Lillian Thompson Cain Bergstrom (DHS class of 1936)
Posting from Ron Cain: Superior, Wi.
Gary:
Thanks for posting a recent photo of Elaine Stokes and Corbin & Luella Pritchard. My mother -Lillian Thompson Cain Bergstrom-has some unidentified pictures and I can now put a name to the face.
She is doing well and in two months will hit the century mark. WHEW!
Ron Cain
Thank Ron for this reply.
Your mother, to our knowledge, is the oldest living to have ever graduated from Dunseith High School.
Folks, Lillian’s mother was a Stokes, sister to my grandfather Frank Stokes. The Thompson farmstead was located in the Ackworth community about a mile east of the Fauske Farm or about a mile north and about a half mile east of the our farm, the Stokes farm.
Lillian was also a first cousin to the Pritchard’s, (Robert, Corbin, Winifred Eurich and Floyd Pritchard’s dad)
Advance happy birthday to Lillian too. Not often folks reaching a hundred still have s sound mind like Lillian. I understand she is a little hard hearing is all. Remarkable. Ron please keep us posted with your mother’s 100th birthday. We are most certainly interested.
Gary
Memories
From Ginger LaRocque Poitra (’65): Belcourt, ND
I grew up in a small house in shanty town, of Dunseith. Our house WAS SMALL! We were a family of 7, one boy and 4 girls.
We were poor money wise. Our mother made our clothes including our coats for the most part. Our father worked different jobs, draying, driving truck for Evie, Ernie and George Gottbreth’s grandfather, he did what he had to do to feed his family. He later got a job on the railroad, working summers in the beginning, later working year round, retiring from the railroad.
Our mother began working at the Crystal Cafe as a cook, she always said that Rosie McCoy was a good cook, who taught her a lot. Working at the Crystal Cafe began because she wanted to buy Christmas gifts for us. She ended up working there for 9 years before going to work at San Haven for 27, she was a cleaning lady, she cleaned for Dr. Loeb and other people.
There were no doors for the two bedrooms so mama made curtains for doors.
One Christmas Eve when I was maybe 5, 6. After having eaten our supper the dishes were washed and put away, floor swept, the kitchen having been cleaned extra good we sat around for a while.
We were all told to go to bed and sleep or Santa won’t come, we couldn’t go to our usual places to sleep so we went to mom and dad’s bedroom knowing we would soon be awaken to open our gifts.
What kid could go to sleep with the excitement that Santa would soon be here. Knowing what we knew, my brother and I knelt on the bed peeking through the curtains which were opened a bit, just enough to see pretty good.
We could see the door leading outside. It opened! There stood dad, mom! And Santa! Carrying a sled!
The sled was my brothers, I got a black bear with a white face.
This was a memorable Christmas for me, I got to see Santa Claus!
I didn’t tell anyone I saw Santa until way later in life, and it was my kids I told it to.
Merry Christmas to all and to all I ask. Did you ever see jolly old Saint Nick? The real one!
Ginger (LaRocque) Poitra class of 1965 a most wonderful year!
Pictures posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND
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Blog (398) posted on March 15, 2009
03/15/2009
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Alfred Satrang (37) passed away:
CLARENCE “ALFRED” SATRANG, 92, Rolette, died Friday in a Rugby hospital. Funeral Tuesday, 11 a.m., Valle Lutheran Church, Rolette. People may sign the register book Tuesday, 9 a.m. until the service, in the church. (Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake)
Reply from Jean Nicholas Miller (66): GLENDALE, AZ
Gary,
This is the first time I have replied to any of your emails but I do read them all the time and enjoy them. They bring back so many memories of growing up. I now live in sunny Arizona (since 1985) and love it. Regarding the cheerleader picture, the one on the left is Joann Houle and the others are as stated and I think the right is Sharon Wheeler? Keep us the good work.
Jean Nicholas Miller (66)
Reply from Marg Longie Wilcox (56): Vancouver, Wa
Good morning gary,
from the rainy state of washington!! In the mrs. Houle obituary it is mentioned of the Vandal’s. When I first moved to Dunseith, we originally came from St. John, No. Dak. There was a Vandal family (HER FIRST NAME WAS Lorraine) that lived across the street from us, and later moved to Minot, nd. They opened up a niteclub I believe it was called the ” sunlight” nite club near the airforce base in Minot. Boy I am sure having to rack my brain for this info LOL. My mom may have some pic’s of them. Marge Wilcox Reply from Sharron Gottbreht Shen (59): Everett, WA
Thank you for posting pictures and info of the Lillian Houle funeral. It was an honor to share a cup of tea with this warm and generous lady on a number of occasions when visiting in Bottineau. Lillian and my mom were born in the same year and had the experience of raising large families, many of which brave labors were managed alone. Her sparkle was a great tonic for my mom. I was forever stunned by her beautiful complection! Norman and Shirley would invite many of Lillians friends for Thanksgiving dinner; that meal was a gala event for Alma and we would get a full report in all corners of the USA. Great people/superior genes! My deepest sympathy and fond regard to the family of Lillian and Al Houle.I recall when Gary and Bobbie Houle opened their home to me when Bobbie and I were searching for genealogy threads. Bobbie and I spent hours and hours at the MN State Library. Excellent resources. On that occasion I found data that confirmed the Gaudet/Rousseau line of Evelyn Gaudet Gottbreht, concluding over 15 years of frustrating search. Quite a high if you suffer from genealogy mania. Glad to have this opportunity to praise Bobbie and Gary Houle.
Sharron Gottbreht Shen Reply to yesterday’s message from Glen William’s (52): Missoula, MT
Referance to the Three Amigos photo from class of 1952
Gary….Thanks…You might note that the drawing was provided by Gary Woodford’s Son in Law….Gary was I think in the Class of ’56
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