To Gary Metcalf, I’m happy to hear you enjoy these crazy stories,it’s like they lay dormant at the back of a persons mind,and it takes one person to bring it up like Dick did ,and every detail comes back to you like it happened yesterday. Dick started the story telling months back,it seemed to take awhile to catch on, but it’s fun that more and more people are participating.I’m not sure if I remember Bonnie Awalt Houle, but I read her story about Sister Agnes over and over again,and laughed harder everytime.Being raised Catholic,and around the nuns alot during the summer that whole story was just too funny.Whopee Goldberg in Sister Act ain’t got nothing on you Bonnie…Sorry Mrs. Foss once again with the “aint got” I don’t think I really talk like that it was just so fitting for the occasion…Well hope you all have a nice day,Its 7:30 A.M. here , I just got home from work so I have to get some sleep….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Good-Bye

Here’s my guess at Dick’s photo of the singers: it was part of the yearly Xmas concert put on by the community choir that Don Johnson organized yearly for several (I think) years…..my dad used to sing in it…… I remember one year when I was in grade school, someone (maybe Elsie Schneider? – she was the accompanist for the community choir, I believe – and my piano teacher) organized a group of girls to sing at that concert . I was the accompanist for this little group, and being the accompanist, I was the last one to be seated in the chairs or on the bleachers or wherever the heck we were seated after they performed. So, naturally, I was the one who was supposed to get up and lead us all back to the choir, on cue, for the final big finale. I missed the cue – maybe because I was very shy as a young kid, but most likely because I was daydreaming – so we didn’t get up to sing the last number!!! Oh, the shame!! Anyway, this may be that group…….

Aggie,
You are so right…it was Joe…your family has served their country
well. Bonnie, you cracked me up about your story of the sisters of
St. Joseph’s….I remember them well. Do you remember Sister Gabriel?
She taught me in catechism. I really liked her…what about Sister
Rose? Those nuns were the ones who lived in Dunseith….same order
right?Diane Larson Sjol

Gary and Friends,This past winter we talked about another old family from the
Ackworth-Salem area, the Bergs. Albert and Clara were the parents of
Martin, Alvin, Amanda, and Arla. Clara was the oldest child in the Borre
Johnson family and was a sister to my grandmother, Myrtle Olson and ten
siblings. This large family blended into the community and eventually
made us related to half the hills! I just thought some of the readers
might like to see a picture of Albert and Clara, in their later years.
Clara died Dec. 31, 1958. I still remember getting the call at our house
in Dunseith. I had to then go and tell my grandmother that her sister
had died–unexpectedly. Being only 8 years old, I had never had to do
anything like that before. Looking back, I can’t imagine anyone telling
a little kid that kind of news and not asking for an adult, but that was
what they did. After Clara passed away, Albert used to come and visit my
folks and grandmother, who lived with us. He wore a long black coat and
hat and carried a cane. To me he looked just like Winston Churchill. He
drove a real nice black ’36 Ford Tudor that I really liked. He lived a
few more years but I’m not sure when or where he passed away. His
daughter Amanda, and son-in-law Clarence Schultz, got the old Ford. I do
remember that! They ran a grocery store in Donnybrooke, ND. Thanks Gary!

Picture of Albert and Clara Berg.