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
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