07/02/2009 | Dunseith Alumni

Karen Allard Henes obituary:

Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Minot & Bottineau, ND

Karen Henes
July 20, 1955 – June 25, 2009

MOHALL – Karen Henes, 53, of Mohall; died Thursday, June 25, 2009, as a result of injuries received in an accident involving a motorcycle striking a moose.

Karen Ann Allard was born July 20, 1955 in Bottineau, a daughter of John and Olivine (Cote) Allard. She attended school in Dunseith and graduated from Bottineau High School in 1973. She graduated from Josef’s School of Hair Design in Minot.

Karen married the love of her life, Don Henes, September 29, 1979 in Bottineau. She worked at Hal’s Men’s Store and Tommy Turtle Lanes for several years before moving to Mohall. Karen was currently employed as a hairdresser at A Reflection located in Minot.

Karen loved traveling to various places with her husband, Don. She always invited family and friends to join them. Karen enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, canning, biking, boating, skiing, hiking and had a gorgeous yard. There really wasn’t much Karen didn’t enjoy doing. She loved life and lived it to the fullest! Although Karen and Don weren’t blessed with children, they were adored by all their nieces, nephews and many, many friends. Everybody loved Karen. Karen and Don were looking forward to celebrating their 30^th wedding anniversary on the 29^th of September of this year.

Family: Karen is survived by and will be deeply missed by her husband, Don, Mohall; her beloved pets, Jetta, Gizzy, Toots and Lucky; father, John Allard, Bottineau; sisters, Betty (Ron) Heinz, Rolette; Carol (John) Buxbaum, Sidney, MT; Mary (Laurel) Hiatt, Bottineau; brothers, Kenneth (Nancy) Allard, Fessenden; Larry (Dawn) Allard, Dunseith; Clayton (Diane) Allard, Bottineau; Duaine (Lavonne) Allard, Willow City; sisters-in-law, Mary Woolcott, Willow City; Diane (Ray) Kallus, Round Rock, TX; Peggy (Jeff) Oster, Bismarck; brother-in-law, Gary (Sherri) Henes, Bottineau; Dan (Cindy) Henes, Minot; James (Lavonne) Henes, Bismarck; David (Elsie) Henes, Willow City; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and her many wonderful friends.

Karen was preceded in death by her mother, and numerous aunts and uncles.

Funeral: Thursday, July 2, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, Mohall

Burial: Mohall Community Cemetery

Family Service: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the church

Visitation: Wednesday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home

Sign the Online Guestbook

View the Henes memorial folder (These links will open in a new window)
Henes folder outside
Henes folder inside

http://www.brosefuneralhome.com/karen_henes.htm

I did not know Karen, but Carol and Larry were in my class of 65. Carol, your sister Karen looks very much like you in her photo. She too was a very pretty girl. My condolences are with all of you family members with the passing of Karen. She was a young lady too. Many of you out there on this distribution are related to Karen.

I will be posting some of Karen’s memorial folders tomorrow that Neola included with her obituary today. Gary

Reply from Lyle Olson (70): West Fargo, ND

Gary:

I hope all is fine with you and yours. I haven’t been able to read the daily messages for quite some time but did want to respond to the message from Verena Gillis about cancer rates in Rolette and Bottineau Counties.

When practicing law in Rolla back in 1987 – 1989 I represented several people for Social Security disability claims. Virtually all my clients had cancer or family members with cancer. Although not pertinent to my representation of my clients, I did learn through extensive research that the so-called fire break between the US and Canada – the scorched earth path that runs from the Peace Garden to Lake Metigoshe – had been sprayed with Paraquat (not Agent Orange as some have reported) back in the 30’s and up to the early 60’s. You may have heard of Paraquat in the past as it is the herbicide used by our own government to eradicate marijuana in California and elsewhere in the 1970’s and 1980’s. There was a huge outrage over the use of Paraquat for such efforts as marijuana users developed severe breathing and other problems after smoking marijuana that had been sprayed with Paraquat and then harvested for sale. While the DEA no longer uses the chemical for drug eradication in the US, it does fund the purchase of the same for use in countries such as Mexico, Columbia and now in Afghanistan. In any event, there is a statistically significant higher incidence of cancer mortality in Rolette and Bottineau counties than in the US and ND. Indeed, Rolette and Bottineau Counties rank #1 and #3, respectively, of the 51 counties in ND as to incidence of cancer. Go to “http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/micromaps/” and complete the information in the left hand columns using all ND counties, all cancers, both sexes, all ages and other inputs and you will see the cancer “hots spots” in the state.

Now, I am not a conspiracy theorist at all. I do not believe the government is hiding anything as there could be literally thousands of reasons why there is a higher cancer rate in Rolette and Bottineau counties than in all but one county in ND and the US in general. Lifestyle, environment, etc… could all account for the higher cancer rates. However, it seems to me that the statistical difference is great enough to warrant some sort of study from the federal or state government.

Lyle Olson
’75

Reply from Erling Landsverk (44): Portage, WI

Hi Gary and Everyone:

While listening to the many messages on your blog this morning, I was struck by the message from Eileen Brudwick, that referred to the Agent Orange being used in Canada, and the subsequent illnesses and other dibilitating conditions resulting and attributed to the possibility that Agent Orange might be responsible. While at a VA Hospital a couple of days ago for a semi annual check up, I visited with a veteran from the Korean war, who told me about his younger brother who served in Viet Nam. He told me that his brother was subjected to to the spray of Agent Orange while on patrol. Upon his return to the United states, his general attitude appeared to be changed, although he married later and lived a somewhat normal life, he suffered from constant skin erruptions that either didn’t heal completely or healed very slowly so that others appeared during the healing process. This continued untill he was about 58 years of age, when he was diagnosed with cancer in many parts of his body, and he died after two years of painful treatments. I believe that his older brother said that the cause of his untimely death was quite likely if not absolutely certain was Agent orange. The reason I brought this incident up is that I have learned of many cancer deaths in the Dunseith, Bottineau area, and I might say an inordinate number. It would be a shame if the matter were to be dropped, and the responsible chemical companies were not brought to task for not warning of the potential dangers to everyone in the area before using it.

I guess I have to be thankful they hadn’t developed Agent Orange when I was wandering through the dense Phillipine foliage during World War II.

I wish to thank Eileen for her thoughtful consideration by bringing up this bit of information for all to consider. Thats the way of the High Plains people from North Dakota, always on hand to help others.

Erling Landsverk

Erling, I want to make comment to your statement “While listening to the many messages”. We know that being blind you have computer software that reads these messages to you. I am amazed with your ability to remember all that you do when replying to these messages with the level of detail that you do. I don’t know about the rest of the folks, but I often times reference back to the messages I’m replying too when writing my reply. You don’t easily have that luxury. Gary

Reply from Sharren Gottbreht Shen (59): Everett, WA.

Yesterday, the info regarding Agent Orange and its use was sent to my cousin, Ron St Onge of Sask. Might you patch his response to the blog? I also visited the web site you list today. All the defoliants used in the boundary land are probably carcinogenic, according to Don, but Agent Orange was not the culprit between Sask and ND. To what extent the materials have invaded our water and soil should be tested by the EPA office of ND. I visited their web site; found no evidence that tests for Dioxin had been performed. The BIA and border counties must have the leverage needed to properly check the scope of contamination. A shout should be raised. Remember the book, Silent Spring? I wonder if hunters and other observers see cancers in wildlife population?

I talked with brother Ernie yesterday – misery loves company. We both recalled the young Legasse vet of Rolette County, who died scant months after returning home from Nam, riddled with cancer. No doubt a tragic victim of Agent Orange and a fright for everyone of our generation. Ernie was in Camron Bay and the Bay of Tonkin a number of times servicing other ships. He said the surrounding land bordering the area was like a desert – no foliage. He also said there was a constant haze about the area.

In the early 60’s the USA tested Agent Orange on a small island off the coast of Porto Rico. They evacuated half the island prior to testing. Cancers are rampant in the remaining population of the island and among those who migrated to the main island, all who were supposedly upwind of the testing.

What a relief to read my cousin Aggies’ messages. Mom loved to visit her first cousin Etienne and Marie on the farm and a few of us would tag along. Lots of space in that big old house for a family of great heart and love of life. I think I remember watermelons and popsicles? The family spent few winters were in Willow City where I visited Bernadette and Paul and their many siblings. Houses could hardly contain the Casavant glee and constant motion. Great memories from ’50 and ’51.

Sharron

Sharron’s cousin Ron’s reply:

Hi: just anote about agent orange use on the border, I have lived and worked along for the border in eastern sask. all my life never heard or saw any evidence of the use of agent orange. The use of anyweed sprays such as 2-4-D and all the others have no doubt raised the level of cancer along the border and the reason is that farms on both side of the border were the first to use these products and still continue using them to-day, My father and I were instrumental in getting people spraying in 1946 and they have been spraying and using seed disease treatment since that time and the rate of cancer is higher than in the rest of the country and I believe that these factors were partly the reason for that fact. take care Love Ronnie

Reply/question from Lynn Halvorson Otto (75): Seoul, Korea

Hi Gary, just a comment about some of the pictures that don’t come through. Does anyone else have this problem? For example, Jim Birkland picture does not come through but everything else does. This has happend many times before but just thought I’d mention it. Thanks for all you do with this alumni site. Have a great time on the Alaska trip. Happy birthday wishes to your wife as well. We are in the states for our summer visits. I think we have one more year in Seoul! All my best, Lynn Halvorson Otto

Lynn, With your reply to that message, your copy of that message included with your reply to me has Jim Birkland’s picture. I’m wondering too if anyone else is having that same problem with some of the pictures not being displayed. It’s obvious that the picture was there, but just not being displayed. I’ll bet we have some computer experts out there that can probably tell us the likely problem. I try to keep the file size of these daily messages to a minimum too. Larger file sizes I think could be a possible problem, but I wouldn’t think that would be the problem with these daily messages, but maybe it is. Yesterday’s message had a lot of pictures, but the file size of the whole message was relatively small. Do any of you have any idea of what may be causing this problem. Gary

Reply from Aggie Casavant (69): Fort Mill, SC

Hi Gary, I read with great interest Ele Dietrich Slyters story about her Dads 100 year old fiddle. I’m a die hard Antiques Road Show fan. I think it would be so interesting what they would have to say about it. I know the show goes to Bismarck now and then. It more than likely would not be anything you would be interested in selling to them,but just to know what they would have to say would be interesting. It’s always nice reading your stories Ele. I always remember you, with you,and I and Penny Awalt sitting on the floor of Mrs. Langs classroom playing jacks.I remember you would always beat Penny and I… Who would of ever thought back then that today we would be talking about the “Good Old Days”…That kinda talk was for the “Old People” like our parents…LOL. Isn’t it ironic, that as I sit here writing this message, that I’m about 15 yrs older than my Mom when she was cooking at the school…WoW, “aint that wild???

Gary, Thanks for all the kind words about our family, us kids were so blessed to have such a Great Mom,who instilled in us some pretty good values that has stuck with us all throughout our lives.She led by example,and us kids adored her.Although we weren’t the riches kids on the block,we not only knew we were loved ,we “felt loved”…so on second thought …we were rich… Thanks Again Gary! Aggie

Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Minot & Bottineau, ND

Clarence & Mary Ann Hagen

This brings back a memory that I have never forgotten over the years. I believe 1957 was the year we had an early snow fall. I remember attending a party at Clarence and Mary Ann Hagen’s when I was about 10 years with fresh snow on the ground. I remember a bunch of us were standing outside when Herman Hagen and his mother Alice arrived. Herman had a ford car with brand new snow tires and I remember everyone being very impressed that he didn’t slip a tire on the snow when he turned around in the yard. I believe this would have been Mary Ann’s birthday party that we were attending. For some reason I have never forgotten that. Gary

1966 or 1967?

Standing: Lola Metcafe, Patt Metcafe, Joan La Croix

Sitting: Joann Houle, Corliss Allard, Randi Mongeon