For more than 40 years, Crookston residents woke up to the voice of Don Mulvaney.
Mulvaney, whose funeral service is this morning at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston, was the "morning man" on KROX Radio from 1949 to 1990. He was behind the microphone on weekdays when the station came on the air at 6 a.m., offering the news, weather, sports and announcements.
So, his "top of the morning" greeting to listeners was fitting.
"What you hard on the air was exactly what Don Mulvaney was like off the air," said Frank Fee, the KROX owner who was a colleague for 20 years.
"He was one of the most gentlemanly people that I have ever been around. People loved him."
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In addition to his even temperament, another radio asset was his rich, resonant voice. His bass voice also was prominent in community and church choirs.
As the "morning man," it was also important to be a calming voice. In those days before the Internet and 24-hour news, local radio provided the day's first information. That was why, during blizzards, city snowplows picked up Mulvaney at his home and delivered him to the radio station.
"Don was a mentor to me," Fee said. "I learned from him to be patient on the air. I never saw him flustered. It something went wrong, he'd go right along."
Mulvaney, 85, died early Tuesday in Minneapolis. He was born and raised in Crookston. He served in the Army in World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received in action in Okinawa.
Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send email to rbakken@gfherald.com .
