Bobby Pigion (57):

Reply from Colette Hosmer (64): Santa Fe, NM

Hi Gary,

Just wanted to tell you that I received a nice note from Bobby
Pigeon. He IS the one living in Columbia, South Carolina. It’s
always surprising when I realize that someone who never actually
shares a comment on your blog is still present — reading it every
day. That is somehow beyond amazing … I love knowing that all of
us are silently connected to one another every day.

Thanks,
Colette

PS. I also love it when you share something about your life in Cebu
in with us. We are all enriched when we are exposed to cultures
other than our own.

From Bob Pigeon(57): COLUMBIA, SC

Gary,

Kenneth Pigeon is in the 1955 football picture. I’m sorry if I confused things. Since I’ve already erased that e-mail, I would like to see it again with all of the names. I remembered the faces but could not remember the names.

Thank you for all that you do because you’ve helped bring back fond memories of the past.

Bob Pigeon

Bob, I have reposted the football picture with all the correct names near the bottom of this message. Thanks and it’s great hearing from you. Gary

Ted Brodek:

Reply from Carmen Leonard Richard: Rolette, ND.

Ted Brodek was the photographer at our wedding back in 1954. He drove out to the Thorne church where we were married, and then drove to my parents farm where the reception was held, took lots of pictures and only charged us $10. Isn’t that unreal ? As I remember , he had been a patient at San Haven, and then was a photographer for the Dunseith news paper.

Reply to Allen Richard (65):

From Colette Hosmer (64): Santa Fe, NM

Hi Cousin,

Happy Birthday, Allen. You’ll always be younger than I am (though not by much!).

xox

Colette

Reply to Allen Richard (65):

From Dick Johnson (68): Dunseith, ND.

Gary and Friends,

Good detective work there Allen. I had no idea that Curtis and
Kenneth Pigeon were twins. I knew they were brothers but not twins.
Thanks! Curtis called me a few years ago about old cars. I think he was
living in Utah or Nevada, or somewhere like that, at the time. We never
got together on a deal and then just a short while later I heard he had
died. Small world! Thanks Gary!

Dick

Joe Link and George Gottbreht Story:

From Dick Johnson (68): Dunseith, ND.

Gary and Friends,

I have a story that Sharron Gottbreht Shen might find amusing. When
I was in the lower grades in the old white school, I witnessed my very
first fist fight. It happened one day when we were all out for recess.
Two older guys, probably early high school age, stripped down to their
white T shirts and mixed it up over by the basketball court. The
combatants were Joe Link and George Gottbreht. I have no idea what the
disagreement was about but they smacked each other a few times before
Mr. Conroy and Mr. Jerstad arrived and ended the confrontation. They
both had a few scuffs and one got a bloody nose, although I don’t
remember which. I wonder if George remembers what they were fighting
about? Growing up in old Dunseith, I might have seen a couple more
scraps if my memory serves me right! Saturday nights were usually good
for a round or two uptown! We used to cruise Main street and watch for
fights. The wildest fights were the women after they had been in the bar
for an hour or two. ‘Cat fights’ were nasty although there was
another name (politically incorrect) that these were referred to back
then! Thanks Gary!

Reply from Allen Richard (65): Midland, MI

Thanks, Gary–I was doing my best to forget today–even blocked a move by my staff to take me to lunch–I have another meeting. Never fear–I planted a “bug” on one of them!

Only have one question–who the hell is the good lookin dark haired guy with Clinton?????? — Oh — sorry– I dug the picture out of a box in the basement. It was me in ’94 at a meeting at the White house. The woman in the background was my boss at National Farmers Union.

Randy Davis (77) Passed away:

Obituary posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND.

Gary,

As you know, I include mailing addresses along with many obituaries, so people can send cards to the family. I found this address for Christy Davis.

Christy Davis

PO Box ??

13 Third St W

Dunseith, ND 58329

Randy Davis

PO Box 733

Belcourt, ND 58316

Neola

Ole Bersinger:

Memories from Gary Metcalfe (57): Forsyth, MO

Musings from Gary Metcalfe…..I am writing this story about a guy who got a lot out of his music. For the new people on the blog, we have already talked about Ole Bersinger. Ole had a better than average story to tell. So here goes, the first time I remember seeing Ole, he was backed up to the ice cream cooler at Kelvin Store along with his wife and a couple of kids. Ole was in new territory for him. This was in the hayday of Kelvin the five years that Mac Williams ran the store. Mac was buying cream, selling groceries and beer like crazy. I guarantee if oak trees were killed by too much urine, that old oak tree by the corner of the bar would be dead! Just about everybody east of the highway went to Rolla, including Ole. Ole was so far back in the woods they had to pump daylight back to him.

Now Ole was an orphan, a German kid, raised by Norweigans for which he seemed thankful. The first year he was married he told me they lived on carrots! When Ole went to Seattle in the 40’s, I am not sure it worked out for him like it did for most of the people who made that move. He told me he had gone to work out in a gym in Bremerton and that big black guy put welts from boxing, all over him. So he turned to the fiddle, lonesome for home, he learned to play.

So here he is back in North Dakota, he must have heard about Peterson’s Hall, south of Kelvin. He met old Max Peterson and his boys and Ole became a celebrity. Ole really thought he was Ole Hank Williams himself, he said when it came to Country Western, none of them compared to Hank. I’ll bet if Ole had not learned to play that fiddle, I would have missed out on three or four of the best working years of my life. He had an absolute love of life and we had a hoot. He had a high respect for our working partner, Robert Rivard. Ole called him “Rhubarb”.

Alan Campbell told me once we don’t all necessarily get to do what we like to do. Ole would have said, “I did!”

Because of the hard times Ole is in the same class as Alcide Lajimodiere….all heart…genuine.

Gary Metcalfe

Orvin Hagen: (701) 428-3125 Kindred, ND.

Folks, We got this lovely Christmas card from Orvin Yesterday. Orvin did not have our FPO address, so he mailed it to our local address. With the Christmas rush it took 5 1/2 weeks to arrive, but we got it. As you can see, at 88 years old, Orvin is still very much into flowers with all his flower gardens. I called Orvin this morning his time. It’s just like old times talking with Orvin. Orvin is very much involved with community affairs and the church. He doesn’t drive at night, but folks pick him up to take him to different events after dark. He attends lots of functions at the school. Orvin told me that when he was about 10 years old he lived with his grandparents for several years. They spoke only Norwegian, so of coarse he had to learn the language of which he has never forgotten.

Orvin would very much like to attend the Dunseith reunion in May, but he has no way of getting there. It’s too far for him to drive. Linda Gardner is picking him up for the Turtle Mountain Country School reunion in July. Orvin lives in Kindred, ND., near Fargo. Gary

Gottbreht Family picture label

From Sharron Gottbreh Shen (59): Everett, WA.

You Gary and the readers may smile when I tell you that the Gottbreht girls are all dressed in outfits sewed by Mom. The fabric was some weird green from drapes that Sister Rose reserved for her friend Alma. Very frugal partnership there! The boys had store bought awful western the girls suffered Sears Roebuck envy.  Mom had an old pedal Singer and did all parenting and seamstress work with such care.

L-R Dale Gottbreht with Ernie on foot stool; EJ and Sharron on floor; George on stairs; baby Marc on armrest; then Alma with shy Evie at her side. Don’t tell EJ, Evie, that I posted this picture!

Sharron

L-R Dale Gottbreht with Ernie on foot stool; EJ and Sharron on floor;
George on stairs; baby Marc on armrest; then Alma with shy Evie at her side

Football picture Identification:

From Bob Pigeon(57): COLUMBIA, SC

Gary,

Please resend the photo of the 1955 football team with a correction. Kenneth Pigeon was mistaken for Curtis Pigeon. Also, please thank Larry for sending it in.

Bob Pigeon

Back: Coach Ray Stark, Marvin Aamodt, James Robillard, Vince Kalk, David Lo,

Gerald Anderson, Larry Shirk and Coach Lincoln Jerstad.

Middle: Lowell Williams, DuWayne Lang, Dennis Espe, Don Conroy, Kenneth Pigeon, Bob Pigeon.

Front: Val Bott, Bob Lagerquist, Lowell Leonard, Curt Halvorson, Mick Kester, Duane Woodford.