No blog yesterday
For the record I did not get a blog posted yesterday
Gary
Condolences to Cliff Gillis’ Family
From Allen Richard (’65): Midland, MI
I am sorry to hear of the passing of Cliff Gillis. I enjoyed him and I know he will be missed by an awful lot of people.
Allen Richard
Louis Longie (’58) Passed away ( 8-22-2014) at 0700.
Message from Jim Robillard (’58): Williston, ND
I’ll send more if needed when I get it.
you can E-Mail me if you want.
God Bless
Jim
Follow up message from Jim Robillard
Funeral arrangements have been made.
http://www.fulkersons.com/ObituariesDisplay.aspx?ID=2260
St Thomas Church Tioga N.D.
Friday 1 pm
cards can be sent to;
Carol Longie
P.O. box 728
Tioga, N.D. 58852
Norway Pictures/message
From Dick Johnson (’68): Dunseith, ND
Gary and Friends,
Traditional customs and costumes are still much appreciated by the Norwegian people and they have one where a small girl and boy are dressed up as a bride and groom and walk around the neighborhood with families and friends. A young boy plays a march type cadence on a snare drum and leads the procession. This takes place during what is called midsomer or mid-summer which is around the equinox of late June. We happened to be with Brenda’s cousins and the daughter of one of the relatives was dressed as the bride so we went along to watch as the little procession came past. It was typical of kids this age though as the bride and the groom didn’t want to be too close to each other! The groom wears a tall black hat, red vest, and black pants and the bride has a traditional costume call a wedding bunad with a fancy headpiece or hat. It was neat to see them do this old custom. We didn’t get to know the name of the boy who was the pretend groom but the little girl’s name was Bente (which is pronounced Ben-ta). She actually went along with us one day as we explored several historic places, her aunt said she could speak fairly good English but she was too shy to while we were along so she only spoke Norwegian. Here are a few pictures of the event. Thanks Gary!
Dick
Reply to Mel Kuhn (’70)
From Larry Hackman (’66): Bismarck, ND
Gary
Here is my reply to Mel, right below his recollection of the HACKMAN BROTHERS VISIT.
Hope you enjoy it?
Larry
Hackman brothers visit Mel Kuhn
Message from Mel Kuhn (’70): St. John, ND.
Gary,
I suppose that you have heard about the Riff Raff that North Dakota has been seeing quite a bit of since the big oil boom. Up here around St. John we kind of keep an eye out for these kind of people. We even had the Mexican Mafia shoot a fellow about a quarter mile down the road from me a while back. So we’ve kind of been in the habit of keeping a loaded gun kind of handy. I was just not prepared for what happened to me yesterday. I was busy working in my shop and I thought I heard a car pull up. I looked out the door and here was this shiny red pickup full of unsavory looking characters. Here it was a pickup full of Hackman’s. I had forgotten my gun in the house when I went in for lunch so I looked around for something to protect myself with and grabbed a tire iron. My dogs were going crazy when they got out of the pickup. My big old dog grabbed one of them by the leg and I saw this look come over his face like he just got a bad taste of lutefisk or something and he kind of let out a yelp and headed for the trees. I haven’t seen him since then. I hope he gets the taste out of his mouth and comes home soon. Well it didn’t turn out too bad once everything got settled down. They were just lost and a little scared. Once I got them calmed down and told them that I’d help get them straightened back around they seemed to be OK. I got a piece of paper and a pen and tried to write down directions for them but that didn’t work. So I went to the house and found a color crayon and a bigger piece of paper so I could draw them a map and they seemed to be good with that. And they say nothing interesting happens around St. John on a Monday afternoon. I was invaded by the Hackman boys, Larry Sr., Larry Jr. and Henry. I hope you guys had a good time touring the old Turtle Mountains. It sure was good seeing you and it was a good visit. You didn’t have to rush off when my wife got home, I’ve got her trained pretty well now and she hasn’t bitten anyone for a long time now. She even keeps the dishes washed up so I don’t go out and buy new ones when I run out. Later Guys.
Mel Kuhn
Larry’s reply to Mel:
Hi Gary! I hope this note finds you and your family doing well. I had to reply to Mel’s recollection of what happened when we (my brother Henry, my son Larry Jr. and me Larry) entered his yard on on our recent stay at Lake Metigoshi and a trip down memory lane through the Turtle Mountains. Yes, we did pull into Mel’s yard about mid afternoon. It was a quiet serene yard, a yard where someone else might want to sit down and do a little bit of yoga. Then we got out of the the pickup and all hell broke loose. A little dog started barking and a big dog, and I don’t know how many other dogs gathered in the parking lot. My brother grabbed a handful of sauerkraut and threw it at the dogs and they scattered. Lutefisk? The St. John Health Department would have had to condemn the place if it had been Lutefisk. Lutefisk? You could tell them dogs weren’t use to enjoying the nectar of the Germans.
The next thing that happened was an old guy (I say old because I sensed myself being a teeny bit respectful of this gentleman. I guess its because of the third grade. We had this teacher Miss Rhode who wanted her class, to have the best manners in the whole school. I remember being a little down one day and her taking me to that room for the sick kids next to the 4th grade room on the second floor of the old wood school house. She asked me what was wrong and I told her, “I had a belly ache”, and she replied “you mean you have a stomach ache”. I knew it hurt and I’m still trying to figure out the difference. Is there more then one organ in that part of the body?) Anyway this gentleman appeared out of the dark of this shop and stood in the garage door opening, rubbing his eyes and soaking wet. From what I gathered, from his muttering and sputtering and rubbing water from his eyes, is that he was watching TV and got inspired to do the ALS challenge, and before he knew or understood what happened, he had challenged himself, and had dumped a bucket of ice water over his own head. Strange, but we were quests and we remained respectful.
You know we did have a little trouble finding Mel’s place in St. John, ND. I remember him telling me once that he lived on the highest hill in St. John, ND. Well, I couldn’t find the right hill and being a man, I didn’t think I should have to ask for directions. Well after awhile, I decided to ask this fellow at the local gas station where the highest hill in St. John is located. He said his dad lives on the highest hill in St. John. I asked him, “your dad Mel Kuhn”. He said “hell no, but my dad lives on the highest hill in St. John”. I told him that I was looking for Mel Kuhn. The fellow just laughed and told me where to go. He said Mel has to live on a hill? I followed the fellows directions and thought I had been driving for to long of a time and so pulled into another fellows yard and ask him where the highest hill in St. John is located? He said that he knew where the highest hill in St. John is, and asked why I was looking for it? I explained to him that I was looking for Mel Kuhn and he had told me that he lives on the highest hill in St. John. The fellow just started laughing and said, he has to live on a hill, but its not the highest hill in St. John and that Mel lives on the third approach down the road. Well, wouldn’t you know it, we found Mel’s place and he does live on a hill. Now I don’t know if it’s the highest hill in St. John, but I found out why he has to live on a hill. It isn’t what I thought at all. I thought that he would have to live on a hill to keep from burying himself in his own bull, and this way it would all run into the valleys below. Yes, things appear to be leveling out in that area. But that’s not the reason he lives on a hill, apparently its because when Mel gives directions, he always starts out by saying, “you go down this hill”?
We did ask Mel for directions to some old friends farm up north of St. John and he did start out by saying that you have to go down this hill? Then after that things got a little shaky on directions and which roads to take, so Mel went and got some paper and pencils. But the lead was broke off, of all the pencils so we picked up some crayons that the dog was chewing on and used them to draw out some roads and directions. The picture did look purity nice when we were done. You know with different color crayons and dog slobber and everyone trying to draw out directions. Mel’s wife did come home about that time and wanted go for a walk with him, before it got to late. I don’t know why she had plastic bags hanging out of her back pocket and a leash in her hand?
Well we had our directions and were ready to take off anyway, so we thought we would hit the road again. We did not want to deprive Mel from his walk. We grabbed the map we had made, but Mel grabbed it back, “saying he really liked the picture and wanted to keep it”. He even asked his wife if she would put it up on the dining room wall so as he could look at it while he ate. He said it reminded him of a Picasso painting he had saw one time. He said he thought it was in one of them little buildings that use to sit behind one of them little one room school houses, with a light that was shaped like a moon over the door..
We without any other directions, followed Mel’s directions and went down the hill, took a left, went a half mile turned around, and went in the opposite direction and somehow ended up at the casino. The three of us are still wandered about that map Mel drew up for us. This wasn’t where we had intended to end up. Maybe, going down that hill was a mistake. Anyway, making butter out of lemonade, we continued on down the road to Dale’s restaurant at Dunseith, ND. We each ordered and ate a jumbo to settle our nerves and quench our hunger. Mel was sure right about having to down that hill first.
It was a good time in the hills, we enjoyed our visit with Mel and several other people we ran into by chance and some we just went and seen at their homes. The three days we spent visiting for the second time this summer went way to fast. Enjoyed every minute of visiting with everyone and still haven’t seen everyone, that I would like to visit with. One of these days we intend to do it again. I wander if that picture Mel put on his wall is worth anything?
Thanks to all and you too Mel for a good time.
Until next time,
Larry
Joke of the Day
Jack and Bob went skiing. After a few hours of driving north, they got caught up in a terrible blizzard and pulled into the driveway of a farm owned by a very rich widow. They went to the door and asked the attractive lady who answered if they could spend the night there.
“Oh, it’s such a terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself. But I am recently widowed,” she said, “and I’m afraid of what the neighbor will say if I let two attractive young men stay in my house.”
“Don’t worry,” Jack said, “We’ll be happy if you just let us sleep in your barn if the weather breaks, we’ll be gone at first light.”
The lady agreed and the two men found their way to the barn and settled in for the night. Come morning, the weather had cleared, and they left and had a great skiing weekend.
Nine months later, Jack got a letter from an attorney. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but he finally determined it was the attorney of the attractive widow whose barn they stayed at with Bob. He drove to see his friend and asked him:
“Bob, remember nine months ago when we went skiing and stopped over at that beautiful widow’s barn to wait out the bad weather?”
“Yes, I do,” said Bob.
“Did you get up in the middle of the night, pay her a visit at the house and stay overnight?”
Bob, getting a little embarrassed, confirmed that’s what happened.
“And did you happen to use my name while you were with her?”
“I am sorry buddy, I am afraid I did,” replied Bob whose face turned red by now.
“Why do you ask?”
“She just died and left me everything,” exclaimed Jack.
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Blog (140) posted on June 24, 2008
From Art Rude (71):
Just a note, to let you know, you may enjoy the pictures I just published of my dad on Father’s day. He was the grand Marshall at the parade at the Hawk Museum by Wolford. www.artrude.com and follow the link to regular webpage photos.
Art
Peace and Power, Art Thanks for checking out Art Rude Productions, webpage address: www.artrude.com
Art, These are wonderful pictures that you have posted on your WEB site. I love your Solo too. Your Dad is looking great! You are not looking bad your self. Gary
From Gary Metcalfe (57):
Sue and I just made a trip 2,900 miles to Almonte, Ontario Canada to research some of my heritage. We found a beautiful little town with a river running through it and many rock waterfalls that ran down to Metcalfe Park. I stopped anyone who looked over 70 years old and got lots of good stories of a great uncle, A.A. Metcalfe who had been a dr. in Almonte for 65 years. He was from a family of 12 and he was the youngest. His mother, Jean McLean Metcalfe lived to 97 yrs. and smoked a clay pipe. They were of Scotch decent. I looked in the library and found at least 5 generations documented….somebody cared.
That is one reason I am enjoying these letters so much as we touch on so many families and memories. Keep ’em coming.
Now only one more endeavor along this line, I need to know more about my Grandma, Veronica Rose LaDuc or LaDuke. Her father Louis LaDuc seems to have gotten away, so I will try to find a trace of her brother, Joe LaDuc. She was of Native American decent. Anyone out there that can make my work easier, please help. I wish I had had more time with her because she was a very loving person and added a lot of joy to our family.
Gary Metcalfe
From Dave Slyter (70):
Dick:
Thank you so much for sharing the old pictures of the house that we use to live in. Before we bought Bennies farm, I remember many times of Terry Hiatt and I going up while my dad went up to help Bennie cut wood and help do some other chores. Terry and I usually went out on the lake and ice skated or roamed around the farm yards.
The picture of the organ that Agnes is playing still exists. Mom and Dad moved it down to Rugby and had it in their home. After mom passed it went on the auction sale and my sister Kim bought it and now has it in her home. We spent many hours ourselves pumping the pedals and playing the keys. Brenda became pretty good at it.
It was good to see everyone in the pictures. Benny was a really nice person as was all his sisters. I never got to meet Hank but heard a lot about him.
Again thanks
Dave Slyter : )
Bobby Slyter’s reply to the Philippine Typhoon (70):
| I am so glad gary to hear that you and your family are o.k. from the pics i have seen where it did hit is a total mess. |
From Mel Kuhn (70):
Howdy Gary,
Well the wife and I made it through the weekend without killing each other. Although after her bout with a weed sprayer that didn’t want to work and wondering why she had to do this in the yard and that to the garden and burning herself making BBQ sauce that she just had to have[I do 90% of the cooking]. She has decided that she doesn’t want my job. Well I don’t want hers either, even our dogs are wondering why I’m not playing with them. The incident with the weed sprayer brought me close to killing myself and then her so we had to quit that project. Women just can’t understand that we are not being bossy, that our ADVICE is for their own good and yes we do know everything. Right guy’s?
Mel Kuhn[70]
From Dick Johnson (68):
Gary and Friends,
I suppose Mel thinks he is one up on this old joker with his Boomerang
joke! Mel when your boomerang is broken, you have what we call–a STICK!
Did you hear about the Aboriginie who got all beat up the other day,
Mel? He got a new boomerang and tried to throw his old one away! Nuk,
nuk, nuk!! Old broken down Mel was riding in a new yellow Corvette in
the St. John Days parade on Saturday. He had his hands all bandaged up
but the jerk was still able to shoot us judges with a water cannon! So
folks, don’t spend too much time feeling sorry for him! Actually it felt
pretty good, it was hotter than blue blazes out there in the sun! And
Mel’s wife IS a good cook! She is also a very nice person, she was just
having trouble with her eyesight when she met Mel! Thanks Gary! 😛
Dick
Pictures from Ardys Bakken Horner (former teacher):
hi Gary! Thought you would like to see what I look like, I am not good at putting photos on the web, but there is one of Jon and I with the Packers flag, he’s a fan, I root for the MN Vikings –anyway this is his 70th birthday party Ardys Bakken Horner former teacher (68-70)
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:44:00 -0500
These are a few of the better pics from today. Good to see you all–M
Jon & Ardy Heather, Chad & Ardys
Subject: Capsized Philippine ship that sunk with Typhoon Frank killing hundres for folks:
This letter was forwarded to me by a friend.
I was truly upset when I saw the news. My heart cried for the victims and relatives.
Is there really a dearth of common sense anymore in our native country, the Philippines?
I now live in the US and I see how safety of passengers is a priority here.
If there is a typhoon coming, and I am Sulpicio lines, would I let my ship go? If I am the Coast guard and a typhoon is coming, will I clear the ship to sail?
I live near the Dallas Airport and even if a storm is not that strong, the planes are not allowed to fly. I went on a cruise from Houston and the ship was not allowed to leave until the hurricane path was ascertained.
Should we wait for other similar disasters to happen to react or take action