1/13/2014 (1940)

No Blog Yesterday
For the record, I did not get a blog posted yesterday.
Gary
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Happy Birthday Margaret Seim Lawston (DHS ’54): Citrus Heights, CA
                 Seim Lawston, Margaret 1940
                                
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Roland Mongeon’s white house
Reply from Allen Richard (’65):  Midland, MI.
 

The white house Mark Schimetz refers to was on the Roland Mongeon farm just east of Highway 3.  Roland built the current farm house in 1961.  The carpenter was Gilmer Ihla from Rolette, who built our house a year earlier.  Dad helped in the construction of both houses. 
The white 2 story house was moved to town about the same time.  Joni and lived tin the upstairs appartment in the summers of 1970 and 1971.
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Repeated Thanks
From Dick Johnson (’68):  Dunseith, ND
Gary and Friends,

Again,  I would like to thank so many of the folks for all the
nice memories they posted about my mom and dad.  It certainly is
humbling for me to see the connection they had with so many people over
the years and how they generated so many memories.  It also brings back
so many memories of my own that I’m nearly overwhelmed at times.  Thanks
a bunch!  Thanks Gary!

Dick

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Memories of Don & Bernice Johnson, other Neighbors and Friends
From Vickie Metcalfe (’70):  Bottineau, ND
Gary and friends,

For a time, in the first few years of Gary’s blog  endeavor,I dint read the blog.
So I had an interest in reading yesterdays.
I recall back, Thirty-Four Years.

The winter of 1979-1980  was cold and icy, there was alot of snow!
I was fortunate to live in the hills of home, while teaching elementary school in Dunseith.
That winter,  we were aided, immensely on the caring kindness of neighbors.
Carroll, Audrey and Al  Smith,  Dick, Brenda, Don and Bernice Johnson were our closest neighbors.
Art and Eva,  I believe had moved off the farm to CA for the winter.
My green Bonneville, often found its way into snowbanks,
getting stuck several times  on the gravel road.
I was the fortunate one! 
Everytime, when I needed help,
Don  or Dick Johnson would just  be coming
down the road and find a way to get me out.  
My mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor  right before Christmas 1979.
Before her scheduled January surgery, Bernice Johnson called  my mother and said, 
“I will wash clothes for your boys while you are in Fargo with Vickie and Cliff and while you recover.”
My  brothers,who were young teens, balked when mom told them that Bernice Johnson would come get their
 clothes and wash.  (Bernice Johnson was a classy lady.)
Those two,were scared farm boys, dad was disabled, and everyone very stressed.
The boys,were also shy at heart and  didn’t want any  just anyone  washing ……
Yup,  my wise dad guessed the problem…………UNDERWEAR.  
So, we purchased more. So I could wash whenever I got home.
Dad, Mom, and I went on to Fargo where she had surgery. January 15,1980……
While there,Geri and Chuck Munro opened their home and hearts to my parents.
They, and dear Helen were constant anchors in Christian faith and healing.
Back at the farm, friends and neighbors, were wonderful!
They gave the brothers the space needed but offered to help as needed. 
Adamant to help, Bernice (Seim Metcalfe)Lindburgh came and stayed for the first few days.
Finally, Mom had come home  to recover.
She  wore a scull cap covering her hairless head which was covered in staples and stiches.
Her scull  had been sawed from ear to ear.  Mom’s balance was off, she moved like a stroke patient
using her hand to balance against the wall as she stumbled.
She also lost an area of her brain which controlled weight, she lost the sense of smell
 and was now blind in one eye
She was a strong woman of faith, had resolved to recover, because Dad needed her.
There were the neighbors of the hills, who understood our needs.
Don Johnson would stop and visit dad when he was out walking with his white cane and border collie.
Don would visit like he had all the time in the world.
Dad  respected both, Don and Bernice. 
Dad said, “Don treats me normal, and doesn’t seem uncomfortable with me being blind.”
If Dad needed to get out, he knew he could call Don  Johnson, who would have taken him to “Dales” any afternoon.
Bernice and Don Johnson continued to pull me out of snowbanks through ’til spring.
Blessed be the memory of Don and Bernice Johnson,
 neighbors and friends with hearts and minds of “GOLD”.
Vickie
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Posting of the day
From Ivy Eller Robert (’74):  Bottineau, ND
 

Hi Gary….
   Check out these photos of WWII. There are some shots of Cebu and other locations around your area. You may have already seem these photos in the past.
Ivy Robert
CENSORED PHOTOS OF WWII
These photographs were classified during WWll.

Many of us have not seen photography like this before. Beautiful, stark black and white pictures, about 110 of them, of historical significance in this collection.

At the end of the pics there are some interesting comments.  For many of us, our fathers and/or grandfathers participated in this action…

World War II: The Pacific and Adjacent Theaters.

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Blog posted on February 5, 2008

2/5/2008

Posted on 
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Memories from Lola Metcalfe Vanorny (68): 
lola vanorny, ew
Oh yes, I remember so many good memories of the Johnsons– I remember
going to a contest somewhere in his big black shiny cadillac – probably
about a 1961–  and he drove really fast– (we thought) — that was cool!!_
ha– that was back in Dad’s   50 mph days–  ha  —! 

Bill’s story about the play was really cute!!_- i can just imagine them
doing that–  Yes- Bernice was very beautiful!

Sometimes when I see a group of school kids performing somewhere —
how sad it is that the dress code has gotten so lax–  when we played for
an occasion somewhere – we looked sharp!!–  The blue blazers – black or
white pants or skirts etc.  and we’d better stand up straight– !!–  He
was a stickler for that!– and I believe that too made an impression on us.
He had high standards.

It is just so fun to hear the various stories and incidents all the kids
around had–  I think I remember Jay’s Mom “Beanie”  mentioning Margy
Landsverk working in the lab at the San.  Beanie was the lab director  – I
still have people that worked for her talk about her – they seemed to love
her– I did and only knew her for a short time as she died the fall we were
married.  She was a wonderful lady.

I think of so many incidents of the storekeepers –  they were kind of our
“village”  the Sines–  Shelvers- Hosmers- Herman- the hardware—they
treated us as their own kids–   By the way do you know Armand Mongeon is
still working at the Hardware?!!  he is as spry as he was when he was
younger!!_-  everything I know about any thing  (painting– etc)  I learned
from Armand and seems I was always painting something–  it is still that
way today–  I’ll bet walmart wouldn’t deliver right to our door if we need
something – the hardware does!!  ha–  and then you don’t pay for it til
the next time you go into the store!–  that’s why I continue to shop the
little stores in Dunseith.  If I forget my check book at the grocery store
or Pharmacy–  they just put a slip in the til–  bet that wouldn’t happen
at Walmart!!_ ha

I practically lived at Mongeon’s in highschool – they always had a “double
family” as each of their 6 kids would more than likely bring home a friend
for after school- and dinner –if we had a game to go to that night– or a
concert or some kind of practice after school.  their household was so fun-
Armand would even sing with us–  !!

keep the stories coming – I love to read them – and yes–  Thank God that
Deb Morinville Azure ‘s results were do positive–  Lola

Lola, Armand Mongeon has email  armand@srt.com and is on our distribution list.  He graduated from DHS in 1940. Gary

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Gary Morgan’s (54) reply: 
Hi Gary & All,

It was interesting to note the reference to Eli Demry in the 40 below song.  Jim Footit (Class of 51) wrote “The Ballad of Eli Demry” in the early 50s when Eli was a young man.  I don’t remember the words but it was to the tune of “Ballad of Davey Crockett” and the first verse started “Born on a mountain top near old Dunseith…meanest place in the land of the Crees.  The first verse ended with “…kicked out of a bar when he was only three”.  Then the refrain…..”Eli…Eli Demry…King of the Chipp-o-was”.
Some of you may not be aware that it was Eli’s grandson, Micah Johnson (Darcy’s son) that we saw on the evening news and morning shows, last spring, dangling from a gun mount as his helicopter made a daring rescue of another helicopter crew shot down in a river in Bagdad.  Micah had given his space to one of the rescued crew members.
Who would have thunk?

Gary Morgan
Class of 54
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Marge Landsverk Fish’s reply to Dave Slyter (57):
Note: Dave’s message follows Marge’s reply.
Hi Dave,
     I am a 1st. cousin of Barb, Sharon, Bruce and the rest of the kids.  Nels was my dads brother.  I saw most of the cousins at Rodgers house in Bottineau a year ago Oct. when I came to N.D. to visit my husbands family in Rolette and my friend Caroleen Williams in Bottineau.  I also met Lucille Volk, Marlene Armentrout, and Arliss Lider at Dales for a get together.
     My family(Knute and Minnie Landsverk ) lived a half a block so. of the grade school.  The house isn’t there any more.  I was in the class of 57.  My dad did a lot of the stone work at the Peace Garden while I was growing up.  I have a older brother Howard who is 13 years older than me and lives in Edmonds Wash.
My other brother Bill(Marvin) is deceased.   My parents passed away in 1970 and 80.
     I understand Gary Stokes also lived in the neighborhood of Nels.
                                                                     Sincerely,
                                                                        Marge Fish
    
Hi Marge,
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My name is Dave Slyter.   I noticed your maiden name is Landsverk and I lived next door to some Landsverk up in the Turtle Mountains.  They lived right off from the Willow Lake Road.  The family farm stead was Nels and Gerdie Landsverk.  We all rode the same school bus.  I graduated with David Landsverk and was neighbors to Bruce for many years.  I do remember Barb Landsverk.   I was just wondering if you were related to them?�

David Slyter
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More tunes (Satterfield – William Metcalfe)  from Mel Kuhn (70):
Howdy Gary,
It sounds like they want to hear more songs, so I’ll just keep sending them one at a time. If someone would like a copy of the CD I sure could make them one and send it out. There are 17 songs on it. I got my copy from Dick Johnson.
Mel Kuhn [70]