Sandra, I did not realize when we talked yesterday that your mother is a Casavant. Are you related to Rene, Joe, Gerald and that family of 16 wonderful siblings?  Gary

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From Dick Johnson (68):

Gary and Friends,

Everyone has a wild night to remember, some of us more than others, I
imagine. One such night that I will never forget was August 22, 1961. I
was staying at the farm with my grandparents and had gone upstairs to
bed after a hot day and had opened a window to hopefully cool of the
room so I could sleep. I was sleeping like any 11 year old, without a
care in the world, when all at once rain water was hitting my face and
the wind had the curtains standing straight out in the room! Grandpa
Hans came running into the room and grabbed my arm and dragged me down
the stairs and down into the cellar! He shut the trapdoor above us and
said we may be in a tornado! It roared like crazy above us for a few
minutes and then we heard a loud crashing sound followed by a boom!
Grandpa said, “That was the barn.” It got still within a few minutes,
except for a slight wind, and we came up from the cellar. Looking out in
the night we could see a big pile of debris where the barn had been! The
overhead wires were laying on the rubble and rubbing together making a
constant shower of sparks, so Grandpa ran out to the power pole and shut
off the master switch so what was left wouldn’t burn. He was soaked to
the skin within seconds from the downpour, but didn’t want to see a fire
too! Well guess what! The insurance company said he had insurance for
fire but that they had written off wind coverage because the barn was
looking old and possibly not sturdy!! There is a story about how good
guys finish last, and this sort of fits! Oh,by the way, my memory isn’t
quite as good as it seems. The date is on the back of the picture, even
though the picture was taken later in the fall. I did cut a hole in the
debris and found my saddle unharmed! Not to good for most of Grandma’s
chickens though! The picture shows the aftermath of one of the strongest
winds I can ever remember! Thanks Gary!

From Dale Pritchard (63):

Dale, that does look like your mother.  Gary

Gary,

The picture is pretty dark but I believe that’s my Mother, Dorothy Pritchard, seated on Edmar Tangen’s right side.  This is a good picture of your Mother, Gary.  In some close ups of you, I see you inherited her eyes.

Dale

Standing: Glenda (Mrs. Russell) Fauske

Seated R to L: Elaine Stokes, Alice Hiatt, Charlotte Hiatt Lang, Esther Tangen, Edmar Tangen,

Dorthy Pritchard, Dennis Hiatt

From Shirley LaRocque Wendt (59):