God bless us everyone. Sharron
Herman Boucher’s [1914-1987] Letter to his sister, Mrs Dale (Alma) Gottbreht:Dear Sis [Alma Boucher-Gottbreht] July 3 1941
Well I’m still alive but I feel about as low as a snakes ass. A bunch of the boy’s got a weekend leave starting at noon the 2nd till 11 Sunday night & I couldn’t get one – got to go on KP. The 4th and 5th I’m going on camp alert for 24 hrs in place of one of the boy’s in my tent so he could get a leave – he’s a swell kid, he’s always doing something for me. He gave me some of the pictures he took of us – he’s not on the one I’m sending but the other boy’s are all in my tent. So you can imagine how low I feel – I was going to go to Alabama [Robertsville] & and visit uncle Gene [Casavant] – it’s about 350 miles from here; but that’s the Army & that’s why I like it – they tell you one thing then they change the next day. Was suppose to parade in Baton Rouge the 4th but instead we paraded in camp yesterday forenoon for the governor of Min. & that screwed up our 4th of July.
I and Ole Evans went to the Carnival last night & had a few drinks – don’t feel so good today but when you get about half drunk it gets your mind off of the Army for a little while – this Army will make more bums then soldiers.
Well I see Ted and Harvey got to go the 8th – too bad; hope they don’t have to come here – its hotter then hell & its just starting in the way they talk. It’s been hanging around 106’ in the shade so you can see about how hot it gets in the sun – just sweat standing. They say we might go back to Min. for maneuvers or Wash this fall but I wouldn’t believe it till it happens but I hope so – there’s too darn many snakes here. Every day we go out on maneuvers now we see some snakes – we kill every one we see but I sure wouldn’t like to lay on one – that’s why I would like to see them pull us out of here.
Well I suppose the crops look good there – sure wish I could see them but before I can get a furlough it’ll be Oct or Nov & maybe later – there’s only so many at a time that can leave camp & we got to go by turns – I sure hope I can get there before it snows.
Well you better write & Cora [Boucher-Mongeon] too – I heard from you just once so far – you better put APO 34 on the letters after this because we may not get our mail [USPS] – they’ll send it back – it stands for Army Post Office. I got a letter from Canton last night – sure was a surprise. I’ll have to write him Sat & I got a letter from uncle John [Boucher] – Aunt fell & hurt her arm pretty good – she was pretty surprised to hear from me, said that I done better than Ernest [Boucher]. Well it’s pretty near dinner time so I better close.
Love Herman
Picture posted by Sharon Gottbreht Shen:Picture L-R: Roland G Tennancour [1920-1942], Alma Boucher-Gottbreht, Roland Mongeon,Yvette Boucher-Tennancour, Herman Boucher holding EJ Gottbreht.Mom was expecting me May ’41 and Yvette was due in September.
Ellen Graff Myrick’s (58) reply to Gary for missing messages:Gary,Got all three of them. I should have remembered that it was already 2009 in the PI. I worked for Pacific Region AFCOMS (Commissary Service) at Norton AFB in California in 1981- 82. Time was always something to consider when contacting the stores in the Pacific. We provided support for commissaries at AF bases in Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, Korea, the PI, and Guam. Thanks again. It’s -10 outside according to my Desktop Weather Channel, but it’s 75 in my house.EllenEllen & all, It’s now noon here in the PI, New Years Day. We were on the edge of a storm that passed through yesterday, so it rained most of the day. We were lucky when it finely quit raining towards evening. The folks all celebrated in our compound with music, dance, etc until midnight. Then the fireworks began, everywhere. After having read Bill Hosmers friends book, it was as though we were being attack with one of their bombing raids over North Viet Nam. The noise was so loud that we couldn’t hear each other talk. When all the fireworks, noise and smoke subsided, about 12:30, Bernadette served a large dinner meal for everyone. With the storm that just pasted through and kind of still lingering, it’s cooled off some today. It’s currently 83F. Gary
Edward Berube
Edward Joseph Berube, age 88, of Belcourt, ND, passed away on Sunday, December 28, 2008, in the Bottineau Good Samaritan Center, Bottineau, ND.
Edward was born on September 17, 1920, on the family farmstead in Maryville Township, ND, to Victorine Mongeon and Arthur Berube, where he was raised and lived until moving 2 miles south, establishing his own family farmstead.
He married Evelyn Marie Vandal on June 26, 1945, at St. Ann’s Parish in Belcourt, with Fr. Stan Maudlin officiating. They made their living on the family farm with their 7 children, Sharon, Eldon, Gary, Brenda, Brian, Perry and Timothy. Edward farmed more than 50 years and continued ranching until 2007 when he sold the last of his cattle.
Edward became a member and remained a member of the Knights of Columbus (4th degree) for the past 24 years. He also served as a member on the Shell Valley Township Board. He was a member of the Queen of Peace Oblates until the time of his passing. Edward enjoyed spending time with family and friends, bowling for the past 20 years, and telling his unforgettable stories. Edward and Evelyn have been active members of the Sacred Heart Parish in Rolette and the St. Ann’s Parish in Belcourt.
Those most honored to share in his life are: his wife of 63 years, Evelyn Berube of Belcourt; daughters, Sharon (Otto) Austel of Simi Valley, CA, and Brenda (Myron) Lennertz of Bismarck; sons, Gary (June) of Mandan, Brian of Bismarck, Perry (Kay) of Euclid, MN, and Timothy (Michelle) of Andover, MN; sisters, Annette Berube of CA and Evelyn Wilkie of MT; daughter-in-law, Glennis Berube of Minot, ND; and sister-in-law, Fern Lagasse of Golden Valley, MN. Edward was blessed with 20 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many cousins.
Edward was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Eldon Berube, and his siblings, Lawrence, Fortune, Louie, Andre, Eva, Laura, Hermine, Helen, Angeline and Philip.
Visitation and rosary service: Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, January 2, 2009, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rolette, ND, with a Rosary Service at 7 p.m.
Funeral Mass: Saturday, January 3, at 10 a.m. in the church with Fr. Philip Chacko presiding.
Burial: Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Rolette, ND, in the spring of 2009.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers the family would prefer memorials be sent to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 in Edward’s honor.
Arrangements with Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND.
walked over to it once in the mid 60s. I think the roof was quite steep
and the peak ran east and west. If I remember right there were two
windows on the south side. What ever happened to that house? Would that
be on the land Carmen Myer owns now? I know that northwest of Gus’s was
another white stucco house that Kelly’s lived in and east of Kelly’s was
another place where Ray Nerpel lived for a while—unless that was the
same place Gus had? We went in there one time too, by going through the
old Kelly yard and on east. Maybe it was the same place just getting there
a different way. This is really taxing the old mind! There were Model T
parts all over the yard where Nerpels had lived, I do remember that. I
think I was helping Larry Sime or Glen Millang look for cattle at the
time. Just thought I would email you to see if you were done with the
dusting????
Dick
You are doing a good job of confusing my mind on this one. My uncle Guss’s
place, was a white stucco house, located a 1/4 mile straight east of the of
the Lake Metigoshi and Highway #3 intersection. It was orignally known as
the Harold (Red) Kelly’s place. Gus moved off the place and in with his
mother when my grandpa Anton Hackman died in 1949. Uncle Guss never moved
back to the place and it remained deserted. He mostly used the place to
pasture horses. He alway complained about the deer hunters shooting his
horses. He said them Minnesotans didn,t know what a deer looked like? Loren
and Eleanor Dubois moved a house in on the trail just east of the
intersection and lived there in the mid sixties.
A 1/2 mile north of the Metigoshi and #3 intersection was another trail
going east. This trail went to another white stucco house where the Raymond
Nerpel family lived during the early 50’s. I remember being there once when
Harvey Nerpel decided to crawl into this steel barrel and roll down this
hill. There were a lot of rocks on that hillside. Harvey and that barrel
seemed to hit most of them on the way down that hill. When Harvey crawled
out of that barrel, after it stopped rolling at the bottom of the hill. You
could tell that Harvey wanted to go somewhere, but he couldn’t figure out
which direction to go, to get there. No, I don’t know how he stayed in that
barrel.
Anyway, Dick there was another road going east, 1 mile north of the
Metigoshi and #3 intersection. This was the section line road that ran one
mile east to Hilltop School. There was also a white stucco house located
just west, below the hill, of the school. The Raymond Nerpel family lived
in that house in the latter 50’s. Before them, a Millang family lived
there. They had two kids which were both older then I. Their names were
Ronald who was in the same grade as my older brother Henry (class of 65) and
Barbara who was older then her brother Ronald. Anybody know what happened
to these folks? Carmen Myer now has a farm at this location.
Now, we just have to figure out who stuccoed them houses with all that wood
around and why? Maybe Gary Metcalfe or someone else will dust off there
memory and let us know? Apparently somebody was in the business and in the
area at that time.
larry
The cute little ditty about ND in winter brought to mind a song we
used to sing in the car once we hit the ND border coming back home
after a stint at an army post where dad was stationed….we couldn’t
wait to go to Dunseith -past the “eyes, nose and mouth” house as
Dale’s came into view and soon the Morinvilles, the Hosmers, and
uptown to the bakery and KC Sime’s and the drug store…It didn’t get
any better than that!…The four of us girls would sing this at the
top of our lungs….You gotta go ta
North Dako-ta
See the cattle and the wheat
and the folks that can’t be beat.
You say hello ta
North Dako-ta and you just can’t say goodbye.
The sky is bluer than blue
The sun is sunnier too
And if you don’t believe it
Then there’s only one thing to do….
You gotta go ta
North Dako-ta
See the cattle and the wheat
And the folks that can’t be beat
You say hello ta
North Dako-ta and you just can’t say goodbye!
Happy New Year everyone. We will go to the Birchwood for supper with
cousin Nancy Hosmer (Baldwin) and her significant other, Keith and two
other couples…one being my dad, Norman Larson and his girlfriend,
Fada Garby….both in their 80’s and going strong…will check out
what is going on up at the lake and then back to Nancy’s for a little
shuffleboard and pool and a toast to the New Year…..Hope all of you
have a wonderful New Year…full of all things
wonderful….remember…”Things will be fine in 0 – 9!”
Diane Sjol
