San Haven
Question from Carrie Bishop:
Can you tour the san haven sanatorium or tour the grounds?
My cousin’ Jack’s granddaughter
Posting from Vickie Metcalf (’70): Bottineau, ND
Gary and Dunseith Friends,
http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4317631-top-american-indian-stylemakers-home-base-tiny-nd-town-population-29
Jessica is the grand daughter of Jack and Mae Metcalfe.
Jack, my first cousin was the 4th son of Bill and Mary.
Numerous fond memories of those near and dear in my childlike heart and the family farm endure.
When I was a small child Jack came to work for my parents.
Jack’s strong work ethic, positive personality, kindness, his heart full of laughter. endeared him to mom and dad.
At that time, whenever a free moment, he also began working hard in teaching himself to play banjo.I imagine now, it sounded awful, but Jack had a strong will to keep playing over and over and over. I felt the fondness and familial love between my parents and Jack.
Then, he went away. He’d left with his brother Billy to serve our country against….. Korea. Actually Billy and Jack were on the same ship in the navy. (I discovered through genealogy inquiries, a number of our families Scottish ancestors were sailors.)
“Home is the sailor home from the sea” . After his service, Jack returned to his family farm and continued to help out my parents.
One chllly March day, Jack brought Barney the horse pulling the stone boat around to the house. He put my older sister on the bed of hay and off they went leaving me behind. HMM! Through the woods and across snowy fields to her first day of first grade at Seim School.
“You are too young to go to school”, said my mother. HMM! I angrily thought, “I am always told, I am too big to be carried and now I am too young for school.” Soon Jack came back, put Barney in the barn and entertained me through his morning coffee time.
When our littlest sister was born in June, my older sister stayed with Fafa and KingFra and went to Seim school, I got to stay with Jim and Ella’s family! Yes!
And Jack continued to do chores and ‘batch’ with dad for a whole week!
Jack always told humorous tales of that week with my dad. He said, “Lottie didn’t leave us to go hungry she left a BIG ham.”
“Before each meal Cliff would say “What do you want to cook to eat?”Jack replied, “I don’t know how to cook ” Cliff would say ‘How about HAM?
“So for the week every day. It was ham. In the morning in Cliff made fried ham and eggs, at noon (dinner) we ate Lottie’s homemade bread and fried ham sandwiches, and at supper more fried ham and fried eggs”.
Now Jack grew up eating his mothers cooking. His mom was a phenomenal cook! But Jack never was one to complain but endured Uncle Cliff’s cooking ham..
Well things got back to be somewhat normal with little sister and mom returning home.
Then, soon it was haying time again.
Our house rang with laughter and fun stories whenever Dad and Jack were together at dinner or supper..
And soon the sound of Jacks banjo rang too! At that time in my life I decided someday I was going to play banjo too.
T’was not to be. I should have figured, I like to play the radio and dance.
I was not an instrumental person when couldn’t master the Jews Harp which Uncle Archie gave me when I was six.,.
Years move on. People move on. Things move on.
But fond memories always close by.
In the past, I heard a Dolly Parton song and I’d always think of (cousin) Jack.
Whenever Jack came back to the Turtle Mountains he always graced our home with a visit.
Mom would say did you bring your banjo?”
and I.
I would say ……….”Play a song for me (Apple). ..Cousin Jack”……..”cousin Jack”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1poXIyaoEQ
Until Later,
Vickie Metcalfe
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Blog (631) posted on November 23, 2009
Posted on November 23, 2009
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Birthday card shower for Kenrose Medlang who will be 90 on Thanksgiving day.
Folks, If you haven’t already done so, please send Kenrose a birthday card. She will be 90 on Thursday. We need to make her day. Even if your card gets there a day or so late, that will be fine. I sent her a letter with several pictures last week that I know will not arrive until after her birthday. Gary
Kenrose Medlang
RR #1 Box 128
Dunseith, ND 58329-9451
(701) 263-4232
Rispa’s, Lund’s, Crawford
Reply from Tom Hagen (51): Mesa, AZ
Gary, I had to jump in here when you mentioned those who lived by Long
Lake and we knew well such as Johnny Crawford and Leonard Lund. Ole
and Grace Rispa were our nearest neighbors and I was often sent with a
message to Rispa’s and had quite a time talking to Mrs. Rispa. One
time Albert (who did a lot of mechanic work for us)got a Model T and
stopped at our house. He asked if we wanted to ride and of course , we
did. We thought we were practically flying but with no top it just felt
like it, ha!!!! We were probably going about 20 mph. Rispa’s had , I
think 3 or 4 beautiful Percheron dapple gray horses they used for
farming and they were a sight to see and so powerful pulling the
machinery!!
We love E-mail letters, Love Tom and Dot
I actually recieved this message about a week ago from Keith:
From Keith Pladson (66): Stafford, VA
Gary,
Alice and I and some neighbor friends just got back from a week in Myrtle Beach, SC. We had a great time and attended some really entertaining shows. Myrtle Beach is a fun vacation destination. Unfortunately, like many other vacation locations in the US, Myrtle Beach has become very commercialized. So for us older generation, its best to go there in the off season. We’ve actually been there three previous times to include once in the summer, and learned from that trip that the off season was best (less people, less traffic, more space on the beach, etc.). In any case, we had a wonderful time and beautiful weather for the first four days with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-seventies. Then the remnants of hurricane Ida moved in and we got a lot of wind and rain and high surf — though Ida got a lot meaner as she moved further north into NC and the Virginia Beach,VA area. I would think Aggie Casavant also got hit with some of the remnants of Ida over where she lives near Charlotte, NC (though she lives in SC).
Picture from Dick Johnson (68): Dunseith, ND
Gary and Friends,
This is a picture of the DHS basketball team in March of ’67. It’s
from the Dist. 14 tournament in Belcourt. Thanks Gary!
Dick
Bernadette’s Brother Jose.
Folks, I mentioned about 10 days ago or so that Bernadette’s brother had another stroke. He and his wife and also their oldest boy and his family live on the big Island of Mindanao. On Saturday August 7th a team of nurses along with Jose’s wife brought him over to our place. It was a 12 hour ferry boat ride. Jose and his wife are currently in one of our apartments that we gave to their son who is living in Mindanao. They are living in our compound, but not with us directly in our house. This last stroke pretty much did Jose in. He is pretty much in a vegetative state with a tube running through his nose and down his throat for feeding. We have hired two RN’s and two helpers to watch and care for him around the clock. We know the end is very near. I have let it be known that if I am ever in that state that I want all life supports removed. The doctors have said he will never recover and will always be in a vegetative state. The Filipino’s have strong belief’s that big miracles can happen. Bernadette is well aware of reality, but Jose’s family I think is having false hopes. Gary
Christmas 2008
Bernadette’s Brother Jose. He had his first stroke 4 years ago.
Ackworth Alumni reunion in the 80’s or 90’s
Lori Hiatt in the foreground. Not sure who the little girl is.
In the Back: Norman Hiatt talking to Willis Bowers and Russell Fauske.
Gary Stokes with the red cap
July 29, 2001
Elaine Stokes (Mom) on her 80th Birthday
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