three jobs—working at the foundry, working at a glass business with his brother, and starting what would become a 45-year career at the Watab/St. Regis/Champion Paper Mill. His hard work allowed him to buy a new Rambler station wagon. With their parents’ permission, Al and Mal began driving to Ely at age 16, making five or six trips a year to canoe through the Boundary Waters into Canada using their own canoes and Duluth packs.
Al enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard’s Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 136th Infantry. He completed his training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and considered himself lucky to have served during the relatively calm years after World War II and before the escalation of the Vietnam conflict. As a communications sergeant he was responsible for setting up and maintaining radio and telephone communications. He served a total of eight years-six active and two on standby.
One evening, while enjoying a beer at the Bloody Bucket in Sartell, he met a student nurse from the St. Cloud School of Nursing. Al and Joan married in 1961. The secret to their long marriage is simple: love, mutual respect, and always taking good care of each other. They enjoy their 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Al’s love of politics began in childhood, listening to war time radio broadcasts with his dad. His public service started when he and his brother helped organize the Sartell Citizens’ Committee to rally support for building a local high school. That experience inspired him to run for the Minnesota Legislature, where he served eight years. He earned the respect of both political parties for his ability to work across party lines valuing cooperation over party politics.
Among his legislative accomplishments, Al authored the bonding legislation that allowed construction of the dome stadium in Minneapolis and developed an innovative bonding method to finance bridge reconstruction statewide when constitutional limits restricted traditional road funding. That bridge bonding structure is still used today.
Family time was a top priority for Al and Joan. Each summer, the family went on vacation to a destination outside of Minnesota, including the southern United States, Washington, D.C. and Hawaii. Although their children had little interest in visiting the Boundary Waters, they did enjoy family camping trips. Al has visited all 7 continents and 25 countries. The kids were active in sports while growing up, and the entire family shares a lasting love for the Minnesota Twins.
As past president of the Sartell Historical Society Al helped organize and strengthen the historical society, bringing structure and focus to its meetings, building relationships with the community, and raising the Society’s visibility.
One of the many ways Al stays active today is through his weekly coffee group of former elected officials, where they discuss politics and current events. Looking ahead to the leaders of tomorrow, he offers young people this practical advice: stay challenged, be creative and always be respectful.
Photo courtesy of Al Patton
