In Memoriam of Lee Pedersen and Emil Knish

By Staff
Published on May 13, 2020
article image
by Andrew Mackey

Lee Pedersen March 7, 1951 to March 8, 2020

Lifetime engine enthusiast, vendor and GEM advertiser Lee Pedersen was killed in his home on March 8. Lee was 69 years old. Many of you have a personal connection with Lee who has attended many gas engine shows across the U.S. throughout the years.

“The first time I met Lee was at the Jacktown summer show, about 46 years ago. It was a casual business meet — I bought some parts from him. He had to move his van, and the battery was dead. I offered him a jump, and drove my 1950 IHC L-120 next to his van and got out the cables. He said, ‘You can’t do that, my van is 12-volt.’ ‘So is my truck’ I told him. He looked under my hood and saw I had replaced the engine and converted to 12-volt, so we were good. After I got him fired up, we became fast friends. I bought lots of stuff from Lee. Books, manuals, parts, wire, you name it he had it. He was also a wellspring of knowledge. If he didn’t know it, he made sure to find out about it and let you know the next time you saw him. I saw Lee at many shows, from Coolspring, Hudson, Canandaigua, Jacktown and more. Everyone knew Lee, and I think you will find a lot of tales about him.”

Submitted by Andrew Mackey mackmotr@aol.com

“I visited with Lee about his ads in GEM on a regular basis for many years. I looked forward to our conversations as he always shared interesting facts, history about gas engines and other topics. Before I attended a show in Canandaigua, New York, for my first time in that area, Lee recommended that I check out a specific grocery store there to try these amazing cookies. He even mailed a box of them to me to try! Lee leaves a huge void in the gas engine community and will be greatly missed.”

Terri Keitel, GEM Senior Media Consultant

Photos and information provided by Tracy and roughandtumble.org

Long Island Antique Power Association will be having a memorial for Lee W. Pedersen at their meeting on July 11, 2020. See www.liapa.com for information.


Emil Knish Sept. 4, 1962 to Feb. 6, 2020

The gas engine community lost collector Emil Knish, of Montgomery, Minnesota. He was 57 years old and passed away at his home. Services were held on Feb.13.

“Emil was featured in the June/July 2019 edition of Gas Engine Magazine in an article about him and his engine collection. I met and talked engines with him several times. He was friendly and outgoing and willing to share information. His engine collection was diverse and extensive. He often showed 12 or more engines, always nice, always running. He worked for many [35] years as a Field Coordinator for Opus Design Build, LLC. He will be sorely missed by all.”

Submitted by Dave Irey 

 Edina, Minnesota

To view full obituary or send condolences to Emil’s family, visit Funeral Notices.

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