Vice Presidential nominee has ties to Cedar County
OMAHA — Runzas, chili and cinnamon rolls and Husker game days aren’t the normal topics for a national political campaign rally.
But there is nothing normal about the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign for President and Vice President.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a native Nebraskan, was tapped in early August to become Vice President Kamala Harris’ run- ning mate in her bid for the Oval Oce.
He was in the Omaha metropolitan area Saturday afternoon on a brief campaign stop. It was his first visit to the state since Harris elevated him from near obscurity to national prominence with his selection as her running mate.
The roots of the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee’s family tree reach back to Cedar County.
Walz’s grandfather, Raymond Walz, was born here in 1904 and attended Holy Trinity High School, alongside classmate Ferdie Peitz.
His grandmother, the former Myrtle Samelson, attended Hartington High.
Their son, James, was born in Hartington in 1929. In the late 1930s, the family moved to Plainview.
After graduating from Peru State College, and then serving in the Korean War, James Walz started his teaching career at Butte.
He then moved back to Cedar County to serve as the Coleridge High School Principal for several years. While in that role, he was elected as President of the Cedar County Teacher’s Association in 1958.
He moved to Dodge in 1959 to become Superintendent of schools there.
In 1964, his son, Tim, was born in West Point, while James was working in Dodge.
James Walz served as the Dodge Public School Superintendent for nine years before taking a position as Valentine Schools Superintendent in 1968 and moving his family to western Nebraska. He later moved to Butte, which is where Tim eventually graduated from high sch0ol.
Hartington native Chris Walz, who is married to State Senator Lynn Walz, is a third cousin to the Minnesota Governor.
They have met at dierent political functions over the years.
Chris' dad, Jay Walz, is a second cousin, but the two have never crossed paths, Jay said.
Rob Dump | Cedar County News