Folks,
With all the tributes you folks have provided with memories of Don Johnson, I’ve decided to dedicate today’s mailing to Don and his family. The first 3 messages, ahead of the article, I’ve gotten today. The messages following the article have been published before. I wanted to combine all the messages into one for this distribution. I went back through and tried to capture all the memories you folks have provided of Don. Please let me know if I’ve missed any.
I will include future comments that you guys provide, with memories of Don, in the daily messages. I will also add them to this message for redistribution in the future.
Gary Stokes
From Paulette LaCroix Chisholm (68): paulet
Gary,
These daily comments, stories and memories are a much better read than the Turtle Mt. Star in my humble opinion. I see I missed the “Daddy” song.
A little story about Don Johnson. In high school I played clarinet beside Gwen Grimme on the same old honking clarinet my two older sisters played going back at least a decade. Years of abuse had practically disintegrated the case so my mom taped it from head to foot with some gawd awful putrid smelling tape. When Mr. Johnson opened the door to the little room of stored instruments and was hit by the stench, he came to the conclusion that one or more students had not cleaned some filthy reed or mouthpiece in ages. He was quite “put out” with this disgusting find and lectured us on proper hygiene so “it” would never happen again. I knew it was my fault since I couldn’t put the clarinet even close to my lips without a gag. Now, I was sure everyone “knew” my mouthpiece was the “filthy unhygienic culprit.” Too embarrassed and red faced to fess up during the lecture, I waited in painful guilt and anxious expectation until after class. To my relief, he threw his head back in laughter and told me in a playful way to “get it out of there.”
I remember his eye opening introductions to different styles of music and his tying the message of “Romeo and Juliet” with the more modern “West Side Story.” He gave many of us the recognition and appreciation our parents didn’t or couldn’t and we “felt” his pride in our accomplishments. If you wanted to participate, he provided every effort to support you. I will always remember his kindness when gently telling those, who had less than perfect pitch, to keep their voices low so they could still participate in the choir. His contribution to our community over the years was huge, heartfelt and lasting.
Paulette LaCroix Chisholm (68)
From Brenda Hoffman (68):
Thank you Gary. I love the “community” of our emails. I could send this info directly to Dick Johnson but wanted yet more accolades for Don Johnson. Don was wonderful about exposing all of us to a variety of music (first heard and fell in love with Westside Story via Don in a music class), but also made absolutely sure that any cultural event near Dunseith was available to any of us who were interested. I so remember taking the bus to A Mid Summers Night Dream and laughing hysterically — and being amazed that it was written by Shakespeare. Or the concerts in Bottineau. Or the circus in Minot. And I loved how anyone could join the choir…even me. I knew my voice wasn’t the greatest (I think that’s an overstatement!) so would pretty much just voice the words when we were practicing. Toni and Paulette told me that they couldn’t hear me so I should sing louder..which I did for one song. I was a freshman in High School so of course, was intimidated by older classmates in the choir…Don stopped our practice after that one song and just said, “Brenda, could you keep it down.” He also sang at my wedding to Terry Hegney in 1969 (Terry died in 1981)..Of course, tunes from Westside Story!
From Dave Slyter (70):
Hi Dick:
Just a quick comment about your dad. Just like a super star, or actor, or singer or writer or composer your dad left a legacy in so many hearts, not only in the Dunseith area, but to North Dakota and Canada. He was a man that had a lot of influence on a lot of peoples life’s. He will always be in my life. He was the best teacher I had ever had.
Just one more little story about your folks together. When we lived on the farm up in the hills my mom Margaret Hiatt would make the best cinnamon rolls in the hills of the turtle mountains. When she would get into the mood of making them there would be this strange thing that would always happen during that same day of the baking. Your mom with your dad or your mom with her mom or your mom with your dads mom would always drive up and visit. We always asked mom when she was baking if she thought Don and Bernice would show up. Sometimes we know more than said it, and they were driving up the hill to our house. It was funny and also always enjoyable as they would sit and talk about so many things and memories of the old Benny Johnson farm. Always look forward to their visits. And they loved the cinnamon rolls. We always told mom that Bernice could smell those cinnamon rolls a mile away. ha
Take care
Dave Slyter :
Prairie Past and Mountain Memories (1982 centennial book) Page 213
I do truly appreciate all the good memories folks have about my
dad, Don Johnson. He had an ability to understand the needs of
those around him and then find a way to make their lives a
little better. The one thing that I believe he passed on to
most of the kids was that everyone is of similar value
regardless of his background or wealth or name! This I believe
is what allowed him to achieve things like Governor’s Choir
with something like sixty kids singing that well. The other
atribute that he had was to never give up no matter what the
odds were. This determination could be seen by his students and
I believe it also drove them to achieve. Thanks to all those of
you who have told your stories of your memories of my dad, it
means a lot!
Dick Johnson
Several people have written about memories of Don Johnson so I thought I
would add yet another:
I was a Daddy’s girl. Wherever my Dad went, I was riding on his shoulders
or hanging on to his hand. I remember my parents wondering how I was
going to handle starting school. However, my first grade teacher in
Hilltop school was Don Johnson and I thought he was the best teacher
ever.. I don’t know if this was his first teaching job, but he and
Bernice were so young and Dickie was only 2 or 3 years old. One day
Bernice came to pick him up from school and I thought she was such a
beautiful lady. Don fixed the swing in the school yard and I was the
first to get to swing on it. I backed up as far as I could and then sat
down to swing forward, just then Dickie ran in front of me and I crashed
into him knocking him down. I felt so bad, he got up Don dusted himself
off and he had a gash on his head…..but his glasses didn’t break. He
was such a little cutie.
The years went by and Don taught my husband Chuck in 8th grade in Rolette.
Then he came back to Dunseith and I remember the chorus and how we
harmonized and had concerts….so fun. I took Music Appreciation from him
and like so many others learned to appreciate so many different composers
and their music. Whenever I hear Classical music, I think of him. He
brought the Grand Canyon suite to school and we listed to the LP’s on the
stage in the new school. I thought it was the most beautiful music I had
ever heard. After that I started really listening and appreciating the
music in movies. He was my teacher in first grade and my senior years and
I have such fond memories of one terrific teacher and a wonderful, caring
person. We were so honored when he sang at our wedding! He was a
legend.
Margaret Leonard
band described by Dick Johnson. It made me believe that Don Johnson
gave more positive stuff to more people than anyone I know. The last
time I saw him was when he was leading the band down Dunseith’s main
street at one of my visits home during Dunseith Days. His grin and
wink, when he recognized me, stays with me these many years later.
He also helped me out of a pickle during deer season one year. I was in big rush after school to get to a hunting spot, driving my dad’s 4 wheel drive jeep pickup, and was tearing up the hill past Sime’s to get to a spot before dark. I mean to get to a spot where I could hunt until dark. I rounded a curve to discover that an oncoming school bus and I were going to be occupying the same space shortly. I swerved to get out of the way, missed the bus, but put the truck into a spin, I did a 360 and then went backwards off the road and down the ditch.
I know I was closer to some other folks, but didn’t feel like confessing my crappy driving to anyone else, so I walked down to Mr. Johnson’s. He fired up a tractor and we went back to pull it out. The ditch was pretty steep, and the only thing that kept it from going farther down the ditch was the tree I managed to wedge the truck up against. I think Mr. Johnson had to go back home to get a chainsaw. It’s not real clear to me, because I was pretty much dreading having to go back home and face the music there, so to speak. Mr. Johnson tied the truck off to the tractor, buzzed the tree down, yanked the truck out, and sent me on my way. Mr. Johnson must have called ahead to smooth out the waters, because it really wasn’t that bad when I got home. Probably Dad could see nothing was going to make me feel worse than I already did. There still was the inevitable lecture of course, but then he told me of a time as a kid he was driving one of the brand new cars from the garage, and wrecked that.
I can also recall spending many fall days looking for grouse and pass-shooting ducks at Mr. Johnson’s.
Yeah we had the blue blazers and the girls wore white skirts and the boys black pants. We stopped in Harvey one time to eat and filled the restaurant. On cue from Mr. Johnson we all stood up and sang our “Grace” It was very impressive. We were scattered all over but still managed four part harmony. I never realized important reading music would be. Now I singon a worship team and the ability to read music helps me to learn it quickly. Mr. Johnson had a huge impact on my
Alan Poitra, I remember those funny looking hats also but they were always locked up in the little practice room and we were all hoping that no one would mention to Mr. Johnson that we should wear them while we march. ha I always remember the home coming parades in Dunseith and also the day that we would travel to Minot for the Minot State College home coming parade. It was a long march, (especially when I had to carry that big ole bass drum) but was the best of times. Always went downtown Minot and hung out at all the stores. Always went to the five and dime store.
When we were in the music program in the late 60’s and into 1970(by the way that is the best year ever) we had the really nice blue blazer that we wore for high school concerts. I think we wore them for marching also. I also remember going to Devils Lake for the high school music contest or festivals. Dunseith always came home with high marks.
I think that was the best part of jr. high and high school was being in the famous Don Johnson music program. Well that and passing my grade each year. ha
One more memory I have to mention about the DHS music department. It has to do with years after I graduated but was a memory I will never forget. I was once a custodian at DHS after the good ole years of San Haven employment. My daughter Stacey was in high school band then and was under the direction of one of Don Johnson’s former students and everybody knows her, Cheryl Haagenson. She too did a great job in the music department. During the year that Stacey I think was a Junior in high school they decided they wanted to take in a contest down in Orlando Florida. So the money raising was put into place and the plans and dates of the trip were decided. I was fortunate enough to be a chaperone of this big event and what a memory it was. It will be with me for a very long time. The kids were so well behaved and they should have been so proud as they brought home this big huge trophy that I hope still is in the show case at the school. “Way to go Cheryl” You have done the school proud.
Thanks for the memories