Correspondence between Dick Johnson (68), Mel Kuhn (’70) & Larry Hackman (66)
Posted by Mel Kuhn: St. John, ND

Larry,
I just wanted to thank you for going through all the work getting your class reunion together. It was nice to see those who did attend when we stopped in at the Birchwood. We have our 50th reunion in two years and I’m wondering how many will be interested in getting together? We have lost so many from our graduating class that only about two thirds of us are still living. The classes on either side of us have only lost a couple but we are at about 11 or 12 gone and several more who didn’t make it to graduation and are also now deceased. It will be interesting to see who will show a desire to get something going?

How has your summer been going–outside of the reunion planning? We are getting quite a way along with making hay. We finished the bigger fields and are now doing small fields and some of the pasture that is way too far ahead of the cattle and will only be tramped down when we do put the cows in them. The wet conditions really grew the hay and pasture but also brought with it pink eye and foot rot so I have been darting cows and calves with medication and it never seems to end. I get some on the mend and find more coming down with one problem or another. Oh well, so it goes. Have you been doing any camping this summer? I haven’t read any news flashes about someone stinking up campgrounds by cooking sauerkraut. I sure hope the liberal media will get behind our push to legalize lutefisk!

Dick

Dick
The summer started early this year, and with a early, and nice Spring too, and so it has been a very busy year also. The weather has been great, and so I guess we are trying to do all the things we have been putting off waiting for that perfect day, and them days appear to be upon us this summer.

Time does travel fast when you are having fun and it has been a busy and fun year, so far.

I want to thank you and your wife for coming to our classes (Class of 1966) 50th reunion. It was a pleasure to see you both and we all enjoyed your company.

It is already Saturday and we are back from our recent trip to the hills and camping out at Lake Metigoshe, everything is purity much back to normal around here, again. I finished belt sanding my deck and now I’m waiting for it to dry after yesterdays rain. I hope you had time to finish bailing up your hay before that rain hit. We tried to delay you as much as we could while we were there. After seeing you and you hurrying us off because you wanted to get done, we decided it would be a good time to go over and bother Mel. We were hoping to catch him in the middle of a project too, cuz we are so good at causing delays. While cruising east on #43, I decided to take the back way, showing the boys the way the hills use to look, Driving up to Lake Jensen, and than east, on the north side of Dion Lake, and Lake Upsilon. Almost had to turn around between Dion Lake and Lake Upsilon as part of the road was under water. I was backing up the road and about to turn around, “when this older gentleman came from the east and drove right through the water like it was nobodies business but his”. Well being the adventurous guy I am, I thought if he can do that, so can I and proceeded through that water without spinning a wheel, solid bottom I suppose. But that storm that you were worried about was also threatening this area, and

it was getting mighty windy and dark. That was another reason I did not

want to get caught back in the bush, and with no farms around. While at Upsilon we stopped and surveyed the situation. That storm was fast approaching from the Northeast, and there looked like the tail of a tornado hanging down from them dark ominous clouds that were just a churning. We decided that it was no time to doddle or to go see Mel. Besides we had saw a couple of apple trees and the apples were still green and knew there would be know fresh apple pies at Mel’s place, and so we headed for Dunseith and had jumbos. Sorry Mel maybe next time. However just to let you know, I still have a craving for some fresh apple pie. We left Dale’s after eating and them clouds were starting to threaten the Dunseith area, and so we headed for Bottineau fast. We hit heavy rain west of Dunseith but eventually drove out of it with our tummies full and a smile on our face, and just wondering if Dick Johnson ever finished putting up his hay and if Mel had any apple pies around the house that he wanted to get rid of? Apple pie would have been good.

Just so you know Dick, we stopped at the grocery store in Rugby, and guess what? They had bread made with sauerkraut. Yes I bought a loaf of sauerkraut bread. I cut a slice off that loaf and put it in the toaster.

Now, Dick I’ll let you know, right off the bat , when you open that package the smell of that sauerkraut starts your mouth a watering. Than when you put it in the toaster and that smell starts to circulate throughout the house and into your nose, I tell you that you can hardly wait for that toaster to pop. Put some butter on that toast, and just sit back and let your taste buds go wild, while you bite and chew that toasted sauerkraut bread. The chicken in the bread pan picking lutefisk doesn’t stand a chance.

Have a good day and have some sauerkraut.

Larry
Larry,
I just had me a big old plateful of sauerkraut just the other day. I cooked me up some brats and mixed ’em up together and had me a feed. It was enough for two meals so I got to have some for lunch for two days. For some reason Kathy thought she could smell sewer when she got home. I told her that it must be the way the wind was from. It might have been my wind but she didn’t need to know that. Sometimes that sauerkraut can do that to a person. The next time you come up you’ll have to stop in Rugby and pick me up a loaf of the bread. The apples are ready now. We got one tree in town that’s getting so heavy it’s breaking the branches. I just might be forced to do some apple picking so’s that the little woman can make me up some pies. I’ll let you know how they turn out.

Mel

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Blog (496) posted on June 19, 2009

06/19/2009

Posted on June 19, 2009

Checks are in the mail from Bill Grimme (65): Birmingham, AL

Gary,

I have sent electronic checks to Marlene Reing and Bob Hosmer for their raffle winnings. Congratulations to the two of them. Checks should be deliver on or about June 26.

Bill

Violet Hiatt House passed away:

Posted by her daughter Doris House Gillies:

Gary,

I wanted to let you know that my Mom (Violet Hiatt House) passed away Friday evening (June 12, 2009). She was 92. We are planning the memorial service and I will let you know when we get everything finalized.

Doris House Gillies

Doris, We are so sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. Our condolences are with you and all of your family with her passing. Please keep us posted with her memorial service.

Folks, Violet was the Daughter of George and Eva Hiatt. She was a sister to Leola Lagerquist, Nettie Peterson & Glen (Ikie) Hiatt. Violet I believe was the 2nd oldest of the 12 siblings of George and Eva. Albert (Deceased) was the oldest. I remember Eva well and her brother John Crawford also who lived at Long Lake. Of coarse I knew Albert my entire life too. He lived his entire life in the Ackworth community.

Folks, Doris is on our distribution list. She requested to be on our distribution list when I first got in touch with her. With her very friendly demeanor, I can tell she inherited some of that good ole Dunseith, ND blood. Gary

Hiatt House

Violet

6990 Ironwood Ave

Boise, Idaho, 83709

208-362-1121

Daughter Doris jimdorisgillies2@msn.com

Message from Larry Liere (55): Devils Lake, ND

Hi Gary

I would have been a Dunseith grad in 1955 had I not moved to Devils Lake in
3rd grade. I still would like to hear from any Dunseith classmates that may
remember me so please put me in your blog. Below is a copy of a E-Mail I
sent to Janice after reading your blog. I think it is always good to hear
from old friends even the ones we can’t remember.

LARRY J. LIERE (55)

—– Original Message —–
From: “Larry & Karen Liere” <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 7:40 AM
Subject: WOW a plast from the past

I received this blog from Carman (Leonard) Richard and what a find. I
also
still have our 1st. & 2nd. grade class picture (some place around here)
The only ones I can still remember playing with are you, Barry Shelver who
was my best friend back then, Bob Hosmer, Arlene and Ann Lamoureaux. I
think Barry is out East some place and now I know you and Bob are out West
but do not know anything about Arlene and Ann. I remember I always
thought
we were related because my mother was a Leonard. I moved to Devils Lake,
ND
in 3rd. grade and was not a happy kid for almost two years. Even at that
young age I missed my old classmates. Even back then Barry and I did a
few
things that could have killed us but I think we are both still here.
Those
were the days. I clicked on Bob’s E-Mail address and nothing would come
up.
If you can forward this to any other classmates please do so.

Hope to hear from you and others.

LARRY (55)

Larry, I am sure many folks will remember you. Being part of the Rolette Leonard family, you come from a family of great relatives. Gary

Reply from Lois Tweten: Helena, MT

Gary,
The Carol Johnson I’m referring too is of the Sletto family. She was
raised at the farm, five miles south from Overly.
She married Richard Johnson in 1959 and his family were from
Minnesota. Her parents were Tilford and Clara Sletto – now both
deceased. In 1973 Clara was killed in a car accident a mile or so from
Rolette. Our mothers were sisters, of the Shjerve family in Barton.
Lois

Lois, The Sletto name is a well known name in the Bottineau community. I see in the 1984 Bottineau Centennial book that Carol is the daughter of Tilford & Clara Sletto. Gary

1984 Bottineau Centennial book index:

Folks, Speaking of the 1984 Bottineau Centennial book, the first copies that were sold did not have an index. I have attached that index that I have in a word document for those of you that have that book. I frequently use the find mode to find maiden names in this index. It’s a handy tool. Do any of you by chance have an electronic copy of the 1982 Dunseith Centennial book index? Gary

Mr. Lincoln Jerstad, DHS Teacher, Principal & Superintendent in the 50’s & 60’s