Posted by Larry Liere (1955) Devils Lake, ND & Mesa, AZ

This picture posted 3-2-14 with Glen Shelver as coach reminded me that Glen and my

Dad Tony Liere refereed many basketball games together before we move to Devils

Lake.  I have said many times Barry Shelver was my best friend while we lived in

Dunseith.  Glen and my Dad would take turns driving us to the lake to swim during

the Summer.  On the same day as this picture was posted I was at the Mesa, AZ

North Dakota Picnic.  We sign in by County and I saw that Dave Shelver and his wife

had signed in.  Dave was very young when we moved but in later years when Dave was

living in Rugby his Son and my Son both joined the Army National Guard and went to

Basic Training together.  Too many people at the picnic so I was not able to find Dave

and his wife.  I am wondering if they live in the Mesa area?  Rolette County didn’t have

anyone sign in because they had a mix up and someone hosted a private party for their

County.  When you are from a small state like North Dakota and you know a lot of

people from there, it becomes a small world. 

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Reply to Dick Johnson’s Posting From Ron Longie (’65)

Dick

We made our buffalo’s from plaster of paris, we poured them in molds and when dry put names on bottom, and painted them brown with green grass.

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Larry Hackman’s (’66) reply to Dick

Dick

this is what I think happened.

You must have been staying with Grandma and Grandpa

You were playing around out in the barn yard before heading for school.

You fell into into one of them fresh cow pies.

You had your going to school clothes on and you weren’t suppose to be playing out in the barn yard,

and so you got on the school bus with that fresh pie clinging to the knee of your pants, couldn’t tell

Grandma or Grandpa or you would have been in big trouble.

You got to school and Mrs. Conroy’s room, and here she wanted you to make a buffalo Knick Knack for your mother.

You of course wanting everything to be precise and authentic had all this stuff hanging on your knee

and looking at that and the mold, decided if its going to look like a buffalo that it should also smell like a buffalo?

What do you think Mel? 

Can you see little Dick, smiling like he just killed the cat, as he scraped that cowshit off his knee into that buffalo mold and it and him smelling alike?

               

 Larry 

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Mel Kuhn’s reply to Larry

Larry,

I can picture that in my mind just as you described it. I think I could even smell it. I’m probably having lunch with Dick tomorrow. I’m gonna check his knees before I sit at the same table with him.

I just got home from Bismarck about an hour ago. It was just about as damn cold there as it is here. On our way down Saturday morning about 6:30 it was -32 degrees just north of Rolette.

Mel

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Larry Hackman’s reply to Mel Kuhn

Mel

Yes, its been damn cold here in Bismarck also.  I think you would have had to go as far south as Texas

or even further, to get away from the cold.  What the hell were you out traveling for when it is -32 degrees below zero?  What was the wind chill?

Was the car able to stay warm enough for you?  I remember having to take one of my brothers who was in the army, to Minot, in the middle of the winter, 

 to catch a plane in the middle of the night back in the late 60’s. Why did planes only fly out of North Dakota in the early, early morning hours back than?  It was so damn cold the car would not warm up, we froze all the way there and all the way back home.  The car was able to keep the wind shield partially clear and that was about it.  At least on the way home in the early morning, we were able to stop at town restaurants along the highway every so often and have something warm and warm up, for the next jaunt down the highway to Dunseith.

Did you check both of Dick’s knees?  He is getting older now, you know.

I don’t think our class ever made any creatures in Mrs. Conroy’s fourth grade class nor anything else that I can remember.

We must have been one of them classes more interested in academics?

Larry

Bill Hosmer’s (48) reply to Flavia Moraes (73):

  Gary and Flavia.  It was interesting and joyful to read the mailing
from Flavia.  You may not remember, but one time in the late 70s or
early 80s I contacted you in Sao Paulo.   I was staying at the Maxsud
Plaza Hotel.  Alan Campbell gave me your number because he knew I would
be travelling there.  Certainly it would be understandable for you not
to remember it, but it was an event that I’ll not forget.  I was a
demonstration pilot flying the Cessna Citation business jet in  those
days, and spent many trips and days landing at all the major airports
of Brazil.  Even some minor ones.  Anyway, you came to the hotel, and
we had dinner in one of the restaurants, and talked about Dunseith and
all the people we both knew.  I was so proud to be dining with such a
beautiful woman, and knowing how much the Campbell’s loved having you
with them made it a special occaision.  Most of the time we dined late
and left in early hours to get through the day, but for some reason
that day’s flying was over early, so I had an unforgettable dinner date
that stays with me.   Wonderful, Flavia, to hear from you through this
magical circuit which Gary has made possible.  Undoubtedly, you would
be a most welcome visitor to Dunseith, but as you may have read, the
town is not the same, and yes, we senior citizens who gather there now
and then talk about those other days and those who shared our time in
those eras of innocence and small town wonderment.    Cheers and
greetings to you,  Bill Hosmer

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From Florence Pladson Sime (62):

Gary,  Bonita Enno would like a update on the cruise as she thought that
sounded like it would be fun. She was a class mate of my daughter. Her
email address is, shopping101@aol.com. I sure enjoyed all the info that
you send. It is quiet interesting what people remember about Dunseith. I
remember when the snow wa so deep on main street that you couldn’t see
the drug store from Hosmers store. That was in the early 1964. I was
working at hosmers store at that time.  That storm happened over night.
There were cars completly covered with snow on the north side of the drug
by the hotel.

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Florence, I will send Bonita the preliminary info about the Dunseith Alumni Alaskan Cruise that I sent out a while back that is being planed for the 3rd week of July 2009 departing from Seattle.  The 2009 Alaskan Cruise schedules are not out yet.  When they are available April/May and Sandra Trevers Llewellyn (60), our travel agent, gets a cruise in place, we will be sending out detailed information so folks can start booking. For now folks can be planning.  The earlier folks book, the better (more) cabin choices they will have.  This will be a fun trip for all. Gary

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Dick Johnson’s (68) reply to Bev Morinville Azure (72):

Gary and Friends

Bev Morinville Azure’s memory of me and my dog Duke made my
day! It sure sounded like something he would do. I had that dog
from the time I was eight until I was in my mid twenties, 16 or
17 years! He was a character. One time we came home and someone
had left a cleaned, frozen, and wrapped, Northern Pike fish on
our doorstep. We asked the usual people who might have left us
this present but everone said “not me”. We had a great fish
supper from it anyway. At bowling one night a while later Dad
was telling this story to the bowlers. Joe Evans said “that was
YOUR #*^&%(@@_(&%^ little brown dog”!! Duke was out making his
rounds and Joe had laid his fish out on his picnic table to
freeze it when he saw Duke grab it and take off. Joe ran out
and chased him but the more he yelled the faster Duke ran! Joe
didn’t know it was my dog and we didn’t know it was Joe’s
fish!! The guys all had a good laugh, Dad said, when he told
Joe, THANKS!! Thanks Bev and Gary.

Dick

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Connie Peterson Lagerquist’s (74) reply to Gary Stokes’ (65) question asking about Terry Counts (74):

Hi Gary,
I’m really enjoying your e-mails. As for Terry, he is
alive and well. He works at the Belcourt hospital. I
see him now and again. He is married. His wifes name
is Norma, but not sure of her maiden name.
Connie

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Bobby Slyter’s (70) reply to Crystal Fassett (70) (pictures):

reply to crystal fassett, thank you so much for the pics of homecoming especially the one with my big bro richard, used to be such a handsome chap wonder what happened, now i am glad that i live in kansas, kind of far for him ti come kick my behind  teee heee  thanks again  p.s. bet they don’t do homecoming like that anymore

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Story from Larry Hackman (66) – Dunseith Cemeteries:

Gary,

Weighing in on the care of the Dunseith cemeteries.  I agree most could use some TLC.  I to travel up north once or twice a year to stop in at the cemeteries and to quench my craving for a jumbo burger.  Dick you and your group have Little Prairie Cemetery looking nice. Good job. 

My brothers and I use to take care of St. Louis and Riverside cemeteries back in the sixties for Harry Douglas.  The cemetery supplied three push lawn mowers, of which usually two would run and hand operated grass clippers, plus a couple of spades and wheelbarrows.  We supplied the labor. Mowing that hill was a real job.  Clipping around the grave stones was always slow and time consuming.  The wheelbarrows and spades were used to haul topsoil from a stockpile at the southwest corner of the cemetery, to fill in over the graves that had settled.  We soon tired of the wheelbarrows.  My oldest brother attached a hitch to his car bumper and went got a two wheeled trailer we had on the farm.  We then used it to haul topsoil to the grave sites. This method was a lot faster and whole lot less work.  Wheelbarrows still had to be used to get into the tight areas but we didn,t have to push them as far.  It would take us 3 to 4 days to do both cemeteries and we would have to get them done a week or more prior to each holiday and sometimes in between holidays if it rained.  Pushing lawn mowers up and down that hill was a real job. 

I remember one of my brothers was mowing along when all of sudden he let out a yell.  A grave had caved in, and he had went down with it. He thought something had a hold of him?  He did not know whether to shit or go blind? Thank heaven he did neither.  After all, we all had to ride home together in the same car and with three brothers that were both tired and hungry, was enough of a struggle.

I remember Harry Douglas explaining to us that each grave usually settled three times.  First when the wooden vault would give way, then when the casket gave way and then the body.  The concrete vaults that are now required to be used by state law, solved most of this problem.  Aren’t we lucky?

My older brother use to also accompany Harry Douglas to Devils Lake whenever he had to pick up a new grave stone.  He had to do the heavy lifting for Harry.  He said, He never did enjoy the trip, as Harry would drive all the way there and back on the shoulder of the road and at a speed of 35 mph.  He still remembers hitting and crossing every road approach there and back.

In the later sixties toppling over grave stones became popular among the younger people.  Us cemetery people were sure glad when they moved onto cow tipping.  I’m sure that this cow tipping activity ticked-off the udder guys.  I just want you to know I’m against tipping of any kind, except for a beer or two.

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larry   

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Picture provided by Dick Johnson (68):

Pete (65) & Verena’s Gillis’ new grandson:

To:	Gary
From:	Verena
Message:	Gary, Here is our little addition to the family. His nails were so long! His mom cut them now so shouldn’t be scratching his face up any more, lol. He is so sweet!