07/01/2009 | Dunseith Alumni

Reply from Aggie Casavant (69): Fort Mill, SC

To Dick,that story was soooo funny,when you first described putting all differnt sizes of tires on that car, I just lost it laughing,just trying to picture it.Then when I scrolled down and actually saw the car you can see that there is 2 different size tires on it…What a scream…As I was reading it I was cringing thinking of how dangerous that whole episode was,but kids being kids just don’t think that far ahead,but it was obvious Keith Smiths dad realized it,but I guess thats what parents are for,to protect us from ourselves.That was really a great story and I can see how that picture would be priceless to you. Keep the stories and pictures coming…. Aggie

Aggie, I was in a bit of hurry yesterday and didn’t take time to comment to your message posted yesterday. You too had me in stitches with your comments as quoted:

“We use to be able to talk our Dad to go on a Sunday drive with the whole family??? I’m not real sure how we managed, but I remember about one Sunday a month he would pack us all in and drive down to Yellow Corners and get dixie cups. It kinda reminds me of this reality show on T.V called, How’d They Do That??? Well thanks for all the great entertainment Gary! Aggie”

Aggie, I’m sure most know, but some don’t, that there are 16 kids in your family. Most of us knew that is what you were referring to. Now the rest know. Aggie, the humor just rolls out of you. You really have a way with words. Your folks did a wonderful job raising such a large family. One can not ask for a nicer bunch of caring compassionate roll model folks than you guys, the Casavant kids. That was very obvious with the conversations Bernadette and I had with your brothers Rene, Joe & Gerald at the 2007 reunion. We had a nice long and very enjoyable lunch together one day at Dale’s. Gary

Reply from Dick Johnson (68): Dunseith, ND

Gary and Friends,

In reply to Aggie’s question about the big white building by the
police station—that is the old city hall. It burned down in ’68 and
was soon replaced by the current city hall. I believe that is the
building you are referring to. A special thanks to Sharron Gottbreht
Shen for sending the picture. In years past, there were periodic
pictures of main street that were made into postcards. I remember
seeing some from the ’50s. Would any of our alumni possibly have some to
share on the site? Thanks Gary!

Dick

Reply from Sybil Johnson: Cheyenne, WY

Gary,
While at my granddaughter’s wedding in Wisconsin, Augie and I were talking about Randy. He said, he had talked to Randy
months back. He told me, that Randy had retired up in Montana. Where in Montana, Augie didn’t say. So, if anybody knows,
Augie would, but I have no other contact with him. Sybil Johnson

Reply from Bev Morinville Azure (72): Dunseith, ND

Gary, I would like to say a few words about Verena Gillis….. This woman is an amazing woman she is the first one to come forward to do a benifit for someone who is in need. She doesn’t ask for anything in return. I would love for every town in the world to have a Verena she is priceless.HATS OFF TO VERENA AND MAY GOD BLESS HER .

Reply from Ele Dietrich Slyter (69): Dunseith, ND

Today’s blog brought back many memories for me…Patty, I too learned to drive on a Ford tractor, but perhaps Dad was a safer instructor than Dick???? lol as I don’t remember trees being in the wrong places.

Verena, I heard my parents and grandparents talk many times of the use of Agent Orange to clear the border line in this area, but I have no proof that this is true. If it is true, I think it may have been used somewhere around the 30’s or 40’s from what I remember them saying. I hope that someone will be able to find the information as it may help people in this area understand why so many are sick.

Gary, I don’t think this will be of interest to many people, but feel free to include it if you wish. I am including a picture of my grandfather Anton Dietrich with his fiddle. The picture was taken somewhere in the early 1900’s, which would make this instrument around 100 years old now. After my parents passed away, I found the fiddle in Mom’s things and decided it deserved to be heard again and enjoyed, so I gave it to Jim Birkland, who as you all know is a fiddle player. He did a bit of fixing and played it for me. I wanted to cry the first time I heard it. To think I was hearing the same sounds my grandparents and parents had heard was awesome. Jim called me last night and asked if he could pass the fiddle on to his son, who also plays. What an honor to know the fiddle will stay in the family and be enjoyed for many years yet!!! Thank you Jim.

And thank you Gary for all you do for each of us each day.

ele

Ele, By all means I will post this picture of your Grandfather Anton Dietrich. Are you related to Jim Birkland? I have not seen Jim and Ruby for close to 50 years. They lived up on the Johnny Hiatt place, now the Fauske’s, when they were first married. Ruby is a sister to Mel Kuhn’s (70) dad. I think this is a picture of Jim Birkland that Kenny Nerpel sent a year or so ago? Please correct me if this is not Jim. Gary

Anton Dietrich Jim Birkland

Reply from Paula Fassett (70): North Branch, MN

It was interesting to read Verena Gillis’ note about agent orange. Once upon a time, Joe Evans told me that years ago when the US/Canada border was cleared at the Peace Garden and beyond, agent orange was used to rid the area of foliage, and he swore that that was the reason for the high cancer rate in the area. At the time he told me this I thought it sounded like a valid reason, but I’d never heard that from anyone else until now. So Verena, maybe there is something to that!

Paula Fassett

Reply from Eileen Brudwick: Fargo, ND

Hi Gary,

Here is a link to a website regarding the agent orange sprayed in Canada. I don’t have a clue whether this is the area Verena is talking about, but thought I would pass this on to you.

Eileen

http://www.agentorangecanada.com/

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE
AGENT ORANGE ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

THE GROWING SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT
CHEMICAL SPRAYINGS ON CFB GAGETOWN AND
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES FROM 1956 TO 1984

Over one billion grams of Agent Orange, Agent Purple and Agent White were sprayed on CFB Gagetown and surrounding communities from 1956 to 1984 consisting of 3.3 million litres and kilograms of Dioxin, Picloram, 2,4-D + 2,4,5-T, and Hexachlorobenzene

In May/June of 2005, the CBC National, CTV, Global TV and hundreds of newspapers across Canada reported the ongoing stories of the spraying of Agent Orange and Agent Purple at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown, New Brunswick, Canada.

Document A-2004-00207 (See DND Documents in our Menu) was obtained through the Access to Information Act from The Department of National Defence (DND) Freedom of Information Directorate in Ottawa.

This document, authored by DND, – a collection of letters, emails, pictures, charts, diagrams and transcripts of briefings contained the decades-hidden truth about the severity of the sprayings on CFB Gagetown.

The Agent Orange document, as it became known, showed the extent of the sprayings of Dioxin, Hexachlorobenzene and Picloram contaminated defoliants for a 28-year period over an area of 181,000 acres on CFB Gagetown.

Our Department of National Defence claimed the U.S. military had been invited to test only two and one half barrels (483 litres) of Agent Orange and Agent Purple and other unregistered herbicides for a total of three days in June 1966 and four days in June of 1967.

However, DND’s own documents show that shocking amounts were sprayed for 10 years before the Americans sprayed their miniscule 483 litres in the summers of ’66 & ’67 and DND continued to spray millions of litres for a further 20 years after the Americans had packed up and gone home.

During the 28 years that DND sprayed, the enormity of the spray exposure and drift became evident as thousands of civilians and military personnel became sick and were/are dying from being poisoned by the carcinogenic toxins in Oromocto, CFB Gagetown and all of the communities surrounding CFB Gagetown

Toni Morinville & Randy Kelly

Dan McKay & Pam Lagerquist

Comments: This picture must have been taken in 1950. With 3 candles, this must be Pam Fassett’s 3rd birth. Her birthday is November 30th and I think she was born in 1947. I think Dick Johnson was born in 1950 and by the looks of this picture he’s not even a year old yet. Gary

Picture (11/30/1950) L to R:

Mark Anderson, Susan Fassett, Pam Fassett, John Morgan & Dick Johnson

Don Johnson (46)

Ramona Dionne Johnson (48)