Bud Kraehling
Jerome "Bud" Kraehling (/ˈkreɪliːŋ/; June 19, 1919 – June 3, 2015) was an American journalist and weatherman, whose career spanned over 50 years.
Early life
Kraehling was born in 1919 in Warsaw, Illinois.[1] His first experience in broadcasting was at nearby Carthage High School (now Illini West High School), where he played records and read the farm report. After a job at WGIL in nearby Galesburg, Kraehling served in the Army in the Philippines during World War II.[2]
Career
In 1946, Kraehling moved to the Twin Cities, taking a job on WTCN radio, before moving to WTCN (now WCCO) TV in 1949. In 1950, he started doing a short weather report during the 10 p.m. news. Kraehling continued in this capacity for the next 46 years, spanning many changes in the industry and advancements in technology, before retiring from the station in 1996. After retirement, he was hired as a greeter by the Minnesota History Center, and he performed at nursing homes.
Accomplishments
He was the first broadcaster in the Twin Cities to use weather radar.,[3] the first to use the newly built Shell Weather Tower, and was a longtime advocate to separate commercials from the broadcast itself (in-show product-hawking was a common practice in the 1950s).[1]
Personal life
Kraehling was married twice: to Natalie Harris until her death in 1998, and singer Shirley Lockwood.
Kraehling died of cancer on June 3, 2015. He is survived by his second wife, four children by the first marriage: Candice, Cinda, Claudia, and Katie, and various grandchildren and great-grandchildren.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 "Longtime WCCO-TV weatherman Bud Kraehling dies at 96". Star Tribune. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
- ↑ "Bud Kraehling". Pavek Museum. Pavek Museum.
- ↑ "Longtime WCCO-TV weatherman Bud Kraehling dies at 96". Pioneer Press. Twin Cities.
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