Folks,
I just want to emphasize that mail being mailed to my FPO address has to be First Class US mail and can not exceed 1 lb in weight. I think I failed to mention this before when posting this address.
Folks in the mail system can make mistakes. In November I got a notice that a package mailed to me from Dunseith did not meet the specifications and was returned to the sender. The package was kind of large for weighing less than a pound. It only weighed 10 oz, so it should have come through and been delivered to us. The Dunseith gal was persistent and just re-mailed it. With the 2nd try it came through just fine.
My Philippine address
Gary Stokes
PSC 517 Box PS/CC
FPO AP 96517-1000
Gary
Condolences to Renee St. Claire Salmonson’s family
From Paula Fassett (’71): North Branch, MN
How very sad to hear of Renee St. Claire’s death. My thoughts and prayers are with the St. Claire family. God bless.
Paula Fassett
Please Note: Renee’s obituary was posted yesterday, but without her picture that was not available at the time. Gary
Gordie & Sue Nerpel – Belt buckle
Reply from Danette Bixby Rodriquez (Sue Nerpel’s (’64) daughter): Shakopee, MN
Hi Gary,
I get this email from you for my mom Carol Sue (Nerpel) Bixby so as I was reading it I came across the story about the Belt Buckle that was my grandfather’s Ray Nerpel. I just wanted to update your information for my uncle Gordie Nerpel…he has moved from the address that you have. Here is his new address:
17870 100th Ave., Milaca, MN 56353
I am very excited that Mark wants to give the belt buckle to my uncle and that it will be back in the family as I remember my grandpa wearing that belt buckle.
Thank you,
Danette (Bixby) Rodriquez
Danette, I remember your mother very well from my school days. She was one year behind in the class of 64. Her cousin Kathy Nerpel was also in that class. It wasn’t until I started doing this blog that I realized that your Grandma Betty was a sister to Dave Eurich. Gary
Old Memories
From Dick Johnson (’68): Dunseith, ND
Gary and Friends,
With the loss of our former teacher Jim Olson, comes a memory of
an incident in his typing class. Before he had come into the room one
day, Jim Thiefoe showed us a novelty item he had brought along to
school. I was a fake (sorry folks) puddle of vomit made of rubber that
looked like the real deal. With a little encouragement we got him to
put it on the floor beside his typing table and lean over holding his
head when Mr. Olson entered the room. Jim Olson came in the room in his
usual cheery way and froze in his tracks when he saw Jim Thiefoe and the
mess on the floor. He covered his mouth and went back out of the room
in a hurry. We all chuckled but Jimmy T. just kept up the joke when Mr.
Hepper came through the door to see what was wrong. Mr. Hepper walked
up to Jimmy and put his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder and asked if he was
OK? Jimmy just shook his head ‘no’ and never looked up. Hepper started
to sniff and noticed there was no smell and then looked carefully at the
floor. He finally reached down and touched the mess and picked it up
and and jokingly slapped Jimmy over the head with it and laughed. We
were all in hysteria by then. It was a joke that was harmless to
everyone except Jim Olson who had to come back in to try to teach us how
to type after the charade. Thanks Gary!
Dick
Turtle Mountain Tribal Arts Association Art Gallery
Forwarded message from Bernice Belgarde (’72): Bemidji, MN
Hi, I am asking each of you to please take a few minutes to click on the web address below and check out the beautiful art work. The web page belongs to the Turtle Mountain Tribal Arts Association Art Gallery located on North Main Street Dunseith ND. I would also appreciate you sending the web address onto your family and friends. With you assistance we can reach many people.
www.tribalartsshop.com
Miigwech
Joseph H Neesho Migizi Marion
TMTAA Director
701-244-2540
Alvin/Lillian Torgerson Berg family
Message/Picture from Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND
Hi Gary,
In one of your recent newsletters, Lillian Torgerson Berg (wasn’t married to Reinhard Schultz at that time–Alvin, her husband, was still living) was mentioned as, I think, being a piano player. This is a picture of Lillian, along with Alvin Berg’s/her children, and her husband after Alvin was killed in a car accident when he/his parents/Lillian/their son, Gary, were on the way to Chicago to visit Alvin’s sister, Arla and her husband, Tony Marteliano.
Some of the info I add now, has already been added by you/your readers.
Alvin was the son of Albert/Clara Johnson Berg (p. 189 in Bottineau Centennial Book); Dick Johnson is related to Clara. Albert/Clara’s children were Alvin (married to Lillian Torgerson), Martin (married to my aunt, Alice Brudwick), Amanda (married to Clarence Schultz) Arla (married to Tony Marteliano.
Albert/Clara lived along Highway 43, just west of Sander Johnson’s place. A very short distance east of Albert/Clara’s driveway is a road going north. I’m quite sure this is the road which eventually leads to the “old” James Johnson place (I THINK this place is near Fauske’s farm, but I’m not sure.). I was about 10 years old, or so, when I stayed with Martin/Alice after they were married and living on the “James Johnson” place.
On one of my visits, Gary Berg stayed there, too. I think I’ve written before about how Martin was going to “flush out” gophers, and Gary/I were supposed to hit them on the head when they came out (after Martin poured water down the hole). Yah, right!!! LOL!! I think Martin got a big kick out of this little “adventure”! Martin had a good sense of humor.
I’m quite sure Alvin bought “The Starlight” lounge in Minot, so the family moved to Minot. I think he owned the lounge at the time he was killed. Lillian/her children moved back to Bottineau at that time. Lillian later married Reinhard Schultz (614 in Bottineau Centennial Book), who is in this picture. Side note: Years later, Ralph Johnson owned (or managed, not sure which). Ralph is the son of Victor/Ruth Larshus Johnson. Ruth was married to Pete Peterson for many years before he passed away. Ruth now lives at Good Samaritan in Bottineau.
Gary Berg is married to Charlene Haugerud, daughter of Arnold/Rose Goodman Haugerud. If you would like to have me send Arnold/Rose’s family picture, Gary, I’d be happy to do so.
Gary Berg and I exchange emails/forwards/etc. If anyone would like to get in touch with Gary, please tell me. I’ll send his email address to you, or forward your email to him. I’m not sending it in this email, as I don’t know how he would feel about this.
I hope this makes sense/the content is accurate. I dislike proofreading what I write! It’s an uff da! For those of you who read this, “Take what you like and leave the rest.”
Neola
1937 ND State Hockey Champs
Pictures from Deb LaVallie: Dunseith, ND
Good Morning Gary….Sending you photos of
the 1937 ND State Hockey Champs from Bottineau; Dan, Alex and Archie
Gillies played hockey for Bottineau, where they moved with their
mother, Mary after George died in 1918. I have heard stories of those
hockey games….people would attend from all over the area,
especially, when the Flyers would play Winnepeg….it was an EVENT.
Deb
Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND
Joke of the Day from my Australian friend
Three Aussie blokes working up on an outback mobile phone tower:
Mongrel, Coot and Bluey .
As they start their descent, Coot slips, falls off the tower and is killed instantly..
As the ambulance takes the body away,
Bluey says, ‘Well, bugger me, someone’s gotta go and tell Coot’s wife.
Mongrel says, ‘OK, I’m pretty good at that sensitive stuff, I’ll do it.’
Two hours later, he comes back carrying a case of Beer.
Bluey says, ‘Where’d you get the grog, Mongrel?’
‘Coot’s wife gave it to me,’ Mongrel replies.
‘That’s unbelievable, you told the Missus her husband was dead and she gave you a case of beer?’
‘Well, not exactly’, Mongrel says.
‘When she answered the door, I said to her, “you must be Coot’s widow.”
She said, ‘You must be mistaken.. I’m not a widow.’
Then I said, ‘I’ll betcha a case of beer you are..’
We aussies are good at that sensitive stuff
