A.W. ‘Wally’ Niss

DULUTH - A.W. "Wally" Niss passed away Oct. 23, 2009.

He was born Jan. 31, 1917, in Waterville, Minn., the first of three children of Albert G. and Telo Niss.

Wally's maternal ancestors came to America from Scotland (clan Wallace) by way of Ireland in 1712. Those ancestors founded the Congregational Church in the town of Ackworth, New Hampshire, and fought in the Revolutionary War, marching to reinforce Fort Ticonderoga in Captain William Keys' company, which was raised from Ackworth.

Wally grew up in Fairmont, Minn., and attended the School of Business Administration at the University of Minnesota, working two jobs including a position as a salesman at a men's clothing store. He also worked at Sawbill Lodge in northern Minnesota during the summer of 1937. After graduating from the university in 1939, he took a job as an assistant manager of a canning factory in Napoleon, Ohio. He was living in Napoleon when World War II began, so he volunteered for service in the Army. He was rejected because of a physical ailment, and informed his employer he would stay for another season. The next year, he was accepted for service in the Army. He served in the Army Air Corps with the 356th Fighter Group in New York. In 1943, he was posted to Fighter Command HQ in England until his discharge in 1944.

In August of 1943, Wally was back in Fairmont, Minn., on leave from the Army Air Corps when there occurred what Wally called "a remarkable tale." Wally was walking in Fairmont when he saw, also on the same street, and on the same side of the same street: Hazel Bird, the future Mrs. Niss. Wally had known Hazel and, in fact, had a crush on her while they were in the Fairmont school system, but it wasn't until that chance meeting in the summer of 1943 that the spark passed between. Four months later, Hazel moved to New York City to await Wally's return from England, where he had been posted by the Army in October of 1943.

Wally married Hazel Bird of Fairmont on Sept. 16, 1944. They lived in Greenwich Village until they returned to Minnesota in 1946 to establish Timber Bay Lodge, a summer resort on Birch Lake. On Aug. 4, 1947, Wally and his brother Richard began cutting the road into what would become the resort with axes and hand saws. From that date, Wally and Richard built the resort that Wally managed with Hazel and Richard from 1947 until 1980. Timber Bay Lodge came to be known as one of the finer small resorts in northern Minnesota. Amenities at the resort included a fine dining room supervised by Hazel, horseback riding, a trap range and weekly trips up Birch Lake for an island picnic for all resort guests. In the mid-1980s, Wally began renting houseboats and over the next 20 years, they operated a total of 14 houseboats on Birch Lake. Wally and Hazel sold the resort in 1980.

In 1982, Wally and Hazel began Sunset Antiques in Duluth, where Wally and his oldest son, Peter, resorted and sold antique furniture from the American federal period. In addition to furniture repairs, Wally and Peter also made and sold reproduction antique furniture from the same period. Wally and Hazel made many trips by van to the Western Reserve and New England to purchase inventory to Sunset Antiques. In 2004, Wally and Hazel closed their business and moved to the Mount Royal Pines II. Wally's wife of 64 years died in 2008.

Wally is survived by his brother, Richard of Babbitt, Minn.; his sister, Mary (Frank) Kerr of St. Paul; and three sons, Peter of Duluth, Bruce (Barbara) of Portland, Ore., and David (Gloria) of Helena, Mont.

MEMORIAL SERVICE; 6 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, in Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2310 E. 4th St.

Memorials may be sent to the family for Pilgrim Church, Duluth Public Library or Minnesota Public Radio.