Condolences to Raphael Poitra and his family
From Ron Longie (65): Yakima WA
Gary,
It is with great sadness that I write this, my heart goes out to Raphael and his family for their loss. The reunion of 2007 was so much fun seeing the class of (65) especially Pete and Raphael, I will always keep those few days very near to me. May the good Lord keep you in the palm of his hand, and help you through your time of sorrow.
Ron Longie
Class of 65 reunion – July 12, 2007
Raphael Poitra and Pete Gillis
Janice Metcalfe Poitra’s funeral
From Ele Dietrich Slyter (69): Dunseith, ND.
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Vickie is very right..it was a very beautiful day today, one too nice to say good bye in. The congregation was very diverse and a testament to a
very well loved and respected lady. Hillbilly’s, prairie dogs and city dwellers alike shall not forget her. The pastor said something about her dying of a weak heart and then went on to disagree with that. Oh how right he is. Janice had one of the strongest hearts I have ever had the pleasure to find. She was so loving, giving, humble and strong. Elaine mentioned that Janice was also a take charge type of person and that she, at the age of 2, was ‘bossy’ and unafraid to put people in their place when need be. We should all take a lesson from her. I am also reminded today of the poem ‘Foot Prints In the Sand”. There were many prints left in the sand today, but none were left by two people. HE carried us through this day, so there is only one set there for all to see.
Perhaps I have not written this very well, but I think all will understand how special Janice is/was, and what a change her passing will make in all of us.
Thank you so very much for all you do for all of us Gary.
ele
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Janice Metcalfe Poitra’s funeral
From Geri (Metcalfe 59) & Chuck Munro:
Hi Gary and friends,
We have just returned from Dunseith today after the visitation/funeral of our cousin, Janice (Metcalfe) Poitra. What an amazing two days it has been, to see so many of our old friends from the Kelvin and Dunseith community. Dick, Brenda and Ron, it was wonderful to hear your music and to hear you sing, Dick, “The Wayfaring Stranger” at my cousin’s funeral. We had a warm and loving visit with so many from the area–we love those dear hearts and gentle people. The people of Peace Lutheran Church did a great job of preparing food, and ministering to those of us who were present in their church. As Lea Rae said this week, we are grateful for those who give so much of themselves to keep the church going and make it available for funerals/weddings.
It was great to see so many of you from the Cruise, and we hope to gather with many more in 2012. Gary and Bernadette were so totally organized and everything fell into place for such a smooth reunion in Seattle, and the cruise that followed. Bernadette is the beautiful lady behind the successful guy that Gary is—we appreciated you all so much. It was fun to see pictures of your home and improvements that have been made to the area surrounding you.
Sincerely, Geri (Metcalfe) and Chuck Munro
Geri, Thank you so much for the very nice compliment. Yes we are gearing up for another cruise, Presidents Day week in February 2012, in the Caribbean. Phyllis McKay and Bill Grimme will we working with us putting this one together. As soon as the cruise schedules are published, we will be deciding on a cruise line and a cruise. At this time we know the date and that it will be a Caribbean cruise so folks can start making their plans. With this being the 2nd cruise and being in the Caribbean and in the Winter months, we are anticipating a larger group with this cruise. The Caribbean Cruise prices I think are less too. Feb. 2012 is only a little over two years away.
About our home and those pictures I sent last week. We are currently in the process of installing Ceramic Tile on the upper area between my workshop and our office and also on the wall below the recently installed railing. When it’s finished, I’ll send another picture. Gary
The Morgan’s
From Kay Hosmer (77): Crown Point, Ind.
Reply to Dick and Gary Morgan from Kay Hosmer (’77) – I had warm fuzzy feelings after reading the messages from Dick and Gary. I grew up a block away from Kenny and Margie; they were significant members of the “older generation” to me. Also, I enjoyed a wonderful relationship with John Morgan’s family in that I baby sat for his children for many years in Dunseith. Mike, Greg and Beth were special children and I was even invited to attend a summer vacation with them in MN. The whole Morgan family was dear to me.
Reply from Sharon Zorn Gerdes (62): Windsor, CO
Gary, I don’t know Trish Clayburgh, but she sure has a beautiful horse. Also wanted to mention some of my most favorite memories of San Haven was the excellent food. The baker up there was amazing !! Lots of good people, and a very unique and beautiful place. Its very sad and unnecessary that it could have been destroyed it was. Thank you for the tremendous job you are doing, this blog is my number one priority daily
Sharon, Yes that is a beautiful horse with a beautiful rider that Trish Larson Clayburgh has. Gary
San Haven History
From Mona Dionne Johnson (48): Lake Metigoshe, ND.
Gary: Brenda Hoffman asked me to give a little history of San Haven, so —
Re: A little history regarding my husband, Chuck & the Laundry, etc. at San Haven
Chuck was working under his brother, Bud, when Bud decided to go to Alaska, and Chuck got the job and Dr. Loeb sent him to Laundry Mgt. School in Iowa. Chuck was living in Bismarck before coming to San Haven. His dad started up laundries in Bismarck & in Montana and elsewhere. When his dad came to the San in ’38, he started making all soap used in the laundry. It was made in big barrels, with a pipe (steam) down the middle to cook it. That was carried on with Bud and Chuck doing it until in the late 50’s or early 60’s. Saved the State a LOT of money ! I continued to work at the San for about 6 months after we moved to Bottineau, then began work at St. Andrew’s Hospital in Bottineau in Mar. ’66. When I headed the Dietary Dept. just prior to going to work in Bottineu, I had about 33 people under me. Chuck continued on and in the years prior to closing, he was also Safety Officer and Housekeeping Dept. Head in addition to Laundry Mgr. He was there for the closing in Feb. ’88.
Chuck and I attended all our high school years together in Dunseith and graduated in ’48. My Dad farmed in the early years of my life, and in ’38 when he got hailed out, he bought the store and it included the post office in Thorne, ND (village between Rolette & Dunseith) and retired in Rolette. I kept store (worked) for him a lot during the World War II years when he helped his brother harvesting. I even got to help him shocking the grain bundles.I probably wasn’t much help, as you can imagine little old me with a bundle, but I was game and we all did our part during the war.
I will try to give a little history (don’t know if people will be interested) of the care and progress in the treatment of TB at San Haven after I began working March ’51 , at a later time.
Mona Johnson ’48
San Haven History
From Brenda Hoffman (68): Greenville, SC
First, I want to apologize for not spelling names correctly. I remembered seconds after sending my original emails to Gary that Dr. Loeb is the correct spelling, not Laub. And I had no idea how to correctly spell the Boguslowski’s name. So if anyone notices errors, please help me correct them!
I believe San Haven was founded in or near 1912. The original campus consisted of the Administration Building (Ad building which later housed the Commissary and Post Office and the most – I thought- upscale apartments at the San – Barbara Schlat (Occupational Therapy and former patient), Marjorie Lilico (office); Clifford (power house) and Maxine (office) Magnuson; Benny (Commissary/Post Office and former patient) and Grace (nurse) Frovarb and Edna M?
Prior to the discovery of the penicillin family of antibiotics, there were no certain cures for the strain of TB prevalent at the time. Many doctors felt that cold, crisp air and fresh, wholesome food was the best solution. North Dakota selected the Turtle Mountains as their sight for obvious reasons, not the least being the ability to isolate the TB population. In addition to the nude sunbathing and sleeping on the outdoor porch in the winter, doctors often removed a patients lung – that particular treatment required removing some ribs also. I believe Barbara Schaalt had that treatment. When I was a very little girl, I remember Mom having pneumo treatments – deflating her lungs. I’m guessing that treatment was an offshoot of the treatments prior to penicillin and just retained for whatever reason. I remember either Herc Nicholas or Benny Frovarb laughing about how a group of male TB patients all lived in the cottage that ended up being my family’s home in 1959. All of the patients had to provide sputum for a daily or weekly test. They started getting a dog to provide sputum for one of the guys and yet the test always remained the same!
The Children’s Building was a the children’s building. A number of families had both the mother and father hospitalized for TB and their children lived in the Children’s Building. Also guessing that those patients who were school age were housed there or received schooling there. In the mid 1950s, the school part was closed down and all of the books thrown – large rolling laundry carts of them. My Mom managed to save series like the Bobbsie Twins, Pollyanna and even All Quiet on the Western Front. I read everyone of those books at least once and I still love artwork from the early 1900s because of them.
Somehow, and I never questioned it at the time, the San Commissary seemed to receive a large number of comic books and paperback books without covers. Benny would sell us a package of 10 coverless comic books for a quarter and an extremely reduced paperback rate. Superman, Archie, Batman and Katy Keene were comic book favorites and paperback mysteries. I pretty much read anything I could get my hands on – including True Story and magazines about the US West – someone always seemed to be cutting their foot off to escape a trap!
A number of San patients were upset because they could see the cemetery near Lake Shutte from their windows. As I understand it, the bodies were finally moved. But then, that might have been a false piece of information as my buddy, Brian Johnson and I loved to take our peanut butter sandwiches and hike to the cemetery and eat those sandwiches near a remaining tombstone with a little lamb and a girl’s name contemplating what happened to that little girl. I know – odd but true!
I don’t know about other parts of the world but both the United States and Europe created TB Sanatoriums – a couple of books were written by TB patients in the Switz Alps sanatoriums in the late 1800’s and early 1900s.
Eating at the dining room was awesome. Granted the food was bland (I used to love airplane food because it reminded me of home!), but the setting was lovely. We had linen tablecloths and each family had their own table – the tables were square and seated four people. I remember Mom’s horror the day she discovered that someone had sat at our table and eaten our peanut butter. The most spectacular dining experience of the year was Christmas Eve. Everett Olson was the head of the dietary kitchens when I was a little girl and he set the standard for the Christmas Eve feast (all Scandinavian of course with a name like Olson!). So every Christmas Eve we had ludafist, lefsa, rosettes, oyster stew and krumcaca. There was a huge Christmas Tree in front of the food service area, lit candles on the table, Christmas decorations throughout and Christmas music provided by Eva Trafford’s record player. My family always dressed up and I considered that meal the start of Christmas.
Meal service started at 6:00, 11:00 and 5:00. Dad always needed to be early to everything so every evening our family paraded through the tunnel, when we lived in the Children’s Building, or down the sidewalk to the Dining Room to ensure that we were there at least 15 minutes before the doors opened. I had many great hours talking to San employees as they also waited for the doors to open.
My first summer job at age 16 was working in the hospital kitchens. I met some wonderful people working there, but it was not the most interesting job – washing dishes in such hot water with so many chemicals that the skin on my hands peeled. At 17, my summer job was working in the employee kitchen reporting to Eva Trafford. Whoa. Did she run a tight ship. K. Flynn, Jenny Bouche (sp?) and I (esp. K and I) tried to maneuver around her but that was not an easy task! That’s when I also worked with Cynthia Johnson, Alice, Natilie Kalk and so many other nice women. Eva Trafford’s brother ended up marrying Veona Schocker – my Dad’s cousin who was hospitalized at the San for 13 years.
In the 50s and 60s, we kids must have been the bane of our parents existence! Down the hill from the Chuck Johnson cottage was our cement swimming pool and outdoor grill. Charlene once decided that we should have warmer water in the pool so she used all hot water to fill it. Guess that when she used up all of the San’s hot water, Chuck Johnson at the laundry and the power house guys weren’t exactly pleased with her!
When I was very young, some of the adults converted the unused barn (the San used to have horses to haul garbage and I think milk cows) into a skating rink. I think the barn was eventually torn down.
Summer and fall nights, we would roast marshmallows and cook hot dogs in the outdoor grill. In the winter, we would use that hill to slide down. It was absolutely perfect especially the large bump halfway down! Across the sidewalk leading to the doctors house and down from the Pearsons, was our playground – slide, swings, sand box and merry-go-round. And Halloween! Everyone at the San handed out complete candy bars, not that penny candy stuff – we made some hauls!
Brenda
Gary Metcalfe’s (57) granddaughter, Angelina
From Vickie Metcalfe (67): Bottineau, ND.
Gary and friends,
How many of you have “hearts delight”?
Yesterday, I e-mailed all my Metcalfe Kith and Kin and told them of the Dunseith communities fond farewell of Janice yesterday. I also shared and expressed wonder at Janice’s two grandkid’s; I refer to them as her “hearts delight”. They are just so loving, kind, polite, fun and healthy.
I, the cousin was warmed and delighted with their joyful exuberance!
As many of you know, my Metcalfe cousin Gary Metcalfe and his wife Sue went to Alaska on the cruise this past summer with their daughter Leah and granddaughter Angelina.
Angelina is Gary’s “heart’s delight”. His little Lina lives each day with health issues including juvenile diabetes and Pitit mal seizures.
I received a heartfelt e-mail from Sue today and with her permission am sharing with you, our eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeex-tended Dunseith Community. As ever. Vickie
from Sue Metcalfe.
Today we are requesting prayer for Angelina, my granddaughter. She is seven years old and in first grade. She has been having petit mal seizures for about a year and a half, but since mid October they have increase dramatically. We would like to have prayers covering her today for wisdom in knowing how to control the seizures. She has “stare offs” and comes right back to where she was before it started. She is going to school this week, but it is difficult. Prognosis is that she will outgrow these seizures in time, but until then we need to know how to control them so she can function. She is a fisty little girl, so I am certain that she will overcome this situation. Our desire is for it to happen soon. For God to protect her and heal her and lead her parents and drs. to the right treatment for her. Thank you all for your prayers. Sue
Angelina Metcalfe with
Gary & Sue above
Maryann Casavants Boucher’s (67) email address: Rolette, ND
Posted by Aggie Casavant (69): Fort Mill, SC
Hi Gary
Just got a message from my sista Maryann,she would like to be connected to the Dunseith blog. I’m not sure if you have her old e-mail but this is her new one,just a tad bit of a change. It is as follows: Thanks Gary for all your hard work keeping us all connected. Ms.Aggie
P.S. The count so far is 10 for the mini-reunion.
Folks, Please let Aggie know if you are interested in attending the Mini-Reunion that she and Verena Gillis are planning in the Dunseith area. They would like to know before December 1st so they can make all the plans. The place will be determined by the number of folks interested in attending. I’m sure hoping there will be more than 10 that plan on attending. I’m not sure of the allowance for growth once they’ve determined a location, so if you are the least bit interested in attending please let them know. Gary
Date: May 22,2010
Time: Social Hour 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Cook Out: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Music & Hanging Out : 8:00pm to Midnight
Band: Hwy 43…AKA Dick & Brenda Johnson & Ron Hett
Reply from Sybil Johnson: Cheyenne, WY.
Gary,
I too, received a message on Facebook from you, but because I hesitated to open it, according to your message here, I was lucky. I deleted it as soon as I saw it. I didnt think it was from you. For one thing, you are too busy to send out invites to have your name placed on our friends list. Thank you for the alert. Sybil Johnson
Sybil, I did not realize that the person who sent me that message on Face Book really didn’t send it. When I opened that message I was asked if I trusted the source because there was a potential problem. I trusted that is was OK and opened it. When I opened it, it down loaded a file that sent weird messages to all my friends listed in Face Book. I played hell getting that out of my computer too. What I ended up doing was restoring my computer to a previous state earlier in the day. The message I opened with the virus was from a Dunseith Alumni too. I got messages from several other folks in Face Book too with weird messages that are not part of the Dunseith Alumni that I did not open. I think this was a ramped virus that affected many Face Book folks. Gary
George Gottbreht & K.C. Sine hunting story
From Sharron Shen (59): Everett, WA.
A few weeks ago I told George that the 1930 census made a record of veterans; those that had served in the first world war are indicated by “WW”. I was amazed and edified to see our well known friend K.C. Sine had stepped forward to serve although he had come to this country so few years before in 1912. George knew this. I had just failed to note it in the Centennial book. George told me he had stopped to see Grandpa George one afternoon, looking for some small change for retail activity at KC’s. Grandpa had only two pennies; he told George to go ahead and ask for his “best” deal. “Tell K.C. your grandpa sent you!” That is exactly what George did. K.C. studied his candy shelves making this and that selection – not too much, not too little. I think we all received a splendid and more than fair deal with this absent friend and Vet.
Loved the story of K.C., the marksman; thanks for that. George said that K.C. and Dale were quite the duck hunting buddies. K.C. would travel north to the hill lakes in his small pickup and dad would meet him there. On one occasion George the boy was with dad, he said K.C. stood about 100 ft in front and would get off one shot with each flight of ducks; dad always fired 3 shots in succession. If the ducks were pushed up by the first blast, all the better; Dale’s favorite target was the high flying blue bills. George, about age 8, was their retriever and he had been directed to make small piles of 5 or 6 ducks near surrounding trees. After an hour of serious shooting it was time to leave. Dad then quietly told George to load up the bed of K.C.’s pickup; dad and K.C. would tell their tales and other lies and have a few laughs. K.C. pulled out first and stopped at the first rise, looked back into the truck bed and shouted “Gosh darn, Dale!” George is certain that K.C. must have made several stops on the way home to distribute a few ducks here and a few there of the 50+ kill. Dad would often do this as well and the next day 5 or 6 very fit carcasses would arrive at mom’s door for her attention. Everyone had large families and welcomed the game meat whether fish, fowl or venison.
Game laws and limits were approved of by Dale, but often observed in the breach. Today, the blue bill population is far less than in the 40’s and 50’s. Studies show that the warming of the tundra where they breed is responsible. This is just a CYA disclaimer! I do not want you to be scandalized by the two esteemed men in this story.
The picture attached is of Ernest Boucher and Dale Gottbreht taken after August 4th, 1943. Uncle Ernie had a good laugh when he saw this old picture and remarked about dad’s love of fishing and hunting. Alma would not have allowed Dale to take his wee son in that shallow bottomed boat. He was pictured on shore and at their cabin taken at Lake Shandy, MB. George and Ronnie joked about needing good a bailing can and emergency wire with that skiff! The tail of the pickup shown reminded me of Kassam C. Sine.
Oh God! Your sea is so great, our boats are so small! Not my words, but a fine prayer. Sharron
Dale Gottbreht & Ernest Boucher
