No Blog Yesterday
For the record I did not get a blog posted yesterday.
Friday I am purchasing a new computer with the I-7.4 processor and Windows 8.1. I am actually having it custom made. Because I use Outlook Express to manage my Email, I have been stuck with Windows XP. Microsoft no longer supports either of these programs, so it is time for me to make the painful upgrade to Outlook. The address book sub files in Outlook Express will not transfer to Outlook, so I had to back door them with flat files for the transfer. I have over 70 address sub folders too. I have now completed the file transfers to Outlook, so I can transfer them to Outlook in my new computer. I will just take my old computer to the Mall where I am purchasing the new computer to let them transfer all the files. Outlook is not nearly as user friendly as Outlook Express. Microsoft did a disservice to its customers when they discontinued Outlook express support.
Gary
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Norway & Model “A” – Reply to Dick Johnson (’68)
From Gary (’57) & Sue Metcalfe: Forsyth, MO
Dick, the pictures and story from your Norway adventure has been very interesting for Gary and I to read. Thank you for letting us join your vacation.
We looked back at an older post and saw the pictures of the model A you had restored. That was very impressive. Gary was wondering if Cliff was still living? Sue
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Mustang Story – Reply to Dick Johnson
From Lola Metcalfe Vanorny (’68): Dunseith, ND
Yes Dick I remember that car parked at the bank your mom loved it !!- But like you say sometimes you have to pass on or pay forward as they say !!- and make someone happy !!_ — feels good doesn’t it??- take care !!- LOLA
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Dale’s
Photo from Don Martel (DHS Principal): Rosemount, MN
Guess what I had when we were in Dunseith in June??
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My Mother’s Story – Part 2
From Vickie Metcalfe (’70): Bottineau, ND
When Charlotte was teenager in the late thirties, she would peek out the curtains, whenever a young, black haired, blue eyed older teenage boy, riding a black horse, through her parents yard stopped to visit her parents. He was on his way from where he lived with the Seim family to visit his older brother, Archie and his sister-in-law Bernice. Pop and mom liked the young man too, saying he was very respectful they said his name was Clifford Metcalfe, the son of William Metcalfe the man who’d died the summer of 1935.
Charlotte attended and completed 8 years of education at Hilltop Country School receiving her public school diploma in January of 1939. Charlotte was a shy, modest girl and did not like going to the big city of St. John to High School, she quit school, but she worked for area families, as a chore girl.
Mr. Floyd Vaughn, the kind and patient dear friend of her family decided that “Lottie” needed to learn to drive. He volunteered to be her teacher and used his car. Upon earning her drivers license she drove the Lamb family to the Vaughn family farm S.W. of Rolette for an Easter dinner prepared by Mr. Vaughn which included roast lamb and fresh asparagus.
Hallelujah!!
On September 1940, Charlotte was baptized by immersion at Church of the Brethren Lake (School Section Lake).
World War II rolled on and Charlotte corresponded with young men serving in the Canadian and US forces .
For about a year including 1944, Sylvia and Bob Lamb rode the west bound train to the west coast and worked in war effort. While they were gone, the Lamb family and maintaining the family farm was the sole responsibility of Floyd and Lottie.
The four Lamb’s were close as siblings and enjoyed fondly their time together. Floyd got the cream check and Lottie the egg check. They both cared for their siblings , Priscilla, thirteen years old and Willard, eight years. If needed, they could go to Grandma Wicks for guidance. She was the family matriarch, the wise woman of the family. The Lamb siblings enjoyed their year together. Sundays were social times with neighbors and relatives including the Abrahamsons,Nerpels, Brennans, Rushes, and Shroeders. Floyd would harness the working team to a sleigh or wagon to transport them to the neighborhood events such as taffy pulling and games. Lottie and Willard snuggled close in the hay and left driving the team to Floyd. If it was winter, hot potatoes kept cold fingers warm and were eaten upon their arrival.
Bob and Sylvia returned after that year with a goodly amount of money saved from their combined war effort of working in the shipyards. This enabled the family,to then pay off the mortgage incurred during the depression in the thirties, and Lottie’s hospital bill from Rolette. ( Mom always felt a guilt that the family incurred hardship because of her illness)
The winter of 1945, was an optimistic time, the war was ending, Lottie accompanied by her dear Pop as a chaperone, took the rail to Tacoma where she got a job first as an elevator operator. She ventured on a weekends with another friend on the bus to Seattle and became acquainted with former Dunseith area residents, including Mrs. Rose Metcalfe. She wrote letters to home to ND. She especially enjoyed corresponding with her little brother, Willard.
Charlotte saved her money and returned in the spring to ND. She visited then rode the train east, this time to Fargo, enrolling at a Fargo hair academy. She roomed with several other girls including a new friend and lifetime special Christmas pen pal, Ardis Larson. Her memories of that experience include, roasted potatoes for meals among the coals in the coal stove in the little apartment shared by six girls in Fargo. She then came back to Dunseith and was employed at Marie’s Beauty Shop. During that time, her dear Pop, Bob Lamb suffered a massive stroke. Since there were no nursing homes at that time, the family attended to his needs for his final eight years of life.
Charlotte enjoyed sending Christmas Cards to folks. She sent one to acquaintances in Seattle. Immediately, she started to get mail from Clifford Metcalfe. When he was released from active duty after W.W.II Cliff had enrolled on the GI plan. He became a plasterer apprentice in Seattle and was working as journeyman on and to becoming a master plasterer. In one letter, he asked Charlotte if she would marry him? Charlotte wrote him back, “You would have to ask that question in person!” He came back to Dunseith and did ask her. She said , “Yes.”
They were married on September 17, 1947, at Dunseith Lutheran Church in the presence of family and friends. Since her dear Pop was physically unable, Her brother, Floyd gave her away, , Priscilla was her maid of honor, and Jim Metcalfe served as best man. Lottie over sixty years kept her wedding cards.
Cliff was the love of Lottie’s life. They honeymooned at a little cabin on Oak Creek, in Bottineau, the area of Dan’s Super Value,now Autoparts store, and were “chivereed” at Jim and Ella Metcalfe’s. Charlotte loved Jim and Ella’s kids and had so many fond memories of them. As newly weds Cliff and Lottie traveled to Seattle by car. They lived on 49th, across the street from Wood Lawn Park Zoo and explored together, the zoo, the Cascade mountains and streams, and the Puget Sound ferries for the first three years of marriage.
Many times, Cliff and his brother, Archie sat in the front seat and Conrid sat in-between Lottie and his mom Bernice (Seim) Metcalfe. Lottie was very fond of Conrid, he was a “cute little boy” who loved to tease as much as his dad and Uncle. Cliff and Lottie also became well acquainted with Cliff’s other siblings living in the Seattle area. There oldest child was born in Seattle.
In the Metcalfe family, Lottie was a known (penny pincher) “saver”. She knew the grocer, baker and local butcher. It was the local butcher who showed Lottie how to mix ingredients to cure meat for Irish Corned Beef. She watched the sales and became quite thrifty managing her grocery money.
In May, 1950, after saving a “nest egg”,they came back to ND to visit Lottie’s family. Cliff walked through waist deep snow to purchase a little farm two miles south of Lottie’s parents. The farm was the Bill Child’s farm adjacent to the Seim farm where Cliff had spent four years. They were back to the country life with very few modern conveniences.
Together they toiled, worked, endured,and saved. Lottie milked cows, tended gardens, raised chickens, lambed and assisted in birthing of cattle, canned, sewed, and was primary caretaker of the children. Whatever, she couldn’t do physically on the farm, Cliff would do when he got home at night or on Sundays, as he continued to full time work as a Master plasterer.
In the early fifties, Charlotte’s Grand parent’s Sam and Elizabeth Wicks and dear Pop passed away. Charlottes mother not sick for long, Sylvia passed away of acute leukemia. Lottie and Clifford lost one premature baby. Vickie was born in the Bottineau hospital. And, Nancy suffered from rheumatic fever.
Friday and Saturday nights were for “going visiting”, extended family, friends or neighbors. Often Lottie would be asked to give haircuts or perms. The adults visited and the children all played together. Christmas was spent with the Lamb side of the family, usually one of the main dishes was fried oysters.
And, many Thanksgivings were spent with Mary and Bill Metcalfe.
In the beginning, Cliff and Charlotte milked cows by hand, to the light of lanterns in an old dirt floor log barn selling the cream to either of the two Dunseith creameries. In the early 1950’s south of the little one bedroom house, they built the big red barn. Louis and Clayton Bergan and Mrs. Evans worked that summer on that barn. They also raised sheep, herd cattle, pigs, turkeys, geese and chickens. Lottie sold eggs for grocery money.
In June 1956, their third daughter was born at Bottineau. In the winter of 1956 -1957, Archie Metcalfe recovering from brain surgery came to stay. Uncle Archie delighted in teasing the girls. And the girls enjoyed this wonderful uncle who sang to them, played with them and teased them. At times Lottie would scold all of them including Archie, sending the girls to their room. She said, ” the time out’s never lasted long as the girls would quietly come out and want play with him again.”
Charlotte’s little brother, Willard Lamb and Betty Schneider were wed in the Methodist Church on January 6, 1957.
That January brought more challenges to the family.
Until Later,
Thanks Gary.
Vickie
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Blog (132) posted on June 14, 2008
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Gary, I don’t remember Summer school at all even though I remember that
Willow Lake used that system. Dennis and Arnold Hiatt started school at
Willow Lake then transferred to Ackworth. Jump back a few years
earlier. My mother and Alice Hiatt were in the hospital at the same
time in the same room with the same problem — me and Arnold. He was
born about 2 hours before me. Because he started Summer school at
Willow Lake he was a grade ahead of me when he transferred to Ackworth.
Anyway, when I finished the 5th grade, Mrs. Phelps, our teacher at the
time, moved me up to the 7th grade so Arnold and I could graduate at the
same time. Don’t believe that happens much anymore if at all. Change
of subject: Mr. Phelps had a daughter, Arlene. In Arlene’s senior year
in St. John, she got sick one day in school and passed away that same
day (in shool). I found her obituary just a few days ago while looking
for something else.
Willow Lake used that system. Dennis and Arnold Hiatt started school at
Willow Lake then transferred to Ackworth. Jump back a few years
earlier. My mother and Alice Hiatt were in the hospital at the same
time in the same room with the same problem — me and Arnold. He was
born about 2 hours before me. Because he started Summer school at
Willow Lake he was a grade ahead of me when he transferred to Ackworth.
Anyway, when I finished the 5th grade, Mrs. Phelps, our teacher at the
time, moved me up to the 7th grade so Arnold and I could graduate at the
same time. Don’t believe that happens much anymore if at all. Change
of subject: Mr. Phelps had a daughter, Arlene. In Arlene’s senior year
in St. John, she got sick one day in school and passed away that same
day (in shool). I found her obituary just a few days ago while looking
for something else.
Dale Pritchard
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Note: Arnold Hiatt, son of Albert & Alice Hiatt, attended and graduated from Bottineau HS in 1963. He was electrocuted and killed in a construction accident in the summer of 1964. Gary
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Gary and Friends,
The last two unnamed band members; could the girl by Dwayne Lang be
Sandra Trevers? I think Janice Lacroix Kester would know if Mick Kester
played the tuba, or if it is Jack Spaeth. How about it Janice? Thanks to
Ellen Graff Myrick and Karen Woodford Olson for the other names! I
started band in about 1961 and Don Darling was our director. Dad taught
in Rolette at the time and came to Dunseith in the fall of ‘ 64. I
think he and Don Darling kind of traded places. Don Darling moved to
Minot later and worked at Northwest Music for many years, He passed away
about a year, or so, ago.
Speaking of Mickey Kester, can anyone else remember the basketball game
at the city hall when he was heading toward the north end of the court
for a layup and an opponent tripped him, slamming Mick’s head into the
furnace grate on the front of the stage? He hit HARD and was out cold
for a while! I bet Mick can remember! It was at one of these games where
I saw, for the first time, another kid [Jerry Wallette, I think?] pour a
bag of Planter’s Peanuts into a bottle of Orange Crush! I tried it–not
bad! Larry Hackman mentioned selling pop and candy at games. I think the
concessions was on the east side of the stairs and tickets were sold on
the west side. Am I right about that, guys? I think there was a small
ticket window opening into the stairs from both rooms and then a large
window in the main gym with an entry door beside it. It is hard to
remember as it will be 40 years ago this August, that it burned down. I
found this picture of the grade school boys team from 56-57, so will
include it. Thanks Gary!
Best Guess L to R:
Front: Bobby Robillard, John Leonard, Dave Shelver, Jim Evans, Lyle Lamoureux, Julian Kalk, Garrett Myer ?.
Back row: Coach [ Ray Starks? WILD guess], Gerald Anderson?, Dwight Lang, Billy Awalt?, Stan Salmonson,
Back row: Coach [ Ray Starks? WILD guess], Gerald Anderson?, Dwight Lang, Billy Awalt?, Stan Salmonson,
Rod Kalk, John Morgan, Nickey Bedard, George Gottbreht.
