Hello Dunseith Alumni and Friends,

I was saddened to hear of Ellen’s passing. We exchanged a few messages over the years too.

This will be the last posting for this year.

Angel and I along with two other couples are leaving the day after Christmas on a 10 day Royal Caribbean SE Asian cruise. On Christmas day we will fly to Singapore, where we will board the ship the next day. We will have 4 ports of calls. 2 in Thailand and 2 in Vietnam. This will be Angel’s first cruise, so she is very excited.

The “Cebu Expat” (Monthly dinner) group that I started 14 years ago has become pretty active the past while too. We had 300 folks attend our Thanksgiving dinner last month at the Bai Hotel. The Bai was well organized and handled our group very well serving a traditional Thanksgiving buffet dinner.

This month we are having our Christmas Buffet dinner / dinners at the Marco Polo hotel. Their limited capacity for us is 100 each night. We are going 3 nights this week: Monday (105), Tuesday (103) and Wednesday with 60 folks. Angel and I will be attending all three buffet dinners too. We will cut back on our intake though. We (Angel and I) are now planning January’s dinner that will be held at the Holiday Inn on 1/26/2024.

We are an Expat group with members from many countries of the world. Most of the guys are foreign with local wives/partners. We are English speaking. Having done this, solo, for so many year, it’s time for me to start turning some of this over to Angel so she can keep the group and monthly dinners going well into the future. I/we arrange each discounted dinner with extra perks and amenities, mainly with the 4 and 5 star hotels in the area. Then I post it to our members for their replies to attend. My current distribution is about 850. We are a registered nonprofit group with the Philippine Security and Exchange commission. All that we ask for is a free dinner at each of our dinners.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Gary and Angel Stokes

 

Ellen Sharon Graff Myrick (’58) of Grand Forks, North Dakota
Obituary Posted by Don Martel (Former DHS Princ):  Rosemount, MN

Ellen Graff Myrick (DHS ’58)

April 16, 1940 – December 10, 2023

Ellen S. Myrick, age 83, resident of Grand Forks, ND, died at Altru Hospital on December 10, 2023.

Ellen Sharon Graff was born to Agnes Graff on April 16, 1940, in Fargo, ND. She was raised with family in Starkweather and later Dunseith, ND. She graduated high school in Dunseith with the Class of 1958. Following her high school graduation, she attended the State Teachers College in Mayville, ND. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education in 1962. She taught English in many schools including, Devils Lake High School, Lake Region Junior College and in Cannon Falls, MN. She also served her students in many capacities including Speech Coach and Theatre Director. Ellen met and later married the love of her life, Richard Myrick on December 20, 1975, in Burnsville, MN.

She later returned to school furthering her education by earning a Master of Education degree from the University of North Dakota in 1978. Ellen and Richard moved to California where she began her new career working alongside the United States Air Force.  She gave birth to her only child Matthew on July 12, 1983. They returned to North Dakota in 1985. She served her students in multiple capacities at the Grand Forks Air Force Base and was most well known as a Guidance Counselor and for working in the Education Office. Ellen was very active with Boy Scouts of America, Zion United Methodist Church, where she served in a multitude of capacities with the United Methodist Women. She also took every opportunity to cheer for the Minnesota Vikings and UND athletic teams.

Ellen is survived by her son, Matthew (Libby) Myrick of Grand Forks, ND; sister, Jean (Steve) Miller of Glendale, AZ; niece, Amy Delano of Peoria, AZ and nephew, Joshua Miller of Glendale, AZ . She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard and her parents, Agnes and Hercules.

A Funeral Service will be held at Zion United Methodist Church in Grand Forks on Wednesday, December 20, at 11am with Rev. Chang H. Yi officiating. Visitation will take place one hour to the service at the church. Interment will take place at Memorial Park South Cemetery following the service.

Don Martel’s comments.

Ellen and my wife Colleen were classmates all through school and  graduated from DHS with the class of 1958.

They remained friends throughout their lives.

It became a tradition to get together for lunch at Dale’s on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, along with several other classmates. However the numbers have declined over the years. This year there were only 3 classmates in attendance.

 

Bottineau Memorial Hall
KFYRTV link Posted by Vickie Metcalfe (’70): Bottineau, ND

Read more on Those who serve: Bottineau’s veteran hub at
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/12/01/those-who-serve-bottineaus-veteran-hub/ 

Gary Stokes comments: Bottineau Memorial Hall.

What a wonderful facility for Bottineau and the surrounding areas.

With my trips back to the area, I too, visit and chat with these guys on a daily bases. Often times for a short time in the mornings and afternoons. Often times all in the same day too.  I know most of these guys from my childhood days and also with my trips back to the area over the years. My father was instrumental with me knowing so many too.  What a wonderful friendly bunch of folks. There are the same ones that are there most every day, but there are always some that appear a little less frequently too. I will be back again this coming July 2024 too. Hopefully with my wife Angel too.

Memories: Lefse rolling pin and Lefse

Posted by Vickie Metcalfe (’70):  Bottineau, ND

November 19, 2023

Hello Gary and friends of Dunseith,

I was fortunate growing up amongst  the rolling hills of Rural Rolette County.

My parents instructed each of  their children to respect and behave appropriately wherever we were.

They gave us expectations on how to  behave … each time before we went to various gatherings or  events.

If they were not  to be present, Dad would say something like, “When you are out in the community , if you are acting inappropriately, your aunts, uncles and family (role model)adult  friends can correct you. And you need to listen!”  I heard and knew

what dad meant.

        One of the first memories I  recall was a consequence of a behavior.  It was just my parents, me and my older sister one sunny summer

in a back  pew on Sunday at Little Prairie. And  I, “Miss Be Haven”, without one word, dad taking my hand walked  down the aisle, out  the door.

We walked round and round, hand in hand circling the  little church. …. Nary a word.

Oft times when I visit the  local cemeteries I visit final resting places  of  kind and gentle people from my childhood. I say thanks.

Grandma Seim was a special lady to our family. She carded and dyed wool red  and knit me mittens.  She baby sat me,  She walked over to the big white school house when I was in 3rd grade  the day mom and dad went to Jim Anthony’s funeral.

She was my little sister’s Godmother.  One day  about year  ago her grand daughter, Margaret, gifted my sister, her Grandma  Ingrid’s
lefse rolling pin.

My sister just sent me a photo of “Grandma Seim’s” lefse rolling pin  and lefse she  made today.

Later, Vickie L. Metcalfe