The great economic depression was extremely difficult for many families. There were many years of drought and cold winters.  To the N.W. Lydie Lake dried up completely. The elder Metcalfe boys hired out with farmers such as the Wicks brothers of Little Prairie and down in the prairie foothills Cage McKay.

I  recall  witnesses for Jim and Ella were Mr. and Mrs. George Cota’s.

In 1934 Jim married Ella Evan’s daughter of Martin and Randina (Svingen) Evans..

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Gary and friends,As you  all have guessed by now, I have a compulsion to write about
people I don’t want to forget

Like singing, I know I make many mistakes, sometimes off key  but I
really try to hit the important notes!.

Eleanor’s Story continued

Bill and Mary Metcalfe after moving from Rabbit City Lake
lived out their lives in Willow Lake Township.

After Jack was born, adding to the family came Lorraine
and Larry was the only one born in a hospital.  The children attended
Wetheralt School. Bill served on the School Board.  Among their many
neighbors were Deitrich’s, Eurich’s, Howerys/Strongs  and dear friends
Jennie and Clarence Handland.  Eleanor recalls riding in a buggy with
a neighbor girl friend, Henry Deitrich’s step-daughter.

As a common practice of the time,  many young people in
their teens worked as “chore girls” or “chore boys” for room and
board  with much of their  salary taken home to help provide for their
family.
Eleanor did her share of helping her family.

With a war in Germany then the attack on Pearl Harbor,
Eleanor said, “Able bodied men went off fight, but any one who wished
to work contributed to the war effort in other ways.

When she was 19 years old, Eleanor and a couple of rural
Dunseith friends heard about defense work on the West coast. Two
Nerpel siblings; Clifford, his next younger sister and Eleanor boarded
a bus together heading  West where another older Nerpel sister and
husband lived and worked.

They arrived in a northern coastal area of Oregon about 10
miles south of  Mount Hood. At the side of the highway they rented a
little cabin with a kitchen area. Since by then, they were all over 18
they went to work immediately in commercial shipyards.  Clifford’s
sister went north each day to work on the bigger ships, while Eleanor
and Clifford found work building the smaller ships at Swan Island.
When hired it was mandatory for part of their wages toward  the
purchase of “war bonds”.

Clifford who was quite talented, began welding intricate
work. Eleanor had to take welding classes.  She found herself moving
with ease from one exercise to another.

Passing classes and tests consistently, one day Eleanor
found herself way down, in the bottom of a ship, in a very tight
quarters.  It was a small tight place where she had to crawl on her
tummy into water tanks and weld.

As she was on her back welding, a booming voice from the
entry way called to her. He was a “midget”  (Little Person)who came to
inspect her work. That supervisor was able to walk into the water tank
without stooping or crawling to inspect her work.  She passed the test!

Now  she was cleared to go up into “crow’s nest” welding
high above the open water. After a time she began instructing others.
One day when Eleanor quietly focused on a weld, she felt a presence,
was suddenly startled she “YELPed!” He was one  of the tallest
American Indian men she had ever encountered. And he had, silently
appeared.  He softlly spoke, “Don’t worry my little one I haven’t
eaten anyone lately.” Then, he chuckled. She said he later told her he
was Blackfoot and felt no fear whenever she supervised his welding.

She and her Aunt Leona exchanged letters.  Leona, north in
the Seattle area was working on air planes a “Rosie the Rivetor”.
Leona was quick with catching hot welds!  Leona in one letter wrote to
Eleanor, “Eleanor, if any one bothers you or hurts you, let me know, I
will come or you can come here!”

Eleanor Rose Metcalfe and Clifford Nerpel were married in
March of 1944.

There was becoming evident in time with victories on the German front,
men were coming back to the USA. They needed work and  women who
worked the ship building jobs stepped aside so returning veterans
could go to work.

Eleanor told me, it was beginning  to be noticed, workers
not tending  to their work obligations. Some were in out of the way
places hiding, playing cards and gambling on the job.   When this
happened, the next shift of workers would find themselves finishing
incomplete work  from the prior shift and doing their own to keep up.

One day an altercation happened that was forever etched in
Eleanor’s mind. A superisor got angry. Very MAD! About work that had
not been completed.  Losing his temper, started yelling. He picked up
a metal rod. She and her husband  Clifford witnessed as a  black man
was hit and beaten.  He died before the law got there.

Clifford  said to her, “We don’t belong here, we’re to
sensitive for this”.  They quit their jobs, cashed in war bonds,
packed up  and headed back to North Dakota.

Arriving back in Dunseith they purchased milking polled
shorthorns.  Kathy and Kenny were  born with in a year of each other.
The Archie Metcalfe Farm where they lived was their first ND married
home. When it came out on bids  they hoped to buy it and were
disappointed not to  have the winning bid.

They found employment at Dunseith Red Owl working for
Lucien and Hannah Bedard. Clifford worked in the meat Department
cutting and wrapping meat whileEleanor clerked and stocked shelves.

Later,  she said   “It was Lucian and Hannah who helped
them purchase the McDermitt Farm.”

Clifford worked construction. Eleanor worked as the
“Central telephone operator, which was located by Kelvin Store.

While Eleanor worked at San Haven until it’s closing, her
husband Clifford passed away. She then worked under Stella as  cook
atm the Dunseith Public School for fourteen years  she working with
Louella Dion. She was frightened witless when  Stella told her she had
decided to leave for 2 weeks and was leaving her  in charge!   She was
delighted after Stella came back she did okay.

Before Eleanor moved into Rugby Haaland Home, she lived in
a Dunseith Housing Apartment  unit across from the City Hall.  She
often supplemented her rent by cleaning an apartment when it became
vacant.

In my earliest memories, I always knew Eleanor as one of
my quiet cousins.  She would be one in kitchen area washing dishes and
quietly visiting with whoever came looking for a cup of coffee.  And
whenever Uncle Emil and Ann came back to visit on a trip from
Washington, Eleanor’s was on his list as a favored  overnight staying
place.

Another memory._____a guilty one.

It was me.  I  was the one who  picked up  and answered
the old ringer telephone, I still feel guilty I neglected  tell my dad
to return a call in a timely manner.

That day in August 1960 our Grandma Rose died.

Sometimes though, pleasant memories cancel out the bad.

I will never forget Eleanor coming out of the kitchen when she was
convinced to come and  sing into Aunt Leona’s  hand held  big reel  to
reel tape recorder at the 1961 New Years Day Metcalfe Family Reunion.
Uncle Emil, along with Uncles Lucky and Charlie, Aunts Jean and Leona
drove back to ND arriving to bring in the New Year.  They recalled
their childhood of long ago, when New Year’s Eve and Day were
important in the Metcafe home.
Was it Grandma’s French heritage or Grandpa Bill’s Hogmanny?

It was a day Grandma’s Rose’s family gathered at Uncle
Jim’s.  Singing and eating from 10:00 a.m until into the night____Emil
played guitar, Charlie fiddled, Everyone took turns singing. All  ate
and cheerfully visited.

And, through the day all  with  encouraging nod and smile, Aunt Leona
sat holding  the hand held microphone.  ( It was really  a new –
fangled toy)

Eleanor sang, “I found My Thrill on Blueberry Hill”.

I give thanks for the blessing to special times shared
together with Eleanor at the Haaland Home visiting and reminiscing.

Until later Vickie=

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Donna D. Murry, 86, Bismarck, died April 18, 2014, at her home. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 22, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Steve Sathre officiating.

The family will greet visitors from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck.

Donna Deane (Kleve) Murry was born to Elick and Dorothy (Ployhar) Kleve in Bismarck Hospital on May 28, 1927. She grew up in McClusky and graduated from McClusky High School at the age of 16. She then moved to Bismarck and attended Bismarck Junior College. Donna received her bachelor’s degree from UND and was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Donna taught at the State Industrial School (now YCC) after graduating.

On June 20, 1948, Donna married C. Emerson Murry at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck. They had six children. A mother and grandmother extraordinaire, she devoted endless hours of dedication to shape the Christian values of love and family.

Donna cherished the time spent with her family, her bridge club, her church circle and her Thursday morning coffee group. She was an active member of PEO. Donna was passionate about many activities including reading, all card games, Sudoku, crosswords, rosemaling, knitting, cooking, stained glass, flower gardening, antiques and furniture refinishing. She was an avid traveler, visiting dozens of countries in five continents with her husband.

Donna organized the logistics of many family horseshows, camping, skiing, hunting, and boating trips. Her grandchildren remember the many activities she planned, especially weekly dinners and Pecan Sandies before church school. She was an accomplished hostess, who regularly welcomed family, friends and professional colleagues to her well-stocked table. She was classically fashionable with a modern flare. Donna relished bonfires as well as setting fires under her children and grandchildren. She was no fan of idleness and did not suffer fools gladly. She is renowned for her sour cream chocolate cake, great talent for storytelling, and acerbic wit.

Donna is survived by her children, Barbara Murry, Bismarck, Karla (Curtis) Stanley, Bismarck, Susan Gerenz, Bismarck, Chuck (Rene) Murry, Seattle, and Bruce (Lisa) Murry, Bismarck; 13 grandchildren, Angela Bushaw, Tom (Nikki) Bushaw, Mimi Stanley, Ross Stanley, Nick Gerenz, Kaylyn Gerenz, Rebecca Gerenz, Matthew Gerenz, Marit Murry, Jessie Murry, Kathryn Alexander, Erika Murry, and Perrin Murry; and one great-grandchild, Leif Emerson Bushaw.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Emerson; her infant son, Robert; her parents, Elick and Dorothy Kleve; and her brother, Robert Kleve.

If you prefer, please consider a memorial to Trinity Lutheran Church General Fund in lieu of flowers.

Go to www.parkwayfuneral.com to share memories of Donna and to sign the online guest book.