(ambient music) - [Announcer] Almanac is a production of Twin Cities PBS for the stations of Minnesota Public Television Association.

- Welcome to a special edition of Almanac.

I'm Mary Lahammer, Political Reporter and Host based here at the Minnesota State Capitol.

We're now going to bring you the funeral of Speaker Emerita, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, who were gunned down by a political assassin in an attack that shocked the nation.

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More at educationminnesota.org.

♪ When dearest friends depart ♪ ♪ Till all is darkened ♪ ♪ In the vale of tears ♪ ♪ Then shall you better know ♪ ♪ His love, His heart ♪ ♪ Who comes to soothe ♪ ♪ Your sorrow and your fears ♪ ♪ Be still, my soul ♪ ♪ Thy Jesus can repay ♪ ♪ From His own fullness ♪ ♪ All He takes away ♪ ♪ Be still, my soul ♪ ♪ The hour is hastening on ♪ ♪ When we shall be ♪ ♪ Forever with the Lord ♪ ♪ When disappointment ♪ ♪ Grief and fear are gone ♪ ♪ Sorrow forgot ♪ ♪ Love's purest joys restored ♪ ♪ Be still, my soul ♪ ♪ When change and tears are past ♪ ♪ All safe and blessed ♪ ♪We shall meet at last ♪ - I'd like to begin by welcoming all of you here to the Basilica of St. Mary.

My name is Father Daniel Griffith, and I am the Pastor and Rector here.

Our hearts are deeply saddened at the loss of Melissa and Mark, and our hearts go out to the family, and I wanna welcome Sophie and Colin, I wanna welcome Harry and Linda, and we certainly welcome viewing from afar, Jade Carroll and Ruth, the entire family, and all those who are joining.

I wanna welcome Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the Archbishop of St. Paul in Minneapolis, and Bishop Richard Pates, who is originally a priest of our archdiocese, and is the retired Bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines.

We welcome Father Joseph Gillespie, and Father Harry Tasto, a longtime friend of the family.

We also welcome President Biden and Vice President Harris, Governor Walls, any US senators or House senators, and members of the Minnesota House and Senate, all the colleagues of Melissa and friends of Melissa and Mark, you are very welcome here at the Basilica.

I also welcome our downtown clergy group, this started a number of years ago, and has been a great source of unity, and a great source of work together for the common good, and for the spreading of our faith, wherever we come from, and so they are here in large numbers today, and I thank them for their presence, as well.

Let us pray.

Oh God Almighty Father, our faith professes that your Son died and rose again.

Mercifully grant that through this mystery, your servants, Melissa and Mark, who have fallen asleep in Christ may rejoice to rise again through Him who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

- Amen.

♪ The Lord is my shepherd ♪ ♪ Nothing shall I want ♪ ♪ In burdened pastures ♪ ♪ He gives me recourse ♪ ♪ The Lord is my shepherd ♪ ♪ Nothing shall I want ♪ - "When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain, and after He had sat down, His disciples came to Him.

He began to teach them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in Heaven.'"

We acclaim in song the Gospel of the Lord.

(organ music) ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ - Please be seated.

With that majestic "Hallelujah", I'm reminded of the words of St. John Paul II, that "We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song."

We believe that death does not end in itself, but rather on to new life through the victory of Jesus Christ proclaimed so beautifully in today's second reading.

Again, welcome, everyone, to the Basilica of St. Mary, thank you for your presence here, nothing conveys love and support more than presence.

Thank you to those who are here and joining also via livestream, to Melissa and Mark's family, Sophie and Colin, and the parents of Mark and Melissa, our hearts go out to you today, and we will continue to be praying for you, and with you, and accompany you in your grief.

Please know the love and support of the Basilica community, and indeed, this entire community of the state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

Colin and Sophie, your grace and courage in the wake of the tragic death of your parents has been extraordinary.

Thank you both for your courage and being a source of light and hope in the darkness.

More about this in a few minutes.

Sophie and Colin rightly have communicated that this funeral mass should be a celebration of the lives of Mark and Melissa, and it's always a celebration at the mass of God's love and grace.

Indeed, they lived lives with purpose and meaning, lives lived in service of others, in community with those they loved, their family, and their friends.

Friends, God is present here, in this Basilica.

The Catholic mass is imbued with the love and grace of God, who accompanies us at all times, including in our grief and in our hope for new life.

God is present here.

God loves each of us, every one of us here with a deep and abiding love, a transformative love.

We need to hear this more often.

It's true.

Today, in the Catholic tradition, it is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mary who is honored in the Catholic tradition as the Mother of God, was given on the cross, and you can see the scene to my left, was given by Jesus to all people, not just Catholics, not just Christians, all as a spiritual mother, as Mary accompanied her son to the cross, she accompanies us as a tender mother in our time of need.

While my homily will focus on Melissa and Mark, and the love of God, the family has permitted me to say a word about our present reality as a nation and as a state, as we seek to turn the page to a brighter future.

In a recent email exchange with a prominent Catholic layman from the United States, he said, "Our nation is in need of deep healing."

I could not agree more.

It seems as if we are living in the dystopian reality in the beginning of William Butler Yeates' poem, "The Second Coming".

Yeates' poem ends in hope.

Hope is present here.

My hope is in a God who made heaven and earth, who created and redeemed us, and who seeks our healing and our restoration.

The path of healing and restoration begins with each of us, in our hearts.

That's where healing first begins, in our own hearts, and in accepting the invitation by God to be loved, to enter into friendship with God and to be sent in our society as a leaven for good.

I have hope that we will open up to God's abundant grace, including me, right?

All of us have that opportunity, that invitation.

Here in Minnesota, we have been the ground zero place sadly for racial injustice.

The killing of George Floyd just miles from our church today, and now we are the ground zero place for political violence and extremism.

Both of these must be decried in the strongest possible terms, as they are respectively a threat to human dignity, and indeed, our democracy.

Sadly, racial disparity is some of the most acute in the country persist here in Minnesota, with modest gains in some areas, and widening gaps in others, over the last five years.

But friends, this can be, Minnesotans, this can be a zero, ground zero place for restoration, and justice, and healing.

But we must work together, and there is much more work to be done.

Your presence here is a sign that we can do that work.

Memory is an integral dimension of the Christian faith.

It was the memory of God's liberating action in Egypt, which helped form God's people, and foreshadowed the liberating work and mission of Jesus Christ.

It was the memory of the words and deeds of Jesus, which formed the Gospels, which we heard from today, on the night before He died, Jesus told His friends, to do this, the celebration of the Eucharist in memory of Him.

So too when we honor the memory of Melissa and Mark Hortman, we honor the God who created them, redeemed them, and gifted them.

In meeting with Mark and Melissa's family and in exchanges with friends and colleagues, two things stood out powerfully.

There were two lights that guided their life, service and community.

Service and community, and you're gonna hear that in the eulogies after the mass today.

Service and community are antidotes to our present afflictions as a state and as a nation.

They met in service, a great story upon first meeting, they were assigned to the same student.

Now there is some information that Mark might have seen an opportunity, and moved in.

(congregation laughing) Some would say this was serendipity, I would say that it was God's providence.

And Bob Warhol, our longtime maintenance man at the Basilica, remembers Melissa serving in high school at a nursing home.

This has always been her way as her father Harry said, "She has practiced the Golden Rule."

It was no wonder Mark and Melissa paired so beautifully, they shared similar values and interests, a rich humanity, both manifested a dynamic pairing of head and heart.

I love meeting folks who have really great minds and really generous hearts.

That is a powerful combination.

The noted 20th century Catholic Theologian, Romano Guardini, says, that "All power is rightly exercised in service", and he points to Jesus Christ as the foremost example.

I quoted this at Tom Johnson, our three time County Attorney's funeral down the road at Our Lady of Lourdes, and that was true of Tom, and it is certainly true of Melissa and Mark.

In the Catholic teaching, Catholic social teaching conveys that authority should always be oriented to the common good.

It is not about self-aggrandizement, but always in service of the common good.

And what is the common good hoping to to promote, flourishing, personal and collective flourishing, with always care for those on the margins.

Melissa manifested a servant's heart in her work as a legislator.

Even in law school, a mutual friend, Matt Forsgren, could see Melissa's strong potential to serve and lead.

Matt said this on his LinkedIn page.

"Melissa", he said, "was a force for good.

As I watched her career, I was even more impressed and grateful that she chose to serve all of us, instead of pursuing the countless opportunities as a lawyer she could have pursued."

A bishop friend of mine who is here in Minnesota and now serves on the East Coast said this, "Melissa lived her life by the Golden Rule as her father said in the news.

That was my experience", he said of her, as well, and I think that that's what made her capable of reaching across the aisle.

He goes on, "I found her respectful toward the bishops, even when we parted ways on issues."

He ends by saying, "May she rest in peace."

The other leading light of their lives was community, service and community.

The family told me that their neighborhood was, is an extraordinary place of community, and Mark and Melissa were the first to really foster that community.

In fact, at one point, they moved houses, 15 houses down, and they just walked the couch right down to their new home that abutted Edinburgh Golf Course, so sorry if I was digging in their yard, at some point, looking for my golf ball, and they enjoyed time on the deck with each other, having a happy hour.

They enjoyed friends, it was called the Hortman Hotel, everybody was welcome.

Card games, monthly card games were a wonderful thing that was part of Mark's life, and then gourmet dinners with their law school friends, monthly.

Now I have a pretty busy life, I'm also a Professor at St. Thomas Law School, I can't believe how Melissa and Mark lived community with that degree of intentionality.

It's a beautiful thing.

They shared love for travel, other pursuits, Mark was described by his children as a hobbyist, with a curious mind, again, both very bright, he loved mountain biking, and also making furniture, Colin told a beautiful story that they had an opportunity to make furniture together that one day Colin and his fiance's children will be able to sit on, and I appreciate Colin sharing that story.

The children talked of his big smile, Mark, the cheesy dad jokes, and having an indomitable spirit.

From Helping Paws, there is a story of Gilbert, the dog, they took in dogs, and trained one successfully to go on to be a service dog.

The other Gilbert had quite an attachment to Melissa, no doubt because she fed him many, many dog treats.

And so finally when Gilbert had to go into service, Melissa was wrecked and emotional, and the family wonders if Gilbert maybe failed that assignment on purpose, so he could head back to the Hortman house.

The Hortman home and their commitment to intentional communities is a contrast to the idol of autonomy at all costs in our American culture, individualism and loneliness that many suffer from.

And I'm giving you a warning, I'm just about done.

Today, we turn to Scripture for wisdom and truth.

In Scripture, we find the words of everlasting life.

These are the words of God.

In the first reading, we hear, "The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them."

And importantly, "Those who trust in God are led to truth."

That is true.

Melissa and Mark were just and good.

Certainly none of us are perfectly just or good, and when we meet God face-to-face, we meet a God of love, and mercy, and justice, we also meet a God of truth, and we see all truth in its radiant splendor.

The second reading from Corinthians is taken from a section, where Paul is teaching the Corinthian community that there is indeed life after death.

This reading is a source of great hope.

"In Christ, death does not end in itself, but through the victory of the cross, and the empty tomb is destroyed", and we hear this proclaimed beautifully today, "Where, o death, is your victory, where, o death, is your sting?"

I hope that provides all of us with a large measure of hope.

The Gospel is from Matthew's "Sermon on the Mount", and what is presented are the virtues and characteristics of Christ.

It is the way Christ lived and the way Christ teaches His followers to live, as well.

In self-gift, in self-service, in humility, to live in a transcendent way.

Friends, can you imagine if Christians lived the Beatitudes faithfully, and people of faith?

Can you imagine the transformation in our society, and in our world?

It is possible.

So finally, friends, I wanna return to the example of Colin and Sophie in their response to the tragic death of their parents.

I was amazed as I met with them last week, truly amazed, and as you will hear in the eulogies, they are a beautiful reflection of their parents, in their humanity, in their compassion, in their sense of justice, in every way, in their intelligence, they are a beautiful reflection of their parents, and their parents' life will continue, and values to live on through them in the coming years.

And Sophie and Colin, please know this, you will feel the presence of your parents throughout your lives.

You will feel them present, in big moments in your life, and in small, quiet moments, they will continue to be present to you.

So what did they say in their extraordinary statement after the death of their parents?

They said, "Plant a tree, pet a dog, try a new hobby, like Mark would've, stand up for justice and peace.

The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something to make our community just a little bit better for someone else."

Melissa and Mark lived this reality.

I just wanna end with one word that Linda conveyed, so she said she found in Melissa's purse a prayer of St. Francis, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, and that prayer is really meant to call all of us to be instruments of peace, and it was worn, she clearly prayed that often, Melissa did, it surprised her mom a bit, I think that's a wonderful thing, you will hear that song in the liturgy today, all of us are called to be instruments of peace.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the lives of Melissa and Mark Hortman.

We thank you for their commitment to service and community.

May their memory always be a blessing, and may they rest in peace.

♪ Every voice ♪ ♪ Every song oh ♪ - As the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul in Minneapolis, it's my privilege to be able to extend to the families of Melissa and Mark our heartfelt condolences.

How significant it is that we would gather here in prayer, and I hope that you've experienced in our rites, and readings, and symbolism, some consolation.

I can't imagine the pain that Sophie and Colin are feeling this day.

Just recently, Pope Leo reminded us that politics is one of the greatest forms of charity.

In addition to that, Melissa and Mark were such extraordinary parents, and we know that there are wonderful challenges that come with that.

And yet through that all, it's important for us, I think, to be able to offer our prayers at this difficult time to recognize the challenges that Mark and Melissa faced in the course of their lives, and to pray that our God would now bring them eternal rest.

When it became apparent that the parish to which Linda and Harry belonged and that had been part of the Hortman's religious experience would not be available for this morning service, I'm so grateful that the Basilica was able to welcome all of you here.

They have such a wonderful tradition of reaching out to our community.

Father Griffith's homily today I think was a source of consolation, very grateful to our music ministers and liturgical staff who came out, as well.

I hope most especially to Sophie and Colin, you see that that's that warm embrace of this church.

St. Paul, our patron tells us that "Whenever one part of the body of Christ is injured, that the whole body suffers."

And so today, we're all suffering along with you, but pledging you our prayers, and asking God's mercy and forgiveness on Mark and Melissa, and indeed that we might be able to respond to the Lord's call to build a society that respects the dignity of each human life.

♪ Every breath is in you ♪ - I was standing here looking, it looked like the speaker's rostrum, and I asked where I'm supposed to speak, and Melissa would've been quick to remind me, "One day out of the year, you speak at the speaker's rostrum, and only at my invitation", so ... (congregation laughing) I know my place.

To Archbishop Hebda, Bishop, Father, and the whole community here at Basilic of St. Mary's, thank you for this beautiful tribute and mass to Melissa and Mark, and each and every one of you, thank you for being here to celebrate the lives of these incredible people.

I can't help think though of all the people who would be a little miffed and tell us that this was a big fuss, would be Mark and Melissa, never seeking that limelight, but always being at the place where good was being done.

To Mark and Melissa's families, thank you for the opportunity to share a few words about my friends, Mark and Melissa.

To Harry and Linda and Carroll and Ruth, the entire state of Minnesota's grieving with you.

You obviously raised remarkable people.

And so did Mark and Melissa.

Colin and Sophie, I can't imagine I've had the opportunity to be around you these last few weeks what it's been like, but you've heard from others today that grace and courage that these two young people have shown through this awful time has made it easier for the entire state and nation.

It's easy to see why your parents never stop bragging about you.

I'll hear it to the end of days, talking about Sophie Hortman.

Sophie Hortman always, she always used your last name like I didn't know who she was talking about, and Sophie Hortman said this, I said, "I know Sophie's your daughter", and she never ceased to do that.

You are amazing reflections of Mark and Melissa.

We're grateful we'll continue to feel the force of their leadership strength and kindness through what you bring to the world.

Most importantly, I hope you know that this community and this state will stand with you now and forever.

Melissa Hortman will be remembered as the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history.

I get to remember as a close friend, a mentor, and the most talented legislator I ever known.

For seven years, I have had the privilege of signing her agenda into law.

I know millions of Minnesotans get to live their lives better, because she and Mark chose public service in politics.

More kids in pre-K, fewer in poverty, more schools with the tools and teachers they need, fewer with hungry students.

More trees in the ground, and clean energy coursing through the grid.

Fewer roads and bridges at risk of failure.

More people in safe and secure housing, fewer worrying about how to manage caring for their loved ones.

That's the legacy that Mark and Melissa will leave behind for all Minnesotans.

But that's a part of the story that belongs only to those who were fortunate enough to know those people behind the legacy.

The part of the story doesn't take place in some freezing, dimly lit room in the Capitol, it takes place at CR Billiards, where Mark loved to shoot pool on Monday night, took place in that garden, where Melissa fussed over her lilies like they were a wayward member of that caucus, (congregation laughing) it took place in that kitchen, where Mark fit his sourdough starter, Melissa mixed the margaritas, and baked the cakes, and Gilbert set there begging for scraps, and the sound of that kitchen filled with laughter.

I think all of you know, Melissa was an extraordinary legislator, and Mark was her proudest supporter.

He was there in her early electoral defeats to the height of her power speaker, but it's easy sometimes forget for all its significance, politics is just people, that's all it is, just a bunch of human beings trying to do the best they can.

Melissa understood that better than anybody I knew, she saw the humanity in every single person she worked with, and she kept things focused on the people she served.

Her mission was to get as much good done for as many people as possible.

It was the Golden Rule instilled to her by her father, and the passion to serve she learned from her mother.

Mark's focus was people too, and it's no surprise Melissa and Mark, as you heard meant, they met mentoring a student in Washington DC.

And what a beloved colleague and friend he was to so many.

Admittedly, I never talked much politics to Mark.

I'd try and get a tech tip from him, but we mostly bonded over our love of that sweet, sweet 80s music.

(congregation laughing) He truly appreciated it.

It was the focus on people that made Melissa Hortman so effective.

She certainly knew how to get her way, no doubt about that, but she never made anyone feel that they've gotten rolled at a negotiating table, that wasn't part of it for her, or part of who she was.

She didn't need somebody else to lose to win for her.

I remember one really interesting, late night, one of those closed door sessions, these legislators hate so much, middle of the night, everybody was tired, and a legislative leader had made a concession, but the next morning had some regrets about that.

Stated, "I was exhausted", he explained, "and if I'm being totally honest with you, I had a couple too many glasses of red wine last night.

The truth is I gave something that I can't sell to my caucus."

Now, those of you in politics are aghast for this and you would've seen Melissa Hortman could have used leveraged, she could have expressed anger, she didn't.

She saw a human being, she gave grace, she sat back down, honest to God, opened a bag of jalapeño Cheetos, and we went at another deal, and went right back at it to make sure that everyone got what they needed.

I know that in these times of this inexplicable, unexplainable tragedy, all of us are searching for some kind of meaning, some kind of lesson that we can learn to help ease our loss.

And maybe it is this moment, where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about, a moment when each of us can recommit to engaging in politics and life the way Mark and Melissa did, fiercely, enthusiastically, heartily, but without ever losing sight of our common humanity.

But let's not do it because of the way Mark and Melissa died.

Let's do it because of the way they lived, and the way that they led with joy, with passion, with respect, with empathy, with purpose, and with humility.

We're not always gonna get it right, after all, we're only human, but the best way to honor these remarkable Minnesotans is to continue the work of building a state equal to their aspirations, and a politics worthy of their example.

Thank you to each of you, and may God bless Mark and Melissa.

- My name is Robin Ann Williams, and I'm a friend of Mark and Melissa's, and Colin and Sophie graciously asked me to say a few words about their parents today.

The story begins in 1995, when Melissa and I both worked at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis.

After we met, it did not take long for us to become more friends than colleagues.

When Melissa started at Legal Aid, she and Mark already had their son, Colin.

And Colin and I got to spend our first quality time together courtesy of the 1996 government shutdown.

I think President Biden may have been there for that.

(congregation laughing) Mark and Melissa had planned a trip to Italy, but due to the shutdown, they could not get a passport for Colin, so I offered to stay with Colin, so they could go.

They picked a good week to be gone, it was the week that broke all the cold temperatures throughout the state of Minnesota, and at its worst, it was minus 34 degrees in the Twin Cities.

For visitors from out of state, that was not the wind chill, that was the actual air temperature.

(congregation laughing) Now, being a person who had never had children, and who did not grow up in Minnesota, I did what any reasonable person would do, I dressed Colin for daycare in the warmest clothes I could find for him, in this case, fuzzy, flannel, footed pajamas.

Daycare called me and asked if Colin was sick.

I said, "No, he's warm."

(congregation laughing) Colin survived this indignity, Mark and Melissa did not fire me as caregiver, and I learned that children do not wear sleepwear to daycare.

(congregation laughing) Sophie came along about one year after the infamous pajamas incident.

I was at Mark and Melissa's when Sophie came home from the hospital, and Sophie had the smallest of nicks on her little pinky finger from some of the medical care that she had received.

I remember Colin poking his head over the baby carrier, he looked at Sophie, and said, "She has an owie."

Those are the first words that Colin uttered to Sophie.

He was looking out for his baby sister, as he still does, and vice versa.

I watched Sophie and Colin grow up, now that they are both fully adulting, I know how thrilled their parents were, whenever the kids made an appearance at the Hortman home.

Sophie and Colin, I know you've heard it countless times since June 14, but your parents adored you, and were proud of you.

You have always carried yourselves well, and your dignity and grace over the last two weeks has been tremendous.

The apples did not fall far from the trees.

In the early years of our friendship, before I got married, I hung out a lot with Melissa and Mark, but they never made me feel like a third wheel.

We ate meals together, I handed out Halloween candy at their house every year, and we even took a five-day trip to Tokyo, and that included travel time.

Back then, we were undaunted by jet lag, or economy seats for transpacific flights, and we developed many an inside joke during our Japan trip, including an X-rated one about a bear, which I will not tell in church, (congregation laughing) but find me after.

(congregation laughing) I also door knocked with Melissa during her first runs for the State House, and the politicians in here know, I mean door knocked, not lit dropped, we door knocked.

At first, it was a bit of a political terrain for Melissa, but she was undaunted.

She always told voters when she disagreed with him, but I never saw incivility.

More often than not, they would smile at Melissa, and wave as she walked away from their front doors.

Melissa would tell me when she thought someone was not going to vote for her, but in watching her interactions with voters, I wasn't so sure she was always right.

In 2006, my husband Paul and I got married at Melissa's parents' house, and the "Three Musketeers" became four.

We did what friends do.

We ate together, we watched the Super Bowl, we celebrated birthdays, and we traveled.

Melissa's parents, Harry and Linda, have a best friend couple too, and I think that Melissa, Mark, Paul and I subconsciously emulated them.

As my husband said this week, Melissa and Mark were the easiest friendships you could have.

The four of us were pretty casual about making plans, one of us would text to propose dinner that evening or that weekend, and then would see each other.

Usually, the only "nos" we got were when Melissa had a political event, but Mark would join us if he wasn't going, or when Mark's or Melissa's extended families were in town for a visit.

We've heard it already, billiards nights and poker nights were off limits for Mark, and also mentioned, Mark and Melissa belonged to the Gourmet Supper Club comprising Melissa's law school friends and their spouses.

Those evenings held a sacrosanct position on Mark and Melissa's calendars.

The heart of Mark and Melissa's house was their kitchen, in the last two years, they remodeled their kitchen and they loved it.

Prior to the remodel, Melissa asked me to come over to help her pick paint colors for the kitchen, and when I arrived, I was met with no fewer than 15 paint samples, all of which were beige.

(congregation laughing) Melissa spent hours deciding what color of beige to paint her kitchen.

(congregation laughing) Mark and Melissa had remodeled the mud room, adjoining the kitchen, the year before, and the discussion really devolved when Melissa asked me if the beige in the mud room was gonna clash with the beige in the kitchen.

(congregation laughing) And Mark watched all of this with great amusement, as I tried to convince Melissa to paint her kitchen any color other than beige.

(congregation laughing) Mark told me that she would never go for it, and he was right.

Mark and Melissa were colorful people in many ways, but their kitchen is to this day beige.

(congregation laughing) Melissa's career took off through the 2000s, and I always saw her as a balloon, bouncing around, but still tethered to the earth by Mark.

During President Biden's administration, she was invited twice to the White House, and off she would go, or she would bounce over to a Uniform Law Commission meeting or to the Governor's Mansion, and then Melissa would come back to us, and would get together for takeout Indian food.

Early after their deaths, I heard Governor Walz say that Melissa had brought the book "Getting to Yes" to a high-level negotiation.

Mark Hortman did not need to read that book.

(congregation laughing) Mark was game for anything, he loved accompanying Melissa on her political trips, they were last at the White House in December, 2024, for a holiday reception for state legislators, Mark honed in on the important stuff, and told us that the Christmas cookies at the White House were excellent.

(congregation laughing) He went to the 2024 Democratic National Convention with Melissa.

Paul and I asked for real-time updates, and Mark texted us photographs and texts throughout the evening, and they would bring souvenirs home to me and Paul, Hershey's Kisses from the White House, or campaign signs from the National Convention.

I do have one of those with me today that I wish to share with you.

(congregation laughing) I wasn't sure how that would go over.

(congregation laughing) But Mark was also happy to stay at home.

He was engaged in his own career and hobbies.

As we've referenced, his newest interest was baking sourdough bread, which tasted a lot better than his homemade beer.

(congregation laughing) He was always proud of Melissa, and vice versa, and they were never jealous of each other.

Even in this day and age, a lot of men would be intimidated by, and I suspect were intimidated, by Melissa's formidable political talents and achievements, but not Mark.

He'd wait for us, for Melissa, our balloon to come back home and then we would have drinks on the deck.

I feel like the universe had our backs a little bit during our last dinner together.

It was June 6th, and the Governor had just called for a one-day special session of the legislature to pass Minnesota's budget bills.

Melissa wanted Italian food, and we ended up at a little restaurant in Robinsdale, recommended to her by a staff member.

It was unusually chilly for a June day, but we toughed it out, and we sat outside.

Throughout dinner, Melissa would get up to take a call from the Governor's Chief of Staff or from legislators.

Now, if I were sitting at dinner with friends and the Governor called me, I'd be like, "The Governor's on the phone."

(congregation laughing) But not Melissa.

Melissa did this without any pretense or drama.

And Mark was nonplussed, while she was gone on the phone, had leaned back in his chair, had put his arm on the armrest, propped his feet up against the chair legs, and we just kept talking about the stuff we liked to talk about, dogs, kids, and politics.

We ordered one dessert that night with four spoons, and at 8:30 PM, which was always Melissa's witching hour, (congregation laughing) she announced that it was time for her to go home, and go to bed.

As we walked to our cars, in the chill of that June night, I thought to myself about what a lovely dinner we had had, and how Paul and I looked forward to many more dinners this summer with Mark and Melissa.

I thought to close my remarks today with a quote from a song, but Melissa liked Abba, and Mark liked Led Zeppelin, (congregation laughing) and it takes a smarter person than I am to reconcile those two musical traditions.

(congregation laughing) Instead, I'd like to read something from my father's funeral.

My father died unexpectedly in 2004 in Maryland.

Melissa Hortman dropped everything to fly to Maryland to be with me, and Mark Hortman caught everything, so she could be with her friend.

From Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet."

"Some of you say joy is greater than sorrow, and others say nay, sorrow is the greater, but I say unto you, they are inseparable, together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."

We are buried in sorrow right now.

But I do believe that we will experience joy again, and Mark and Melissa would not want it any other way.

Goodbye, my friends.

- Melissa and Mark embodied the Golden Rule.

The prayer that captures this essence was held in Melissa's wallet, it never left her side.

These are the words of the prayer of St. Francis, that Mark and Melissa lived by.

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love, where there is injury, pardon, where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair, hope, where there is darkness, light, where there is sadness, joy.

Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console, to be loved, as to love, for it is in giving that we receive, and it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

Amen."

♪ Every heart ♪ ♪ Trust in you ♪ ♪ Every tongue -- ♪ - Throughout history, symbols and traditions have been used to honor people and their legacies.

We have seen honors for Melissa and Mark over the past week, including flags outside state buildings being flown at half staff.

We also witnessed more than 7,500 people come and pay their respects to Melissa, Mark, and yes, their beloved Golden Retriever, Gilbert, as they lay in the state in the rotunda at the State Capitol.

Today, traditions and honors will continue.

I'd like to take a moment to explain some of the symbolism that you will see shortly as part of the state honors.

Shortly our pole bearers will escort Melissa and Mark from the sanctuary, followed by the couple's immediate family.

They will stop in the front entry with a care of Melissa and Mark will transfer to a multi-agency team of Honor Guard members from the Minnesota Fire Service.

Once this transfer is complete, the Minnesota State Patrol Honor Guard will lead the final procession down the front steps of the Basilica.

The bells of the Basilica will begin ringing.

You'll see a ceremonial ax that is carried by a firefighter.

That ax is an item that was previously presented to Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman by the Minnesota Professional Firefighters for her dedication and passion towards supporting the health and wellness of Minnesota Firefighters.

Two Minnesota State troopers will carry folded United States and Minnesota state flags.

These specific flags flew over the state capitol on June 14th, 2025.

Governor Walz will present these flags to the Hortman family.

After the conclusion of the flag presentation, a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter will conduct a ceremonial flyover.

The Basilica bells will ring again, as Melissa and Mark are escorted by the Minnesota State Patrol.

The Sergeant of Arms and our ushers will soon begin dismissing each row, beginning at the front of the sanctuary, and then moving towards the back.

As you are able, you are invited to take part in the formal honors ceremony for Melissa and Mark Hortman outside.

On behalf of the Hortman family, thank you for your immense support you all have shown them, and thank you for being here today, both in-person and virtually.

I now ask that you rise as we begin the state honors ceremony.

(organ music) (bell tolling) - Forward arms.

(bell tolling) (bells tolling) - [Announcer] Almanac is made possible by members of this Public Television Station.

Support is also provided by Great River Energy, providing wholesale power to 1.7 million people through its member-owner cooperatives and customers, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, improving oral health, and helping communities thrive.

Deltadentalmn.org/tpt, and Education Minnesota, the voice for professional educators and students throughout the state.

More at educationminnesota.org.

Almanac is a production of Twin Cities PBS for the stations of Minnesota Public Television Association.