Have you heard of “Frozen Dead Guy”? Folks around the Nederland and Boulder, Colorado area have. Many residents of Colorado can tell you something about this famous dead resident of Nederland.  It all began Nov. 7, 1989 some twenty years ago.  A Norwegian born man named Bredo Morstoel had died and his body arrived in Nederland, where his grandson had hoped to open a cryonics facility.

Before grandpa Bredo Morstoel died from a heart condition in 1989, he enjoyed a comfortable life in Norway. He was an outdoorsman who loved to fish, ski, and hike in the mountains of his homeland. He was also the director of parks and recreation in Norway’s Baerum County for more than 30 years.

Instead of a burial, grandpa Morstoel was packed in dry ice and prepared for international travel. His first stop was the Trans Time cryonics facility in Oakland, California, where he was placed in liquid nitrogen for almost four years. In 1993 he was moved to Colorado under the care and supervision of his daughter Aud Morstoel and his grandson Trygve Bauge, “both strong advocates for cryonics who hoped to start a facility of their own.” The body was kept in cold storage in a Tuff shed near the grandson’s home.  Meanwhile daughter “Aud spoke to a local reporter, who spoke to the Nederland city council, who passed Section 7-34 of the municipal code regarding the “keeping of bodies.” Luckily for Bredo, he was grandfathered in and allowed to stay. Suddenly, he was a worldwide media sensation. And he has been well cared for by his family and community ever since.”

Nederland has been called offbeat, weird and colorful, and having Frozen Dead Guy as a resident confirms that.  Every spring the town enjoys a party that celebrates that “life” and many frozen style activities can be shared.  The “Polar Plunge” involves jumping into icy water; fundraisers, parades, dances and parties are held every March and people from around the world come to take part. Mr. Morstoel continues to be an interesting story for the area, but his 20th anniversary requires an extra mention.  If you visit Colorado and happen to be in Nederland, every month a cryonics expert named Bo Shaffer repacks the 1,600 lbs of dry ice around Frozen Dead Guy and gives tours, answers questions and tries to keep the public up to speed on the future plans for Nederlands most famous dead resident.