Larry,Thanks for the pictures!  I sure do remember Tony’s ’63 Impala SS.  I would say it was the nicest car in town at the time.  He used to put it in the south stall at the Standard station on north Main Street when they weren’t busy.  Probably just to keep it out of the sun etc.  Many times I went over and looked inside just to drool over that 4 speed shifter!!!!  That was just a dream for us kids at that time.  After you mentioned that your folks didn’t get a ’60 (not 62) Chevy after the Plymouth,  I wonder if it was Orphela Robert and Dorothy that had a white ’60 Chevy 4 door??  Maybe I had that mixed up.  I did have the green Savoy at Leonards right but couldn’t remember which of you guys were there when ‘Scum’  pulled the trigger and sent the shotgun sliding across the gravel.

I had a good talk with Tony and Lawrence Hetle at Kelvin a couple years ago.  I asked Lawrence if he remembered the time his ‘wire through the dash throttle’  stuck wide open on him when he was pulling out of the drive in?  He got this sly look and said,  “DO I REMEMBER?  I damn  near SHIT!”  He came so close to hitting the north side of your house that some of the kids at the drive in covered their heads sure he was going right in!  It snapped back off when he bounced over the curb and he idled back home about 5 miles an hour.  He had stuck a big Lincoln or Mercury monster engine in his red and white ’57 Ford hard top and was kind of showing off a bit.  It was sure a close call.

Dick

Dick

Here is some pictures of the cars that Henry owned back in his Dunseith days.  Maybe the pictures will jar your memory.

I don’t have a picture of the 63 Olds.  The pictures shown of the 63 Olds are not of Henry’s Olds. but of one like it including the color.  The color of Henry’s Olds was a metalic dusty pink, with a white top, pretty car.

I have never seen another Oldsmobile of this shape or color that I can remember.

I gave Henry a call and he said that he bought the 1953 white and black Mercury from Tony in 1961.  He wrecked it a mile north of your place on highway 43 after we finished swimming at School Section Lake one night.  He must have been tired after working all day and then swimming until almost dark.  Anyway he missed the stop sign and we got broadsided.  That heavy old Mercury went straight across 43 and settled on an approach.  The car that hit us ended up spinning around and around in the middle of the road like a top.  The Ross Brennen family who lived on the corner, heard the crash and all came out to see if we were alright.  Everyone walked away from that crash, because the automobiles were done for.  Henry sold his to Neameyer,s Wrecking Shop in Rolla. 

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Dale,

I think top picture was taken on Pritchard farm that was located on the very end of the Willow lake road right next to the Canadian Line. Corbin Pritchard sold that farm to Martin Berg, Martin sold it Carl Melgaard and Carl sold it to the Fauske’s. Carl Myhre from Rolette may have owned it in-between Carl Melgaard and the Fauske’s?

The Peak sisters were Edith and Lizzy. They lived with their brother Bob just south of Lloyd and Stella Radley’s farm. Bob died in 1947 the year I was born. Lizzy died in the early 50’s as I remember. Edith died around 1960, again as I remember.

Gary

From Shirley Olson Warcup (49):

Gary,

        I’m enjoying the e-mails!!  I just spoke to Pat Sunderland Warburton (49) who lives in Lake Charles, La. and she would love to have them sent to her.  Her e-mail address is: Psunder@suddenlink.net. 

        Just a little information about a couple more people who are from my era–my cousin, Lenor Williams Grosser died March 9 in Arizona.  She is the sister of Don, Marlin, Lowell, and Linda Williams.  From what her husband said, I assume it may have been a stroke.  Another classmate who graduated from a private school but attended in Dunseith for several years and was in our class was Paul Lovaas–son of Rev. Lovaas.  He died about 5 years ago in Nebraska.  He had been a career Navy man, had never married, and had kept in touch with Audrey Hassen and me for the last 50 plus years.  When he came through California he would often stop to see us.  I always enjoyed his visits and phone calls.

     Once again–thanks for the memories!!

                                                    Shirley Olson Warcup 

From Ele Dietrich Slyter (69):

I want to thank Dick for the pictures–awesome–I had never seen any of them before. Please keep sending and don’t ever think something is too common or means too little to be shared, somewhere someone needs those little things and they mean so very very much to that person.  Reach out and touch someone, that is what this is all about.

My prayers go out to Felicia and all her family..hope things are improving.

Thank you again Gary–I pray you never get tired of doing this for us.

Ele, I will never get tied of doing this, It’s only if you guys get tired of me doing it.  Gary

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From Erling Landsverk (44):

hi gary!

if you are interested, there is a story about me in the march  24th edition of our local paper.  the paper is the portage daily register, located of course in portage wisconsin. 

a young lady journalist is writing a book about the experiences of world war ii vets, and she  interviewed my wife and i, so the story is kind of a thumb nail sketch of our lives, along with some photos. 

you should be able to get it on the internet quite easily.

incidentally, just because i am blind does not mean that i am going to roll over and play dead.  if i did that north dakota would be ashamed of me.

best always

erling landsverk

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Posted by Gary Stokes: From the Portage Daily Register (click on the sight below)

War in the Pacific: Veteran Landsverk lost his sight, but he still has a love for music

http://www.wiscnews.com/pdr/archives/index.php?archAction=arch_read&a_from=browse&a_file=/pdr/2008/03/24/278347.php

Erling, This is a very interesting story that the Portage Daily Register published about your WW II service and your life.  You are to be commended for the positive outlook that you have on life with your blindness.  You have accepted things the way they are and dwell on the positives for life’s fulfillments.  You are so fortunate to have such and understanding wife, Joann, too.  Gary

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Sharon Longie Dana’s (73) reply to Dean Stickland (73):

I don’t remember if I was in the room or not but I
remember the story. The scream was loud I know that.Do cats and a clothes line bring back any memories for
you, Dean??? and beating me at marbles and taking them ALL!!!

Sharon Longie Dana(73)

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Dave Slyter’s (70) reply to Dick Johnson (68): 

Thank you so much for sharing the pictures.  The only one I don’t think that I had seen is the one with Bill and Dad and then the one with you, Terry, Richard, Robert, Brenda, and I am thinking that is Rhonda, that Richard is holding. Sure looks like her little frown.  ha    What memories those bring back.   I remember taking that picture of all of us in front of the station wagon and house where we use to live just south of town.  Right across the creek from Clifford Halvorson and right next to Erling and Delores Berg and kids.   It was fun living out there with all the fun neighbors.  The gathering cafe wasn’t there then  as that was our pasture for the horses (3) that we use to have.  I had a little black shetland and his name was lightning.  He was a fast horse.  haOne story I have to share with the Bergs if your listening.   Curt, Keith and I and I think Lester Getzlaff was out playing in the drive way and Curt seen this big huge rock in betted in the ground.  He said I wonder what it would be like to throw another large rock on that one.  So he picked up this pretty good size rock and slammed into the rock in the ground, not thinking that it would bounce back and hit him square between the eyes.  He had a knot on his head bigger than a baseball.  ha  At the time all the kids standing around him got pretty scared and ran and got there parents, including me.  But he was all right as Curt was a pretty tough kid.  We laughed about it later.   ha

Again thanks for sharing the pictures Dick.  I and I am sure the rest appreciate it, a lot.  If you have more please keep sharing them as we enjoy them a lot.   There is a lot of memories between yours and our families.

Take care
Dave Slyter

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Bobby Slyter’s (70) reply to Dick Johnson (68):

Reply to Dick Johnson, again thank you for the pictures of our times together. I always loved seeing that Cadillac pull into the drive way as then I knew it was going to be a good and fun day, I love the army pic of dad as I have never seen one of him in uniform.  Thanks again and thank you Gary for doing this, you are awesome.

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Bank robbery in Souris – From LeaRae Parrill (67):   (Souris is locate a few miles NW of Bottineau.)

It was reported by the Minot Daily News that the State Bank of Souris was robbed.  Whoever did it hit the teller over the head from behind and knocked her out so she did not see who it was.  They had to air ambulance her to Minot, but she will be OK.  No suspects yet and no cameras are installed there.  The FBI is assisting.  Some money was taken, but they won’t say how much.

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Message & picture from Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and FriendsPaul Grossman’s memories of riding in my old car made me
remember some stories connected to it. I was 14 years old when
my Grandpa Hans Johnson got cancer. He said if I stayed at the
farm and took care of the cattle and the chores I could have
his old car, a 47 Plymouth four door. It had engine problems. I
found a set of rod bearings in the glove box and he said there
was a “flat crank”. This is a bad journal on the crankshaft. I
dropped the oilpan and found the bad bearing and shined the
journal up with emery cloth. When I got done it sounded fine
but every couple months it started to knock and I had to put in
another bearing, etc. In less than a year I used up the whole
set of six bearings on one rod! We did go for lots of rides
around town in that time. When Paul said I took the younger
kids along, there were a couple things that I should confess
to! The battery was shot so they had to push the car to get it
started. They would usually have to chip in for gas or I would
say “well I guess we’ll have to go home.” The money showed up!!
Sorry Paul, but it worked every time! We had a trail through
the old park and then north through a gravel pit and out
to “old # 5”. This trail went up and down some pretty steep
slopes and we learned just how fast we could take it and still
not wreck anything. One night I had some new kids along and
decided to give them a thrill!! The county workers had been
there and dug out a bunch of gravel just over a rise where I
didn’t see it until it was too late! We flew off the bank and
landed on the nose of the old Plymouth and stopped dead!! The
kids in the back seat were on top of the ones in the front.
They didn’t seem real thrilled as I recall! The old car only
got a slight twist to the bumper and the battery shattered in
the box! It was no good anyway,so what! When I got a different
car, I gave the Plymouth to Dan Bogus. He kept it at our farm
so he could practice driving and monkey around. Dad let he and
Dennis Dion ride out to the farm to mess with the car during
the day and then home again at night. One day they asked if
they could have this piece of well pipe for a tailpipe and Dad
said “sure”. They stuck this long pipe under the car and into
the header pipe on the engine. They were roaring around and
having a big time when the front of the pipe fell out and stuck
in the soft ground. The back end of the pipe went up inside the
rear bumper and the old car “pole vaulted” about five feet up
in the air. When it came back down, all Dad and I could see was
eyeballs in the windshield. We laughed at Dennis and Dan until
we could hardly stand up!! Another time they were rolling the
car down a hill in the yard to get it started. They were
getting close to an electric fence and I told them to let me
open the gate. They got it going just as they went through the
gate and then bailed out and opened the hood to check
something. As I tried to close the gate the wire touched the
back of the car and they both got a shock. They blamed each
other and then went back under the hood. This worked so good I
just had to do it again! They figured it out and the chase was
on!! This is sure to trigger memories from most of the kids my
age as they nearly all rode in this car at one time! This is a
picture of the car with some GEEK standing by it!!

Dick

Margaret,

How nice to hear from you in Maui. I know you are enjoying the nice weather and the beautiful beaches too.

Being our class Salutatorian, you are the true Genius, certainly not me. Thanks for the compliment just the same.

Enjoy your upcoming trip to see Chris and his family too.

Gary

Very interesting reply, for all,  from Erling Landsverk (44):

 

HI GARY

I WAS SURPRISED THAT YOU SETTLED IN CEBU, P I.  I KNOW THE AREA, AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, BUT IT IS A BIT HUMID, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.  I SENT YOU AN E MAIL LAST NIGHT, AND I MAY HAVE SCREWED UP, AND IT MAY NOT HAVE GONE.  AT ANY RATE I REALLY WANT TO ADVISE YOU THAT YOUR HOME IN THE HILLS IS EXACTLY WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS.  I AM SO MUCH OLDER THAN YOU THAT I GUESS IT IS DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO ENVISION THE WAY THINGS WERE IN THE 30’S AND EARLY 40’S  AT ANY RATE, THE LAST TIME THAT I COULD  TELL ANYTHING ABOUT THE HILLS, WAS IN 92, AND AT THAT TIME OUR HOME AND THE OUT BUILDINGS WERE IN TERRIBLE SHAPE AND CRUMBLING.  I GUESS THE N. DAK. FOREST SERVICE TOOK IT OVER AND ARE LETTING THE LAND RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE.  I AM BLIND NOW AND EVEN THOUGH I CAN VISUALIZE MY LAST VISIT, I FEEL SAD THAT I COULDN’T HAVE SEEN IT ON OUR LAST VISIT IN 07.   I REALLY MISS THE OLD FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WE HAD, BUT YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR RENEWING AQUAINTANCES AND OLD TIMES HAVE RENEWED  MY DESIRE TO CONTACT AS MANY OF OUR OLD CLASS MATES AS POSSIBLE.

ERLING LANDSVERK

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Message & Picutures from Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and Friends

Freddie and Margo Hiatt were good friends of my folks. Mom was
Freddie’s first cousin, as their mothers were sisters. We spent
a lot of time together over the years, and I have lots of
pictures of us together doing all kinds of things! These are
pictures of Freddie in the army, he and his stepdad Bill
Dunbar, the kids at their house south of town in about 1962,
and all of us together in the Lutheran parsonage{were they
lived] in about 1960. The boy in the middle is Terry Hiatt,
Dolores Hiatt’s son. I guess I was trying to shoot the camera??
I’m not sure if Dave and the rest have ever seen these
pictures. There are several more I will send later. Thanks
again Gary!!

Dick

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Important Message from Bill Hosmer (48): 

  Gary.  As the main message indicates, it might be a hoax.  During the
winter I live in Tucson, AZ, and there is a lot of violence here.
Unlike where we grew up and where we respected our women there are
some shadowy figures lurking about.  You may not want to introduce
this to our group because all of our dialog has been of such a
positive nature, but I was compelled to make it a candidate because
these wonderful people mean so much to me, and some live in
metropolitan areas.  I knew that many women would know of this sort of
threat through the Gary Stokes circuit, and could not resist the
temptation to use your marvelous format.  I leave the choice to  you,
and  give you more accolades for building this incomparable way to
express our loyalty to those with our common heritage.  In good spirit
and thankfulness.  Bill Hosmer

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NEW FORM OF KIDNAPING
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Please take a minute to read this. This is very scary and could happen to any of us..
Seems l ike every nice thing people do for one another can be perverted.
A new twist on kidnapping from a very smart survivor:

About a month ago there was a woman standing by the mall entrance
passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written
the flyer herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she might
warn other women. The previous day, this woman had finished shopping,
went out to her car and discovered that she had a flat.

She got the jack out of the trunk and began to change the flat.
A nice man dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase
walked up to her and said, ‘I noticed you’re changing a flat tire.

Would you like me to take care of it for you?’
The woman was Grateful for his offer and accepted his help.

They chatted amiably while the man changed the flat, and then put the
flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and dusted his hands off.

The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was about to get in her car,
the man told her that he left his car around on the other side of the mall,
and asked if she would mind giving him a lift to his car.

She was a little surprised and she asked him why his car was on other side.

He explained that he had seen an old friend in the mall that he hadn’t seen
for some time and they had a bite to eat, visited for a while, and he got turned
around in the mall and left through the wrong exit, and now he was running late.
The woman hated to tell him ‘no’ because he had just rescued her from having to change
her flat tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy . (Trust that gut feeling!)

Then she remembered seeing the man put his briefcase in her trunk before
shutting it and before he asked her for a ride to his car.

She told him that she’d be happy to drive him around to his car,
But she just remembered one last thing she needed to buy.
(Smart woman!!)

She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit down in
her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be.

She hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had
happened, the guard came out to her car with her, but the man had left.
They opened the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and took it down to the police station.

The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could
return it to the man). What th ey found wa s rope, duct tape, and
knives. When the police checked her ‘flat’ tire, there was nothing

wrong with it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious
what the man’s intention was, and obvious that he had carefully
thought it out in advance. The woman was blessed to have escaped harm. (Amen.thank you, God!)

How much worse it would have been if she had children with her and had
them wait in the car while the man fixed the tire, or if she had a baby strapped
into a car seat? Or if she’d gone against her judgment and given him a lift?

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 James Arlan Olson, 73, of Sheridan passed away on Thursday, December 22, 2011 at his residence. 

Jim was born on January 2, 1938 to Clarence and Margaret (Zahn) Olson in New England, North Dakota. Clarence died when Jim was eight years old, Margaret later married Ralph Paulsrud.

In High School Jim was very active in basketball, football and junior legion baseball. He graduated in May of 1956 and went into the Navy in July. He was in the National Security Agency stationed in Kami Seya, Japan and honorably discharged from the United States Navy on July 30, 1962.

Jim went to Dickinson State Teachers College in Dickinson, ND where he worked various jobs in order to put himself through school. In May of 1965 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

He met his sweetheart Judy Geck while attending Dickinson State. They were married on August 21, 1965 in St. Patrick’s Church in Dickinson, ND. The couple moved to Dunseith, ND where Jim taught business classes at the High School and coached junior varsity football and basketball. In 1968 Jim graduated with honors being inducted into the Alpha Nu Society from the University of North Dakota with an MBA. The couple then moved to Argyle, MN where Jim was the principal of the Junior and Senior High School.

The fall of 1969 Jim and Judy moved to Minneapolis, MN where Jim studied to be a stockbroker. After completing his training they moved to Bismarck, ND where he worked for Dain, Kalman and Quail. In 1971, they moved to Sheridan and Jim went to work for Piper Jaffrey. November 1979, he opened the first Dean Witter Reynolds office in Wyoming and later opened satellite offices in Gillette, Cody and Jackson in 1985.

Jim was elected to the Sheridan County School District #2 School Board, serving nine years, holding positions in every office. He was a fifty year member of the Elks, Shrine and Scottish Rite. For over thirty years he was very involved in the Dog and Cat Shelter holding various positions on the board of directors and providing constant financial advice while managing its investments. Jim was a forty year member of the Sheridan Country Club and a loyal Lion’s Club member for over forty years. On two different occasions, Jim was invited to go on the “Man of the Year” pack trip with the forest service.

Jim had a love for golf, gardening, researching investment opportunities and reading a wide variety of newspapers, magazines and books. World War II was a hot topic. He researched and read numerous books to understand each country’s stance on the war. With his vast interest in learning, the teacher in Jim continually shared articles and knowledge with people everywhere he went.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather, grandparents, and his infant son Dan James Olson. He is survived by his wife Judy, daughter Kristen Olson of Sheridan, WY, and his sister, Renee (Dean) Rettinger, New England, ND, nieces Meribeth (Wes) Ray, New England, ND, Gina (Glenn) Delabarre, Rapid City, SD, and nephew Perry (Brenda) Rettinger, New England, ND.

Visitation for Jim will be from 6 to 7 PM on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at Kane Funeral Home.

Services will be at 10:00 AM, on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at the Trinity Lutheran Church with Pastor Phil Wold officiating. Interment will be in the Sheridan Elks Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Trinity Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter at 84 East Ridge Road, Sheridan, WY 82801.

Kane Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Hi,

I’m assuming Patsy is a nickname for Beverly Smith?  When she was my classmate (BHS Vlass of 19577, we knew her as Beverly Smith (married to a “Crummy”/address was Argyl, MN/is deceased).  The unknown girl next to Patsy/Beverly is her sister, Lois Smith Yates (Homer), BHS Class of 1958.  At one time, Homer/Lois/family’s address was Shreveport, LA.  I think she still lives there/in that area.

Neola

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Back: Shirely, Lorraine & Lois Pritchard

Center: Darold Pritchard, Patsy Smith and Lois Smith

Front: John Pritchard, Dale Pritchard, ? and ?

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Joke of the day

“Sixty is the worst age to be,” said the 60-year-old man. “You always
feel like you have to pee and most of the time you stand there nothing
comes out. “

“Ah, that’s nothin,” said the 70-year-old. “When you’re
seventy, you don’t have a bowel movement any more. You take laxatives,
eat bran, sit on the toilet all day and nothin’ comes out!”

“Actually, “said the 80-year -old, “Eighty is the worst age of all.”

“Do you have trouble peeing, too?” asked the 60-year old.

“No, I pee every morning at 6:00. I pee like a racehorse; no problem at all.”

“So, do you have a problem with your bowel movements?”

“No, I have one every morning at 6:30.”

Exasperated, the 60-year-old said, “You pee every morning at 6:00
and have a bowel movement every morning at 6:30. So what’s so bad about being 80?”

“I don’t wake up until 7:00.”

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==========================================================================

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Blog (56) posted on March 26, 2008

From Dean Stickland (73):

Gary – you might want to send this on – perhaps some of the class of ’73
will recall it.

To Ardys Bakken Horner, former 8th Grade Teacher to the class of ’73:

Yes, I remember well the rat incident in 8th grade English class.
Actually, when I saw your message a couple of days ago, I told that story
to my wife and daughters and we all had a good chuckle.  I wondered then
if you remembered the incident and your email today confirmed it.

Do you remember who “accidently” slightly ripped his book page that day
and came up to your desk to ask for some tape to fix it?  Some of us boys
(about four of us) just happened to know what was in your tape drawer that
afternoon.  I was a bit anxious about the potential outcome of following
through with “the plan” that day, but we were all well rewarded when you
opened the drawer, saw the rat, then simultaneously shrieked in wide-eyed
terror, jumped about three feet into the air and somehow made it past me
and out the door before touching the floor again.  You were absolutely
awesome!!

If my memory is accurate the rest of the class time that day seemed a tad
bit strained for some of us.  I always wondered if you ever found out who
was involved with that rat.  Thanks for all you did for us and for all you
put up with.  Our sentence structure and punctuation may not be perfect,
but we owe our ability to communicate to you and a select few others who
patiently gave of your time and effort to help us learn.

I have great memories of growing up in Dunseith.
Dean Stickland (73)
Olympia, WA

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Reply from Evon Lagerquist (77):

Gary, Mom remembers the accident. She remembers that they were coming home from Dunseith, with salt blocks in the back seat on the floor, and Ray falling on one and getting a bloody nose. The accident happened just east of the Willow Lake School house,(sounds like the same area where the accident with Mr. Parrill happened)! Anyway, Mom said that Dad was pretty much off the road when they met and still got side-swiped!!!!

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Evon, Your mother is absolutely correct with what I remember happening.  Your dad could see us coming and drove as far as he could off the road to avoid getting hit.  My dad must have had his blinders on that day.  I remember the impact as being pretty solid.  Ray would have been about 1 year old at the time.  I think he was born in 1952.  You realize this accident happened about 55 years ago.  Good memories of the not so good. Gary

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From Bonnie Awalt Houle (56):

Dear Gary,

    I am sure we all can remember things that we did as children that when we look back on them today we simply shake our heads and say “Whatever made us believe we could do that!”

    I remember when we were kids they would shoot the fourth of July fireworks from the top of the gravel pit.  All the people would park their cars in our pasture and watch the display.

     One year when I was in about the third grade and my brother Bill was in the first grade, we got it into our heads that we could put on our own fireworks display.  The day after the fourth we climbed up on the gravel pit and gathered up all the left overs from the display.  We had a lot of fireworks!  Bill, Allen Rubachi and I each were loaded down with loot.  We carried it down to our barn.  At the barn we dumped all the powder out of the fireworks onto an old door in the hayloft of the barn.

     We talked about what a beautiful fireworks show we were going to see once we lit the powder on fire.  We were imagining all the beautiful colors and the great booming sounds we would hear.

      It was a pretty breezy day and we were having a difficult time lighting the match and getting our fireworks lit.  Finally it was decided that Allen would shield the fireworks from the wind with his hands and arms while we lit the fire.  The match touched the pile of powder and everything just exploded!  Fire was everywhere!  Allen went screaming and running home.  I ran to get my Mother to call the fire department.  I wasn’t sure where Bill was.

     Bill ran for a pail to put out the fire. His problem was the pail he found had a hole in it.  Bill never gave up, he was still running from the water trough to the fire with his leaky bucket when the fire department showed up.  The barn was saved, partly because of Bills leaky bucket.

     Allen had blistered his hands, arms and face.  Since Allen hauled the wood for his families cook stove which he now couldn’t do, our Dad decided that as part of our punishment Bill and I would now carry the wood that Allen couldn’t carry.  Allen healed with no scars, Bill and I learned the difference between fireworks and gun powder.   I think that Bill must have had some natural instinct for fighting fires because he was the fire chief in Rolla for many years.

Bonnie Awalt Houle Class of 56  Written with Bills permission as long as I didn’t make him look to bad!

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From Paul Grossman (70):

REPLY:  SHARON/BEV.   Sharon –  brother Pete lives in Hazen and he works in Montana as a coal miner –  He and his wife Julie have three grown kids and two young granddaughters-  Life has been very busy for them.I will say Hi for you.  Parrell is a States attorney and lives in Bismarck-  They have 3 kids.

Bev:  So nice to hear from you-    Did you really think we would not catch you-  you gals were always  so much fun to chase.     May Day was great practice for later in life,  Pat ,  my wife  was faster than me – we have two great boys-   Life has been good and  we are all getting older-   I remember  having lots of fun with you and your brother and sisters.   One can move away but as I said before – new friends are fun to have but old friends are ALWAYS  to KEEP.      Say Hi to All      Paul

Reply :     Mark , Dave ,   Dick           Hey guys  those cars were lots for fun but the old car i remember was  one Dick had – an old  4 door – he would  drive us younger  kids around hours on end-  we thought we were kings on the hill  when we went riding with Dick.   Dick and that old car made us feel special. As I got older  I keep that memory close  and  I would carry it on .    I think I can still feel just what they felt when i would pull up in my 1968 -428 – Mustang  Cobra Jet  – we would RIDE.     Dick thanks for  being there when us younger guys needed a boost.   I spend alot of my spare time hunting old car  for friends        Paul

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From Gary Metcalfe (57):  

Hello all,  Because of our geographical location, some of us were blessed to have known some of the first generation, called pioneers.  Henry Hagen was one, he produced a son, Clarence, that probably would be called a hero if we knew what he did in WWII.  Earl Fassett and Wilmar Fassett, the old guard they were.  Henry and Earl had a look about them that said, “all is well”.

Grandma Randina Evans had a twinkle in her eye and chuckle.  She traded her lady like clothes off for the blue bib overalls and five buckle overshoes and loved every minute of working outside.  She was at her best when she had Nellie and Squirrley on the hay rake raking hay. I washed the cream separater with her every day in the winter, she was always singing or whistling.  She lost children, sent sons to the wrong division in WWII. I know that many pioneers were of this quality.

Then came the Brokow’s greatest generation, our parents.  They survived the great depression, went to war or to work and I mean they worked, and they let us work too.  I never have seen a man or kid that worked too hard, I have seen some women that did.  The first generation had a great spirit without the use of props that came on the scene.  They did not need fancy cars, jewelry, clothes or foofoo water.  Second generation was about the same.  I forgot about Grandma’s chopper mitts.  Thirty below zero, you would see her swing her arms and slap those mitts against her body, rosy cheeks and a twinkle in her eye.

Keep the history coming, sure do enjoy reading it.  Gary Metcalfe

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From Bev Morinville Azure (72):

Dick,   love  the  pic’s   and   loved  u  remembered to  roll up  those  pants .   How  cool   must  have  been a   fun  night.
to  all my  classmates  of  72  ” YOU  ALL  ROCK” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   72   still  is  a   close  class  when i  got  cancer   they  took a  donation and   got a  tv  and  raffled  it  off  and   clarence and  I recieved  over 800  dollars   to help  with  gas  to and  from Minot  for  my radaition. I  am blessed  to  have  such wonderful   classmates  that have  always  shown people    so much  love.  so  I would  like  to  thank  everyone  who   took a  chance  on the  TV . Loretta Wall   happen  to  win   wtg Loretta    all that   good  karma  is  coming back to u.  i love  all u  guys  thanks  for  the prayers and  help.   love  bev

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Pictures from Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and Friends

Here are some pictures from 1960 that you might find
interesting. They are of a mock wedding skit for some womens
group. It is in the basement of the Stone Church. The reluctant
bride is Randi Fuchs and I am the groom. The judge is none
other than the Honorable Terry “Lars” Halvorson! I wonder if
Lars missed his calling!! I don’t remember what the purpose of
this skit was, but I know we really weren’t given a choice, as
I recall!! The ladies are Dorothy Fassett [back row], Vida
Hiatt,?, Myrtle Olson, Julia Hiatt, Mrs. Grimme [back row],
Mrs. Bogus and Bernadette, maybe Mabel Boardman, ?, ?,.. I
don’t think the marriage lasted until the lunch was done!
Thanks Gary!

Dick

Gary,

In the first picture, I am trying to get some identification on the three girls on the right.  What I do know is as follows:  L-R Back Row: Shirley, Lorraine and Lois Pritchard (my sisters).  Center Row:  Darold Pritchard (my oldest bother), Patsy Smith (Doris Smith Pritchard’s sister) and (?).  Front Row: John Pritchard (my next older brother), Dale Pritchard, (?) and (?).  I believe the picture was taken “around” 1950 judging by own size. 

In the second picture, the same three girls are located #5, 6 and 7 from the left.  Again, the line up is Dale, Darold, Lois and John Pritchard, ?, ? and ?, and Patsy Smith.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Dale Pritchard  

Back: Shirely, Lorraine & Lois Pritchard

Center: Darold Pritchard, Patsy Smith and ?

Front: John Pritchard, Dale Pritchard, ? and ?

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Dale, Darold, Lois and John Pritchard, ?, ? and ?, and Patsy Smith.

Larry,

In the process of pasting pictures preparing yesterday’s blog, your pictures got replaced with that newspaper article. It is not something I do, it just happens. Most of the time I catch these errors, but yesterday I didn’t catch this error until I was posting the blog in our website.

So sorry for this error Larry.

Gary 

I knew Wayne when I lived in Bremerton. I used to see him often when he worked at Lowe’s hardware store. Wayne and I had lots of nice chats with my many visits to Lowe’s. He was always very friendly and very helpful too.

Wayne’s mother, Beatrice, was a sister to Ernest Dailly. She too is such a nice friendly gal.  She lives in the Oak Manor apartments in Bottineau.

Wayne wife’s (Joan Bergman Johnson) parents were Harold and Margaret Bergman, another nice family.

We extend our condolences to Joan, Beatrice and all of Wayne’s family with his passing. He will be missed.

Gary

Wayne Nilen Johnson

of Bremerton, WA

July 12, 1940

to March 12, 2014

Wayne Nilen Johnson was born in Bottineau, N.D. to Joseph and Beatrice Johnson. He was the oldest of eight children. He graduated from Bottineau High School, and then received his business certificate from college.

Wayne married Joan Bergman in September 1961. They moved to Bismarck, N.D. to start their new life together. While in Bismarck, N.D., they had two sons: Kirk and Craig. In November 1968, they ventured out West to Bremerton, Wash., where Wayne started his new job at the Kitsap Sun newspaper as credit manager, and later as an office manager. In 1989, he started his own excavating business.

Wayne was an active member of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church and enjoyed taking the Eucharist to shut-ins. He developed real friendships with those people. He was a very gregarious, gentle, and caring man with a sense of humor that most enjoyed. He was totally involved in his sons’ lives and was their best friend as they grew up. He coached Kirk’s little league baseball team and was active in Craig’s Boy Scout Group. Wayne enjoyed fishing, golfing, motorcycling, and in later years his golf cart enabled him to join our neighbors, children, and pets on our half-mile road.

Wayne passed away peacefully with his wife by his side. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph. Wayne is survived by his wife, Joan; mother, Beatrice; sons, Kirk (Melissa) of Tacoma and Craig (Judy) of Gig Harbor; two grandsons, Nicholas and Kyle; seven siblings: Julie (Merle) Kroeplin, Gary (Marsha) Johnson, Patty (Arnie) Kleppe, Ryan (Bev) Johnson, Paul (Sharon) Johnson, Barton (Marina) Johnson, and Cathy (Mark) Brekke; plus five nieces and seven nephews.

There will be a funeral Mass at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church and celebration of life gathering, approximately the first week of May. Online memorial can be seen at www.tuellmckeebremerton.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a charity of your choice in Wayne’s name or to “Disabled American Vets”

From  Ardys Bakken Horner – Former Teacher:

Gary thanks for calling and starting this communication circuit.  a big Hi to my former students  when I taught 8th grade English and 7th
grade home economics.  I think Mrs. Nelson was the main home ec teacher, they just gave me 7th grade to keep me happy.  I wonder how many of you remember the incident of the dead baby rat quite frozen in my top drawer one day  (right after lunch).!!  i never did find out who found that poor little thing and left it for me to “notice” after roll call, i can still remember Dan Morgan chuckling about that one.  Ardys

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From Martha Lamb Schepp (68):

Dear Gary,

My e-mail has been down for some time. I enjoy the correspondence so much. I see back in January where you were asking if I knew about Lynne Abrahamson . I have talked with a couple aunts in the Turtle Mountains and they do not know a Lynne Abrahamson. There are Abrahamsons in the area that we are not related to .

On another note I would like to ask for prayers and concern for my brother Dean Lamb’s daughter, Felicia Marie Lamb. She was seriously hurt in a car accident in the Minneapolis suburb of Glencoe, Minn. on Friday morning. She was in a snowstorm and went into a skid and slid into a larger vehicle on a two lane and ended up rolling her car. Things have been touch and go this weekend but I think it was a better night last night. She has a bleed in her head, broken collar bone, punctured lung from broken ribs, fractured pelvis, she is on the ventilator, Thank goodness for seat belts or we may have lost her. To read about her progress you can go on website:
caringbridge.org/visit/feliciamarielamb Felicia plans to be married in Bottineau in June. Thanks for your concern.

I love the stories that are jogging our minds. Keep up the site. My husband and I are waiting to hear more about the cruise. We have been on one cruise and had a great time. An Alaskan cruise was one thing we were planning to do when we retired but we think it would be fun to go with people from Dunseith. (Retirement is still a ways away).

Martha Lamb Schepp

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Replies from Paul Grossman (70):

Reply:  To Sharon Longie Dana {73}  Paul Grossman {70}     Sharon you surely know what all older 3 grader boys say when  they first see  the new 1 grade girls   and I quote   [ Know there’s  a new girl that needs a teeter- totter ride ]   those were the  days. 

Reply:    To Diane Larson{70}  Paul Grossman {70}    Diane  Your memory is better than mine –  I due remember the barn shaped house and the Fountain’s .   There were alot of  Sisters .    They had a  store  next to the Fountain’s  and Margate would spend alot of time there and that’s how I got to know them.   The hoola hoops were always fun especially  when the boys could beat the girls at there own game.     Sister Pat doing fine- she lives south of Velva ND.

Reply:     To Crystal Fassett Anderson {70}  Paul Grossman {70}    Crystal  Thank You for the SPECIAL  pictures  I will always cherish them-   The  pictures  that you all share  are  most likely the only ones that some of us will ever be blessed to see again.    A  simple Thank You  is not even close enough, my most humble regards  Paul  [70}

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Reply from Erling Landsverk (44):

HI GARY;

YOU ASKED ABOUT OUR HOME LOCATION, AND HERE GOES; WE LIVED IN BOTTINEAU COUNTY, OUR FARM BORDERED THE COUNTY LINE ON THE EAST. WE LIVED ABOUT 1 MILE WEST OF THE JOHNSON FARM THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF WILLOW LAKE.  WE ATTENDED DUNSEITH HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE IT WAS MUCH CLOSER, BESIDES I LIKED DUNSEITH ALSO.  NOT THAT BOTTINEAU WASN’T PLENTY O K, OUR FAMILY SEEMED TO KNOW MORE PEOPLE FROM DUNSEITH, AND OUR MAIL CARRIER (GLEN WILLIAMS) WAS ALSO FROM DUNSEITH, AND MY UNCLE BUILT THE DEPARTMENT STORE THAT WAS LATER KNOWN AS THE MYHRE DEPT STORE AND SO ON. 

I DO REMEMBER A PART OF THE STOKES FAMILY COMING TO OUR HOME ONE EVENING, AND I REALLY DO NOT KNOW THE REASON OR THE OCASION BUT I DO KNOW MY PARENTS WERE VERY PLEASED WITH THE VISIT.  I DO REMEMBER PLAYING SOFT BALL AT THE ACKWORTH SCHOOL AND THE RESULT WAS NOT GREAT FOR LOON LAKE SCHOOL # 2.  THAT WAS O K OUR TEACHER ADAM LANG HAD MARRIED A HIATT GIRL, AND PERHAPS THAT WAS WHY WE HAD TO GO PLAY AND GET DEFEATED.  INCIDENTALLY, I ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL WITH A GREAT GIRL NAMED BETTY RADLEY, WHO WAS LIVING IN YOUR AREA I BELEIVE. AND I KNEW QUITE A FEW OF THE HIATT STUDENTS.  ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS A GOOD FRIEND, AS THEY ALL WERE BUT WE KIND OF HIT IT OF QUITE WELL, AND THAT WAS NORMAN HIATT.  I HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF MY OLD FRIENDS, BUT AT MY AGE, PERHAPS SOME HAVE EITHER GONE TO THE PROMISED LAND OR HAVE MOVED AWAY. JUST THE SAME SHOOT ME A LINE OR TWO

KINDEST REGARDS

ERLING LANDSVERK

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Erling, You mentioned knowing Norman Hiatt.  He is now deceased, but all 4 of his children, Jim, Maryls, Vickie & Lori are all on this distribution list.  Also, from the location of your home, It sounds like you would have lived about a half a mile north of the current Lester Halvorson farm.  Lester & Dorothy’s daughter, Lynn, has been forwarding all these messages to her folks. You may remember some of the Halvorson’s. Gary

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Question from Jan Bergan Evans (66):

Hi Gary I was wandering if anyone knows what happen to Jim and Judy Olson Olsen?? He was a business teacher in 1965 66 Thanks She also was a teacher but I can’t remember what she taught

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Folks, LeaRae Parrill Espe was asking this same question a few months back.  We have been unable to locate them. I noticed in the Dunseith book, James & Judith Olson were hired, as teachers, in 1966.  Please let us know if any of you have any idea where Jim and Judy may be living these days.  Gary

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From Arlan Wenstad (64):

Hi gary me again. Do you remember when your dad and Therman Parrill had a head on car accident right at the Willow Lake school hill. We were playing ball at recess at the time, when we heard a crash. Good thing no body got killed,but pretty shaken up. I don’t remember what kind of cars they were driving, but they were both totaled out. Maybe it’s a good thing it happen there, because i’m sure they both slowed down because of school kids.

Arlan, I don’t remember that accident, but my dad wasn’t noted for being the best driver in the world.  Since you guys were playing ball, this must have been in the spring or fall months.  I do remember my dad having another accident on that same road, in the winter, with Johnny Lagerquist. That too was a pretty hard impact, but, as I remember, both cars were still drivable.  I remember being in the car with that accident.  I was about 5 years old at the time.  A year or so later we had another accident when the train hit our car, near the cemetery, going into Bottineau.  Our car was totaled in that accident.  We were very lucky to be alive.

Evon Lagerquist, can you ask your mother if she remembers that accident?  Clayton or LeaRae, Maybe you guys can ask Marie if she remembers the accident that my dad had with them too.  Gary

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Message/Pictures from Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and All Friends

I have enclosed a couple pictures taken at Lake Metigoshe in
about 1991. Dwane and Candice Getzlaff had a 50s night at the
drive in. We have a cabin just a short way up the road from
there and he asked me to bring one of my cars to help make the
night a sucess. The car is a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria. We got
into the swing of fifties clothes, at least my wife and
daughter did! When Jennifer asked me “how are you going to
dress Dad”?, I said “just put on a white T shirt and leave the
rest alone”!! I look like the fifties all the time!!! We had a
great time and several other guys brought out their old cars
too! I had this car for about 22 years and sold it to a very
good friend from St.John, just a couple of years ago. He really
wanted to have it and I was looking for something else anyway!
It has been really great hearing from more new people, please
keep the memories coming!! Thanks again Gary!

Dick

                   Happy Birthday Doreen Bailey: Tempe, AZ

LeaRea’s Reply:

Yes the story on the Dunseith  Drive In was from me.  Thanks for posting it now.

 Nearly every day there is something I could or should respond to.  I loved the haying stories.  Terry and I both have a few of those also.  Terry, his mom (Frances) and sister Claudia had to do the haying alone several summers.   (Elmer was working at the air base.  Orvin Hagen, Warren Schneider and Elmer carpooled.  They  left around 5AM and weren’t home again until late, tried to get a few winks and back with the same the next day for five or six days a week.  Big brother Dennis was either at summer school or in Mountain Iron, MN working in the iron mines.)

They stacked the Seim meadow and were very proud of their accomplishment until Elmer informed them the stacks may be too big to move. 

Say hello to Bernadette.  I am hoping things will stabilize and you can all enjoy

Bernie’s visit.    LeaRae

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From Janice Leonard Workman (56):

Gary,

hi, I am missing #35, 38 and 48.  If you could send them I would be grateful.  Bonnie mentioned that we babysat when we were younger.  What she didn’t say was we did it for 25 cents an hour.  And also speaking of Gerald Anderson, I ran into him at a hotel (bar) in Portland about 3 years ago. My group of Red Hatters took the train from Tacoma to Portland for an overnight trip.  I was standing at the bar (of the hotel we stayed) ordering a last drink during Happy Hour and this man asked how the group got down to Portland .  When I said by train, he said he hadn’t ridden on a train for 30 years, and I told him that I hadn’t either and the last time I was on the train I went to Dunseith, ND.  He said he only knew 2 people from Dunseith and he was one of them.  Turned out to be Gerald.  We had a good visit but I neglected to get his address or phone number. 

 Dick Johnson, one of the girls in the second picture you sent (#49) is Audrey Hassen and I think one is a Sunderland girl.

 Thanks again Gary , this is so fun to ready every morning.  Janice Leonard Workman

Janice, We have two Gerald Anderson’s in our Alumni. One graduated in 1958 and the other in 1961.  I have pasted their contact info below. Mark’s Brother Gerald graduated in 1961. He has email and is on our distribution list. Mark (65) (deceased) and Gerald’s (61) parents were the former owners of the hardware store.  Gary

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26	Anderson	Gerald	5765 Madisonville Rd	Hopkinsville, KY 42240	(270) 886-4311	No email address	58
27	Anderson	Gerald	9207 Palm Shores Dr	Spring, TX 77379	(281) 379-1071	sander0216@aol.com	61

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Reply from Diane Larson Sjol (70):

Looking at that picture of the kids in the back of the truck…amazing
…no seatbelts!  It is a wonder any of us survived…..hey, those
were the days and growing up in the 50s and 60s when kids still played
outside

I remember sitting on top of the coolers in Joe’s grocery store with
Debbie and eating these cookies that were covered with marshmallow and
coconut and thinking we were pretty cool because Joe let us have
anything we wanted and for FREE!  I also remember my Aunt Lee letting
me work with her in the back of their grocery store (Hosmers) when I
was about 10 getting veggies ready for the shelf.  And walking through
the back door in Krystal’s cafe where Francis Morinville worked.
She’d give us a cookie or a drink and out we’d go.  We pretty much had
the run of the town.  Everyone looked out for everyone else.  Man,
those were the days

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Bev Morinville Azure’s (70) reply to Cheryl Larson Dakin (71):

Cheryl, I  remember  well  going to the  park  to play  and   that  kool aid  was  awful ….But  I am thinking  it  was  the  way  we  may have mixed  it  lol  maybe  we  didn’t read  how  to mix  it   or   did  we   bring a  measuring  cup along  ?   lol   I  remember  the week our  folks  let  us  4  girls  spend  the  whole  week alone  up at the  lake  in your  trailer home they had  up  here  I  think  that  was  the  very  firsr  party  I  had  ever been to  lol  so it  was really  all your  fault  I  turned  into a  party animal  but  then.   funny  to think now  i am  the  first  one  to  go  home and not even  drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lots  of  memories  of  u  Cheryl  and  Diane.   maybe i should dig out  some  old  pic’s .  lol  Bev

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Dick Johnson’s (68) rely to Bonnie Awalt Houle (56):

Gary and Friends

Bonnie Awalt Houle’s story of my baseball aptitude was not too
far off. When I was six or seven, Lowell and Johnny Leonard let
me join them in a game of baseball over in their yard. I didn’t
have a clue what you were supposed to do so they told me each
move to make. When I hit the ball, they yelled “run to first”!
Then someone hit the ball and they yelled “run to second”, And
then it was third, I did exactly as I was told, not knowing
what purpose it had. When the ball got hit again they
screamed “run home, run home”!! So I did. I ran HOME!! To our
house. I never lived it down!
I did play a lot of baseball later and yes Bonnie I did pitch!
I was not standing more than 3 or 4 feet from Rod Hiatt on
third base one time when he was hit in the eye by a line drive.
He nearly lost his eye. One other time I hit a ball and hit my
mom [I talked her into pitching} right on the nose. Black eyes
and big nose, etc. Later in a game down in the old city park, I
was playing right field with the sun directly in my eyes. We
were playing Rolla and they had this big lefthanded batter. I
heard the crack of the bat and saw a glint of the ball just
before it ticked the top of my glove and nailed me on the chin.
I started having second thoughts about this game! The next time
he was up to bat, I was ready!! The sun was really bad by now
but he wasn’t going to get by me this time. The pitch; crack;
wizz; I had the glove higher this time and the ball was lower
and I got NAILED right where you think, right there in front of
God and everybody I had ever met. I think  that was when I
decided basketball was more my kind of game!!!

Dick

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 Message and Pictures of Dale’s from Evie Gottbreht Pilkington (65):

Hi Gary,

Rick Gottbreht’s wife Sandy sent these photo’s today…..it was great to see the new interior of the café.  We are so delighted that everything is up and running for the George and Ernie.  George has a new manager so that will give him a well-deserved break.

All is well in California …..my kids are involved in real estate and mortgage loans and so far the market here has not killed us!  Praise God……I do real estate appraisal and have watched homes drop 30%…..but I think we are at the bottom.  At this point I would love to insert a bunch of political “stuff” but don’t want to open the door for Allen R.  lol   

Evie Pilkington

949-246-6984

PS…..I always have trouble opening pictures…I down-loaded these to desktop and then was able to open them in windows.  

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Greetings from China with pictures from Colette Hosmer (64):

Dear Gary and Everyone,

Greetings from China.  My sister Jan traveled with me this trip and
time is speeding by.  I’ve managed to squeeze a little work in
between the fun.  Below is a photo of Jan trying out the exercise
equipment at the beach park (we’re based in Xiamen, a port city on
the mainland directly across from the island of Taiwan).  That’s me
balancing on the wobbly planks at the Floating Village.  I didn’t go
very far from the boat– didn’t want to wind up with the bottom feeders.

I’ve enjoyed continuing to read everyone’s contributions to the
Dunseith e-mail exchange while here in China.

Colette

 

 

    

Dale,

It has been a long time since I have heard the term “Bull Rake”.

I remember well that old truck that your dad converted into reverse moving bull rake. It pushed a lot of hay too and fast.

The bull rake was used to gather the hay from the raked up windrows that was transferred to the stacker. A tractor was then hooked onto a cable that lifted the hay from the staker to the stack.  

Your dad was a master welder too. Whenever the neighbors needed anything fixed, your dad would weld it for them. Often times folks would go to the hay field to ask him to weld something too. He’d always shut things down, go home and weld whatever they had that needed welding.

Gary  

Thank you so much Geri for the correction

Gary 

 

From Larry Hackman (66):

Gary
Back in the sixties a salesman came to Dunseith and as he went about his business he passed out business cards to employers and employees.  What was unusual about these cards was that they did not give you the name of the salesman or the business he represented.  These cards, if you accepted one, automaticly made you a member of the Turtle Club.

On this particularily nice sunny day my mother and I came out of the Crystal Cafe and were about to get into her 1958 red and white Oldsmobile that was parked in front of the Garden Tap. That Oldsmobile was a  beautiful car that was first owned by Paul and Amelia Dacoteau.  Real nice people that had bought the car new and had kept it in mint condition while they owned it.  My mother had bought it second hand from a auto dealership.

My mother and I,  were about to get into the car when Joe Morinville standing in the doorway of his store across the street, hollered at my mother.  Marian, he yelled, ARE YOU A TURTLE? My mother’s face got a little red, as she took a quick a look around at all the other people on Main. Everyone had stopped and were all focused on her.  Time seemed to stand still as they all waited for her reply.  My mother looked back at Joe and shouted, You bet your sweet ass I’m a turtle.  Then we both jumped into the car and got out of there.  Looking back I could see, that Joe was bent over laughing. My mother was laughing so hard,  that she could hardly drive.  I was looking at her and we got home and into the driveway and she stopped laughing, she looked back at me, and said, I’m not nuts.

She reached into her purse and took out a business card, and handed to me.  The card stated that she was a member of the TURTLE CLUB.

The rules were on the back of the card.  To greet a fellow member. you are to ask, ARE YOU A TURTLE? Your reply, 

if you are a card carrying member is to be, YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS I’M A TURTLE, ASK ME AGAIN IF I’M A TURTLE!  So, as you can see that this would be a guestioning and answering session with no end in sight.  No wonder my mother wanted to get out of there, and its no wonder that Joe took advantage of the location. I can just emagine Joe, laughing and explaining to everyone on main, what had just happened.  People really knew how to have fun back then, Didn’t they?  My mother kept the card in her purse and every time she came across it, she would start laughing and had to tell us again, the story about Joe Morinville asking her if she was a turtle.   

ARE YOU A TURTLE?

larry

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From Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and Friends

Hearing from Don Conroy made me think of this story. Dad, Don
Johnson, as you know taught under Ed Conroy. Ed was our
respected superintendent at DHS for many years and then served
as principal for a few more years. The story goes, Dad wore toe
rubbers on his dress shoes. For those who don’t know what these
are, they basically cover only the soles and about an inch up
on the shoes all around. Well, Ed would keep putting on Dad’s
and then going home. When Dad was ready to go Ed’s were still
there and his were gone. Now dad couldn’t wear Ed”s because
they were too big but Ed could stretch Dads on. After a few
times, Dad wrote his name in the inside in big letters so Ed
certainly would see it when he went to put them on. Wrong!! The
next day they were gone again. Dad said “what can I do to
correct this” to Gene Hepper, another teacher and coach. Hep
said he thought he knew what to do and would take care of it.
When Dad went to put on his rubbers later, on the inside it
said “Don Johnson OR Ed Conroy!! Everybody had a laugh!!

Dick

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 I see the blog attaches my article to the Fargo Forum.  The Forum archives my articles after a week and people then have to pay to see it.  If you want a site that lasts, hook it up to the Bismarck Tribune.  My Trib article can be found at http://bismarcktribune.com/news/columnists/curt-eriksmoen/a-look-at-sakakawea-s-role-in-expedition/article_f497c54c-a09a-11e3-ba54-001a4bcf887a.html

I noticed your address is Lake Metigoshe.  Have you run across my books at the Gifts By the Lake shop?  We now have seven different volumes.

Bernadette has a non reversible disease called Vascular Dementia.  Gary

Passing of Millie Crum Rude – Dunseith High School class of 1955:

Dear family & friends,

 It is with great sorrow I write this email to let you know that today (March 11^th, 2008) our mom, Millie, passed away.  As you know she has had a long battle with cancer and today, while surrounded by family and loved ones, came to an end. 

 We are working out the memorial service arrangements and will communicate that to you in a follow up email.  Included below are some email/phone number contacts if you’d like to reach out. 

 In the mean time we are putting together a slide show and would appreciate any pictures, videos or memories you are willing to share.  Please contact Melissa (Millie’s granddaughter) at mtarling@hotmail.com for additional information.

 Thank you for your thoughts and prayers…

The Rude Family

 Tarri (Rude) Steiger – cell 509-954-6996, or at Rude home 425-255-6942

Traci (Rude) Mercer – tracimer@expedia.com, cell 425 443 4671 or 425 736 7889

Thor Rude – tntrude@msn.com

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Message from Millie – 1/24/08

Good Morning Gary,

I finally am looking at my e-mail — I haven’t opened it for about a month!  My health problems (cancer of the bladder that has spread to the lymph nodes) has really been giving me problems – I had surgery in Dec. 23rd and Dec 26th and am still recovering from those.

I will give some thought to your request for “memorabilia” and/or “stories” on growing up in Dunseith.  My family did not move to Dunseith until 1949 and lived there until 1955.  My grandarents (Oakes and Crum) were pioneer settlers in Dunseith.

I have 249 unread e-mails that I need to look at.  It was nice to talk to you the other night.  Keep in touch.

Millie (Crum) Rude

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From Don Conroy (56) – A Memory of my friend, Bruce – class of 1956:

Hi, Gary:   My daughter, Shannon, has sent me so many of your interesting e-mails that I have finally succumbed to participating in the process.  I was into it a few years back but you have developed such a network and I have thought it would be fun to send along a few of the unique memories I might be able to dredge up from the depths of a fading mind. 

Bruce Poeppel was a special grade-school friend.  He was the best around in two unique skills.  And I don’t mean just a little better that most of the other boys—-he was way on top.  One activity was playing marbles using a four or five foot diameter circle.  He would cradle that “shooter” marble in his thumb/finger grip, breath on it once (for moisture) and fire it at a target two or three feet away.  The “shooter” nearly always flew like a rocket, unerringly, knocking a marble out of the ring while the “shooter”  sat spinning exactly at the point where the target marble had been.  Then Bruce usually cleaned out all the rest of the marbles.  It got to the point where he’d have to take a handicap in order to find competition.  I was amazed, always, when I was at his house at the buckets and buckets of marbles around the place. 

Bruce was deadly with a slingshot.  Most of us might fire off a pile of rocks at a sparrow or a bottle and occasionally nail something.  I rarely saw Bruce miss anything he aimed at.  Of course one of the secrets to his success was the fact that his missles weren’t rocks.  Bruce fired off marbles.  His supply was, of course, never-ending thanks to we foolish hopefuls who thought there was a chance of maybe winning a few marbles occasionally.  With Bruce, it just didn’t happen.  I never thought much about it when we were kids but Bruce was extremely careful about the shape of the slingshot crotch.  It had to be in the form of a “U”.  Everyone else used the much more common “V” shape crotch.  Bruce would search for days to find that perfect shape.  In that era no one bought a commercially made slingshot.  They may have been around but I never saw one until years later.  When I did finally happen to notice a good-quality slingshot years later in a sporting goods store it was interesting to see it was of the Bruce Poeppel “U” shape.

Don, I just talked to Mary Poeppel, Bruce’s widow.  She told me Don died from cancer in 2001. I have pasted his death record below. Mary is from England. They met when Bruce was stationed in the service over there.  Mary will be moving to Yakima WA shortly.  I’ve listed her present address below. She said they will forward any mail that she gets.

I have also exchange many email messages with your daughter Shannon.  She’s such a nice lady.  My cousin, Neola Kofoid Garbe, knows her and initially gave me her email address when I was trying to locate you about 1 1/2 years ago.  Gary

Mary Poeppel

211 3rd Ave

Ellensburg, WA 98929

(509) 925-5741

Bruce POEPPEL – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 24 Jan 1938  State Where Number was Issued: North Dakota  Death: 24 Apr 2001

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From Gary Morgan (54):

Hi Gary & All,
Another Adrian Egbert Story…..I remember one day Adrian came into the lumber yard to discuss, with my dad, the feasability of a concrete vault for his grave.  Seems Adrian had been to the cemetary and observed what he considered and inordinate number of fat, well fed, gophers running around.  Adrian did not want his remains to end up as gopher poop. (unlike Dick Johnson, I can’t write like Ade talked) I don’t know whether Adrian got the concrete vault but if you visit his grave at Riverside Cemetary, you will note the concrete slab covering his grave.
Incidently, to round out the cast of “Desperate Ambrose”…Jim was Jim Footit and CC was Cecelia (sp?) Carbonneau.

Gary Morgan
Class of 54 

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From Cathy Campbell Springan (73):

Gary,

Randy Flynn wrote about some of the messages going to his SPAM. I, too, have that problem although mine doesn’t seem to follow any pattern. If I don’t find a message waiting from you in the morning, I check my spam and pull it out.

 

Cathy
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Missing Message from Trish Larson Clayburgh (73):

Hi Gary,

Today’s email included a response to Flavia, but I don’t remember seeing anything from her.  Did I miss an email?  I thought I had read them all, but if you wouldn’t mind resending her missive, I’d love to read it.

She and I were classmates and friends the year she came to Dunseith.  I would love to hear any news of her life…

Trish

Trish, It was message (38).  I forwarded it to you.  Did you check your spam?

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Mel Kuhn’s (70) reply to Randy Flynn (70):

Gary,

I would like to thank Randy {Flynn} for his explanation about the fire extinguisher. It probably explains why I’m partly brain dead. I’ve managed to fry a good part of my nervous system so along with getting to live with a lot of pain it seems I’ve misplaced a lot of memory. I worked with way to many farm chemicals and paints in my younger days. Now my children and other people’s children tire of hearing me preach about safety. Dick Johnson, with his excellent memory, is one of my keys to the past. I get up a 5:30 every morning looking forward to an e-mail from Gary to jog these old memories loose. About the every third e-mail, Gary sends on 3 different addresses and maybe you just haven’t hit the allow button on one of them in your spam filter.

Mel Kuhn

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Mel, Despite having been exposes to all those chemicals and bad elements, you are still a very sharp fellow today.  About my email addresses, I do use 3 and they are all good addresses for sending messages to me.  Outlook Express makes for easy management of multiple email addresses. With the volume of email that I generate, I need the versatility of all three email addresses. Gary

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Message from Rhonda Hiatt (75):

Hi Gary,

Well I finally got moved, but still waiting on our furniture. I will be working in Portland, but just couldn’t see living there. We found a really nice place in Battleground, Washington and can see Mt. Saint Helens from our front yard. The one thing I don’t miss is the cold weather back home. It has been very very nice here with only a few days of rain.

When I had the internet and phone hooked up the guy came out and we started talking and he is from Balta, ND. I knew his cousins. The guy we are leasing our house called us and wanted to know if we had any questions about the place, and as we were talking, he said it’s funny your from SD, because I was born and raised in ND. I told him I was also. He was from the Wishek area. It is a small world!, and nice to know that ND is here also.

Still playing catch up with all your e-mails. Sad to hear of all the passings. My thoughts are with the families.

My new address and phone are below:

8907 NE 275th St.

Battleground, Washington

98604

360-666-3228

Thanks again for everything you are doing.

Rhonda Hiatt (75)

rhonda_hiatt@yahoo.com

360-666-3228 home

502-664-9168 cell

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Bobby Slyter’s (70) reply to Patti Metcalfe (67):

to patti metcalf: was it not amazing how well mom and dad could bowl, none of it rubbed off on their kids tho, the closest would be brenda, i remember the trips to water hen and hated those early mornings to

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Message form Tina Pladson Bullinger (78):

Gary,

I love all the e-mails!!!!  It’s nice to read up on people from the old hometown.  Even though I graduated from Bottineau (as did Arlan Hagen), I still call Dunseith my hometown! 

I was looking at the picture of the LaCroix girls, and am I correct in assuming that Lydia is a sister to Elwood?  She sure looks like him.  It is a great picture. 

I’m glad you added me to the mailing list, keep up the great work!!  I especially love the stories and pictures.

Thanks for the picture of our group, I never thought I’d be brave enough to sing in public, but the guys give me much encouragement, and we do a lot of laughing, which is so good for the soul!!

Keep in touch cousin,

Tina

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Tina, Yes Lydia and Elwood Fauske are Siblings. Gary

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Picture provided by Neola Kofoid Garbe:

Most of the Hills and Plains Gospel (Group?) are in this picture. 

Dunseith folks with this group are Don Boardman (61), Dan Pladson (75)

& Tina Pladson Bullinger (78) 

Thank you Jennifer for letting us know of your mothers passing. Our condolences were with you and the rest of her family.

Gary

FACTS Born: June 17, 1932 Death: January 4, 2014 Place of Death: Her Home GUESTBOOK Share your thoughts and memories in the guestbook. Sign the guestbook Read the guestbook

Send Card BIOGRAPHY Ella Mae Vogsland, age 81, passed away peacefully at her home near Grafton on Saturday, January 04, 2014. Ella Mae Poeppel was born in rural Dunseith, ND on June 17, 1932, the daughter of the late Emil and Bonnie (Graham) Poeppel. She graduated from High School in Duseith and went on to graduate from Christy’s Beauty School in Bismarck, ND. She moved to Grafton to work as a beauty operator. She met and married Dennis Vogsland on July 3, 1954 at Dunseith, ND. The couple lived and farmed near Grafton until retiring in 1996. Dennis passed away on Dec. 9, 2010. Ella Mae was a member of the Bethel Free Lutheran Church and WMF. She belonged to several bridge clubs in Minto and Grafton. Her greatest joy was being able to spend time with her many grandchildren. Ella Mae is survived by her children: Robin (Brenda) Vogsland, Rio Rancho, NM; Scott (DeeDee) Vogsland, Grafton, ND; Jeffrey (Tammy) Vogsland, Santa Ynez, CA; Chris Vogsland, Grafton, ND; Brett Vogsland, Grafton, ND; Jennifer (Randy) Napier, Grafton, ND; Julie (John) Ferguson, Riverside, CA; Susan (Mike) Narloch, Grafton, ND; 17 grandchildren and her sister, Ruth Ann (Kenny) Leens, Kingman, AZ. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, granddaughter, Rachel Vogsland, brothers: Louis, Ralph, and Bruce and her sister, Betty Lou Stepina. Funeral services will be Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. at Bethel Free Lutheran Church. Visitation will be Wednesday for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery, rural Hoople, North Dakota FUNERAL SERVICE Wednesday January 8, 2014, 10:30 A.M. at Bethel Lutheran Church Click for Map and Directions VISITATION Wednesday January 8, 2014, 9:30 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. at Bethel Lutheran Church Click for Map and Directions

Patti Metcalfe Woods (67) reply to the bowling picture:

Gary,

Thank you so much for adding me back in your mailing list. My computer is still not 100%.  I bought a new computer but still get messages saying my

email is full. Sooooooo next step is having a computer guru take a look at it. 

The picture of the 1st place bowling team was a treasure.  In the early 70’s Fred and Margo Hiatt invited Dwain and I to bowl on a mixed bowling league with them.

Little did we know that they were pros and we were novices (to say the least).  We had lots of wonderful times.  Margo had the cutest giggle. As I remember Fred and Margo took us fishing to WaterHen and taught us their fishing tips.  I couldn’t believe we actually got up before dawn so we could be out on the lake by sunrise. 

Bing Evans was my Uncle (Mom’s brother),  Bill Fassett and Edgar Anderson were our  friends parents, Don Johnson was my favorite Choir teacher.

What a wonderful childhood we all had in small town USA.  I enjoyed it so much I stayed.  I love to travel but there is no place like home…

Patti

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Picture Patti references From Crystal Fassett Anderson (70):

Hello  It’s me again!  Would the people to whom we send our contributions to help with the cemetery upkeep, please post their mailing addresses.  My husband, Dale & I are both retired postmasters, so like to have proper addresses!! Thanks & just for fun I am attaching a picture of the 1955 Dunseith Men’s bowling league 1st place team. Freddie Hiatt, Bing Evans, my Dad Bill Fassett, Don Johnson & Edgar Anderson with Galen Olson on next alley (he was on the 2nd place team.

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From Randy Flynn (70):

Gary,

Once again thank you for your time as well as providing this
platform for Dunseithians (?)to reminisce.  As I try to catch
up on your daily missives I have discovered 3 missing from the
past couple of weeks.  They were found in my SPAM account,
every third message, #32, 35, and 38.  I await #41 to determine
if this is a continuing pattern.  Do others have a similar
problem?  Is there a fix on my end of the message.  Since I
receive most of the messages, I do not believe I have added
your name to my SPAM list?

Mel Kuhn, in your earlier messages you mentioned the play with
the Genie and your fire extinguisher prop.  I think the play
was called MAX or was it MAXX.  I remember being the genie and
wearing satin pants and slippers with curled up toes.  I am
certain my children would love to see a picture of me in that
attire.

As I remember the fire extinguisher prop, it was a great idea.
I thought it was Duane Sebelius and you, who came up with the
original idea of handling the fire extinguisher.  The fire
extinguisher used for the rehersals was a CO2 type from one end
of the high school building.  Art Martel, the director of the
play, was not overly thrilled with it’s use but the noise and
fog caused by the CO2 expanding had a nice effect.  The CO2
evaporated without a noticeable residue.  Many of us wanted to
play with the prop after play practice and we emptied the CO2.
The Office did not want to refill the fire extinguisher so Mr.
Martel said we could do without the prop.  Being the ingenious
fellow that you are, you procured a fire extinguisher from the
other end of the building in the Junior High School.  Thinking,
correctly, that Mr. Martel and the Office would be watching the
High School end of the building where other CO2 fire
extinguishers could be found.  The fire extinguisher for the
night of the play was a dry chemical extinguisher fully
pressurized.  Without any practice I think you held your hand
on the lever a bit longer than normal.  It was quite a sight.
If EPA knew we were shooting a corrosive residue in the air for
all to breath, the school would have been closed and probably
fined.  I guess dry chemical is like lead based paint, a little
bit won’t kill you.  But I am sure Art Martel or the Office
wanted to kill us.

Stay well, Stay warm.

Randy Flynn 

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Reply from Dave Slyter (70):

Gary:

What a way to start a Monday morning.  I got to work and I was bogged down with phone calls and employees calling in sick and was way to stressed.   I sat down read a couple of letters and laughed until I was almost sick.   ha    The story Dick told about his dog and fish was hilarious and the story about the grave falling in was the highlight of my morning.  Thank you folks for all the great stories.

To Dick and Crystal.   Thank you so much for the very nice pictures of our parents.  Was really great to see them in their younger days.  The last pictures you sent of your folks and the Evans and Dion’s was really nice.    Thanks for all the great pictures and memories.

Dave Slyter : )

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Reply from Bev Morinville Azure (72):

Dick,  I am   glad  I  made your   day   with the  story  of you and  duke, and  the  pic  u  sent  is   great  .   Thanks   for all the memoies  u all   bring  back it  is  the  newpaper I  wake  up  with  each  am.  thanks  alll  Bev

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Susan Fassett’s (65) reply to Pete (65) & Verena Gillis:

Congratulations to Pete and Verena on their newest grandson.  They are so precious.  I have two –ages 1 1/2 and 4 years and they live just 45 minutes away, so we spend lots of good times together.

John and I are heading south on Wednesday for a couple of weeks.  We will be attending a wedding of a niece in Sierra Vista AZ and then up to Mesa to spend Easter weekend with our kids.

Love all the memories and pictures.

Hugs and Prayers,  Susan

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Reply from Paula Fassett Pfuhl’s (71):

On Crystal ’s photo:  the boy in the cage w/blue shirt is Albert Johnson.  I think he represented whoever the ‘opposing team’ was for the homecoming game.  I don’t know who the boy in front is, but the girl in the polka-dot dress is I believe, is Sharon Longie. 

Paula

I think the guy in front is Allen Houle?  Gary 

                                This is the picture that Paula is referring to

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Folks, I was going through some of the pictures and I noticed this nice picture of the LaCroix Family.

Some of you have seen this picture before, but a whole lot of you have not.  This is a beautiful

Picture of Lydia (Fauske) LaCroix and the girls.  Gary

Posted by Larry Liere (1955) Devils Lake, ND & Mesa, AZ

This picture posted 3-2-14 with Glen Shelver as coach reminded me that Glen and my

Dad Tony Liere refereed many basketball games together before we move to Devils

Lake.  I have said many times Barry Shelver was my best friend while we lived in

Dunseith.  Glen and my Dad would take turns driving us to the lake to swim during

the Summer.  On the same day as this picture was posted I was at the Mesa, AZ

North Dakota Picnic.  We sign in by County and I saw that Dave Shelver and his wife

had signed in.  Dave was very young when we moved but in later years when Dave was

living in Rugby his Son and my Son both joined the Army National Guard and went to

Basic Training together.  Too many people at the picnic so I was not able to find Dave

and his wife.  I am wondering if they live in the Mesa area?  Rolette County didn’t have

anyone sign in because they had a mix up and someone hosted a private party for their

County.  When you are from a small state like North Dakota and you know a lot of

people from there, it becomes a small world. 

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Reply to Dick Johnson’s Posting From Ron Longie (’65)

Dick

We made our buffalo’s from plaster of paris, we poured them in molds and when dry put names on bottom, and painted them brown with green grass.

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Larry Hackman’s (’66) reply to Dick

Dick

this is what I think happened.

You must have been staying with Grandma and Grandpa

You were playing around out in the barn yard before heading for school.

You fell into into one of them fresh cow pies.

You had your going to school clothes on and you weren’t suppose to be playing out in the barn yard,

and so you got on the school bus with that fresh pie clinging to the knee of your pants, couldn’t tell

Grandma or Grandpa or you would have been in big trouble.

You got to school and Mrs. Conroy’s room, and here she wanted you to make a buffalo Knick Knack for your mother.

You of course wanting everything to be precise and authentic had all this stuff hanging on your knee

and looking at that and the mold, decided if its going to look like a buffalo that it should also smell like a buffalo?

What do you think Mel? 

Can you see little Dick, smiling like he just killed the cat, as he scraped that cowshit off his knee into that buffalo mold and it and him smelling alike?

               

 Larry 

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Mel Kuhn’s reply to Larry

Larry,

I can picture that in my mind just as you described it. I think I could even smell it. I’m probably having lunch with Dick tomorrow. I’m gonna check his knees before I sit at the same table with him.

I just got home from Bismarck about an hour ago. It was just about as damn cold there as it is here. On our way down Saturday morning about 6:30 it was -32 degrees just north of Rolette.

Mel

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Larry Hackman’s reply to Mel Kuhn

Mel

Yes, its been damn cold here in Bismarck also.  I think you would have had to go as far south as Texas

or even further, to get away from the cold.  What the hell were you out traveling for when it is -32 degrees below zero?  What was the wind chill?

Was the car able to stay warm enough for you?  I remember having to take one of my brothers who was in the army, to Minot, in the middle of the winter, 

 to catch a plane in the middle of the night back in the late 60’s. Why did planes only fly out of North Dakota in the early, early morning hours back than?  It was so damn cold the car would not warm up, we froze all the way there and all the way back home.  The car was able to keep the wind shield partially clear and that was about it.  At least on the way home in the early morning, we were able to stop at town restaurants along the highway every so often and have something warm and warm up, for the next jaunt down the highway to Dunseith.

Did you check both of Dick’s knees?  He is getting older now, you know.

I don’t think our class ever made any creatures in Mrs. Conroy’s fourth grade class nor anything else that I can remember.

We must have been one of them classes more interested in academics?

Larry

Bill Hosmer’s (48) reply to Flavia Moraes (73):

  Gary and Flavia.  It was interesting and joyful to read the mailing
from Flavia.  You may not remember, but one time in the late 70s or
early 80s I contacted you in Sao Paulo.   I was staying at the Maxsud
Plaza Hotel.  Alan Campbell gave me your number because he knew I would
be travelling there.  Certainly it would be understandable for you not
to remember it, but it was an event that I’ll not forget.  I was a
demonstration pilot flying the Cessna Citation business jet in  those
days, and spent many trips and days landing at all the major airports
of Brazil.  Even some minor ones.  Anyway, you came to the hotel, and
we had dinner in one of the restaurants, and talked about Dunseith and
all the people we both knew.  I was so proud to be dining with such a
beautiful woman, and knowing how much the Campbell’s loved having you
with them made it a special occaision.  Most of the time we dined late
and left in early hours to get through the day, but for some reason
that day’s flying was over early, so I had an unforgettable dinner date
that stays with me.   Wonderful, Flavia, to hear from you through this
magical circuit which Gary has made possible.  Undoubtedly, you would
be a most welcome visitor to Dunseith, but as you may have read, the
town is not the same, and yes, we senior citizens who gather there now
and then talk about those other days and those who shared our time in
those eras of innocence and small town wonderment.    Cheers and
greetings to you,  Bill Hosmer

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From Florence Pladson Sime (62):

Gary,  Bonita Enno would like a update on the cruise as she thought that
sounded like it would be fun. She was a class mate of my daughter. Her
email address is, shopping101@aol.com. I sure enjoyed all the info that
you send. It is quiet interesting what people remember about Dunseith. I
remember when the snow wa so deep on main street that you couldn’t see
the drug store from Hosmers store. That was in the early 1964. I was
working at hosmers store at that time.  That storm happened over night.
There were cars completly covered with snow on the north side of the drug
by the hotel.

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Florence, I will send Bonita the preliminary info about the Dunseith Alumni Alaskan Cruise that I sent out a while back that is being planed for the 3rd week of July 2009 departing from Seattle.  The 2009 Alaskan Cruise schedules are not out yet.  When they are available April/May and Sandra Trevers Llewellyn (60), our travel agent, gets a cruise in place, we will be sending out detailed information so folks can start booking. For now folks can be planning.  The earlier folks book, the better (more) cabin choices they will have.  This will be a fun trip for all. Gary

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Dick Johnson’s (68) reply to Bev Morinville Azure (72):

Gary and Friends

Bev Morinville Azure’s memory of me and my dog Duke made my
day! It sure sounded like something he would do. I had that dog
from the time I was eight until I was in my mid twenties, 16 or
17 years! He was a character. One time we came home and someone
had left a cleaned, frozen, and wrapped, Northern Pike fish on
our doorstep. We asked the usual people who might have left us
this present but everone said “not me”. We had a great fish
supper from it anyway. At bowling one night a while later Dad
was telling this story to the bowlers. Joe Evans said “that was
YOUR #*^&%(@@_(&%^ little brown dog”!! Duke was out making his
rounds and Joe had laid his fish out on his picnic table to
freeze it when he saw Duke grab it and take off. Joe ran out
and chased him but the more he yelled the faster Duke ran! Joe
didn’t know it was my dog and we didn’t know it was Joe’s
fish!! The guys all had a good laugh, Dad said, when he told
Joe, THANKS!! Thanks Bev and Gary.

Dick

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Connie Peterson Lagerquist’s (74) reply to Gary Stokes’ (65) question asking about Terry Counts (74):

Hi Gary,
I’m really enjoying your e-mails. As for Terry, he is
alive and well. He works at the Belcourt hospital. I
see him now and again. He is married. His wifes name
is Norma, but not sure of her maiden name.
Connie

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Bobby Slyter’s (70) reply to Crystal Fassett (70) (pictures):

reply to crystal fassett, thank you so much for the pics of homecoming especially the one with my big bro richard, used to be such a handsome chap wonder what happened, now i am glad that i live in kansas, kind of far for him ti come kick my behind  teee heee  thanks again  p.s. bet they don’t do homecoming like that anymore

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Story from Larry Hackman (66) – Dunseith Cemeteries:

Gary,

Weighing in on the care of the Dunseith cemeteries.  I agree most could use some TLC.  I to travel up north once or twice a year to stop in at the cemeteries and to quench my craving for a jumbo burger.  Dick you and your group have Little Prairie Cemetery looking nice. Good job. 

My brothers and I use to take care of St. Louis and Riverside cemeteries back in the sixties for Harry Douglas.  The cemetery supplied three push lawn mowers, of which usually two would run and hand operated grass clippers, plus a couple of spades and wheelbarrows.  We supplied the labor. Mowing that hill was a real job.  Clipping around the grave stones was always slow and time consuming.  The wheelbarrows and spades were used to haul topsoil from a stockpile at the southwest corner of the cemetery, to fill in over the graves that had settled.  We soon tired of the wheelbarrows.  My oldest brother attached a hitch to his car bumper and went got a two wheeled trailer we had on the farm.  We then used it to haul topsoil to the grave sites. This method was a lot faster and whole lot less work.  Wheelbarrows still had to be used to get into the tight areas but we didn,t have to push them as far.  It would take us 3 to 4 days to do both cemeteries and we would have to get them done a week or more prior to each holiday and sometimes in between holidays if it rained.  Pushing lawn mowers up and down that hill was a real job. 

I remember one of my brothers was mowing along when all of sudden he let out a yell.  A grave had caved in, and he had went down with it. He thought something had a hold of him?  He did not know whether to shit or go blind? Thank heaven he did neither.  After all, we all had to ride home together in the same car and with three brothers that were both tired and hungry, was enough of a struggle.

I remember Harry Douglas explaining to us that each grave usually settled three times.  First when the wooden vault would give way, then when the casket gave way and then the body.  The concrete vaults that are now required to be used by state law, solved most of this problem.  Aren’t we lucky?

My older brother use to also accompany Harry Douglas to Devils Lake whenever he had to pick up a new grave stone.  He had to do the heavy lifting for Harry.  He said, He never did enjoy the trip, as Harry would drive all the way there and back on the shoulder of the road and at a speed of 35 mph.  He still remembers hitting and crossing every road approach there and back.

In the later sixties toppling over grave stones became popular among the younger people.  Us cemetery people were sure glad when they moved onto cow tipping.  I’m sure that this cow tipping activity ticked-off the udder guys.  I just want you to know I’m against tipping of any kind, except for a beer or two.

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larry   

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Picture provided by Dick Johnson (68):

Pete (65) & Verena’s Gillis’ new grandson:

To:	Gary
From:	Verena
Message:	Gary, Here is our little addition to the family. His nails were so long! His mom cut them now so shouldn’t be scratching his face up any more, lol. He is so sweet!

                         

Gary M,

I checked my pictures and I don’t think I have the picture you are referring too. I have pasted several others below  from the 40’s.

Gary S.

 

Bev Morinville Azure’s (72) reply to Dick Johnson (68):

Since   Dick  likes   to remember   all those  old  times  here is  one  I  remember   of  DIck…..   Colette Hosmer  had  made the  coolest  igloo , A lot  of  us  were playing  ( I think  over  at the Campbells) and   we   could hear someone  yelling,  we  followed  the  sound  and   when  we   looked  in the  igloo   there  was Dick  on his  hands  and  knees   trying to  crawl  into the  igloo  but  his   dog  Duke  wasn’t  going to  stand  for   that  and  had  Dick  by the  seat  of the  pants.  we  laughed  so hard.   When I  think of  u Dick  this  is  the   memory  that  stands  out.     Bev  Morinville(azure)

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Dick Johnson’s (68) Reply to Ron Longie (65):

Ron and All Friends

I think we played dodge ball with those old red Voit rubber
balls as they were not to hard if you got hit! The
animals “sculptures” we made were hand formed and mine was
supposed to look like a horse. It didn’t seem to resemble any
known creature so it wasn’t kept.
The changes you mentioned about Dunseith are noticed by many.
It is called “progress” and Ron, I think although there are new
schools and new businesses with new buildings, the town has
lost the character it had in the old days. Things have
certainly changed and I guess that is inevitable, however, my
memories haven’t and maybe this is why I cling to those
memories so desperately. I will be sending some pictures of
Main street that my mom had taken in the mid 1940’s. Most were
with Mom and her friends in front of various businesses. This
really brings back memories of the way WE remember our town!!
I suppose Mom’s friends will read this message and go into
panic, but I’m afraid they coming {the pictures} anyway, gals!!

Dick

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Message and pictures from Crystal Fassett Anderson (70):

I am putting all my Dad’s slides onto my computer  and thought everyone would enjoy seeing how we did homecoming up right “in the olden days”. That’s Richard Slyter carrying the colors & leading the parade. Patty Metcalfe was Queen,Randy Mongeon & Pam Lagerquist were princesses and that’s our beloved Don Johnson leading the famous DHS marching band…remember carrying the ladder & rope to practice “rank & file”??. If anyone recognizes any one else,please let me know,so I can edit my picture. Oh, on the freashmen float, I know Larry Tooke & Ronnie Houle are  of the football players.  Enjoy Crystal Fassett Andersen Class of 70

          

 

                

 

We made our buffalo’s from plaster of paris, we poured them in molds and when dry put names on bottom, and painted them brown with green grass.

Dick’s Posting

Ron Longie asked if we remembered the Buffalo from Mrs. Conroys
class. I remember making them from something like sawdust and a
homemade “binder agent” glue of some kind, am I right Ron? I
seem to remember they had an odd smell as we made them.

Sharron,

Thanks so much for the wonderful information about Edward, Matilda and brothers!  Never “enough already” – we can’t wait for more.  This is exactly the kind of detail I’m looking for.

Cousin Bill,

I always appreciate your kind words.  Flattery works!

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Edward and Matilda (Ducheaneau) Boucher

Reply Carmen Richard:  Rolette, ND.

Wow, I really appreciate all the Boucher info that Sharron posted, if she has more, I would love to have a copy. Floyd’s mother was a Boucher. Our son Dan bought a farm that was owned by Henri Boucher, and the barn was built by Oliver Boucher. It is still in use today. Wonder how old it would be?

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Posting from Larry Hackman (’66):  Bismarck, ND

Gary

 My grand daughter who is a junior, sprained her ankle badly at a basketball practice then again at a high school basketball game.

The Turtle Mountain Star

came through with a cartoon I had to forward to her, with a little modification.

Larry

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Message from Flavia Moraes (73) – Exchange student from Brazil:

Flavia, I have added you to our Dunseith Alumni Distribution list and I have pasted your address & contact info for the folks below. Gary

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Dear Gary

Thank you very much for your e-mail. It is so great to receive news from ND.

I lived with the Campbells for 6 months and you are totally right when you say they are nice folks. They were so nice to me that they made me love them forever. We still keep in touch and I know they are getting old…. so I am always willing to come back to Dunseith to meet them.

I have wonderful memories from the time I spent in Dunseith and I am sure I will never forget.

Did we meet when we  I was in the States~

Let´s keep in touch…

Best regards

Flavia

33

Moraes

Flavia

Est. Carlos Q Telles, 81      apto. 71 Torre Lago

05704-150 Sao Paulo – SP – Brazil

55 11 2125.0216

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From Diane Millang Volk (77) – Dunseith Dragons:

Thank you for all the e-mails.  They are a joy to read.

     Last Tuesday night MLS (Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood); my daughter and son play for MLS; played the Dunseith Dragons in the boys Basketball Regional playoffs.  It was one the most intertaining  and fun games I have ever seen.  The Dragons won by two in double overtime.  The compettion was fast and furious, both teams came out ready for a fight.  What struck me the most was that even thro the competition was tight both teams treated each other like they were best friends.  The Dunseith boys and their coach represented the town very well.  They played hard but were still gentlemen on the court.  Last night the Dragons played Bishop Ryan for the championship game.  The Dragons may of beat the MLS Mavericks earlier in the tournment but the Mavericks were out in full forse hoping that the Dragons were to beat Ryan.  The Dragons had won the respect of the Mavericks where Bishop Ryan had failed to do so.  As our neighbor sitting next to us said, “We really should cheer for Ryan as they come from our District, but the Dragon players and fans deserve it more.”   

Diane Millang Volk ( Class of 1977)

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Ron Longie’s (65) reply to Dick Johnson (68): longies@netzero.net

Dick Johnson, when we did our Buffalo it was with plaster of paris, we had rubber molds filled them one day, and the next we painted them. Dick did the guys still play dodge ball or should I say jungle ball very few rules. I was totally taken back with the changes in Dunseith, I kinda felt like a foreigner in my own town. I guess I was kinda expecting my little peace of heaven not to change, but as we know all things change. Take care nice talking at you.

                                                                              Ron Longie

Provided by Neola Kofoid Garbe – Thank you Neola: