Nederland, Colorado, a picturesque little town about 45 miles northwest of Denver claims more than just quaintness, beauty, and the ruggedness of the Rocky Mountains to draw thousands of visitors.  It also is home to Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, more commonly known as “The Frozen Dead Guy.”

Morstoel died on November 6, 1989 while at the family’s mountain retreat in Norway and was immediately packed in ice before making the long trip to Los Angeles, California, where he was cryogenically prepped and frozen.  Morstoel’s grandson, Trygve Bauge decided that his grandfather should have the opportunity of potential immorality and made the arrangements for his grandfather.

Bredo was kept at the Institute, while Trygve searched for a suitable place to store frozen bodies. Grandpa Morstoel remained at the California institute until 1993, when his body was packed in dry ice, shipped to Nederland, Colorado, and stored in a garden shed.

Cryogenic suspension requires a body to be frozen immediately after death to ward off physical decay, then maintained in a frozen condition until the time when medical science may be able to restore it to life. Suspendees are typically kept cool via liquid nitrogen, but due to budget constraints, “Grandpa Bredo” was kept on ice.

Born in Isfjorden, Romstel, in western Norway, on February 28, 1900, Bredo Morstoel married his wife Anna in the late 1920’s and the couple had two children.  Working as the head of parks and recreation until his retirement in 1967, Bredo was fond of painting, fishing, hiking and skiing.

In 1980, Morstoel’s grandson, Trygve Bauge came to the United States, to “be safe from nuclear war.” The unorthodox young man was long haired, bearded and enjoyed scoffing at authority, as evidenced by his many particular actions.  Well known in the Boulder area, Bauge was convinced that bathing in ice water would prolong his life and founded the Boulder Polar Bear Club.  He was arrested at the Stapleton Airport in 1986 for joking that he was going to hijack a plane, and was arrested again in 1988 when he was caught trespassing on the Colorado University President’s property.