First off, I need to make an apology to Shirley Olson Warcup (49) for addressing her as Shirley Johnson Warcup with yesterday’s message. Being the polite lady that she is, she did not complain, but it was brought to my attention of the mistake I made and I do apologize. Shirley, I know very well that your are an Olson, but when I think of you I think of Dick Johnson and you being his aunt, a sister to his mother. Gary
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To Bev Azure: Am so glad that you are doing good. I know it has been a long road for you. Soon you will be done with radiation and can start the healing process. I was very happy to have won the TV that our class raffled off. I ran into Terry Moe at the store yesterday and of course he had to tease me that it was a little “rigged” ha. We had a good laugh. I am just happy the raffle turned out as well as it did. I have wondered also what ever happened to Peter Vogel and Keith Koening. I’ll never forget Peter as he was the one that broke the news to my sister and I that there was no Santa Claus. (and we were in the 4th grade.)lol. Barry Olson is in Minot. Barry’s youngest brother and his wife live in Bottineau. They have been here for years but I just recently found out he was the baby brother of Barry. I e-mailed Barry about the reunion last summer but did not hear back.Thanks Gary!
Loretta Wall
Loretta Wall
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Gary , I’d like to say a word about my old friend Ole Bursinger. The name brings back a flood of memories to me, and in the last years I lived in the hills we were very good friends. On my birthday, March 31, it will already be two years since Ole passed, and I miss him greatly. With all the interest in old time music, I couldn’t help but write a little about my experiences with Ole.
It was great to read of others memories of Mrs. Conroy, her forth grade classroom was one to be remembered, she chorded on the piano and had us singing many old American Standards. I remember the Stephen Foster songs most of all, and how she would have her “druthers” if she could. Ironically, Ole Bursinger is one of those memories.
When it came to old time music in the Turtle Mountains , the superstars had to be Kenny Sivertson and the Turtle Mountain Stump Jumpers. They had their own radio show on the Rugby radio station, and for a Christmas promotion one year, they came and recorded Mrs. Conroy’s 4th graders. I think we said Merry Christmas and then our names into a michrophone, and I don’t remember who did the recording. Apparently it aired, I didn’t hear it or remember it, but I do remember when Kenny, and yup you guessed it, Ole Bursinger and Loraine Olson (Metcalf) were with him when they stopped to say thanks to the class. I was impressed. Ole always made me laugh.
Many years later, I was up visiting with Ole at his place, and he pulled out a flat top guitar. He proceeded to play like Maybelle Carter with a little Ole emphasis, and he blew me away. I always thought of him as a fiddle player, and although I always loved Ole, I never have been much for fiddles. But with Ole playing my favorite style of acoustic guitar, and singing as only Ole could, I brought my bass guitar up the next weekend, and we played and sang together for almost 20 years. I loved the many old country gospel songs that he knew, and his 85 year old fingers picked it just right from my point of view. We sang at quite a number of gospel festivals and events, a couple in Canada , but mainly at the Gospel Festival I held at the Rendahl Church grounds for nine years. The church burned down in 1992, and that was a major catastrophe in my life. The gospel festival in the church yard was a nice way to remember the old times as well as hear some good old fashioned music.
After we moved to Bismarck , I visited Ole every weekend I came up to the hills. We would always play, but he would usually say he hadn’t played since the last time I was up. The last few years he couldn’t pick up his fiddle, as his shoulders bothered him, but the guitar was easy on him, so every Sunday I could I had the gospel according to Ole, and I loved it.
So, I thought I would share a little with the group. I hope you like it. It’s not the same as “regular” old time, it has a unique flavor I hope you like. Remember the guitar picking you hear is all Ole, I think he was 82 when we recorded this. We were always going to record more, I think I have a total of 7, but we never did. I hope you enjoy this one, it’s called “Gospel Ship”.
Thanks.
Art Rude
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PS. Hazel Hiatt was one of our biggest fans. If Hazel heard we were playing in Bisbee, or Hamden , Hazel would usually be there.
Peace and Power, Art Thanks for checking out Art Rude Productions, webpage address: www.artrude.com call and leave a message anytime at 800-XRT-RUDE
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From Rod Hiatt (69):
Good morning Gary. Your my early morning coffee entertainment as I
really look forward to all the memories. I’m sure that if are memories
would have been this good back in school when it came to home work that
some of the teachers wouldn’ t have turned gray so early in life.
Anyway my response to Dickie J. The picture of him on the old pony was
taken in the vacant lot east of our house in Dunseith. Dad made a fenced
in area that when we came to town on horse, the town kids would come
over and we would let them ride in that area. Dick we were nice kids
thats why we let you ride, we weren’t stupid kids, thats why we gave you
the one the bucks. We had already tasted that soil. it was always nice
to see some one else enjoy it(Dad always seemed to find humor in that,
not sure if it was the acrobats in the air or the landing that made him
laugh) More than once I was bucked off a horse that he had brought home
from a horse sale and his comment would be “maybe it was the other one
that I didn’t buy that was broke to ride”
really look forward to all the memories. I’m sure that if are memories
would have been this good back in school when it came to home work that
some of the teachers wouldn’ t have turned gray so early in life.
Anyway my response to Dickie J. The picture of him on the old pony was
taken in the vacant lot east of our house in Dunseith. Dad made a fenced
in area that when we came to town on horse, the town kids would come
over and we would let them ride in that area. Dick we were nice kids
thats why we let you ride, we weren’t stupid kids, thats why we gave you
the one the bucks. We had already tasted that soil. it was always nice
to see some one else enjoy it(Dad always seemed to find humor in that,
not sure if it was the acrobats in the air or the landing that made him
laugh) More than once I was bucked off a horse that he had brought home
from a horse sale and his comment would be “maybe it was the other one
that I didn’t buy that was broke to ride”
.;
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What is great about a picture like Central School is it makes old duffers like me really think hard. I have a picture dated 1948 of myself on third base at Central School. I could not recognize anyone or the school for that matter. I will guarantee that Yank Belisle was there. Whenever we visited a neighboring school, we were invited to wrestle…of course! It was always the biggest and toughest kid in that school. But Yank had a fair way about him, all you had to do was say “uncle”! Also Bubber Demars or Patty Rice, Spuds wife, could name everyone of them. I sure would like to know. Ross Brennan did live real close, but I think those kids were younger (that would have had to be Don’s very first year of teaching, 1947 and that adds to old history.
PS Charley Rice and family lived real close to the school and was a super fine man.
PS Charley Rice and family lived real close to the school and was a super fine man.