From Ivy Eller Robert (74): Everett, WA

Hi Gary,

I, too am the proud owner of the LP of Cindy & The Turtle Mountain Boys that Alan Poitra talks about. It came from my Mom’s country music collection. I have approximately 100 LP’s that are mainly in ‘mint’ condition. Yes, ‘Mule Skinner Blues’ by Gary Poitra is one of my favorites. My folks, Herman & Emma Eller, were very good friends with Frank & Rose Poitra. My Dad’s first wife was Laura Azure, she was Rose’s sister I believe. The friendship continued long after Laura passed and Dad married my Mom. I remember going to ‘Uncle Frank’s’ place often to visit. I don’t recall when Rose passed, but I know I must have been in grade school. I remember her a little but not too much, but I really remember ‘Uncle Frank’ & his hole family (that’s what my Dad taught us to call him out of respect).We also visited Mr. & Mrs. Roy Poitra as well. I recall we were there one Sunday & this lady showed up and someone pulled out a guitar & she sang just like Kitty Wells. I don’t remember who she was, but boy could she sing & Uncle Frank was playing his fiddle while doing a ‘jig’ while sitting.
Every once in a while, I pull my portable record player out & dust off the LP’s and take a trip down memory lane. I don’t care what anyone says, you just can beat the country classics of Tammy, George, Loretta, Patsy, and many others………….

Thanks,
Ivy (Eller) Robert (74)

Reply from Leland Hagen (50): Bryan, Texas

Hi Gary,
I listened to the shortened version of the “Mule Skinner Blues” and it sounded
real good, so please send me the complete version. I would like to send it to some
of my friends here in Texas that do a little jamming every thursday afternoon. I’m
sure they would be impressed.
I look forward to reading your email every day and want to thank you for all the
fine work you do in this regard. Having been gone from the Dunseith area (except
for infrequent visits) for the last 58 years I don’t know most of your contributors,
however I do find their input very interesting. I did know many of their parents and
grand parents!

Leland Hagen (50) Bryan Texas

from Sharon Gottbreht Shen (1959): Everett, WA

Finally found a copy of an original photo of a hunting scene, probably taken 1947/48 at the Peace Gardens. George Gottbreht stands to the right of the door and he died in 1951. I thought the youth might be Edwin Seim? Kneeling from left to right: Hagen? Lucien Bedard; probably Art Seim; James Metcalfe; Dale Gottbreht. Have not been able to identify man in uniform, perhaps Peace Garden staff. Could be Alex Forbes standing right of George G; has also been suggested that it might be a Nerpel. The original picture is small and very dark; definition is less with enlargement.

I did not appreciate the zest guys and some gals had for hunting until we moved outside of town 1954. Well before dawn dad would wake me for waitress duty. Mrs Teresa Fontaine would already be there when I showed up at 4 am. She or Stella Schimetz would have roasted a large beef chuck the night before to make countless sandwiches. Hunters from the area or guest from motel would began to arrive and order huge platters of eggs and bacon, ham, sausages, flap jacks etc. Never before had I served a dozen fried eggs to one client! Dad would be there having coffee, telling tales and giving directions. He would provide a box now and then to carry sacs of sandwiches, Teresa’s delicious potato salad, Charlotte Boguslawski’s pies, cookies, cookies, cookies and numerous thermos of coffee. I was so green! All that work with such great cooks is now a happy, useful memory. Little wonder that I would drift off in Mr Starks Civics class.

Sharron

From Susan Fassett Martin (65): Spearfish SD

This is posted in one of my ‘Fathers history books. Peter Jardine,
Wesley Fassett, Grandpa Bigham are all attached in my family tree. Mr
Higgens is the grandfather of Karen Loeb, or maybe great grandfather.
Steve Cook is Lynn , Dana and Rick Henriksens grandfather. Interesting
picture. Enjoy!! Susan

From Bill Hosmer (48): Tucson, AZ & Lake Metigoshe, ND

Gary, and other good friends. Got this from two different sources, both fighter pilots from my past. The names were not familiar to me, and the date mark is two years before I was born. Interesting price list. Bill Hosmer

Bill, This is interesting. Sharron Gottbreht posted this same post card with message 387 that I have included below. I assumed she physically had the card and had scanned it, but I realize now that it must be posted somewhere on the internet. Yes, they list some interesting prices. This would have been before the computer age, so all these cards had to be individually typed which was very labor intense compared to today’s standards. Gary

1928 Post card from Sharon Gottbreht Shen (1959): Everett, WA

Interesting Penny 1928 Post Card. I Remember the Sisters across the street from us had a Model T!

Sharron

Sharron, This is really interesting. Chester Bjorngaard’s history is listed on Page 256 of the Bottineau Centennial book. Gary

Folks, I want to share this message that we recently sent out to the folks that will be going on the Dunseith Alumni Alaska Cruise the last week of July. For those of you that are interested and would like to join us on this cruise, I think our Travel agent, Gina, can still find you a cabin. We currently have 76 folks registered for this cruise. Gary

Dear Fellow Dunseith Alumni Cruisers,

For every 8 cabins booked we earn one free cabin fare based on the average cabin booked by our group. Most groups use this amenity to pay for the cruise leaders cabins and their personal use. In fact, with most groups, the group members are unaware of this amenity. In the planning stages of this cruise we decided, on Day 1, that we’d use this money for the benefit of the group. We just weren’t sure of the ways it could be applied and how it could be managed. We have been tolling around just how we’d do that. We were thinking we could purchase Tee shirts, name tags and have a few parties on the ship for some of the use of this money. Those were just some of the ideas we had. Until recently we were unaware that we could apply this money towards everyone’s cruise fare. That is what we have decided to do. The total money earned for this amenity will be divided equally among all those in our group and credited towards their final payment. It will not be known until all the calculations are done, at the time of the final payment, how much this credit will be. We currently have 37 cabins booked, so we will let you do the math.

Statement from our travel agent, Gina Ford

one persons base cruise price Free for every 8 cabins booked is a groupamenity. This amount may be deducted from everyone’s cruise price at time of final payment. This amount is determined by the final head count at time of final payment. This discount is also based on which cabin type you have “the most: of.

I will get exact amount of discount from NCL with full explanation for their calculation as well).

This most likely will be about a week prior to the final payment date, so that you have plenty of time to send out a group email with the discount amount to all the folks in your group.

Gina

Some Cabin fare adjustments have been made for our group.

Statement from our travel agent, Gina Ford

Please be advised that “any” onboard credits from the cruise line – can vary from cabin type to cabin type, as well as depending on theexact date that each cabin booked into the group. Due to the fact that this amount will vary, it will not be offered for a “Group” distribution email. It will be advised to each cabin as they call in their final payment. If the entire Group had all booked their cruise vacation – at the same time, and selected the same cabin categories, this would be easier to explain. The onboard credit is simply a “gift” from NCL and is 100% based on the exact cabin they selected – in combination with the exact date that they decided to book their cruise. This onboard credit that NCL offers is not a group amenity.

Our group prices have been adjusted as listed, in red, on the chart below.

The original prices quoted are in black.

Final Cabin payments are due on April 24th.

Please bring any questions that you may have to Gina, our travel agent’s, attention

Your group leaders,

Bill Grimme

Gary & Bernadette Stokes

Gina S. Ford

Cruise At Will, Inc.

Cruise and Travel Planners

1-866-870-6986 (toll free)

703-580-1190 (local)

www.CruiseAtWill.com