Happy Birthday Rebecca Lemike Rude (’74): Bottineau, ND
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Happy Birthday Bob Lykins (60’s DHS Teacher): Hutto, TX
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Ed and Florence Conroy
Reply from their Granddaughter, Shannon Conroy Kranz: Minot, ND
My grandma and grandpa were Ed and Florence Conroy. Don is my dad. I enjoy reading the posts. My grandpa died when I was only three but I was fortunate to have a long, loving relationship with my grandma. She was the most amazing person I know. As I have said many times, when we visited, it was like Jesus, himself, was coming home. I love reading the posts about my grandma. I have also met several people in Minot who had her as a teacher and it warms my heart to hear their wonderful stories. Thank you for posting this blog.
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Ashtyn Allard and Madison Hiatt
Reply from Dawn Gregory Allard (’74): Bottineau, ND
Hi Gary, just wanted to let you know about the article in the courant about Allard and Hiatt. Ashtyn Allard is the granddaughter of Larry and Dawn Allard and Madison is the gragnddaughter of Mary and Laurel Hiatt. The girls did a great job at Annie`s house and will have fun at the State fair with their project. Dawn Allard
Dawn,
Mary Hiatt is your sister-in-law too, so you are related to both Ashtyn and Madison. We wish them well at the state fair too.
Gary
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Scotty and Thelma Thompson (Musicians from years gone by)
Reply from Scotty’s son Harold Thompson: Pleasant Hill, MO
Hi Gary:
My name is Harold Thompson from Bottineau N.D. Scotty is my dad, I am the oldest of his children.
My son got some info. on the internet about the music He and Cindy played Blue Grass.
Dad did sing but only what he wanted. He taught ALL OF US TO PLAY THE GUITAR, I wound up playing the Harmonica, I played with them on small scale. Only when I went back to Bottineau on visits. I live in Pleasant Hill Mo. I have a few old tapes of them I mean old, I am 77.5 old but was glad to know that someone else remembers them and the music. We played in the back yard and at church and in Canada. I just wanted to let You know he did sing some.
Harold Thompson my email is
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Blog (116) posted on May 28, 2008
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Folks, Bill Grimme and Bernadette & I got our cabins reserved for the cruise today. Gina was able to get the cabins we requested. We got an Ocean view with a picture window on the 5th deck (# 5612) and Bill is way up there, on the 11 deck, with a mini suite cabin (# 11608). Gary
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From Lois Lilleby Fielding (51):
Hi Gary: Thanks! It will be such fun to read and learn about Dunseith folks. My parents moved to Arizona in the late 50’s and I have been back for a few reunions–missed the big one last summer as we had a long planned commitment with one of our families. My husband Len and I and our 5 children lived in Minnesota (Mpls area and Nisswa) for many years and retired in Prescott in 2002. Len doesn’t like retirement so he works partime at the local V.A. Clinic and loves it! He sees many patients from the Vietnamese and other wars. We study Spanish and can use it a lot in AZ. and in Costa Rica where we visit our foreign exchange student (l988) and his several extended families. My Dad’s sister was Edna Leonard and of course my Leonard cousins were fun and wonderful for me, an only child. Best regards and cheers! Lois
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From Janice Leonard Workman (56):
Gary,
I sent Gary Metcalf the information he wanted about Finnigan. I really look forward to these emails. I call them my Dunseith Fix.
My mother told the story about Grandma Anderson when they all lived on the farms. Grandma Anderson would come to visit, after a while she would say she guessed it was time to leave and start for the door, still talking. Mom would say that Grandma Anderson would still be talking when she got to the front gate. Charlie and Walter were well known and well liked. Everybody looked out for each other back then. Another person around town forever was Roy Anderson, he walked with a limp and mopped the Crystal Café after closing on Saturday night, I think, it might have been another night. He was a little harsh, but generally liked most of us kids who worked in the café. He lived in a cook car type of building somewhere around the old lumber yard or maybe the next block. I remember “running” the stacks of lumber and being chased away by Mr. Schwab, sometimes several times a week. Then we would hang out at the blacksmith shop and pester to play with the billows or whatever. Bill would tolerate us for a while and then send us on our way. We would walk out to Lake Shootie , swim, walk to the San and pick berries to eat on the way home.
Wasn’t there always a Memorial Day Celebration a day or two after school was out. It seems that we all to perform, skits, songs, etc. Do they still do that???
Janice
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From Ellen Graff Myrick (58):
Gary,
Please send today’s email to me again. I have a new Blackberry and accidentally deleted from the main screen and the handheld. I have been keeping all the emails so if you would send it I would appreciate it.
We aren’t planning on taking the cruise for several reasons. The primary one is the cost, plus my husband isn’t thrilled about cruises. Maybe it’s all his time in the Air Force.
I and another single teacher went up to Alaska in 1969 and had a wonderful time. We took the Alaska Ferry up the inside Passage. We planned our trip completely and saw the interior of Alaska (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; Fairbanks, Mt McKinley, Anchorage, Chugiach Bay, etc) as well as the coast which this cruise covers. Hopefully those of you who go have a good time. We flew back NWA to Seattle and then on to Minneapolis. I understand global warming has melted a lot of the glaciers.
Enjoy.
Ellen Graff (58) Myrick
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Gary,
Thank you for sending me the messages by attachment. I returned yesterday May 27th from North Dakota . My grandson graduated from Milnor High School which is located in the southeast corner of the state. It is close to Lisbon . Derek Martin Sims graduated on Sunday, May 25th. He is a wonderful, kind and sweet 18 year old. I do not know how he got so old so fast. Derek and I are going to go to Europe in July. We will spend 16 days traveling from England to France to Germany and then back to England . I am so looking forward to this time with him. His plans are to become a fireman. I think he has the “helping” personality that will make him successful in those types of jobs.
I am planning on going on the Alaska cruise in 09 with the alumni. My sister Patsy is also planning on going. We will probably want an ocean view room. I cannot make a firm commitment until I talk with her about the changes.
I am glad you found a way around the filters on my computer. I hope it isn’t too much trouble making attachments and sending them in that format. Our filters were down for a time and we got a great deal of spam. The district must have really tightened the perimeters of what gets through and what does not.
Take care, Gary !
Phyllis
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Phyllis, It is my pleasure, especially for you, to send these messages via an email attachment. We are so looking forward to seeing you & Patsy on the cruise. You are the life of the party. Gary
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From Bonnie Awalt Houle (56):
Dear Gary,
I remember that there was a Boguslaski child (I thought Zike was her Father). that had either Polio or Cancer when she was a child. Janice Leonard and I would go over to their home and read with her or play games. She couldn’t get up from the bed and sometimes was unable to even sit up. At one point she had lost most of her hair, beautiful curly blonde hair. I just can’t remember much else, can anyone fill me in. I believe there were two girls in the family at that time.
To Gary Metcalfe, most of the things that Janice and I were either blamed for or credited with we don’t acknowledge. My mother always said that when Janice and I were together we could come up with the darnest things, so who knows. Janice Leonard was the smartest girl in our class and the most fun. When Neva and Mickey Haagenson came into town to school it was always Janice, Neva, Mickey and I together. Neva was the driver, she had her Dad’s pick-up and we went all over. Mickey knew everyone, no matter where we went there was someone there that she knew. She could talk the hind leg off a mule, and loved to visit with everyone, they were all her friends, only some of them she hadn’t met yet! We learned we could fit 10 kids into the cab in Neva’s pick-up…….no seat belt laws then.
Our Class play was “Hessie of the Hills”. Caroline Lider was Hessie, Kenny Hill was the boy she was going to marry, Don Conroy was Pa, Janice Leonard was Ma. Lois Hiatt, Neva Haagenson, and I had some parts but I don’t remember what they were. The night of the play, the play ran over a little and the 10 o’clock whistle went off at an important part in the play. Don Conroy ad-libbed perfectly, he bellowed it must be the Revenuers (He was a Moonshiner in the play) and hid behind a stump. There were many ad-libs all evening long but Don was the best. We had a great time putting on the play and it gave us a little different outlook on Miss Shurr.
Bonnie Awalt Houle 1956
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Gary and Friends,
My very good friend, John Boguslawski, saved every dime he made in the
summer of 1966 to buy himself a motorcycle. He worked at the Standard
station on the north end of main street. Toward the end of August, he
heard about a guy in Bottineau who had an old British Triumph 750 for
sale for $400. I gave John a ride to Bottineau to check it out. We went
to the back door of a bar called Ned’s Lounge and went in to find the
owner of the motorcycle. He was about half shot when he came out to show
us the bike in the alley. He couldn’t get it started at first and cussed
the old bike up and down. We tinkered with it a bit and it fired up! It
had a huge seat and a goofy windshield from some other type motorcycle
and it had no front fender! It was no prize, but it was a motorcycle!
John asked the guy what he had to have and he said $400, just like we
thought. John took out every cent he had and offered it to the guy—-I
never will forget the amount, $312. This was all he had made working
every day for nearly three months! The guy looked at the cash and then
at the bike and said, “Ah, ____, give me the money.” John did and got
the title signed and took off for home on his prize! The bike hadn’t
even cooled off and we had the windshield taken off and some other junk
that was cluttering up a pretty nice bike! John tipped it over that
night and skinned up his leg but never lost his enthusiasm. A couple
nights later, John and Bill Berube and I were all three riding on that
big seat when Pete Longie, our Deputy Sheriff, saw us and said, “You
guys know better than to have three on a motorcycle”! We explained that
the seat was big enough for three, but Pete said, “I better not ever see
three on there again, DO YOU UNDERSTAND??”
He drove away and we all got back on and took off!! About 10 minutes
later we met Darrel Abbey, the town cop, but we weren’t worried about
what he might say! He stopped the car and who do you think got out from
the passenger side??———-PETE LONGIE, oh yes, we got a real reaming
in language we could clearly understand!! Both Bill Berube and I walked
home!! John’s brother, Alan, had a 500 single cylinder BSA that John and
I used to ride before John got the Triumph. Alan, what ever became of
your old BSA? Did John buy it from you later? Seems to me he did, but
I’m not sure. We both had Harleys and other bikes later so I may not be
right on which was which. Those were good times that I was lucky to
have spent with my buddy, Big John!!
Dick
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To David Sebelius,
Thanks for all the great pictures of your parents and brothers. I remember all of you guys. I remember one time when I came to stay at your place you had the pet owls. At least I thought they were pets. I am thinking you captured one and it had little ones. They are an awesome bird. Especially the white ones. Do you remember them Duane?
It is great to see your folks doing so well. Manvil was never one to sit still to long. ha
Again thanks and take care
Dave Slyter (70)
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Gary and Friends. Question about Hazel Olson who worked at
Hosmers. Fine compliments made about a terrific man. My first
knowledge of his family is that he and his mother lived on what is
now NW Third St. in Dunseith. It was on the same side of the
street as Charlie Lamoureux (Father of Betty Mae Lamoureux) and
George Gohtbrett, and across the steet where Dennis Espe lives
now. Their house had an unusual paint scheme, in that it had big
splotches of white against a tan color. Eddie Olson was an older
brother of Hazel. He played the banjo, was bald, and like Hazel
was a good athlete. Both played basketball and baseball. Eddie
moved away long before Hazel did. Hazel did not drive, he walked
to work and road with friends to games away. When he left
Dunseith he worked at Sharks’s Men Store in Minot. He came to the
Dunseith Centennial in 1982 escorted by Edmond Leonard. I had a
cup of coffee with him at Dales that year. That was the last time
I saw him.
Today several of us met at the Dunseith cemetery. The skies
cleared up to show us that azure blue, the wind was calm, and the
birds and nearby cattle could be heard as we assembled around the
Bailey family plot. Vance’s wife Doreen, his daughter Dana, and
her son and his wife were there. Also, Lloyd and Theresa Awalt,
Leonard and Eleanor Stickland, Floyd and Luella Dion, Wayne and
Gary Bailey (Vance’s brothers), Ramona Johnson (widow of Chuck),
Emery and Carol Carbonneau, Murl Hill, and my wife Pat and me. If
I missed someone, that is unintentional. The pastor made the kind
of remarks that Vance would have enjoyed. We could look to the
hills to he north, the prairie to the south and west, and the
willow creek trees to the east. These are the scenes that he and
others of us enjoy when we find ourselves in this peaceful place.
The pastor talked about Vance’s attachment to this part of our
country, and to the people he knew who lived here then, and those
who still do. He talked about Vance’s youthful days of happiness,
sadness, and even trouble. Those were the elements of youth that
make us what we became later. His pattern was firm, and his
loyalty to his friends was a keynote in his character make up.
It was a gift to know him and be his friend. I still maintain
that his lengthy emailing of his Dunseith memories, the day before
he died was the springboard for this magnificent blog site that
Gary Stokes has developed. I’ll always consider this interaction
a tribute to a wonderful man, Vance Bailey.
By the way, at the cemetery I asked Emery if he in fact did sell the
snowplane made from an aircraft drop tank to my dad Jack Hosmer. He
said, “I sure did”. So that closes that circle of adventure on the
prairie.
There was another comment recently about Charles Anderson. He used
to come to our house with my brother Don to play pool in our
basement. I remember playing in some of those contests, and he had
the gentlest touch, without smashes, balls bouncing off the walls,
or a cloud of chalk dust after the impact. The ball was given just
enough energy to roll across the lip of the pocket and drop into the
bottom of the cup. What finess, and what a gentleman. By the way
that table started at Kadrie’s, purchased by my grandfather, William
E, who gave it to Jack, who gave it to me. I gave it to my oldest
son John, and it has been in the family since before I was born in
1930. It is now being played with new felt, bumpers, and new
leather pockets on the way. Guess where it is. My cousin Nancy
Hosmer Baldwin has a home on Lake Metigoshe. She has it in a great
room built for it. Talk about a piece of Dunseith history making
its way through the generations and still super smooth and level!!!
Better sign off. Thanks for the memories. Bill Hosmer
Folks, I have pasted, below, the last message, that Bill mentions, that we got from Vance just 12 hours before his passing.
Yes, Vance was the springboard to this Blog. His interesting stories and memories of Dunseith generated a lot of interest among the Dunseith alumni. He captured the interests of all age groups, from the most senior to the young a like. Folks from the classes of the 1990’s were even replying to his messages with great interest. For those of us, younger, that did not know Vance, we could relate well to his stories. I’ll be honest, in the beginning, I had reservations about sending his stuff to the whole Alumni for fear of folks regarding it as spam. How wrong I was. That was about the time I had a lot of this list together, but had been sending few group messages. Vance’s messages turned that around with all the replies that you folks sent in reply to those messages of his. What a great motivator he was in get this dialog started. We miss him dearly. Gary
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Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:19 AM
Subject: Vance Bailey
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Vance passed away this morning at 1:30– Dec 22
Doreen Bailey, wife
Tempe, Az
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The last message we received from Vance, 12 hours prior to his death:
Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2007 1:06 PM
Subject: More memory attacks!
Gary,
I spent an hour or two last night talking to Carol Watkins and Emory Carbonneau in Bottineau. I read all the correspondence that you have been posting.
Some things that have come to mind that we discussed. Mac McHugh. He and his wife owned the Dakota Hotel that was directly north of the Drug store where Glen Shelver was the druggist and I am sure later owned. In the mid forties Shirley Sunderland worked there as a “sodajerk”.
There was an old Socony Vacuum (later Standard Oil) filing station in front of the hotel that had gas pumps that had a glass tank that held 10 gallons of gas at about 18 cents a gallon. The guy that operated the station would let us kids pump the gas up into the tank once in a while.
There was a row of rooms along the north lot line of the Hotel and the one facing main street was the U.S. customs office manned by Henry Sunderland. When you crossed the border in those days you stopped in Dunseith to declare anything you brought across the border. I’m not aware of anyone ever stopping to declare anything.
We did have some excitement in those days, a nurse up at the San was murdered by Fred Chase and the trial was held in Dunseith. Carol tells me that our teacher got permission to take our school class to watch the trial. My most outstanding memory of the murder was the first night they had him locked in the Jail located in a long low building just north of the skating rink. Several of us kids were there until the crowd broke out a rope and threw it over the crossbar on the streetlight, then they made us all go home. We were all sorry to miss the hanging, but the adults chickened out so we did not miss anything.
How many of you remember the Waldron that was the Dunseith policeman that caught a thief coming out of one of the buildings north of the bank one night. Carol reminds me that he was chasseing him down the alley and as he came to the fence back of the bank Jules Waldron fired over his head to stop him. The trouble was that the robber jumped up to go over the fence and stopped the bullet with his head. Jules had two boys in school and they left town. No good deed goes unpunished!!
For Collette,
The Baileys and the Hosmers intermarried a couple of times (that’s cousins) in the late 1600s and early 1700s in the New England Colonies.
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Vance Bailey
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Bailey Family Research
1418 E Gemini Drive
Tempe, AZ 85283
