by Tom Coombe
Brad Ashford represented Omaha, Neb., in the U.S. House of Representatives, but that didn’t stop him from being dubbed “Ely’s Second Congressman.”
Ashford, a longtime property owner on Burntside Lake and part-time Ely area summer resident, passed away Monday age 72.
His death, announced by family members Monday in Omaha, came only a few months after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
And while Nebraska was his home, Ashford maintained a presence in Ely, where his family has owned property on Burntside for nearly a century.
During his two years in the U.S. House, he bonded with former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D), who represented Ely and Minnesota’s Eighth District at the time.
Nolan spent time with Ashford on Burntside, including an overnight stay.
Wednesday, Nolan remembered Ashford fondly.
“We developed a good friendship and he was just a wonderfully nice man,” said Nolan.