Memories, thanks and coping with the loss of Anthony Poitra
Message from Ginger LaRocque Poitra (’65): Belcourt, ND
Yes very hard. It is like a very bad dream and I can’t wake up. I thought we would live and grow very old together. I thought we would be able to enjoy a whole lot more of life together.
We had always wanted to do things. Anthony wasn’t able to do a whole lot because he wasn’t well for a very long time.
What a disease! It came, took over our life, we ended up bowing down to what the disease wanted us to do and when it wanted us to do things. You of all people know what I am talking about, Gary .
I know that my Anthony is with God, because he is a good person he helped people in their time of need, he helped them from his heart, to name just one fixing their furnaces, the people he did this for was so thankful that they had him to repair it and they wouldn’t freeze and if they weren’t able to pay he wouldn’t charge them. There were so many ways he helped people
He is known very well by many in different areas of the world. He is liked by most, he is respected by many. When he did a job he finished it and did it well. People would count on him to get things done because they knew he would do it right.
He worked on many different types of jobs and was so talented. He figure things out, everything he attempted to do was done with the upmost care. Anthony was a very good and loving person.
I can relate to you and what you are going through Gary, because I have been there.
May God bless you Gary my heart goes out to you, being there for your wife is why we got married to be with the person we promised to love honor in sickness and in health till death us do part.
Love you Gary, thank you for what you have done for so many people. You brought us together with the ones we missed and didn’t know we did. So grateful for being able to relive our youth in ways we never thought we would. You added inspiration to our lives to a lot who needed it. I for one am very grateful to you, by doing what you did I was able to look at myself in a somewhat different light.
God bless you and keep you strong for what you have to face ahead of you. God helps us through everything!
Your classmate
Ginger
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Blog (433) posted on April 20, 2009
04/20/2009
Posted on April 20, 2009
Winifred Pritchard Eurich passed away:
Posted by LeaRae Parrill Espe (67): Bottineau, ND
Gary, I wish I didn’t have to report bad news again, but Sharon Eurich Hanson left a message on my answering machine this morning saying that her mother, Winifred (Pritchard) Eurich, had passed away this morning at 8:30 (that would be Sunday morning).
I knew she was doing poorly a month or two ago, but seem to have rallied after that.
She celebrated her 90th birthday at St. Andrew’s Health Care Center in January. It was a double celebration for Winifred and Dorothy Pritchard who celebrated her 96th birthday around that same time.
I have no other details regarding the funeral at this time.
So two of my classmates have lost mothers this week. (Carmen Myer and Norman Eurich).
Follow up message from LeaRae
Funeral services for Winifred Eurich will be on Thursday at 10:00 at Peace Lutheran in Dunseith.
I attended the family service for Pat Myer tonight and it was annouced there. (Johnnie Myer and Elmer Espe are first cousins.)
To the Eurich family, Our condolences are with you with the passing of your mother/grandmother Winifred. I will always remember her and your family with the visits our family made to your house in my childhood days. Your place seemed to be the gathering place for different events as I recall. Those were good times. Gary & Bernadette Stokes.
From Neola Kofoid Garbe: Minot & Bottineau, ND
Hi Gary,
Shirley Houle Vandal received the Volunteer of the Year Award from Good Samaritan today.
Lloyd Awalt sang “Good Night, Irene” at the end of the program today at the Good Samaritan Center. He did a great job! When I used to attend dances, they always ended with “Good Night, Irene”. It’s a great song, but I always hated to hear it, as it meant the dance was over.
Neola
Congratulations Shirley for all of your great services. I do not have an email address for you, but hopefully someone will pass this message unto you. Gary
Reply From Nathan Richard (90), Allen’s son: Fort Greely, Alaska
Gary,
I work in missile defense here at Fort Greely. This year we saw on our thermometer -53. In and around town however they were reporting around -66. Our little dodge neon didnt have quite the trouble as other people did with there large diesel trucks. I started to chuckle a little when it just kept goin with no problems, but kept my thoughts to myself as not to jinx it LOL.
Nathan A. Richard
1LT, AD
Bravo Crew Sensor Operator
HHB, 49th MD BN
Unsecure: (907) 873-2222
Home: (907) 869-3563
Cell: (701) 330-6563
Reply from Don Aird (Carroll Carlson’s Nephew):
I read your Dad’s story. My Dad helped build the Peace Gardens working for the CCCs. The CCCs then became the Soil Conservation Service. Dad was in the SCS until he retired in 1978. Dad worked for the SCS in Wahpeton and Dickinson, he was a soil conservation engineer. At Wahpeton he helped put in hundreds of shelter belts. They used to go to old shelter belts and pick the plums, take the plums back to the SCS building and seed them for the next years planting.
Don, You told me one time where you are living, but I did not record it in my records. Sorry about that.
Dad planted many of the shelter belts in Bottineau too. If those tree rows were not nearly perfectly straight the trees would be pulled and replanted. It was a 3 man operation. One to drive the tractor and another two behind planting the trees. Dad also did some of the cultivating of the shelter belts for the SCS in Bottineau county.
From Neola Kofoid Garbe: Minot & Bottineau, ND
Hi Gary,
I mentioned Rita Langer was one of the performers at the Music Jamboree at Good Samaritan last time. She was there again today. This is her second CD. If people want to order a CD/ask Rita (and her husband, Richard) a question, their phone number/mailing address/email address are all included.
Richard told me today, he named the recording studio Acorn Ridge Recording because he/Rita live on a ridge, and there are many oak trees around their house/the area.
Neola
Reply from Colette Hosmer (64): Santa Fe, NM
Sharron and Gary,
Thanks so much for these family histories. I (and others, I’m sure) would love to read histories of every family in the Dunseith area. Gary, would you please post a photo of your family again?
For sister Nancy. I didn’t think you were ever that young. ha
Colette
Colette, I don’t have any recent pictures of any of my family all in one photo.
Bernadette was not with me that trip back to ND in 2000, so she is not in the top picture.
Kristin & Nathan are Darrel/Debby’s children. Bernie and Sheryl are our kids.
3 weeks before dads death.
Standing L to R: Kristin, Nathan, Debby, Darrel & Gary Stokes
Sitting: Robert & Elaine Stokes
Bernie/Sheryl Stokes 1990 Sheryl Stokes 2005
Gary/Bernadette Stokes 2008
