Thank you for the kind words about Mom. I too remember going to your home and visiting quite often when we were young. Mom had suffered with leukemia for the past three years and she fought a good battle, but it wa time to be set free from all the struggle.
Again thanks,
Deb
refinished and is up at my cousin Nancy’s(Hosmer) beautiful home at
Lake Metigoshe. It is a great site and fun to play on….I always
heard about how good Don was but never got to see him play. That must
have been quite the site to see those Canadians eat their humble pie.
To Deb Morinville….I am very happy that our prayers have been
answered and you didn’t have to go through a big surgery. Take care.
There were several sports that were popular in schools here in North
Dakota, but the main interest seemed to be basketball. I remember how we
would do nearly anything just to play basketball! We used to help Eddie
Bogus by shoveling coal in the coal bin at the old school. The stoker
took all the coal from the middle of the room and left it piled to the
ceiling along the walls. We would have to shovel it down and then pile
it in the middle, essentially reversing the pile.This was a big job as
the coal bin was probably 20 feet square. Our pay–we could shoot
baskets in the old gym! We had to be nuts! I remember that after
shoveling coal for a couple hours we were black and then we played
basketball until the black was running off with the sweat! We also
played outside on the old court west of the old white school, summer and
winter. In the winter the cold would make the ball go flat, and after it
did, we changed the rules so we didn’t have to dribble! That is really
wanting to play ball! Nicholson’s lived across the street to the west
and Annie told my mother she thought we were crazy to be out there when
it was that cold! One time we figured out how to get into the city hall
by leaving a window unlocked. George Aitchison would hear us and kick us
out! After a couple times, he was not too happy! He checked the doors
and windows then, but we got in through the coal shute door! That time
he took us over to see Frank Flynn, the town Judge! We didn’t do that
again!! We didn’t see the harm in it because the place was heated and we
weren’t hurting anything, but rules were rules! One time we had a visit
from the Harlem Stars basketball team. They played against some of the
local fellas for a fundraiser of some kind. I remember Duane Fugere
getting boosted up into the pipe frame behind the backboard and then
scoring a bunch of points from up there! The Stars were full of tricks
but they got about half mad when Duane started to run up the score!!
Some of the older kids could jump from the stage and grab this pipe
support and then swing out and drop on the floor. One night at halftime
of a game, Marvin Kalk tried, but couldn’t hold on and landed flat on
his back, knocking himself cold! Big Iron {Vince Kalk} walked out and
dragged Marvin off the floor like a bag of potatoes!! Just some more
crazy memories of growing up in old Dunseith!! Again and always, thank
you Gary!
Dick
