Reply to Pastor Orval Moren’s Status
From Bob Hosmer (56):  Ponoka, Alberta

Pastor Orval Moren served as pastor of Dunseith Lutheran Parish back in the 1960s.  He’s a good friend of mind during those years and we have kept in contact with each other both by phone and email.  But now is under nursing home care.  Was he also your pastor at Salem Lutheran?

Gary’s Comment
Bob: Pastor Moren was never pastor of Salem and Metigoshe Lutheran.

Dinner at Denny’s in the Robinson Galleria Mall in Cebu, Philippines  last night.

Bernadette hit her high point since having been unconscious for 20 days in April and is steadily declining. Several weeks ago she could walk on her own. Now she needs total assistance for walking and virtually everything else too. As long as we are able to get her in the car, we try to eat out most every night. Our three Helpers/caregivers take turns going with us. I could never do it alone.

Tata, Mirasol and Marites are god sends sent from heaven.

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Blog (790) posted on May 2, 2010

Reply from Blanche Wicks Schley (42): Grand Forks, ND.

The couple at the end of this message are one handsome couple…you both look so relaxed and enjoying retirement. Have a wonderful life. I enjoy the daily items, even though I don’t know the people…recognize the last names. Having left Dunseith in 1938, it is interesting to read about the school and community changes in that time. I have been to only one of the all school reunions. I note that many people say that their day starts with reading your daily alumni news. The stories that are told by everyone would really make an interesting book. Keep up this project … You have certainly have a great following!

Blanche Schley

Thank you Blanche for the nice compliment. Bernadette does take good pictures and always looks great. On my part, pictures can be deceiving. Yes we are relaxed and enjoying retirement. I’ll tell you a little something. Bernadette and I were counting the days leading to our retirement here in the PI so we could enjoy all the inexpensive services that are available in this country. Now with everything being done for us, that leaves a lot of time to really do nothing. We went from overload to nothing. That isn’t all necessarily a good thing. I have managed to keep pretty busy with what I’m doing, but Bernadette does, at times, have a lot of extra time on her hands. CSI reruns get a little old. Gary

Celia Walter Story:
From Vickie Metcalfe (68): Bottineau, ND.

Gary,

Next week is Mother’s Day.

Yesterday, I was moving files and came across a story of my mom’s of Celia Walter. Mom and I wrote the story at the request of Celia’s granddaughter. I noticed on Verena’s list this morning the name Erna Walter Pederson. I don’t recall Erna, but my mom’s recollection of Celia was of a proud, devoted mom . I’d like to share the following story written about Ceila.

Charlotte Metcalfe’s, Remembrances of Celia Hackman Walter

Charlotte (Lamb) Metcalfe grew up one mile west of the Hackman family on old unpaved Highway 43. Celia’s family home was also directly across the road from Charlotte’s grandmother, Elizabeth Wicks, with whom Charlotte frequently stayed with.

Celia,was nine years older than Charlotte. Charlotte said, “Celia was kind and fun to be around.” 

Charlotte recollects when she was about 5, going across the road to visit Celia and her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Hackman. Celia’s mother, was a short plump lady and Celia, was the baby girl of the family. 

Mrs. Hackman would sew dresses for herself and Celia. There was no electricity, so the sewing was probably done on a pedal sewing machine and/or by hand. Celia and her mother would save the fabric scraps and sew doll clothes for Charlotte’s dolls.

Stohl or Long Lake which it is known now, was adjacent to the Hackman’s. The east side was a nice swimming place where sometimes,Celia would take Charlotte wading.

Hilltop School was located 1 mile north and 1/2 miles east of the Hackman Place. About the summer of Charlotte’s first grade at Hilltop School, Celia and her cousin, Antoinette Deitrich were brushing up on studies to complete the final eighth grade exams.

Celia had a horse which she rode bareback. Often she would hitch up the horse to a cutter in the winter or a cart in the summer. She would drive the horse to school. That summer she gave Floyd and Charlotte rides to and from school whenever they stayed with their Grandma Wicks.

Sometimes, Celia would take her horse and buggy to her Grandpa Deitrich’s or Uncle Henrys to get chicken feed. Charlotte say’s, “Celia would invite me to go along. We just went riding along, it was an adventure to go with her, Celia’s Grandfather’s seemed so far away.”

Charlotte remembers a few years later going with some other youth, to visit Celia at her home. She was then married to Ed Walter. They were living close to Kelvin Store and Ed was working for Cook’s. Celia had a tiny, small, cute baby girl, her name was Erna.

In later years Charlotte said she would visit with Celia at Peace Lutheran Church. Many times, Celia would be quietly washing dishes for church functions

Charlotte said, after her passing on March 30,2005, “Celia was always a friend, and I’ll miss her. She always made me happy to see her.”

Written for Patsy Walter Mogk, on her Grandma Celia’s passing.__by Charlotte Metcalfe

Vickie L. Metcalfe written on March 31, 2005

Vickie, I was glad to see Erna Walter’s name on our reunion list too. Erna knew my Dad’s family pretty well. She lived with my Dad’s brother Emil and his wife Lillian for several years in the foot hills of the Turtle mountains NE of Bottineau. She was teaching school at the time. That would have been in the 1956/57 time frame. I remember Erna living with them. I was only about 10 years old at the time. I had totally forgotten she had lived with Emil/Lillian until she brought it to my attention when I got in contact with her putting class lists together. Erna is currently living in Minot. Gary

Tommy Belgarde’s passing:
Reply from Claudette McLeod (80): Dunseith, ND

Gary, Yes, it is Tommy Belgarde the musician. It was a very sad day in our community, Tommy was the son of the late Jimmy and Emma Belgarde. His brothers were Rene and Clifford, he had others as well but Rene and Clifford lived her all their lives.

 Claudette McLeod

Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND.

Pastor Orval Moren  Status
Posted by Debbie Higgins:   

Note from Dick Johnson (’68):
Orval Moren was the pastor of Dunseith Lutheran in the early to mid 60’s before the merger or Dunseith, Rendahl, and Little Prairie.

Hi,

This email is being sent by Debbie Higgins, Orval’s Daughter. Many of you have called and asked about Dad, so I thought I would send a blast email and update everyone… I apologize if you are sent this incorrectly or in multiples. Its Dads address book and I have no idea who he knows, and in what way you are connected to his life…  If I have left someone off please forward this to them too. Please do not use these addresses for any other purpose.

Dad has recovered from 3 serious hospitalizations for pneumonia and congestive heart failure since February. They have taken a toll on his body and mind. He is fragile but still in good spirits.  He has moments of clarity, and a lot of memory issues. He completely lost his hearing in this left ear,and half in his right ear, in a battle with infection in March. But his hear aid in the right still serves him well.

We helped him sell his house in June to his next door neighbor and dear friend Debbie Dickinson. He is now living at the Ambassador Good Samaritan Care Center in New Hope. 8100 Medicine Lake Road, New Hope MN 55427

Currently he is unable to walk and in a wheel chair. He recently recovered from a fractured ankle bone (and the required boot for the last 10 weeks).  It would appear that he is fading a little more everyday.   He misses my mom, Bernell so much. Dad is experiencing the typical loneliness and isolation that can come with his situation and he always enjoys visits and phone calls from friends and family.

If you desire to send a letter, or note to the care center, we do read them to him.  If you desire to visit, he does enjoy it, may manage for 15- 30 minutes but might lose track of things a little.  He also may not remember you have been there. He keeps his cell phone near his bed.  If you can’t reach him, please leave a message and we will read or play it back to him. There is a visitors note book on his dresser if you choose to share that you visited.  It allows us to try to help him relive some of the friends and family that have come.  Thank you for your continued care, prayers and love to dad as he continues to live out his days.

We will not be responding to this email or Dads email account. You may forward questions, greeting or notes to my sister, Becky Calhoun at her email, zip55123@hotmail.com. She will respond instead.

Peace and blessings.  Love from all of us. Jon, Becky, Debbie, Mary Beth and families
Facebook message from Lee Stickland (’64): Dickinson, ND

Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: neolag@min.midco.net Minot, ND

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Blog (790) posted on May, 2010

Thomas Belgrade’s funeral notice:

THOMAS BELGARDE, 51, Belcourt, died Thursday in a Minot hospital. Funeral Wednesday, 10 a.m., St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Belcourt. Visitation Tuesday, 6 p.m., rosary service Tuesday, 8 p.m., both in the church. (Elick Funeral Home, Rolla)

Reply to Tommy Belgarde (Deceased)
From Denise Lajimodiere: Moorhead, MN

Tommy Belgarde the musician?

Denise

Condolences to the Tommy Belgarde Family:
From Dianne Rober’t Johnson (76): Rolla, ND

Morning Gary,

I seen the posting regarding Tommy.

I remember Tommy (& Clifford) from when I lived on the farm out by St. Anthony’s. We use to ride the horses to Pigeons alot and would pass by their house. Also, remember going to dances where Tommy’s band was playing. Those were the good old days!

My condolences go out to Tommy’s families, he will be surely missed.

Dianne (Rober’t) Johnson

Memories of Tommy Belgarde:
From Vickie Metcalfe (70): Bottineau, ND

Gary,

MUSIC.

Through the passing of each season, I revert to music. Yesterday, I when visiting with a class of students,who did not know about an old tradition of knocking at doors and giving flowers on May first. …… Myself? I ‘d first heard about May Day from Mrs.Florence Conroy.

While discussing May 1st. I began singing…… “Awake Awake Oh Pretty Maids Awake Out of your Drowsy Dream..and Step into your dairy house to fetch a bowl of cream………..” . My thoughts were of our gifted music teacher who introduced the Dunseith High School choir that song. I continue to always be amazed when melodies and the words are remembered just as our gifted teacher…….Mr. Don Johnson.

Saddened, I am to hear of the passing of Tommy Belgarde. Tommy also a truly gifted musician. (Tommy’s dad grew up in the hills north of Dunseith, neighbors to the Metcalfe’s at Rabbit City Lake…………and he in the foothills)

Many, many times, my cousin, Janice and Raphael hired Tommy’s band to play at Kelvin Klinic. My parents, along with Kelvin filled with many neighbors and folks enjoyed listening to Tommy appreciating his sense of timing and danced to his band. Ah……. those two-steps, fox trots and waltzes. (Do you remember the dancing at Kelvin Dorothy Pritchard? As I recall, She, and her husband could and would dance most of the evening.)

It was Turtle Mountain Metis’ Music at it’s best! Many weekends, I’d venture to the home farm from teaching in Montana just in time to take mom and dad dancing. Usually, upon seeing my dad,walk through the door with his white cane, Jimmie LaRocque would say to Tommy,” Let’s play one for Cliff. Tommy and the band accompanied Jimmie while he’d double string fiddled , I’d stand to be dad’s touch point while he’d clogged and jigged.

God Bless those dear hearts and gentle souls who made the music which carries on. Many Thanks. Vickie

Bryan Schimetz’s (77) Funeral cast:
From Mark Schimetz (70): Rolette, ND.

Gary This is a copy of Bryan Schimetz’s Funeral cast . Gary Fulsebakke sang several songs and very heartfelt and powerfully moving, This young man can really sing spiritual songs. I first heard Gary sing at his mothers 90th birthday party at Good Sam’s in Bottineau. I remember Gary saying that his mother, Midge, loved to sing gospel songs around the house and Gary loved to sing along with her. Judy Allard also sang very well. I will try to get a copy of the Obituary, which I left behind in Dunseith. I know some of his friends could not make it. So I will also try to get some miscellaneous photos of Bryans life to you at that time.

Thanks Gary for all that you do for us Fans of this blog.

Reunion – May 22nd

Folks, Verena’s list, below, is her master list and the official master list for those that have paid. Please reply with any discrepancy’s or omissions that you see so they can be corrected.

She will only be ordering T-shirts, Next week, for those that attended Dunseith schools that have paid when she sends the order in. She is unsure of those attending the reunion that have not paid, so will not be ordering T-shirts for those folks.

For the catered dinner, Verena needs your payment no later than May 14th.

For those of you desiring the catered meal, please send your payment of $10.00 Plus $5.00 ($15.00 total) per person payable to