1/26/2013 (1703)

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No Blog yesterday
 
Folks,
For the record, I did not get a blog posted yesterday.
Gary
 
Happy Birthday Susan Brew Roussin (DHS ’59): Rolla, ND
      
 
Alan Campbell Memories
From Erling Landsverk (’44):  King, Wisconsin
 
Hi Gary and All:
 
I was very saddened to learn of Allan’s passing. I last saw him at the 2007 All school reunion. I was chatting with a former graduate when I heard someone say,  “are you Erling”?  I turned and the voice said, I’m Allan Campbell, remember me?  After 65 years, when he encouraged me to join the 6 man football team, of course I remembered him. He was a senior and I was a sophmore weighing in at about 135 pounds.  I always remember Allan as anice guy, who always had encouraging comments and a pat on the back if I happened to do something right.  He hadn’t changed a bit. I felt honored that he took time to renew our aquaintance. My father Gunder Landsverksaid he was grateful to Allans father Bill. Dad said that Bill Campbell helped him over some tough times in the 30’s. I’ll just bet that Allan did the same with the people around dunseith when he became the town banker.  Allan is a man that Dunseith can be proud of and I feel honored to have known him. I can only extend my deepest sympathy to the family. We will all miss him, but we will never forget him.
 
Erling Landsverk 
 
 
Alan Campbell Memories
From Dick Johnson (’68):  Dunseith, ND
 
Gary and Friends,      My sincere condolences to Phyllis and the Campbell family on the
loss of Alan.  He was a great guy.  I personally owe a lot to Alan for
the help he gave me after the loss of my parents.  He was not only my
banker but also someone I could turn to for advise when I needed it.  He
was straight forward and very knowledgeable about the best way to handle
nearly any issue I asked him about.  He was also a very community minded
person and was an absolute rock solid part of the City of Dunseith where
he served many years as Mayor and Councilman.  Alan will be missed by
all of us who knew him as respected leader and a true friend.  He was
the best.

Dick

Alan Campbell Memories
From Alan Poitra (’76): Bloomington, MN
 
My condolences to the Campbell family.  Alan was always a pleasure to talk with.  He was a leader and well respected person in the community of Dunseith.  I will always remember his kind smile and positive outlook on life.
�
Alan Poitra
 
 
Alan Campbell Memories
From Susan Brew Roussin (’59): Rolla, ND
 
I also wish to the family of Alan Campbell my sincere prayers and love..  No matter what we always saw a smile on Alan’s face.
 
 
Alan Campbell Memories
From Vickie Metcalfe (’70): Bottineau, ND
 
Gary
My sincere sympathy to the family of Alan Campbell.As you blog readers, probably know by now.
  My dad, Cliff  Metcalfe,  was a prolific story teller who�
unabashedly frequented stories of his life.

I will try to share,  simply .

After his father died in the midst of the Great Depression 1935, my�
grandmother,
Rose moved to town to make her home in  rented little building  which�
had been a chicken coop..

It was an huge change for my father.
The twelve year old, left his home, farm life, animals,  the woods,�
hills and lake.
He went from  Hillside Country school and friends,  to town school
 From farm kid with one pair of pants and a widowed mother.

Dad often said, Alan Campbell made an enormous difference in his life�
at a difficult time.
Alan was his first town friend and his classmate.

Dad said, Alan had many toys.
Dad had none.

Alan, full of  genuine humility ,kindness  and empathy often invited�
my dad to his house to play.
Alan Campbell generously shared his toys and his friendship.

They skated together  on the old Dunseith rink and played foot ball�
together

As years moved on, they understood each other as WWII Veterans.
Mutual respect grew, as, the banker  and the blue collared farmer.

Through the years,Dad  continued to observe and admire his  boyhood�
friend.
His voice of reason, intelligence, wise community leader and�
unwavering depth of character.

All of which never waned in how  Alan Campbell  treated each person he�
met,

  be they,
a person of poverty or monied,
a person, Indian or White
a person mentally challenged or brilliant genus.

God Bless the memory of  Alan Campbell.
God Speed.

and, PEACE to the family.

Thank you.
Vickie Metcalfe

 
Alan Campbell’s Obituary
Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe:  Bottineau & Minot, ND
 
                       Alan Campbell
 
                (August 18, 1924 – January 22, 2013)

Alan Watson Campbell, 88, Minot, ND, longtime resident of Dunseith, ND and well-known banker, passed away Tuesday, January 22, 2013 in Minot.

Alan was born on August 18, 1924 in Bottineau, ND to William and Violet (Watson) Campbell. He was raised in Omemee, ND until he was 9 years old. The family moved to Dunseith where he attended school and graduated from Dunseith High School in 1942. He attended Jamestown College for one year and then enlisted in the military in 1943 and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps until his discharge on December 7, 1945. Following his discharge, he returned to Jamestown College and graduated with a Business Administration degree in 1948. While at Jamestown College, Alan met the love of his life, Phyllis Berg. They were married on July 30, 1947 at Voorhees Chapel at Jamestown College. Alan and Phyllis moved to Pittsburgh, PA where he attended the University of Pittsburgh and received his Masters degree in retail training.

In 1949, Alan and Phyllis moved to Minot, ND where he worked at the International Harvester District Office. While in Minot, he was a member of the American Legion and the First Presbyterian Church. Alan and Phyllis moved to Dunseith in 1953 and he worked with his father at Security State Bank and joined Campbell Insurance Agency in 1953.

Alan retired as President of Security State Bank in 1994.

Alan was very involved in the community of Dunseith. He was active in the American Legion, Dunseith Masonic Lodge, Shriners, Order of Eastern Star, Dunseith Golf Club, United Methodist Church, Dunseith Community Development Corporation, Rugby Good Samaritan hospital board and served as Mayor of Dunseith. Alan was a 50 plus year member of the Dunseith Masonic Lodge #99 and the North Dakota Masonic Lodge and the Archie Jardine American Legion Post  #185. He was also involved in the North Dakota KEM Temple Shrine.

Alan and Phyllis traveled extensively throughout the United States and attended several reunions of the 490th Bomb Group. He enjoyed spending summers at Lake Metigoshe and winters in Mesa, Arizona.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Phyllis, Minot; children: Rich (Vicky) Campbell, Minot, Dave (Jodie) Campbell, Bismarck, Cathy (Steve) Springan, Stanley and Jeff (Lori) Campbell, Bismarck; grandchildren: Kyle (Grace) Campbell, Duluth, MN, Nicole (John) Grubb, Burlington, ND,  Jim (Darla) Cook, Seattle, WA, Heather Campbell, Eagan, MN, Alisha (Jeremy) Lacher, Bismarck, ND, Shaun (Zanna) Campbell, Bismarck, ND, Courtney Campbell, West Fargo, ND, Sara (Andrew) Herr, Minneapolis, MN, Gregg Springan, Madison, WI, Kayla (Travis) Dressler, Bismarck, ND and Jeremy Campbell (fiancée Brooke Marquardt), Bismarck, ND; great-grandchildren,  Trenton and Ellie Lacher, Nona and Sage Campbell and  Colin Grubb and cousin: Glen (Hester) Campbell.

Alan was preceded in death by his parents, infant daughter, Janice, and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Celebration of the Life of Alan Campbell:  Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in Vincent United Methodist Church – Minot.
Interment:  North Dakota Veterans Cemetery – rural Mandan.
Visitation:  At Alan’s request there will be no reviewal, but friends may sign a memorial register on Friday from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home – Minot and at the church one hour prior to the service.
Memorials:  In lieu of plants and flowers, memorials to the donor’s choice are preferred.

  
Don Williams (’50) complete Obituary
Provided by Brad Williams (’78): Hallock , Mn
 
Hi Gary,

 
For those blog readers who may have noticed that a significant part of my Dad’s early adult life was missing from his obituary, I feel obligated to fill in that gap.

On July 31, 1955 my dad took Caroleen Lider to be his wife. Over the next 15 years their marriage resulted in a happy family with four children ….. my older sister Debbie, my older brother Bryon, my younger brother Boyd, and myself. 
Unfortunately for our family that marriage ended, but I am absolutely certain Dad would never have omitted that chapter of his life. There’s no way he would ever have considered erasing his first family from the pages of his life story, and that family includes my mom. Without her, there is no Debbie, Bryon, Brad, or Boyd. So I am sure my dad would agree that’s it’s only right for my mom to be acknowledged as his first wife.

Here’s the link for Dad’s amended obituary 
which also includes a memorial tribute I read at his funeral in the comments section.

Thanks to all who offered their condolences on Dad’s passing. Sad to think that several of my Dunseith friends also lost family members this past year. My belated sympathies go out to all of them.

Special thanks to Dick Johnson for sharing the snowmobile incident. I would truly appreciate hearing any stories about Dad and our family that other bloggers would like to submit.

Here’s hoping the rest of 2013 goes much better for all.

P.S.  Gary please add my sister Debbie’s new e-mail to your subscriber list debsyv@gmail.com 

Thanks for all you do to help keep D.H.S. alumni connected.
 

                                  Donald L. Williams

Donald L. Williams, 80, Mandan, died January 10, 2013 at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck.A funeral service was held on January 14, 2013 at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan.  Burial was at the ND Veterans Cemetery with full military honors.
 
 
Don was born June 29, 1932 in Bottineau County, ND to Malcolm and Gladys (Johnson) Williams.  Raised and educated in Dunseith, he graduated from Dunseith High School in 1950 and attended Bottineau College.  He enlisted in the US Air Force, serving in Guam and Okinawa during the Korean Conflict.  Following his discharge he returned to Dunseith.
 
 
On July 31, 1955 Don took Caroleen Lider to be his wife at First Lutheran Church in Dunseith.  Over the next 15 years that marriage resulted in a happy family with four children, Debra, Bryon, Brad, and Boyd.  During that time Don managed the grain elevator in Temvik, ND, drove truck for Bridgeman Creamery while living in Valley City, ND, and then managed the grain elevator in Gardena, ND.  Don moved his family back to Dunseith in 1965 after the elevator in Gardena was destroyed by fire.  At that time Don started managing Peavey Elevator in Dunseith.  Don and Caroleen were later divorced.
 
On June 4, 1970 he married Sylvia Poitra in Rolla. They lived all over ND while Don managed grain elevators, most notably in Dunseith, Turtle Lake, and Bowbells.  Following his retirement Don enjoyed driving school bus.  In his free time Don loved fishing and hunting.  He also enjoyed watching Vikings football and Lakers basketball.  A beloved family man, Don will be remembered as patient, laid back, and hard working.  Very personable, he was a friend to all he met.
 
 
Blessed to have shared his life is his wife of 42 years, Sylvia Williams, Mandan; two daughters, Debra Syvertson, Minot and Donna (Phil) Miller, Bismarck; three sons, Bryon Williams, Warroad, MN, Brad Williams, Hallock, MN, and Donald Williams, Bismarck; stepchildren, Brenda Sornsin, Mandan, Laurie (David) Huelsman, Marc (Crystal) Davis, and James (Teri) Davis, all of Williston; many grandchildren and great grandchildren; and a brother, Lowell (Linda) Williams, MN.
 
 
Don was preceded in death by his parents; son, Boyd; two sisters, Linda and Lenore; a brother, Marlin; stepson, Kenny Davis; and grandson, Justin.
  
 
Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam Video posted several days ago
Reply from Dale Pritchard (’63):  Leesville, LA.
 
The Cam Ranh Bay video brought back a lot of memories for me also.  I was never stationed there but in my three tours oversees, I spent enough time there to make at least two tours, maybe more.  From Jan 67 to Dec 68 I was stationed in Japan, working on the C-130 aircraft which were supporting the war in Viet Nam.  As a crew chief with two people working for me, we went to Cam Ranh regularly for 30 or more days at a time.  Working 12 or more hours daily, 24/7, we were glad to go back “home.”  While at “home” base, we put the aircraft through a major inspection based on the number of hours it had flown.  When that was finished, we would send the aircraft out for a couple local training shake-down flights then we went straight back to Viet Nam.  That was our vicious, continuous cycle.  The better shape we could the airplane in, the more hours it would fly thereby reducing the number of days we spent in-country.  But that made the turn-around back to Viet Nam faster also.  In checking all my travel vouchers when I came back to the states, I noted that I had spent somewhat less than 150 accumulated complete days in Japan.  Rather rough for a two year tour!  If I remember right it was about 90 days for a 15 month tour in Taiwan.

I went through the same process while stationed at CCK in Taiwan from Dec 70 to Mar 72.  And again while stationed at Kadena, Okinawa from Jan – Sep 75.  Vietnam actually closed the doors in April 1975 and I got back out of there the day before that happened.  Made a unit move from Kadena to Yokota, Japan where I stayed from Sep 75 to May 78.

I have some pictures of Cam Ranh Bay, including some of the same scenes on the video.  I’ll share some of these with you.  Some of them are deteriorated but they are memories.  Don’t bother to send them out to the public.  The little camera I had at the time wasn’t very good, I had slides made of the pictures, and over 45 years they deteriorated at lot.

The question I still get asked once in a while is “Would you recommend the AF as the branch of service to join?”  The answer is yes.  But a follow on question is usually “Would you do it again if you could?”  Yes to the AF but no otherwise.  I spent my 20 years all in aircraft maintenance on C-130s and it took about 8 years to quit being fun.  The main thing is that I don’t regret the 20 years!!! 

Dale Pritchard

Dale,

 

How well I remember those C-130 Aircrafts. I actually rode in those a number of times with my travels around Vietnam.

 

I am sharing this picture of the Barracks in Cam Ranh Bay that you included with one of your attachments. It brings back memories of just the way those Barracks were that I lived in when stationed there. My room was on the top floor. How well I remember the cockroaches too. Often times when I’d be unlocking the door to my room I’d hear this mass exodus of cockroaches leaving my room going to the next room.

 

Dale, you had a remarkable career too, one to be commended for. 

 

Gary 

 

                            During the Vietnam War in Cam Ranh Bay

 
Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe:  Bottineau & Minot, ND
 
 
Joke of day
Posted by Marlys Hiatt (’71):  Dunseith, ND

      The Winter Boots      (Anyone who has ever dressed a child will love this–

      even if you have never dressed

      a child, you will love this!)

      Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her
      pupils put on his boots?

      He asked for help and she could see why.

      Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots
      still didn’t want to go on.

      By the time they got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat.

      She almost cried when the little boy said, ‘Teacher,
      they’re on the wrong feet.’

      She looked, and sure enough, they were.

      It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was
      putting them on.

      She managed to keep her cool as, together, they worked to get the
boots back on, this time on the correct feet.

      She bit her tongue, rather than get right in his face and
      scream, ‘Why didn’t you say so? ‘ like she wanted to.

      He then announced, ‘These aren’t my boots.’
      Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting
      boots off his little feet.

      No sooner had they got the boots off when he said,
      ‘They’re my brother’s boots. My Mum made me wear ’em.’

      Now she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

      But she mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle
the boots on his feet again.

      Helping him into his coat, she asked, ‘Now, where are your
      mittens?’

      He said, ‘I stuffed ’em in the toes of my boots.’

      She will be eligible for parole in three years.