06/02/2009

Posted on by
Dale Pritchard’s (63) reply to Gary Stokes: Leesville, LA
 
Gary,

I remember Shirley (Dale’s sister) stopping by that meadow (Thompson/Stokes meadow) on her way home from school
one time and telling me I was five years old that day. How well I
remember later mowing, raking and stacking that itchy stuff. We rented
and stacked hay for Willie Aasness next to Long Lake for a few years
too. At different times, we also rented and stacked hay for Jacob
Bjornseth and Bennie Johnson. I don’t know about you but I’m glad those
days are gone!!

Dale
Folks, does this bring back memories to any of you old farm boys? Stacking hay in those meadows could get mighty hot in July and August. I included August, because I know Dale’s Birthday is in August.
 
Dale, I remember well your family stacking hay in all of those places. In later years, my dad/us hayed (bailed) Jacob Bjornseth’s Meadow too. Your dad had that bullrake mounted on the back of that old truck frame that ran in reverse that he invented too. That machine went pretty fast in the field and on the roads too, in reverse. I never had to stand in hay stack and stack hay. That had to be on heck of a hot, dirty and itchy job. Dad pretty much had gone to bailing when we were of the age to help with the haying. Hauling those heavy bails of hay made a man out of a boy too. Those were the good old days. Gary
 
 
 
 
Reply from Karen Loeb Mhyre (65): Bellevue, WA
 

Hi Ginger,

 

I was looking back at the emails in Gary’s blog and saw the picture of your folks. Was your mom’s name Madeline? I think I remember her helping my mom when in about the year 1954 when she gave birth to my sister Marianne in Rugby. The other wonderful lady we worked with mom was named Roseanne Poitra. She and my mom were very close. I think she worked for my mom near the end of our stay at San Haven. We moved to Minneapolis in the summer of 1958. Oh, the other woman I remember helping mom was Flora Longie (?). She helped mom when Bob and I were little so that would have been in the early 50’s. We were born in 1947 (dah!) and 1949. One memory I have of Flora is that she showed Bob and I a raccoon tail and told us it would get pinned on us if we did not quit climbing around on the furniture and acting like monkeys!!!! She kept it on top of a big yellow refrigerator, just in case!

 

These ladies were all wonderful to us kids and a great help to my mom. She worked at the hospital giving anesthetics for my dad when he did the lung procedures for the San patients. Mom would not have been able to work at the hospital without the help these woman were at the house.

 

Hope all is well with you and your family.

 

Take care,

 

Karen Loeb Mhyre

Ginger LaRocque Poitra (65) 7/12/07
 
 
Picture from Cheryl Larson Dakin (71): BEDFORD, TX
 

HI All

I wanted to send this picture of my family….it’s the first one we’ve gotten with everyone present. The occasion is our youngest son’s 25th birthday bash this afternoon. We’ve had 2 new babies in the last 3 months, so both granddaughers (ages 3 – Haley and 17 mo- Claire) have baby brothers (ages 3 months- Brody and 3 weeks- Caleb). In the picture are, from the left, our son Cory, his wife Lauren holding Caleb, my husband George, youngest son Matt holding Haley, behind him is Claire being held by me, then our daughter Kelly holding Brody with her husband Troy. We never knew it could be this much fun.

Cheryl Larson Dakin
 
 
 
Message/picture from Dick Johnson (68):
 
Gary and Friends,

With all the nice comments about my dad, Don Johnson, in recent messages
I thought I would post a cute picture of him taken in about 1931. He
would have been around 3 years old at the time. This would have been
taken while they lived here at the farm and before they moved to Towner
in ’33. Dad went to school through the eighth grade in Towner and came
back to the farm and Dunseith school in about ’42. Just thought some of
the folks might like to see it. Thanks Gary!

Dick

 
Andrew LaVallie Passed Away:
Posted by Mark Schimetz (70): mschimetz@msn.com Rolette, ND
 
Andrew LaVallie passed away at 2:00 am. Friday Morning, at a Fargo Hospital. His funeral is to be held at 10:00 am. on Friday June 5th, 2009 @ St. Louis Church in Dunseith North Dakota. Some may want to use the new name of St. Michael the Archangel. But I still refute the wisdom of the new bishop of the area as do many others. Anyway, Andrew was one of the few in this area, if not the only soldier that served with the 7th Cavalry, in the Idrang Valley of Vietnam. His name is listed in the Book written by Col. Moore, We were Soldiers Once, and young. Andrew was wounded many times during that battle, on different occasions.

 

 

The movie Starred Mel Gibson as Col. Hal Moore, and SGT Major Plumley was a 2 time Medal of Honor recipient. I have received information, from a family member, that Retired General Moore, has been contacted and may be attending Andrews funeral. Andrew was very active in the Local American Legion and VFW. He is sorely missed. He was well respected man especially among fellow Veterans, A true leader among the wounded.

 

 
 
Pictures from Bob Hosmer (54): Lynnwood, WA
 
Gary,
 
Here are some photos I think are pretty neat:
 
The only ones I recognize here are myself, Bonnie Awalt Houle, Barry Shelver, and Miss Egge (the teacher who used the nine o’ cat tails on Elaine Watkins).
 
 
 
Back Row: Gary Woodford, Dennis Espe, Don Conroy, Gordon Strong, Gary ?, Gordon Niemeyer, Rodney Armontrout, Coach Jerstad
Front Row: Barry Shelver, Bernard Haiet (sp), Milton Medlang(?), Jerry Williams, Gary Morgan, Bob Hosmer, Clark Crumm, Robert Aamott
 
Here we are in Kindergarten. I’m there, Bob Daily, Barry Shelver? The rest I don’t remember
 
 
Here we all are again. Picture was taken same day at school, but different areas of the school yard.
 
Maybe someone can recognize who all these kids are and where they’re at today.
 
Sure do enjoy reading all the stories and remembrances of Dunseith and Turtle Mountain area
 
Bob Hosmer
Bob Hosmer, WA Chaplain
Marketplace Chaplains USA
Cell: 425-299-0928
Email: rkhosmer@comcast.net
Website: www.MChapUSA.com
 
 

DHS class of 65 reunion 7/12/07

Esther Murray Fleming Flint, MI

 

Patty Boguslawski Gottbreht Dunseith, ND