5-25-2012 (1494)

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Ginger LaRocque (’65) is retiring the end of this school year.
 
 
Folks,
 
Ginger and I have been exchanging a few messages the past several days. Being the very modest shy type gal that she is, I want to share this reply, below, from her.
 
Ginger has worked at the Belcourt schools for many years. Ginger is suffering from a degenerate bone condition in her spine. She has been in a lot of pain and has been in a wheel chair at work. Talk about dedication.  Ginger, we all give you a standing ovation.
 
Ginger, this was a personal message but I want folks to see how well thought of you are. A whole lot of others and myself included think the same of you too.  How well we class of 65 folks remember you at our first reunion in 2007. We almost didn’t see you because you were too shy to make your appearance. In fact you backed out, but with a lot persuasion and being a bit late with beads of perspiration, you arrived at our pre-reunion breakfast at the Skydancer. We were so happy to see you. Now I must say that following that breakfast, you have not missed a single gathering. We always enjoy your company. 
 
Gary  
 
Ginger’s reply:
>Hi Gary
Yes that would be great to have someone like your cousin take care of my
messed up back. We’ll see next week what my doctor will recommend.

We had another retirement get together before it was time to go home and I
cried some happy, sad tears and made almost all of them cry. It was so
nice they all gave me a standing ovation if
that ‘s what to call it. I didn’t realize how they thought about me,
really, its been a good experience to work in this school system, with
such good people.

I’m glad that I was thought well of.

I don’t know if you got my other e-mail. It was about another e-mail that
didn’t pass security, the one # 1492.

Thanks Gary,

 
Ginger

 
 
Gary Woodford Memories
From Bonnie Awalt Houle (’56): Becker, MN
 
Good Evening Gary,
    I remember Gary Woodford as a very kind, respectful, intelligent young man.  Gary was the static’s taker at all games, he was also the manager for many of the teams.  Gary was the reporter for the Dunseith Journal, he wrote up all the sports reports getting everything very accurate.  His reports were always on time to the newspaper office. I am certain he will be missed greatly by all that knew him.
My condolences to all his loved ones.
Bonnie Awalt Houle (56)
 
 
Hazel Hiatt
Reply from Sybil Johnson:  Chippewa Falls, WI.
 
I was so happy to see the picture of Hazel Hiatt. I had asked about her several times and never got an answer. Its good to see that she is remembered.
She was a good friend of Bernice Johnson, my mother-in-law. She was quite a woman and a very hard worker.

sybil

 
 
 
Sharon Tooke Parkhouse (’67) receives award
Message from Roger Parkhouse:  Minneapolis, MN.

Dear Friends,

You that know Sharon Parkhouse (Tooke) know that she is not one to “blow her own horn”. Something very good happened to her and she would never, ever tell you about it, so I will. For thirteen years she has worked for “Mains’l Services”. (Mains’l is a contraction for mainsail as on sailboat) It is a company founded by a woman (who enjoyed sailing and has a large sailboat) and started out twenty- seven years ago with three people and now has grown to over 900 employees. Mains’l works with the developmentally disabled in the metro.

The company has an awards banquet every year and in 2002 Sharon received the last award called the “Light House Leadership Award”. I can only assume that as the last award given it must be “one most wanted by every employee.” This was confirmed by upper management. I dare say that very few of you knew that Sharon received this award.

This year Sharon told me that she again had been nominated for an award. We went to the banquet and first of all there were pictures of the nominees individually on “the big screen”, Sharon with a stethoscope in her hand and a smile on her face. Meals and desserts were served. President gave her address in which she usually gets emotional and weeps momentarily in thankfulness for her employees, which she always refers to as her “Superstars”. Then the awards were given. We listened to them all and when the second to the last award “To the Max” award was given, and it was not Sharon, we figured that nothing this year. The MC started talking about the “Light House Leadership Award” candidate and was very coy in saying “this person” never a “she” or a “he” and theme was “leadership by example”. I started thinking to myself that “this person” had a whole lot in common with Sharon. MC said and this year’s award winner is——SHARON PARKHOUSE. We were both dumbfounded. Sharon walked up and received her award and spoke, thanking all she worked with (believe it or not) because in 2002 she took the award and left the stage immediately. I honestly think I got more emotional that Sharon did, we were both crying when she got back to the table. I have NEVER been more proud of Sharon than that moment.

You may know that I enjoy having fun, so first I talked to the owner, got a hug (she is very approachable) and said that I have many concerns about the memory of upper management. She asked, “What do you mean”? I said that Sharon had already received that award, did they not recall?  She responded “Listen, we could give Sharon that award every year but we had to wait awhile to give it to her again”. I did the same thing with three other executives and they similarly responded and said I was fortunate to have Sharon. I responded “Hey, whenever asked I always said that she is a keeper. No doubt I married way above myself.

This is Sharon’s story and I am stickin to it.

Best to you all,

Roger and Sharon

PS: Sharon’s email is in case you want to give her a response

 
Cebu City, Philippines
 
Folks,
 
We had a very different dinner last night. None of us knew the Menu until we arrived. All we knew was that it was a 5 coarse meal with three wine servings. When we looked at the Menu and noticed that the first 3 course were Crocodile, we had some 2nd thoughts, but thought what to heck, we’ll give it a try. The first coarse was Crocodile soup, not bad. The 2nd course was Crocodile Lasagna, again, pretty good.
 
In the picture, Bernadette and I are seated at the back of the table. Rose (Art Hagen) Hohl is in the front with the green dress. This picture was posted by Maria, the gal in blue sitting next to Rose. Before the dinner was over, this picture and a whole lot of others too were posted on Face Book.These gals with their Iphones and Ipads make all this happen in a heart beat. Rose was Chatting with Art too, in Bottineau, while we were at the table.  Art is always included with all of her gatherings regardless where she may be. The same is true for Art. They are only 10,000 miles apart and via the internet their video calls are free.
 
 
Following our Crocodile dinner, we all stopped by the Scrapyard Lounge owned by Mae,
the gal in blue on the right. Mae is a long time friend of many of the gals in our group of friends.  
 
 
 
Joke of the day
Posted by Wally Garbe, Neola’s husband: Minot, ND
Skinny Dipping

An elderly man in Louisiana had owned a large farm for several years. He had a large pond in the back. It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple, and peach trees.
 

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn’t been there for a while, and look it over. He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end. One of the women shouted to him, ‘we’re not coming out until you leave!’ The old man frowned, ‘I didn’t come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked.’ Holding the bucket up he said, ‘I’m here to feed the alligator.’

Some old men can still think fast.