Albert Johnson
Reply from Pamela Fugere Schmidt (’73): Bismarck, ND
Happy Birthday, Al!
Axel Johnson
Reply from Dick Johnson (’68): Dunseith, ND
Gary and Friends,
Bill Hosmer’s story about working with Axel at the gravel pit was
so typical of how Axel was. He was a hard physical worker and that,
over many years, had made him extremely strong. My dad used to say that
when they were finished with a long day out in the hayfield, Axel would
tell him, “You get on the horse and I’ll race you back to the house.”
Dad said Axel could run like a deer and the old workhorse had his work
cut out for him to beat Axel back home. Our family has many stories of
Axel’s physical feats and also his humor. Couple Axel’s stories
together with his Norwegian brogue and he was hilarious! I’ve already
posted a few of his stories on the blog and they might come around again
as we repost those from before, but one I didn’t tell yet was when Axel
dug Dan Kalk’s well just across the street from our house in Dunseith.
Of course, it was the biggest happening on our block so I had to be
over watching it. He had a hole dug about maybe 10-12 feet deep and was
putting the dirt into a bucket that Vince Kalk would lift out with a
hand crank ‘windlass’. This had a rope wound around a crankshaft that
someone on top would crank to lift out water or in this case, dirt.
Well, as Axel was digging, we saw a seep of water start coming into the
hole and then all of a sudden the side of the well near the bottom just
opened up like a gusher. Axel knew he was as deep as he needed to be so
he stepped into the bucket to keep his feet from getting soaked. He
looked up and Vince just stood there and stared at him. The water was
then about half way up the side of the bucket but Vince still just stood
there. Axel smiled up at us and said, ” Wince, do you tink you could
crank me up den?” And then he let go with his loud laugh that could
make anyone laugh even if they didn’t know the reason they were
laughing. He was fun to be around. Thanks Gary!
Dick
Axel Johnson
Reply from Sybil Johnson: Minot, ND
Thanks Dick, “Pa” was a great guy and well loved by all who knew and met him. He use to spoil my kids, when we would go up. They would be down for a nap in the well room, but, instead Pa would be in there feeding them cookies and coffee. When I would try to scold him, he would laugh and say, “they have to have their coffee before going to sleep” and like you said, he had the heartiest laugh. He would just sit there and let the kids finish their cookies and coffee.
Sybil
Golfing in the Philippines.
Many of our friends are golfers. This is a picture of our good friend Dean, with the goats, at one of the local golf courses. With the goats they don’t need lawn mowers. Dean is from Australia.
Cebu Philippines
Last night, on our way to the Cebu Expat Bowling banquet
Bernadette Gary Novie
Zip to Zap
Posted Don Malaterre (’72): Sioux falls, SD
Gary, I found this article in the archives. Dunseith mayor Jesse Marion’s wife Kim, is from Zap, ND and can actually recall this event
Before Woodstock there was ZIP to ZAP!
Forty five years ago was the rock festival which defined a generation and which has become a major part of our national culture, especially since most of us who have any sort of direct memory (or like me, could only buy the album) are now approaching or have reached the age of 60.
Wow! And this from a generation who 45 years ago lived by the mantra “Don’t trust anyone over 30.”
While I was being reminded of Woodstock, another more obscure rock festival (and using the term loosely) came to mind. It predated Woodstock by 3 months but perhaps helped (at least in the upper Midwest) set the stage for what was to come.
I’m referring to “Zip to Zap”, an unlikely event held in an unlikely location—Zap, North Dakota on May 9-11, 1969. I remember this event and the build up to it. I was a high school senior in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I couldn’t go to the event 350 miles away because that was the weekend of the state track meet in which I was competing. (Yeah, like my parents or the parents of anyone else I knew were going to let me go!).
Zip to Zap was the brainstorm of a student at North Dakota State University who first wrote about the idea in the campus newspaper. The idea was picked up by the University of North Dakota campus paper and soon spread to other campuses in the Midwest, eventually even being reported by national media.
It was promoted as an alternative Spring Break to the long, expensive travel to Daytona Beach. Note here that most spring breaks are in late March or April and this event was scheduled for mid-May. Well, it’s just too damn cold in North Dakota to do an outdoor event like that until May.
The townspeople of Zap were enthusiastic about an event like this in their town of 250 people. They readily agreed to host it. More than 2500 college students and other assorted young people from across the Midwest poured into Zap for the event. Trouble started when the only 2 places in town with liquor licenses both overcharged for and ran out of beer very early. And of course, as so often happened during that era, the trouble and violence was attributed to “outside agitators”.
Near riots ensued and there never was much of a rock festival. A few scruffy bands which wouldn’t even be classified as good bar bands were scheduled. Revelers went to nearby Beulah and Hazen in search of more beer where “rioting” supposedly took place. A few angry souls took it upon themselves to trash a tavern in Zap and set it on fire (although some reports say that it was left over from a demolition project which were burned as a bonfire in the street that night to warm participants in sub-freezing temperatures). Ultimately the Governor called out the National Guard to quell the “rioting”.
Zip to Zap was the lead story on NBC and CBS news on Saturday. Damages to the town were estimated to exceed $25,000 and were ultimately paid by the student government groups at NDSU and UND.
And that is the short-version of the Zip to Zap—an event which helped put North Dakota “on the map” and which “foreshadowed” Woodstock.
Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: t Bottineau & Minot, ND 
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Blog (137) posted on June 19, 2008
From Joe Johnson (77):
Gary,
Joe Johnson (77) – a note for Julie Knox Seier (82) and Linda:
I had Mike Bostic as a teacher and as I recall he always had a smile on his face and he did have a great big joyous laugh. I never knew he married, Julie’s aunt, Linda Millang. Through the years I have thought of Mike often because his business class I attended taught very many practical skills that I have used since high school. Mike’s class, an elective course, brings back many memories because my brother Jeff attended the same class, I believe it was first or second period, Jeff was a sophomore and I was a senior. I’m very sorry to hear of Mike’s unfortunate passing, but it seems he had placed his faith in the Rock, Jesus, so Mike will be spending his eternity in a very healthy body.
For Dick Johnson –
Thanks for the 1976 parade photos. When I saw them my first thought was, “That is the Dunseith I remember growing up in.”.
Additionally, Dick, thanks for all the dialogue and history you bring to this email list and Gary thanks for being such a great editor and publisher. Just want you both to know your contributions are highly valued, even by those of us that don’t post messages to this list very often.
Joe
From Don Martel (Teacher):
Hi,
First of all let me thank you for the time and effort that you put into this to make it work, Gary.
Secondly,I feel very blessed in that I knew most of the Dunseith graduates of the mid to late 50’s (58 graduate from Rolette) as well as those of the late 60’s and early 70’s, as a teacher/Principal.
As a past teacher, it is so great to see and hear about the many accomplishments of our students. It gives me a little pride in hopeing that somehow we had something to do with it.
Also as many of you know I am married to Colleen Conroy, daughter of Ed & Florence Conroy, so find it so gratifying when they are recognized for there many years dedicated to the youth in Dunseith. As their son in law I can say they were just great people and I am so thankful for being part of their family.
As an addition to the Email list, Arthur Martel, teacher in the late 60’s, is:
Don Martel
Don, I have added Arthur to our distribution list. I noticed he was hired, as a teacher, in Dunseith, in 1966. How are you guys related? Gary
Howdy Gary,
Just thought I’d let you know that I had carpol tunnel surgery on both hands yesterday so I’m gonna be trapped in my house for a couple of days. I will really be looking forward to the everyday e-mails, so don’t go off on another copper selling spree for a while. Having to count on my wife to cook for me is bad enough without having any contact with anyone else. She has mastered 3 differant kinds of Hamburger Helper though, so I won’t starve. You may have to read this real slow because I’m typing real slow. Keep up the good work and thanks again for all the hard work.
Mel Kuhn
Dick Johnkson’s (68) reply to a message of Neola’s (her reply follows Dick’s message):
Gary,
Neola is partly right, there is a ‘Weasel’ Counts and his brother
‘Gopher’ Counts. They were Louis and Eugene, respectively. Refer to page
24-25 of the Dunseith history book, under Ernest and Helen Counts. I
hope this answers her question.
Dick
Very interesting reply from Neola Kofoid Garbe to Dick Johnson:
Thanks, Dick. I wasn’t aware there were two brothers. I knew very little about the family except for the time Weasel/Renae were at Fred/Wilma’s home. I actually wrote the next paragraph and then came back and added to this paragraph, so it probably doesn’t make much sense!
I was quite young when I first met Weasel, and that nickname fascinated me! I had never heard anyone called Weasel. Wilma Bosch was married to Fred Kofoid. Wilma’s sister was married to Bob Chilton. I think Renae was their daughter, OR I’m mixed-up and Renae is Wilma’s younger sister. The memory fades after 55 years!! I have to admit I don’t know where Mom’s Dunseith book is; it could be in Minot, or it could be here in my apartment somewhere.
I, along with everyone else, really enjoy the pictures/stories you send to Gary for his website, even though I don’t know many of the people–just have heard the names. However, I HAVE learned what fabulous parents you had, and that you must have enjoyed a wonderful childhood/life because of them/your other relatives. From what I know of you/your stories/pictures your send to Gary, “they” did a good job raising you. All are to be commended. Also, from what I gather, you are practicing/carrying on the same values you were taught. To me, there is no higher compliment than that, or better way to honor your parents. I didn’t mean to ramble; I sometimes get “carried away”. 
Thanks again to both of you. I am now a little wiser.
Neola
Gary,
I am wondering who is in the chariot that was in the parade picture. My brother, Kick, raced chariots but I don’t think that is Kick in the picture.
Phyllis
From Rod Hiatt (69):
Hello Gary and the rest of the Dunseith readers,
Reading some of the stories is about like watching reruns of Andy
Griffith, about half way through you kind of remember what is going to
be said or what happened.
The picture of the horses in the parade shows Brian Fauske driving his
chariot team. In the mid 70’s we had about 20 different teams from
Dunseith and Bottineau running chariots and chuckwagons in Bottineau
and Towner every week. My brothers Laurel and Rick as well as my
Dad(Howard) and myself had hitches and others from Dunseith were Brian
and Russel Fauske, Wayne Barbot, Kick McKay, Bob Brennan, Ernie
Gottbreth, the Lagerquist boys(not sure on who all was driving) old Art
Longie, and Keith Coleman.
We would race every other week in Bottineau and the opposite weeks in
Towner. With Dad buying horses in a number of different states we always
had new ponies coming in to be tested for racing and our club always had
the fastest. It seemed like Ray Nerpel new when he was coming with them
as he was always at our farm to help harness and break new teams. At one
of the first finals in Towner the Botno/Dunseith drivers took all the
trophies except for a couple of classes that we didn’t have teams in.
Dad said he wasn’t sure what was harder, breaking some of these wild
ponies to drive or teaching some of the guys how to drive. When he sent
Ernie G. out of the yard on his first solo drive, we wasn’t all sure
that he and the horses would be coming back together, but we could hear
him hollering for half mile or better.At the end of the evening people
from the stands would come down to the hitch rails to look over the
horses and everyone would sit around and swap lies about how they won or
why they didn’t(sounds kind of like fishing)
Anyway it was a great part of the past that alot of people enjoyed both
drivers and spectators
Gary I forgot to mention 1 other driver and that was Stormin Norman
Hiatt. I don’t think Norman ever won a race but he was always there. At
our year end awards night Norman was presented with the Sportsmanship
buckle. He told everyone that he was going to look it over really good
because once he put it on he would never beable to see it. I do have a
picture of Norman in the lead, but that was at the start of the race
right before the flag was dropped.
Message/picture from Dick Johnson (68):
Gary and Friends,
In reply to Susan Malaterre Johnson’s question about Axel Johnson, I
would believe there was a mix up. Axel and his mother and sister and
brother [my grandfather] came to America on a steamship, but not the
Titanic. They arrived from Norway in May of 1907 and entered through the
famous Ellis Island in New York Harbor. Axel was about 13, and Hans [
Grandpa ] 9, and Louise about 6. The Titanic actually sank in 1912 on
her maiden voyage. I suppose the ship they were on seemed like the
Titanic to kids that age! I guess Susan’s question was if Axel told me
the story? He told me about seeing the palace of the King of Norway when
they arrived in the capitol before they boarded the ship. He told of the
rough seas and cold weather on the trip. My Grandpa Hans also told about
the palace, etc. He died in 1965 and I never got to really ask him about
the particulars. I sure wish I could have had that chance! The picture
below is of Axel Johnson in 1965. It was taken in the Rolette Hospital
just before my Grandpa Hans died of cancer. The family was all there to
see him. Another sad time. Thanks Gary.
Dick
Axel Johnson – 1965