Gary,

Here’s another horse story from my sister Kathy. I did edit it for spelling, grammar, and profanity.

Kenny

Kenny, this is such a well written interesting story that Kathy has provided.

 

Thank you Kathy. It is great hearing from you. Gary

Gather around Buck-a-Roos, here is another horse story.

My brother, Ken and I are the first to admit we didn’t inherit equestrian skills.What we lack in skill, we make up for with stubbornness and at times stupidity.Who with even a lick of sense would get on a horse after getting bucked off more than once?I never met a horse that couldn’t buck me off.Put me on an old crippled horse and that horse would decide to play rodeo.A horse with only two speeds, “slow and slower” would take off and win the Triple Crown.I loved horses, they hated me.

No doubt you have heard the term “horse laugh.”Well, all our horses had a sense of humor.I know they laughed at Ken and me as we tried to become bronc riders.We would put a saddle on a horse and they gave us the ol’ hee-haw, snickered to themselves and said, “Here comes the old ‘ejection seat’.”Ken isn’t the only one that had the privilege of being airborne and seeing the wonders of the horizon above the treetops.

Once when Dad was on Lightning, as usual Lightning was high stepping and acting up.Dad told Mom to put me on Ginger and lead her around next to Lightning to calm him down.Yeah right!Ginger was another knot head horse with a sense of humor.I loved that horse but she hated me.The plan was for me to hang onto Ginger’s mane.Ginger took one look at Lightning and decided to act silly too.She started sidestepping, snorting and threw her head back and hit me smack in the nose – broke my nose and blackened my eyes. Thus ended the lesson for the day.

Another incident with a horse and my nose.Ken and I were playing hockey with sticks and a frozen hunk of manure, commonly called horse turds.(Hey, this was before video games – we made our own entertainment!)Ken wound up, gave a mighty swing, hit that horse turd so hard – wham!Hit my nose with a frozen horse turd.You might say I’m acquainted with both ends of a horse.

The end of the trail almost happened one fall day in 1962.It was a tradition to have one more ride before school started.I would either ride with my cousins Carol Sue Nerpel or Nancy Bedard.This day I didn’t know we were going to go for a ride; therefore, I wasn’t dressed for horseback.I was wearing a summer blouse, pedal pushers (now called Capri pants) and sandals.Nancy said we were just going for a “short ride” so I’d be okay.Phyllis McKay and her wonderful horse Viking and John Awalt on a pony met us at the barn.Nancy and I rode double on her wonderful horse Stormy.We packed some hotdogs and buns and took off headed north.What a beautiful, hot, sunny fall day.Miles went by.Did I mention I was riding with Nancy behind the saddle?Not very comfortable.More miles went by and we were in the “foot hills.”It was getting HOT.More miles go by.We are in brush with thorns and BUGS, BIG BITING BUGS.Finally John had enough and headed back to town.We went on, and on, and on some more.Viking decided to run on a gravel path.Phyllis was an excellent horse person, but Viking wanted to run.He did run. Don’t know what happened but Viking was down.He must have stumbled and fell head first and there went Phyllis, airborne – crash landing for both girl and horse.Phyllis was skinned up, bleeding, crying and worried about her horse – what a girl!Did I mention the hot dogs went flying too?Never did find them.More miles go by – HOT, BUGS, THORNS, THIRSTY, HUNGRY.Wow, guess what?We are at Mineral Springs.Swamp water never tasted so good.Dried up, squished hot dog buns – delicious.Cool dip in mineral swamp water – wonderful.Life doesn’t get much better than that.If any of you have ever ridden a horse around Mineral Springs, you know this isn’t your pleasant prairie terrain.There are hills that would challenge a mountain goat.We had heard stories of bogs and quicksand around Mineral Springs,but never thought much about those “stories.”I now had blisters on my butt and chafed legs to add to my sunburn, thorn scratches, and bug bites.Yes, I’m still behind the saddle.Nancy said for me to put my feet in the stirrups to ease the pain on my legs.Not smart, but felt better.

It was getting late and the wind was starting to blow.As we crest yet another hill, we notice the sky to the north and west getting very black.We better try to get home fast!Who said they knew a short cut???Finally, we do find some open area next to a pasture but there is a fence we need to cross.The ground is wet but we didn’t think much about it.Phyllis got off Viking and was able to pull up a fence post and lay down the fence so we could ride the horses across.Now the wind is really strong and the sky is very black, lightning, thunder, and sprinkles of rain.The horses are acting up, dancing around, laying their ears back, and snorting.Something is really wrong.We thought it was the storm causing the horses to act strange.Phyllis got on Viking.He got part way to the wet ground, stops, and backs up.Phyllis turns him around, gives him a kick, and he jumps across.Now it is Nancy, me and Stormy’s turn.He jumps but not all the way across the mud.He hits in the middle of the wet ground and sinks.Nancy threw herself off and got free.Stormy is now terrified and lunging.Nancy is screaming that he broke his leg.Before all hell broke loose, I was able to get one foot out of the stirrups.One was still in the stirrup and I was under Stormy, stuck in the mud.I said, “Hey girls, forget the dang horse, give me a hand and get me out of this #^&@!# bog.”Phyllis came back and the girls calm Stormy and lead him out.Whatever Stormy sunk into was scary.We were lucky Stormy was able to get out and I was only bruised and covered with mud.We fixed the fence and started home.When Stormy and Viking knew we were headed home, they gave a very fast ride.It started to rain and hail so I got part of the mud washed off.When we got to the barn Nancy’s dad was waiting for us.That is the only time I’ve ever seen Lucien upset.Nancy told him what had happened.Lucien chewed on his cigar for awhile, raised one eyebrow, and said the horses were smarter than us.He didn’t say anymore.Maybe by the looks of us he thought that was punishment enough.

I was visiting with my cousin Carol Sue and I made the comment now that we are experiencing old age I wish we would have had more fun when we were younger.Her reply, “I don’t think we could have lived through more fun.”Happy trails everyone.

Kathy

Hannah Alida Higgins Loeb’s (39) eulogy and Pictures

Posted by Karen Loeb Mhyre (65): Bellevue, WA

Hi Gary,

Follow up reply from Karen,

 

Hi Gary,

Karen Loeb Mhyre

I have had trouble with internet but it is now working. Here is a copy of what we wrote for Mom’s funeral mass.

Also, I looked at the photos again and I am surprised that the woman with Frank and Alida is not one of her sisters, as she looks a lot like Alida. Hope some of our Dunseith readers can identify the folks in the photos. Thanks,

Hannah Alida Higgins Loeb

Beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died Saturday, October 9, 2010, at age 89. The daughter of Frank and Alida Higgins, Hannah was born in Bottineau, North Dakota on March 23, 1921. A graduate of Sacred Heart Academy in Fargo, ND, class of 1939, she went on to St. John’s School of Nursing where she earned her RN and went to work for the Army Air Core in the Grand Forks during WWII. In 1947, she married Dr. George Lorenz Loeb and together they worked at San Haven, a tuberculosis sanatorium – Hannah acting as anesthesia nurse for George as they performed surgery on TB patients. Eventually, Dr. Loeb introduced sulfa drugs to their patients, which worked to cure them, and enabled the state to close the sanatorium to TB patients in 1958.

Together, they had five children; Karen Christa Loeb Mhyre (James) of Bellevue, WA, Robert Frances Loeb of Colorado, Marianne Helen Loeb of Bothell, WA, Thomas Frederick Loeb (Brigitte) Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and Jane Connelly Loeb of Bothell, WA. Hannah was preceded in death by her husband, George in 1975.

In 1958, the family moved to Minneapolis where Dr Loeb retrained at the University of Minnesota in the specialty of radiology. The family lived in Seattle, WA for several years following Dr Loeb’s residency, and then settled in St. Cloud, Minnesota where he practiced at the St Cloud Hospital Radiology department until his death. Hannah remained active in the Woman’s Medical Auxiliary, co-chairing the blood-mobile drive annually for many years. An active supporter and participant in the arts community throughout her life, Hannah was also a member of the Catholic Daughter’s of America, the St. Stephen’s Mission Society, the Wildlife Federation, PETA, Sierra Club, and the National Democratic Party.

In 1998, at age 77, she moved to Bothell, WA where she lived with her daughters, Jane and Mari. She traveled extensively with her third daughter, Karen, visiting Alaska, Hawaii, Australia (for son Thomas’s wedding), and even back to Dunseith, ND for a reunion of Dunseith schools where she was was honored as one of the “oldest” former students attending the reunion, a member of the class of 1939. She rode in the parade celebrating all the classes of the Dunseith school. She rode atop a 100 year old carriage drawn by 2 beautiful horses. She loved waving to the crowd and tossing candy to the Dunseith children watching the parade. This continued to be one of her favorite memories about her visit to the reunion.

An avid reader, political aficionado, scrabble player and supporter of human and animal rights, she will be greatly missed by all that knew her. She is survived by her five children, seven grandchildren, four great – grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mass was celebrated in her name at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in Bothell, WA on October 16th, 2010.

Mabel, Frank, Alida Higgins, & unknown couple ? Date