10/6/2014 (2110) | Dunseith Alumni

No Blog yesterday.

For the record I did not get a blog posted yesterday.

Gary

Happy birthday John Tangen! Hope you had a great day!!
From Connie Zorn Landsverk: Bottineau, ND

Sam Smith / Yvonne Poitra Photo
Reply from Debbie Poitra Rondeau (’77): Dunseith, ND

Good Morning Gary,

I do know Yvonne Poitra, who her first husband was Sam and than later on they divorced and she married a Graber from Rolette. Yvonne passed away a few years ago, and her first husband Sam I think still lives in Alaska.

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Blog (172) posted on July 26, 2008

Folks, Several of you have replied to the Dunseith Lutheran photo with names. I will compile all your messages and repost that photo, hopefully, with tomorrows message. We are still missing the identity of several folks on that photo, so please reply if you recognize any of the unidentified folks in that picture. Gary

From Vickie Metcalfe (70):

Dear Gary, Another reflection;Dick’s story about Glen Shelver.

My parents had a deep abiding respect for Glen and Annabelle Shelver.

Cliff and Lottie Metcalfe, whenever they needed medical questions answered would go to the back of the drug store, to seek Mr. Shelver’s wisdom and counseling. As a kid-member of Dunseith Lutheran, now Peace Lutheran, I observed Glen and Annabelle Shelver as a deeply spiritual couple. Truly a couple who “walked the walk”. They exemplified, “true character traits”, they humanely valued and treated every person they met with dignity ….. no matter who you were, what your income was, how you looked, how old or young you were, what you wore.. the color of your skin, regardless of any disabilities mentally, physically, or morally. etc.

My dad,( Cliff) remembered, reflected and relayed the character traits imparted to him by many wonderful hometown folks, from time to time noting that from the time he was a fatherless teenager, Glen Shelver was right up there for him as a role model and “as good as any doctor”.

Here is the story I recall dad witnessing, “One day in the fall of 1964 when Emil Metcalfe and his family moved back to Dunseith. The big Metcalfe brothers, Cliff and Emil wearing their white plastering bibs were walking up main street ( probably after pie at the cafe :).) Glen Shelver called out of Shelver Drug gesturing to them, “You boys come in I want to look at something. Emil and Cliff stepped into front of the drug store, he motioned them to the back, past the front counter, past Mrs. Leonard and Mrs. Shelver,and other customers, past the roasting nuts, and beyond… the over-the-counter displays,then behind the back counter, the safe, into the back room.

Mr. Shelver said to Emil, “It’s been along time, hold out your hand. Emil did and Mr Shelver smiled at Emil’s hand but did not shake, just said, “How is it? Emil said, It’s fine”.

preface this , In the mid 1930’s when the 4 youngest Metcalfe children were living with their mother, Rose in Dunseith. Emil would do odd jobs around town to supplement the family income. One day, Emil’s entire thumb was cut off. Emil picked up his thumb where it fell gripped it with his fingers in the palm of his hand and ran straight to Glen Shelver at the drug store. At first, Emil wouldn’t open his hand, because he thought the thumb would be thrown away. Glen Shelver patiently, quietly,calmly, talked Emil into opening his hand, then with skilled swiftness, without a facial reaction, cleaned the wound where the thumb had been. Then, cleaned the thumb. He placed the two together…. without stitches, pulling an ointment off the back shelf smeared it all over, wrapped it tightly and said to Emil “leave it alone, don’t get it wet and let it heal…..

It healed and Emil had full use of his wonderful hands….

Back to the 1964 story……Glen Shelver then opened up his ledger and showed Cliff and Emil the entry of that day in the 30’s. Dad noted there were pages upon pages of entries ……pages of unpaid bills..Dad said, Promptly, Emil reached in his bibs, pulling out his check book. Glen Shelver said to Emil, ” I didn’t ask about the hand to be paid.” But Emil said, “I know but,I can pay now.” And Emil paid………..not much by 1964 standards that old mid 1930’s bill.

after note, as a niece I recall….Uncle Emil our Metcalfe family gentle giant, had big big baseball glove size, strong but gentle hands..

Ah, but for the value of one hand. And the value and wisdom of Glen Shelver.

Vickie Metcalfe

From Allen Richard (65):

Re: Dick Johnson and Glen Shelver.

There has to be hundreds of glen stories out there. He was an amazing guy and as nice as he was amazing. Dad was kind of the local “pseudo vet” out on the prairie — He and Bae Pigeon before Bae moved to town. With Glen’s advice Dad and Bae performed nearly every vet function on livestock that wasn’t specifically designated to licensed vets. Back in those days that covered quite a spectrum! I learned a lot too, but got away from livestock well before my skills were on the same planet with Dad or Bae.

I think the “old school” pharmacists were kind of like the “horse doctor’s” of the 1800’s and dentists like Doc Holiday —- multi talented and self trained —. Here in Midland a local dentist or pharmacist bagged a bank robber– with a rifle — from his office window!

Anyone remember the infamous “Zip to Zap” in 1969? The guard was sent into Beulah or Hazen to push the college kids out of town as the party wore down. One guard member “goosed” student in the butt with his bayonet. I saw the local pharmacist stitch him up through the window of the drug store.

Like i said– these guys were multi talented–Glen was just a wonderful human being on top of all that.

From Sharon Longie Dana (73):

This reply is to Bev MorinvilleI Agree nothing like a man in uniform!!!!! Since my husband is a retired sailor I understand the sacrifices(i was a sailor too!) these folks make and now every time I see a military uniform I walk up and tell them thank your for your service, and that i appreciate the time they give to our country. In return I always get the biggest smile and you see the pride in their eyes. I got in an arguement at a job once because someone told me since we were a

military family we must believe in war and whats goin on over there right now. I blew a gasket and said no we didn’t believe in war but we do believe in freedom and what it stands

for and you have to believe in these uniforms. My youngest daughter was in high school

after 9-11 took place and a guy in her class was complaining his folks couldn;t find a flag to hang outside and that upset him and he said after 9-11 everyone should have a flag hanging outside there house. and my daughter just looked at him and said “well aren’t you an American everyday, if you were you would of already had a flag and wouldn’t need one so desparely now” and thats true we are Americans every day and some folks who have never dealt with military or had someone in their family in service do not have a clue.

Its love of freedom and love of our country that makes us so proud of all these past and present folks in the military. THANK YOU ALL FOR SERVING AND GIVING OF YOUR TIME. YOU ARE APPRECIATED.

Sharon Longie Dana

Sharon’s Repy to Gary

Well Gary A lot of people do not understand the military and its way of life…..its different, its special, its prideful. I am so very proud of these young men and women who go in now even though they know what’s happening in the world. I have 2 nephews that just went in ones army and the other is going ROTC so he is in no danger of going over there right now but the other one I can’t say that. people have to still be proud. I lived on foreign soil in Japan and it makes you see your own country in a different light. thanks for fixing my email I don’t know what I did but it might of had something to do with the fact it was 630 am and I was trying to get it done cause I needed to get ready for work…lol.have a great day!! and thanks for doing this site. I connected with another old friend this past week and it was awesome…..

Sharon

From Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and Friends,

In the summer of, I believe, 1966 my good friend Rich Campbell got his
first car! He came driving into our yard in a gray Plymouth two door,
about a 1950 model he had just gotten from his great aunt Lilly from
Langdon! Rich, please correct me if my memories are off. It was a well
kept little car and he was proud as could be! John Bogus and I were in
our garage working on one of our cars and walked out to take a closer
look. The interior was original and still had a real nice wood grained
dash! We asked Rich how it ran? He reached in and hit the key and it
purred–sorta! John and I looked at each other and both said, ‘It’s
missing’, at the same time. Rich wasn’t really into mechanics like we
were so hadn’t noticed the miss. We checked out the engine and found a
dead cylinder. I pulled out the spark plug and there wasn’t any
compression in the cylinder, whatsoever! I put a screwdriver in the
spark plug hole and found that the piston was standing still when the
rest of the engine was running!! We tore the engine down and found that
the piston had broken in two and the bottom was going up and down while
the top stood still. I had never seen that before or since! We took a
used piston out of a junk engine my dad had at the farm and put it back
together and it ran fine! The good part is that Rich and his
father-in-law restored the old Plymouth just a few years ago, and as far
as I know the old used piston is still going up and down! I believe Rich
took the broken piston and painted it gold, and kept it for an ash tray,
although as far as I recall he never smoked. Rich, am I close here,
it’s 42 or maybe 43 years ago so the old mind may be off a little!
Thanks to Gary and all who share their memories of old Dunseith!