Former Dispatch editor honored for 70 years service to Lions Club

Walt Stevens, 93, a former Brainerd Dispatch editor who joined the Lions Club in Brainerd in 1940, was recently honored for his 70 years of service to the club, The Messenger of Fort Dodge, Iowa, reported.

Stevens, a resident of Fort Dodge, joined the club shortly after being named editor in Brainerd. The Lions Club International has existed for 94 years and Stevens has been a member for all but 24 of those years.

Stevens moved to Brainerd from Nebraska in 1938. He recalled in the story that the first project he worked on was arranging for violinist David Rubinoff to perform in Brainerd.

He is editor emeritus of The Messenger, retiring as editor there after 34 years but continuing to write his column well into his 80s.