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Nederland's Frozen Dead Guy Celebrates 20 Years On Ice
Keeping Grandpa Bredo Ice Cold Takes Time, Money
POSTED: 10:30 pm MST November 16,
2009
UPDATED: 11:30 am MST November 17,
2009
NEDERLAND, Colo. -- Nederland -- a town where eccentric is the norm, where "Cloudland" is the nickname, and where for better or for worse, a Frozen Dead Guy is the stuff of legend."The one thing that Nederland is famous for is Grandpa Bredo," said Nederland resident Teresa Warren. "Seriously, I don't even know if he's in there."For 20 years this month, Bredo Morstoel has been patiently waiting to be brought back to life.
But keeping Grandpa Bredo very, very cold for all these years has been no easy task.And even in this quirky town, "The Ice Man" stands out.Meet Bo Shaffer."I'm the guy that got picked to do this. I've been doing it 15 years," said Shaffer.He took us up the winding mountain roads outside Nederland for "The Ice Run.""The hardest part's finding the place," he said.Every month, he makes the chilly trek, transporting a ton of dry ice to the Tuff Shed Grandpa Bredo calls home.The tale of Grandpa Bredo, cryonically preserved and kept dead -- in a shed -- in Ned, inspired the now world-famous March festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days.Bredo Morstoel was a minor public official living in Norway. His grandson, Trygve, is a firm believer in cryonics. So days after Grandpa Bredo died, Trygve had the body cryonically preserved in California and years later shipped to Nederland.In Nederland, he had dreams of starting his own cryonics lab. It wasn't meant to be, though.Trygve was deported for an expired visa, and eventually, "The Ice Man" took on the task.Grandpa Bredo's sealed sarcophagus, kept at a balmy minus 109, is surrounded by dry ice, insulation and leftover birthday cake.He would be 109 years old this year.So, how does Shaffer know Bredo is actually there?"Why wouldn't he be? Why make all this fuss over an empty box?" he said with a laugh.Keeping Grandpa Bredo in a state of cryonic suspension is by no means cheap, but the money comes every month from Norway.Shaffer said Trygve funds the deep freeze with his mother's pension, sending $800 per month for dry ice and labor.Shaffer said he has thought about quitting, but after all these years, someone has to keep the legend of the Frozen Dead Guy from dying.Shaffer is working on a book called "The Ice Man's Chronicles," and he's starting official tours again this year.
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