No Blog yesterday
For the record I did not get a blog posted yesterday.
Gary
Happy Birthday Phyllis McKay (’65): Auburn, WA.
Happy birthday Carrole Fauske Rude (’66): Vancouver, WA
Happy Birthday Cathy Campbell Springan (’73): Stanley, ND
Happy Birthday Betty Lamoureux Badgett (’49): Fountain Valley, CA
Norwegian Traditional Costumes
Posting/pictures from Dick Johnson (’68): Dunseith, ND.
Gary and Friends,
One of the things I find interesting about Norwegian traditional customs is the purpose behind the customs. Aggie asked about the Midsomer tradition of dressing kids in wedding attire and marching in a mock wedding procession. The tradition is done near the summer solstice so it is actually the beginning of summer rather than the mid-summer as it is called. It was to bring happiness to people as the blossoming of new life through young people. I thought it was neat the way they consider it an important event that has a purpose. Once the procession has made the way around the neighborhood where lots of folks are outside to watch it go by, they come back to the place of origin for a large bonfire and games so it’s kind of a block party so to speak. The kids aren’t quite as enthused as you might think about being chosen to dress as the married couple but they know it’s supposed to be an honor so they do it anyway. As the procession came by where we were standing, Brenda’s cousin Tove said, “You look good Bente.” Little Bente looked at us and lightly stuck out her tongue. She would have rather been riding her bike I think. I’ll attach a picture from a museum in Voss that shows the traditional costumes for this event. Thanks Gary!
Norwegian Traditional Costumes
Posting/pictures from Dick Johnson (’68): Dunseith, ND.
Gary and Friends,
The traditional costume worn by women in Norway is called a ‘bunad’ (pronounced–boo-nod) and these differ in appearance and color depending on which area of Norway they represent. Each area has a different bunad and most Norwegians know which area they represent even though there are many different bunads. Brenda’s grandmother brought material back from Norway and helped Brenda make her bunad in the exact fashion of the area she came from in the Voss district/area of Norway.
I didn’t care much about it until I started to understand what it all means. It needs to be correct too or it is frowned upon by Norwegians if someone changes or puts something from the wrong area into the costume. They jokingly say the ‘bunad police’ will get you if you change things around. These Norskies take this seriously and once at the Hostfest in Minot, I sat and watched the bunad show (I’ll admit it publicly guys) as I had talked Brenda into wearing hers for the show. I must say, I was actually impressed. Our good friend Diane Larson Sjol was also at the Hostfest wearing a pretty light blue bunad from the Tromso area of northern Norway where her grandparents came from. She said it belonged to an older friend of hers from Minot and she had asked Diane to wear it. Do I have that right Diane? It was very nice.
Anyway, before you car guys think I slipped a cog, I found this tradition interesting in it’s own way so it got my attention. Things on a bunad and the jewelery that is worn all has a particular meaning.
Some things mean the woman is single or married and other things mean what time of the year it is–summer bunad or winter etc. I’ll attach a couple pictures so you can see some on display at a museum in Voss, Norway and one of Brenda wearing her bunad. Two Norwegian dolls–one in a case and the other one in real life! See any similarities? Thanks Gary!
Dick
Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Bottineau & Minot, ND
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Blog (140) posted on June 24, 2008
From Shirley Warcup Olson (49):
Gary and Dave Slyter,
Dave’s comments brought back memories of my Grandma Johnson’s farm. Freddie Hiatt is my cousin so that would make Dave my nephew (by marriage). Freddie ,I believe, is Dave’s step-father. Dave, I’m sorry you didn’t meet my uncle Hank. He was quite a character!! Hank came to town every couple months and always proceeded to get pretty drunk. He usually ended up in jail, not because of fighting, but just because of being falling down drunk. The next morning when he was sober,he would be released from jail and he would go back to the farm. One day when I was probably in 5th or 6th grade, I and someone else (can’t remember who it was) decided to go uptown to get some candy during the lunch hour. As we were starting to cross the street in front of KC Sine’s store I heard some yell “Hi Snookie”. It was my Uncle Hank–he was sweeping the street in front of Lamoureux’s Garage. I quietly replied “Hi” and for about 2 seconds wondered why he doing what he was doing. I then realized he must have ended up in jail as usual and Frank Flynn decided to have him do a little work before he simply released him–perhaps thinking that would have a positive effect on Hank’s drinking. I don’t think it worked, however . On one of Hank’s later trips to town, I guess Hank decided he was drunk enough, so he went to Frank Flynn’s home, sat on the front steps and I believe went to sleep, and just waited for Frank to come home and take him to the jail–at least that’s what I was told. My Grandma Johnson died in May, 1953. Hank died in Nov. 1952. My mother said she thought my grandmother felt she had to stay alive as long as Hank was living because he needed someone to “look after” him. Once Hank died, my grandmother died soon after. Hank was a good natured man. He probably caused a lot of concern for my grandmother but he always made us smile–he was a carefree guy.
Thanks Gary, Dick, Dave and many others for bringing back good memories!!
Shirley Warcup
From Deb Morinville Marmon (70):
Hi Gary,
I was so upset to hear about the storm and the capsizing of the ferry. I am sponsoring a little boy through World Hope and pray that he and his family are OK. He is from the B’laan tribe of Southern Mindanoa in the Philippines. I haven’t heard anything from WH so I hope that is good news.
Life in Montana is fine except for the weird weather we have had this year. Usually no rain so far this 10 inches! Now we are hitting the hi 80’s and lo 90’s. Go figure. I have a very weird sweat gland disease and sweating is very bad for me so I spend most of the season in my house. It affects my joints and I am facing a hip replacement very soon. It’s always something. But I am not complain! I have a very blessed life with a wonderful husband of 29 years, 4 terrific children who are swamping me with grandchildren (2 due -1 in Sept and1 in Jan) We already have 4.
I wonder if anyone remembers the little carnivals that used to come to town and set up in the skating rink. That was when we got to see friends from school that we usually didn’t see except at school.
Gary we shared an aunt and one of the funniest things I remember about her was the party line. Aunt Olga never quite got the hang using it. When she would call my Mom she was already talking when Mom answered the phone and when she was done talking she would just hang up! One time she won some bedroom furniture at a Bottineau store and when Uncle Bert came home she was building a room onto the house to put it in.
I loved being around her with her Norwegian accent and her stories. She made some of the best bread and baked in an an old wood cookstove. She was quit a gal!
Keep the stories coming. They are absolutely wonderful!
Deb Morinville Marmon 70
Gary’s reply
Yes Deb, Olga was my dad’s sister married to your mother’s brother Bert Hanson. Some of our Dunseith folks will remember her. Everything you have said about Olga is absolutely true. Olga was well known for just hanging up the phone when she decided she didn’t want to talk any more. It’s not that she was upset, that’s just the way she was and everyone knew and accepted it. After Bert died she married Emil Haseldahl also from the Bottineau turtle mountain area. She was a character. Before going to the hospital for the very last time in her life to have surgery, she took a piece of tablet paper and wrote at the top, “In Case I Kick the Bucket”. Then she wrote a very detailed list of all of her possessions of who was to get what and left it in her apartment. Olga did not survive the surgery and died. Dad was with Jean and Audrey when they split things up using her “In case I kick the Bucket” list. The Olga stories are endless. We miss her dearly. Olga’s granddaughter, Amy, is the one that recently put together the Dunseith WEB site. As I have mentioned before, The Petterson (dad’s biological family) gatherings were never dull. Gary
From Paula Fassett Pfuhl (71):
Thank-you Art Rude (jr) for the great photos of your dad – who looks great, by the way – and of the HawkMuseum. For any of you who haven’t been to the HawkMuseum, next time you’re in the area, you really should go and spend some time there. They’ve done a great job – and I know Art Rude Sr has been a driving force getting it established and keeping it going. It’s well worth the trip!
Mel Kuhn, I’m taking sides with your wife!!! I have a disabled husband, so I’m the one who goes up on the roof and seals the leaking skylights (whoever invented those stupid things), I’m the one who cusses and swears at the weed whip, lawnmower and all the other tools that have a pull start that NEVER starts on the first, second OR third pull…………and my husband is ALWAYS there with the sound advice to give me as I’m preparing to smash one of those handy tools with my hammer!!!!! Do you guys take a class in advice giving????????? Maybe it’s similar to the nagging class that wives attend – ha!!!!!
Are there any parades going on in August??? Some of us Fassett-types are hoping to get ‘home’ then……
Paula
From Bob Lykins (former teacher):
Gary,
How well I remember those typhoons. I was more than once stranded at Subic Bay Naval Base because of the weather. I vividly remember taking the bus from Subic to Clark Air Base after a typhoon and traveling over the one major highway in the area that was for miles completly covered in water. The only way the driver knew to follow the road was because of the posts jutting out of the water on each side of the highway. It was all just one hugh lake for as far as the eye could see. It was not just for natural air conditioning that the houses were built on stilts. It is amazing how people learn to adjust to living and surviving under such conditions.
Bob
Reply from Dick Johnson(68):
Gary and Friends,
The one picture of Neola’s (message 141)is Larry and Lise’s wedding, with their
parents Mr. and Mrs. Billy Metcalfe and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Rousseau. The
others are unfamiliar to me. Thanks Gary, glad to hear the typhoon kind
of missed your place!
Dick
From Bill Grimme (65):
Gary,
This photo was sent to me by my dear friend, Vern Sanden. The photo was taken in 1910. Vern lived in Bottineau.
Vern and I met at UND after Vern returned from his service in the US Army. We tended bar together at Whitey’s Cafe in East Grand Forks for a while and we had a lot of adventures there. One night I accidentally locked Vern and John Frykman in the beer cooler at Whitey’s. They were in there for several hours, I guess, and when they got out, neither one of them complained, for some reason or another; the stock of small bottles of Mogen David that we kept in there was pretty low after their stay.
I got such an education from Vern and John that I quit school and joined the US Navy. Actually turned out to be a good move, eventually, after about 10 years. It was a funny choice – graduate from UND in one year or join the Navy for 10!
Anyway, can you put Vern on the mailing list? I’m sure a lot of our folks know Vern from his high school days in Bottineau.
Bill
From Mel Kuhn (70):
Howdy Gary,
Dick’s eyesite is getting bad. That was a shiney old 1975 Corvette that I was riding in. It belongs to Duane Gourneau who about in 1968 or so was a cop in Dunseith on his first assignment. My wife was riding ahead of us with Duane’s wife Cindy in a 1973 Porche. I could have gotten Dick a little wetter but he moves pretty quick for an old man.
Mel Kuhn
Picture from Neola Kofoid Garbe:
