Dakota Drifters to Perform at Hostfest – Sept 27-30, 2017
Posting from Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND
Dakota Drifters
This quartet is made up of Dick and Brenda Johnson from the Turtle Mountains in north central North Dakota; Carl Kannianen from the Stanley area; and Toby Nelson from Minot. All four are home grown self-taught musicians who really enjoy country music.
Dick farms near the International Peace Garden. He has been involved with music from the time he was young. He plays guitar and handles most of the vocals. He is known to favor Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash songs and always includes a few Norwegian jokes to keep things lively.
Toby is the owner of Prairie Winds Band Instrument Repair LLC in Minot ND. He and his staff keep busy repairing and maintaining all types of musical instruments for the upper northwest region of ND. As a sophomore in High School, he taught himself how to play drums and has been performing with the band Tin Star for the past 20 years. Toby is the newest member of the Dakota Drifters and is excited to help them keep traditional country western music alive!
Brenda works for the North Dakota Forest Service in Bottineau. She started playing the standup bass just a few years ago. She keeps the group organized and is always looking for new “old” material. She and Dick have played and entertained together for several years.
Carl farms in the Stanley area and has played the guitar for many years. He found out early in life that he enjoyed music. He sings harmony on several songs and also does vocals. Carl has a unique style of picking and his instrumentals are fabulous.
This group plays a variety of country, gospel, rock-a-billy, and even some rock and roll. So if you like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins and other similar old time music you’ll enjoy hearing this group perform.
Joe Mufferaw
Posting from Vickie Metcalfe (’70) Bottineau, ND
Gary and friends of Dunseith,
As a child, did you all ever hear tales of Joe Mufferaw?
My dad would tell us he was going to see “Joe Mufferaw”.
We wondered which neighbor Joe Mufferaw was?
Forever guessing,Emil Morin, Uncle Wild Bill, or Art Seim because dad would end up visiting with one of those families
Finally I decided it could be a name our dad used when he was going somewhere to visit and not planning for us kids to go along.
Or perhaps Joe Muffraw meant, ” It was grown up time to talk, and none of a kid’s business.”
Art Seim would also say, “I’m going over to see Joe Mufferaw.”
I asked dad any times “Who is “Joe Mufferaw”? He’d never tell me.
Sometimes answers to all my pondering comes around and there’s it is, serendipity!
I read news from various parts of the English speaking world on my computer everyday.
(I don’t own a TV to watch the news) I believe that comes from a long ago anti-TV habit instilled in me at age six when our family lived with dad’s brother in Marysville WA.
Uncle Archie absolutely disliked TV! He’d frown, and turn off the TV. He’d change the subject by, singing a song, telling a story, make us read, play cards or board games.
With the age of computers I discovered a whole new world;Canadian TV news, Irish news, BBC, State of Montana and State of Washington news, etc.
Serendipity! I hit a Jackpot a couple years ago when reading Canadian entertainment news about a much beloved Canadian singer.
Stompin Tom Conners had passed away.
I hadn’t heard of Stompin Tom. Just what made him special to Canada? Well, he wouldn’t move S. of the border to Nashville the heart of his music was Canadian.
He wrote “The Hockey Song”, which is famous at every hockey game across Canada.
Then, Holy Cow! WoW!
Low and Behold!
Stompin Tom wrote and performed a song, “Big Joe Mufferaw.” I listened.
Finally I researched and figured out who Joe Muffraw was.
Joe Mufferaw was a Canadian legend! He was a French Canadian (Paul Bunyan) Logger.
And, Joe Mufferaw who was born in the early 1800’s lived in the same area of Ontario as my paternal grandpa Bill in the mid 1800’s.
(Arnprior, Renfrew, Smith Falls and the Rideau Canal)
Again with memories of my dad and Uncle Bill who were keepers of our family oral history.
As was, Emil Morin and Art Seim who also could tell a story 2 or 3. Perhaps as children they were told tale’s of Joe Mufferaw.
I wonder what they would say about a wood statue of a French Canadian Logger and the Stompin Tom’s song? It is a neat song, be it oral history or ‘tall tale’?
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/a-true-canadian-artist-pays-tribute-to-folk-hero-big-joe-mufferaw-with-wood-statue-1.3486183
Until Later,
Vickie Metcalfe
Conrid Wallace Metcalfe Passed Away
Posting from Vickie Metcalfe (’70): Bottineau, ND
Our dear cousin, Conrid Wallace Metcalfe passed away this evening Thursday, September 14, 2017.
His parents were Archie Albert Metcalfe
and Bernice (Seim) Lindberg
His grandparents were;
John and Ingrid (Espe)Seim & William and Rose (LeDuc) Metcalfe
I first met Conrid when I was 6. when our family lived with his dad in Marysville.
After his dad died, Conrid moved back from college, into his Dad ‘s room.
And was with our family.
Both Nancy and I fondly thought of him like a big brother………..
The memory of Conrid’s time here on earth will always be cherished..
Godspeed dear cousin.
Conrid Wallace Metcalfe
September 14th 2017 • Everett, Washington
SEND FLOWERS
LIGHT A CANDLE
Edit this Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Conrid Wallace Metcalfe, passed away peacefully on September 14 2017 in Everett, Washington, leaving to mourn family and friends. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Conrid Wallace Metcalfe’s life. Flowers and condolences may be sent in memory of the loved one.
Date of Birth : Dec 24 1939
==============================================
Blog (633) posted on November 25, 2009
Beachler Family
Reply from Allen Richard (65):
Lynette Beachler is married to Mark Richard, son of Floyd and Carmen. They live on a farm outside of Rolette.
Allen Richard
Allen, That’s all I needed was a memory jar. The Beachler’s are originally from Little Prairie. Lynette’s parents were LuVerne (deceased) and Marie (Eurich) Beachler. Marie is a sister to Dave Eurich. Lynette (82) is the author of a children’s book.
I recieved the following messages after having responded to Allen’s message above.
Reply from Carmen Leonard Richard:Rolette, ND.
About the Beachler family, the parents are Luverne and Marie (Eurich) Beachler. Their children are Wyatt, Clayton, John and Lanette. Luvern passed away in the year 2000 and Marie lives in Rugby. Wyatt and his wife and family live in Steele ND where he works at the Cenex Station. Clayton and his wife, and John and family live and work in Minneapolis. Lanette is married to our son Mark and live on a farm near Rolette. They have two children Riley and Megan. She works at the Rolette school and has written two childrens books.
If you wish to have addresses I can get them for you. We saw Clayton and Betsy this summer when they were home
Marie is always included in our holiday gatherings, and she always brings the pies. Juneberry pie is her specialty.!
Reply from Evon Lagerquist (77): Dunseith, ND.
The Beachler’s that lived in the area were LaVerne and Marie. Their daughter, Lanette, is married to Floyd and Carmen Richard’s son, Mark. I think they had 3 sons, Wyatt, Clayton, and John. LaVerne passed away a few years ago, and Marie now lives in Rugby………
Evon
Reply from Vickie Metcalfe (70): Bottineau, ND.
Gary,
Yes, the Clifford and Charlotte Metcalfe family photo was taken the fall of 1970.
Nancy, a public health nurse for Park County lives in Powell Wy with her husband Norm Moreno.
Their son is a Desert Storm vet, who lived in Nebraska with his family. The rest of us now live in the Bottineau -Dunseith area.
To help with your information.Re; Beachler
I ‘m sure there are family members who could give you more information.
Cecil and Ruby Beachler were sweet people who lived close to my great uncle Carl Wicks on West High Way #43. Ruby had beautiful snow white hair.
I believe Clayton and Wyatt are the son’s of Marie (Eurich) Beachler who lives in Rugby, Marie’s husband Laverne is deceased. Their daughter Lanette (Beachler) Richard lives in Rolette.
Colette (Pigeon) Schimetz and Mary {Eurich) Knutson are nieces of Marie (Eurich) Beachler whose siblings included Eva, Betty, Olynda, Frieda, Irene, Erma and brothers, Dave( who was married to Winifred Pritchard) and Fritz who passed away during WW II.
I don’t know if I listed all the David and Eva Eurich “‘kids”…who were neighbors and friends of many folks in the hills and on the prairies around Dunseith.
Eva Eurich, Dave Kraft and Kate Fassett were siblings.
Dave Kraft’s daughter,my neighbor, Dorothy (Kraft) Schneider lives down the street across from Wes and Ovida.
Telling about your dog, gives me a sense of your home. Dogs provide lots of company and delight. Mine make me get out and go for a walk when its cold. This morning it’s +18., the weather forecast for tonight, ” up to a couple inches of snow coming”, so I’ll be reluctantly finding some warmer boots.
My dogs are very multi talented “guard dogs”? The first responder, Sven the cockatiel, sits in front of a sliding glass door and raises lots of ruckus whenever something is intruding in the back yard. This alerts the furry critters and soon they are at the window jumping and barking. Quite the alarm system! Someday’s I am alerted to the meter man, rabbits, or stray dogs. Once a couple deer. Recently its been a big ….C-A-T. Yep, somebody’s hungry fat fluffy white with gray and black spotted house c-a-t, is on the prowling stalk for birds. It tries to slink by my car when the garage door is open. Then, slyly comes and peers at Sven through the glass swishing its magnificent fluffy tail. The dogs are very happy to add to the birds commotion!
Well enough rambling it’s time to be off.
Have a good day. Vickie
Bev Morinville Azure (72) update:
From Shonda Azure Cambell (94): Minot, ND.
Just a quick note as we get ready to go to the hospital .Things here are still the same we are just taking things a day at a time . Mom had a nice suprise last night when my Aunt Debbie and her husband Kenny got here. Other then that there is not much to report , please keep all the praying going it help so much and again I can not tell you enough she loves each of you very much.
Shonda
Shonda, We have not had an update on Debbie (Morinville 70) for a long time. How is she doing following her stroke?
Reply from Erling Landsverk (44):Portage, WI
Hi Gary and Everyone:
Dick Johnson beat me to the punch again. Thank you for the kind words Gary. I was unaware that you knew so many of our neighbors. I do have a few questions, so I will list them and do what you can;
Before Nick Lund lived over near Rispa’s I believe that it was the Andrew Bjerklund family that lived there. I went to school with Engrum, Evelyn and Margaret Lund. I knew both leonard and Obert., what happened to Engrum, Margaret and Evelyn. I was under the impression that Mrs Lund’s sister was Mrs Aanon Torgeson,is that the way it is. Ole Rispa was a tough old Norweigen, My brother went out to visit folks around 1969, and he said that he helped Ole, and Albert Saw wood. They were sawing up logs out of the woods, and Ole must have been around 90 years at the time. How about the Fulsebakke family? Did you by any chance know any of the helgeson family or the Amsbough family? I wonder if you knew any of the Christianson family, they lived across the lake from the melhouse family. Those Christianson girls sure were attractive. As far as I know they had one brother, Clarence. He Was still single in 1943 when we moved to wisconsin. At any rate, you should be getting your Audio book any day now and I put something else in along with it. Hope it makes it O K.
I want to thank you for all the help I received in locating folks, it meant a lot to me and to those that I contacted as well. And to Dick Johnson, I really have to take my hat off to you. You obviously have a razor sharp memory and a heart of gold to go with it. As I remember in other messages that i listened to, you were pretty active bringing smiles to retired folks with music and good followship. The world needs more folks like you.
Iwant to wish everyone of you North dakota folks living there now or elsewhere the happiest of Thanksgiving days, and a super time with your family and friends.
Erling Landsverk
Erling, It wasn’t until later in my adult life that I realized Mrs. Nick Lund’s wife was a sister to my dad’s adopted mother. We were with Leonard a lot, but not to much with the rest of his family. I always knew Dad and Leonard were related, but never knew the connection. You are right, mrs. Lund’s sister was a Torgeson. I knew most of her family quite well. It was through them that I learned the connection of Mrs. Lund and my grandmother. We don’t have any history at all about my Dad’s adopted mother, however, Irene Lindstrom Tonneson, granddaughter of Mrs. Torgeson does and has done extensive genealogy on that side of the family. I will send you here contact info with a separate message.
I will let some of the others speaks for the Christianson, Melhouse and Fulsebakke families. Clarence Christianson was married to Neola Kofoid Garbe’s aunt, Alvina Brudwick. There were two Christianson Families, Casper/Ella & Sigur/Hanna (Lagerquist). These two families were neighbors, but were not related. Agnes Melhouse Hagen is Orvin, Leland & Tom’s mother. Donnie Nelson, she may have been your grandmother, but she was a mother to you.
The Helgeson’s lived south of Salem church. I knew Clem and Selmer quite well. Clem never married, but Selmer was married to Joyce Smith, sister to Joanne (65) and Eldon (63). Clem & Ralph (Luella Boardman 49) Bjornseth were diesel mechanics. They worked together as a team doing onsite overhauls all over the country. They were some of the best mechanics of all times. I didn’t realize the Amsbaugh’s lived in that part of the hills. Franklin was married to Edna Clark, Dave Clark III sister. Franklin was working for the Minnesota Valley Breeders when he died back in the 60’s. Gary
Ryan Zorn, Son of Myron (65) & JoAnn
From Rene Casavant (65):Bismarck, ND
I want to give condolences to the Zorn family for the great loss of their son Ryan. Myron and I were best of friends during our High School years. I travel through Newcastle, Wyoming on my way to visiting my step-daughters in Colorado. I plan to jog off from Newcastle to Wright and visit the Zorns during my trip next summer. I haven’t contributed much to this blog, however I have really enjoyed keeping up with the Dunseith Alumni nostalgia. Please put my name on the list for attendance at the May Mini Reunion. Rene Casavant
From Vickie Metcalfe (70): Bottineau, ND.
Today’s Billings Gazette
Wyoming News
Thousands line streets to honor fallen soldier
—
Vickie L. Metcalfe
Dignitaries to attend services for Wyoming soldier killed in Iraq
Staff Sergeant Ryan Lee Zorn
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Gov. Dave Freduenthal says he plans to attend services in Wright for a Wyoming soldier killed in Iraq.
A funeral service will be held today for Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Zorn at the Wright Baptist Church. Zorn will be buried at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, S.D.
The Department of Defense says the 35-year-old graduate of Upton High School died last week in a vehicle accident in Iraq.
Myron Zorn, Ryan’s father, said U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso are also scheduled to attend
Thousands line streets to honor fallen soldier
JEREMY PELZER Casper Star-Tribune | Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:00 am |
- Wyoming-linked service members killed in action listed
CHEYENNE — Wyoming-linked servicemen killed in action since 2001 include:
Iraq:
• Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Zorn, 35, Wright, Nov. 16, 2009.
• Army Staff Sgt. Tyler Pickett, 28, Saratoga, June 8, 2008.
• Army Pvt. Corey L. Hicks, 22, Glendale, Ariz., son of Russel Hicks of Casper, May 2, 2008.
• Army Staff Sgt. David Julian, 31, Evanston, March 10, 2008.
• Army Staff Sgt. Brian M. Long, 32, Burns, June 10, 2007.
• Airman 1st Class Eric…
CHEYENNE — When Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Zorn finally returned home to northeast Wyoming on Sunday morning, thousands braved cold and windy November weather to pay tribute to the fallen soldier from Wright.
People of all ages lined the streets of Gillette as Zorn’s casket entered town from the airport, escorted by more than a thousand vehicles including police cars, emergency vehicles and motorcycles with dozens of leather-clad military veterans and supporters.
“It was just incredible. It really was,” said 80-year-old Gillette resident Nancy Yonkee, who watched the procession with her daughter along Highway 14/16.
“I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen an outpouring like that before.”
HELPING IRAQIS
Zorn, 35, was killed Nov. 16 near the city of Tal Afar in northeastern Iraq when his armored vehicle overturned. A communications expert with the 311th Military Intelligence Unit of the 101st Airborne Division, Zorn had been helping Iraqis develop their own communications and intelligence operations.
Zorn’s body arrived at Gillette-Campbell County Airport late Sunday morning in a Falcon 20 jet from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
A crowded terminal fell silent as an honor guard and Zorn’s family approached the plane and pallbearers lifted Zorn’s flag-draped casket over to a waiting hearse.
“There wasn’t a sound to be had anywhere through that — (a) whole 20 minutes or better,” said state Sen. Michael von Flatern, R-Gillette, who was in the terminal building.
“It’s a moment that sends a chill up your spine, there’s no doubt about it.”
As the casket was slowly driven from the airport to a downtown Gillette funeral home five miles away, thousands of flag-waving Gillette residents lined the streets to pay their final respects to Zorn.
SIGNS OF GRIEVING
People held signs saying “God bless you” and “We love you, Ryan.”
Firefighters saluted as the hearse passed underneath a fire engine ladder extended high over the street, with an American flag unfurled underneath it.
The outpouring of support was even more impressive given how little time there was to prepare for Zorn’s body’s return.
Gillette Mayor Duane Evenson, along with several military, veterans and civilian organizations that helped plan for the procession, had less than 24 hours’ notice that Zorn’s remains would be flown back to Wyoming on Sunday.
Word of the planned procession quickly spread around town through word of mouth, newspaper and radio coverage and forwarded and reforwarded e-mails.
Myron Zorn, Ryan’s father, said it was “mind-boggling” to see the amount of support his family has received from perfect strangers around the community.
“It was just, well, gee it was nice,” he said. “I feel so bad, but you can’t imagine how good it feels to know that people are willing to come out and support you like that. It means so much.”
Funeral services are scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. today at Wright Baptist Church. About 12:30 p.m., a funeral procession will take Zorn’s body from Wright to be interred at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, S.D.
U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, as well as Gov. Dave Freudenthal and other dignitaries, will attend the funeral. Freudenthal has directed that flags be flown at half-staff across the state today to honor Zorn.
Greg Dougherty, who owns and operates a welding shop in Gillette, paid $6,500 to give the Zorns a red, white and blue Christmas tree from the Gillette Festival of Trees, an annual event in which locally crafted Christmas trees and wreaths are auctioned off for charity.
The tree was sent to Wright for a Monday afternoon memorial service and today’s funeral.
Dougherty, who’s often made charitable donations, insisted that he didn’t want any publicity about his gift.
“I just thought it would be a nice gesture to do for the family,” he said. “I have a son in the military, and I respect all the people in the military very much.”
Contact Jeremy Pelzer at 307-632-1244 or jeremy.pelzer@trib.com
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