Happy Birthday Bernice Belgarde (’72): Bemidji, MN
Pop Machine story
From Dick Johnson (’70): Dunseith, ND
Gary and Friends,
Lola put out the challenge for some of us to spice up the blog a bit with a story of by gone days at DHS. One that I had come to mind was a memory of the old chest type pop machine that sat in the hall in front of the high school office. It was a bottle machine and the pop bottles hung on racks. You put in a dime and then slid your choice of flavor over to the end and up through the mechanism. Some inventive classmate of mine looked over the situation and decided the flat iron bar directly next to the bottle lock didn’t look very strong and he grabbed it and bent it up so there was ample room to retrieve a bottle without dropping in the dime. It only took a few minutes and all the bottles were gone and no money had been collected. Our faithful janitor Ed Boguslawski opened the machine and muttered some obscenities and got John and I to roll it all the way down to the shop where we straightened the flat bar and welded a piece of metal vertically onto the part that had been bent. I can still remember his challenge, “THERE. I’d like to see those smart s–%%$#$&–a–^%$%&–hes get the pop out of it now!” John and I rolled it back to the office hallway and put it where it always sat. The next day or so, Ed opened the lid and all the bottles were still there—empty—with a few straws still standing in the bottles.
The kids rose to Ed’s challenge and used bottle openers and straws. The next day there was a new chain and a padlock wrapped all the way around the old machine through the handle. After that, it was only opened during basketball games when someone would be watching. The real interesting part of this story—the same guys who helped fix the machine—were the ones who drank the pop!! I think it was those devils from the class of ’68. Sure glad I wasn’t in that bunch. Thanks Gary!
Dick
Sympathy to the family of Janell Landsverk.
From Vickie Metecalfe (’70): Bottineau, ND
Janelle was another one of those wonderful people who worked at The Good Samaritan Home.
As a CNA, she often set my mothers hair when she was a resident.
Sincerely,
Vickie Metcalfe
Janell A. Landsverk
(August 20, 1962 – January 4, 2015)
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JANELL ARLYS LANDSVERK
Janell Landsverk, age 52 of Bottineau, died Sunday at a Bottineau hospital. A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 9, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. in the First Lutheran Church of Bottineau. There will be no visitation, cremation has taken place.
Tale/Tail Story
From Vickie Metecalfe (’70): Bottineau, ND
Enjoying nature as I do, I enjoyed last week’s Grand Forks Herald story about a fellow in Wisconsin who is a true squirrel whisperer. He rescues squirrel orphan babies. He nourishes them with life giving care then gives them back into the nature where they belong. He said the little Wisconsin Squirrels have the smell of maple syrup.
There is a continuum of folks on the subject of squirrels. There are squirrel haters. Those who chose to turn the wheel of their car and run over, smash them and let someone else clean up the mess.
The other end of the continuum there are others like my neighbor, who enjoys watching squirrels from her front window as she feeds them daily year around.
I live in the company of two Westies; Lochbuie and THor. The recalcitrant terriers look forward to their daily chasing routine. In vain, they bark demands at squirrels leaping from tree to tree and running overhead on the wires with the greatest of ease. The squirrels chatter gleefully recognizing they are well out of reach.
I rather like Mr. Squirrel and Junior Squirrel who have provided almost daily aerobic exercise for the dogs.
Thinking about squirrels reminds me of a day long ago. A day when I was a small child, and we lived below the hill in the old house.
My mom thought dad was having a heart attack when he appeared at the door quite disheveled. He was chalky-white, shaky and sweating profusely. Mom was certain he’d had a heart attack.
He sat down to recover with a sandwich and coffee. After a bit he had a tale/tail to tell.
When plastering, Dad always wore white bib overalls. Other times on the farm, visiting or in town, he wore classic blue striped bib overalls and laced up leather boots year around. Fall through spring, dad like his elder brother Wild Bill, wore winter woolies a.k.a. one piece long handle or long john warm underwear.
When he’d left the house at noon his plan was to do some spring cleaning in the little red granary which sat S.W. from the house.
His purpose was to sweep up the ground oat feed of winter. After a bit he got warm and took off and hung his coat.
From the beams overhead, he began pulling gunny bags made of burlap and shook them out one by one. The grain dust was flying.
All of a sudden, while shaking a bag, amongst the grain dust something hit him on his neck just under his chin.. Instinctively he brushed it away. Whatever it was it was alive!
The “thing” dove deeper into and under his neck down under the winter woolie. It was between his skin and the winter woolie.
A r-a-t- he thought! And with his fists he hit that rat all the way down his body, down one leg.
Alas, He had tucked his pants into his boots and laces were firmly and securely tied. Whatever it was turning, clawing back up his leg.
Where t’was_He dared not hit. Because, it was roaming around in the most personal, private part of his body.
Whoa! Down it went _the other leg. He kept hitting what ever it was! Hit. Hit. Hit himself. It roamed this way and that. He didn’t let it get time to stop to bite.
It changed direction again_ it came around, charging up his back.
He stretched and reached his hand around his shoulder, his fingers under the back of the winter woolies. Ah Ha. At last! A clasp. A grip. Now___a good hold.
Grabbed, he pulled. What?
Not a Rat! But a poor gasping, frightened red squirrel with a long bushy tail. Dad would laugh telling this tale. He’d say he was so relieved it was not a rat. He let the little fellow go
And he said, he didn’t knew which was more frightened he or the poor little squirrel. I loved my Dads story telling as he always found ways to laugh at himself while teaching a lesson.
Thanks Gary. Happy New Year everyone!
Vickie L. Metcalfe
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Blog (227) posted on September 19, 2008
Subject: (227) Dunseith Alumni.
Georgette & Antoinette Bedard:
To all of you Bedard’s and others. In trying to locate Antoinette Bedard from the class of 1938, I called Margaret Bedard Strong (62). She referred me to Gayl Bedard Lamoureux (56). Gayl then referred me Georgette, Antoinette’s older sister. I called Georgette and what a young whipper snapper she is at the age of 90. She is a very bright, intelligent and well spoken lady. She sounded as though she was 50 years younger than her actual age. He mind is sharper than a tack. She is a history buff. She just got back from a Mediterranean 12 day cruise. She took several shore excursions to take in the history of the bible that she knows so well. She remembers her days in Dunseith well. She said she has told everyone with her age, “If they want to ask me questions or find out any history of my days, they better ask me now.” What a great since of humor. She said she has email, but prefers correspondence by regular mail or telephone. I have pasted her address and phone number below. If you call her, be prepared for a very interesting and intellect conversation. She is one sharp friendly lady. I enjoyed my visits with Margaret & Gayl. They are such friendly folks.
Georgette went through her Junior year at Dunseith. She finished high school at another school. I’m embarrassed to say, but I forgot where. She graduated in 1937.
Antoinette Bedard Serumgard is in a nursing home in Lexington, KY. Georgette told me Antoinette is suffering from advance stages of Alzheimer’s.
Gary
| Bedard Nader | Georgette | 41130 Fox Run, Apt 110 | Novi, MI 48377 | (248) 960-7565 | No email address |
From Ivy Eller Robert (74):
Hi Gary,
I just got back two hours ago from North Dakota. I was there from Sept 6th til yesterday (Sept 17th). I was there for my son Jonathan’s wedding and to help my sister Julie Dahl with some business. I wanted to go see Mel Kuhn in St. John, but just had too many ‘irons in the fire’. I was only in the Bottineau/Dunseith/Rolla area for a few of those days, the rest of the time I was in Wahpeton for the wedding.
I did, however, manage to convince Julie to ride with me to Dunseith on Sunday the 7th around noon to share with me a “Jumbo Deluxe” at Dale’s Cafe.
WOW! Did I get a lot of LOOKS from some of the towns people. Some may have recognized me or Julie, but were not sure, no one come over and say HI! Most of the faces looked familiar, but I haven’t lived in Dunseith or the area, in 32 years so I wasn’t too sure who they were either! Julie couldn’t remember names. We do know that one group was Terry Halverson with friends & family. We also got to see our nephew Carl Eller. He is our oldest half-brother, Herman’s son. Carl’s Mom is Ester Poitra Eller. (She is the person that I was told a few years back, had passed away) It was great to visit with him & his wife. They had losted their son, not too long ago, in a car accident. And also, his wife is battling cancer as well! I have nothing but lots of prayers for them.
After we finished our “Jumbo”, we took a ride around Dunseith, just to see how much it had changed. We were trying to remember who lived where and who lives there now, what houses are still there and what houses are gone! It was quite a trip down ‘memory lane’!
On my way there, I stopped in Missoula, Montana and visited with Sharon Longie Dana. I meet her husband & girls. It was great to see her after 32 years. We had a great visit. I also got to see Vicky & Cindy Metcalf, they were at the Pizza Inn in Bottineau, where Julie & I had stopped to eat. We had a brief visit with them. A day or so earlier, we had met Vicky at the grocery store & she told us Bill Grimme, Dick Johnson, Mel Kuhn and others were going to be at the musiem at Jt. John that night. I just had too many other things to take care of and could not make it.
OH, I also got to see Carol, Darla, Dianne, Russell, & Dorothy Robert at the wedding. They are all doing fine. Glad to report, my son & his new bride had a very, very nice wedding & reception…….it was awesome!
Ivy Robert
From Jean Eurich Roland (80):
I don’t believe I responded to you after my original request to be added to your e-communications. I’m the youngest of Dave and Winifred (Pritchard) Eurich’s children. Although I don’t remember you I do remember your parents very vividly…your Dad always had a story! We visited them at least once a year, generally around Memorial Day when we would go to the cemetery near their home to set out flowers for Mom’s family. We visited Robert and Dorothy’s a few times a year and once and a while would run into your parents there as well.
I look forward to continuing to receive your communications…thanks so much for taking the time and effort to pull this together. It’s renewed many friendships (and spiced-up conversations!) in the Turtle Mountains and beyond!
Regards,
Jean
Jean’s Reply to Gary:
I was born in 1962 and would have graduated from DHS in 1980; but, at the end of my junior year, needing only 1 credit to fulfill my graduation requirements, I opted to finish high school via correspondence from the Division of Independent Study in Fargo ND and dually enrolled in the fall semester at Jamestown College. I graduated with a bachelors in nursing in 1983.
Re: Mom’s graduating class, I don’t recognize the names of the two former classmates you’re unable to locate. To update the table you provided below, our Mom now resides at St. Andrew’s Hospital Long Term Care Unit in Bottineau. She’s 89 and has been gradually failing for several months. My sister Sharon and her husband, Jim Hanson, own the family farm on Old Hwy 5 west of Dunseith.
Our family dynamics have changed significantly over the last 1 1/2 years. Did you know that Norman passed away in May 2007? Then, of course, we lost Kevin (Hanson) and Ann Pritchard (Floyd’s wife). Floyd was raised by my parents (with my older siblings) – we affectionately refer to him as our brother, and vice versa. He is actually the son of Lincoln William Pritchard, one of Mom’s bothers.
Mom spoke of Luella several times but it wasn’t until I heard from you that I knew she was your mother’s sister.
– Jean
From Cecile Gouin Craig (61):
Hope you and your wife are well. I have enjoyed the photo’s of the both of
you, and of others. It’s nice to put a face with all the stories. I haven’t
received an E-mail in a long time, The last I believe was 196 197 and 200.
Our son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Anja Longie left today, back to
Brussells, Belgium. Now it will be back to normal around here for a while.
Sure is quiet here, even the cats are wandering around. Our house has the
new shingles on the roof, new siding, and a couple other odds and ends. We
were extremely lucky when the tornado hit our little town (May 22). Go to
Winsor Co. tornado click on vidio’s. Will close for now, thanks again for
all you do. Cecile
Cecile, I have switched you to my hotmail distribution list. Hopefully that will solve the problem. Gary
From Bonnie Awalt Houle (56):
Dear Gary,
We can never thank you enough for all you do to keep all the North Dakotans connected. What a wonderful rich history we all have.
I am going to take us back a couple of generations to the time of my Grandmother, Myrtle Anderson.
Grandma and Grandpa Anderson traveled from Missouri to North Dakota by wagon. The first summer they made it as far as Leeds, North Dakota before winter hit. They spent that winter in Leeds. Grandma Anderson made money sewing. This helped them get by. She sewed a wedding dress for one person and when spring came and Grandma and Grandpa were getting ready to move on, the people came and begged them to stay because they did not have a dressmaker in the community. Staying on was not a consideration since Clint and Hattie Anderson, and some of the Bailey’s were already in the Turtle Mountains and were waiting for them.
One of the first summer’s in the hills Grandma was visited by three young Indian men on their paint ponies. They couldn’t understand Grandma. Grandma couldn’t understand them. But Grandma kept talking! (Grandma was known for her ability to talk, she could talk the hind-leg off a mule.) Grandma finally decided that they were men and like any man if they couldn’t understand talking they would understand food. She had fresh baked bread, so she went in and brought out a loaf of bread and broke it into three pieces and gave it to them. They took the bread, nodded to her and rode off.
During the early 1900’s a flu epidemic hit the area. Everyone came down with except for Grandpa Anderson. He took care of his chores and the chores of the neighbors until they recovered. One evening Grandpa looked out across the meadow and saw a man walking across the field. He was quite far off at first but as he came closer they could see that he was carrying a bundle. When he knocked and Grandpa opened the door a Native American man walked in and sat the bundle in the middle of the parlor floor. When the blankets fell away a beautiful Indian baby appeared. The man explained that his wife had died that day from the flu and he wanted to know if Grandma and Grandpa could watch the baby for him. Grandma and Grandpa kept the little girl for seven years. Her Dad would come around periodically to check on her and when she turned seven he came and took her, sending her to the Indian School in South Dakota. The girl returned to the Belcourt area as an adult, she married and raised her family there. She kept in touch with Grandma and when she was diagnosed with cancer, Grandma went over to be with her.
When Grandma was 80 she decided to join the 2×2 religion. (There is another name for this faith but I don’t remember what it was, It was called 2×2 because the ministers traveled in pairs.) This faith believed in baptism by compete submersion. They took the people up to Ann Lake in the Turtle Mountains for the baptisms. Grandma was a little concerned about getting her clothes wet and would the others be able to see through her wet clothing. The morning of the baptism she dressed very carefully, after her bloomers, stockings, and undershirt she added a slip, and underskirt, a skirt, a dress, a bibbed apron and a long coatdress. When they dunked her, the wet clothes weighed more than Grandma did. When she returned home Our Mother told us to go over and hand Grandma’s wet clothing out on the line to dry. The wet clothes took up two full lines!
For years my Dad, John Awalt, tried to talk Grandma out of her old wood cook stove. He tried to get her to allow him to modernize her home, he wanted to add running water and a gas cook stove, plus a modern heating system. He started out with the heating system but it didn’t last. She woke him in the middle of the night to tell him she couldn’t sleep for worrying about a fire starting from that new fangled contraption he’d stuck in her house! He tried to out last her, hoping she would get used to it but she won out and he removed it and didn’t bother her any longer about improvements to her home.
Bonnie Awalt Houle (56)
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephones:
I promised to answer Blanche Wicks Schley (42) question with today’s blog. Others have asked about this too, so I have decided to include my reply for all to see.
There are various types of VOIP phone set ups available out there. Some, like SKYPE are free. By down loading their software, with a microphone and head phones connected to your computer, you can make free calls to all 50 states and also to other countries.
The set up I have is independent of my computer. My VOIP system is plugged into my DSL modem along with the 2 other computers that we have. With this system I can use a regular phone.
Here is how it works. I obtained a small converter box from a VOIP provider out of new York. I plugged this box into my DSL modem. I connected a regular phone with regular phone jacks to this small converter box. That’s basically all there is to the setup. When I ordered the converter box, I was asked which city I’d like my phone number to be with. I chose Bremerton, Washington. I now have a VOIP phone with a local Bremerton, Washington phone number that can be used anywhere in the world. I can take this little VOIP box with me anywhere in the world and when Plugged into any DSL or high-speed internet system, it knows it’s me and I can make and receive calls the same as I do from home. With my little VOIP box, from anywhere in the world, I can make unlimited toll free calls to all 50 states and Canada. Calls to other foreign country’s are very reasonable too. Calls to Japan cost 4 cents per minute. My provider has programmed this little box with my number and info, enabling me to use it over the internet. My cost for the plan I chose is $29,99 per month, however there are plans out there that offer pretty much the same service I have for less the $20.00 per month.
There are many VOIP providers out there. I have attached a WEB site listing 77 VOIP providers. My provider is IConnectHere. They no longer offer unlimited toll free calling to new members. They charge a fee for use instead with a reduced monthly charge. If I was going to recommend a provider, I would recommend Vonage. They are currently offering unlimited long distant calling to the US, Canada & Puerto Rico for $24.99/month. I have pasted their offer below. The reason I would recommend Vonage is because friends of ours from Bremerton have been with them for more than 4 years and have been very satisfied with their service. They dropped their local phone service and switched to VOIP using Vonage, keeping their existing phone number back in Bremerton. When they came to the PI (Cebu), for a 3 year mission with their church, they brought their little Vonage VOIP box with them. They hooked it up to their DSL modem here in Cebu and started making and receiving phone calls the same as they were back in Bremerton. Some of their friends that did not know they were in the PI, would call them, thinking they were in Bremerton and were totally shock to realize they had called the Philippines.
With this set up, the only addition piece of hardware you will probably have to purchase is a switch for a cost of about $10 or so. The switch is a plug board that enables you to plug both your computer and VOIP phone into your modem. You plug your modem into the switch. You then plug your other devices into the switch. The set up is very simple. The trend now for a lot of folks is to switch from their local phone service to VOIP, keeping their same number. The long distance phone companies are feeling the pinch with VOIP.
Vonage Premium Unlimited Residential Plan
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VOIP Providers
http://www.whichvoip.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?q=ALL+publish_yes&db=1&t=3&s=156
(Part 12 CARROLL CARLSON’S TRAVELING YEARS, BY VICKIE METCALFE (70):
BACK TO NORTH DAKOTA
After being discharged,Carroll rode the train to Rugby, North Dakota. Arriving in the evening, Carroll looked around for a familiar face to give him a ride to Dunseith. After walking around he found that Lee Smith was in Rugby. Lee bought a pint of whiskey at a local Rugby bar and gave Carroll a ride to Dunseith. Arriving in Dunseith, Carroll went to find his sister, Melba. Melba and her husband was running a restaurant. Melba had served stateside as a WAC throughout the War and her husband served in the Air Force. When discharged from duty they had returned to Dunseith and opened a restaurant.
It was a busy night in Dunseith. Melba was not in town. And there were no rooms to be rented at the Dakotah Hotel, which was owned by Lee Smith. So, Carroll spent the night on a davenport in the lobby of the Dakotah Hotel. The next morning, he went back to Melba’s restaurant for breakfast . “Melba was back and after breakfast took me home in a taxi.” Carroll hadn’t been back to the home farm since spring of 1938.
Carroll’s Traveling Years will Continue with part 13 tomorrow:
Folks, starting today, for the interest of all, I will be posting one class list each day. I will start with the 40’s classes. When I’m finished with the 40’s, I will go back and pick up the 30’s. By that time I should have the 30’s pretty much complete. I will then continue with the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. Gary
Dunseith High School Class of1940
| Last | First | Address | City / State / ZIP | Phone | ||
| 1 | Bahl Kabanuck | Lucina | 34701 16th St SW | Max, ND 58759-9502 | (701) 679-2629 Son’s number | Lucina has Alzheimer’s and does not know anyone. |
| 2 | Hagen Hogue | Lorraine | Born September 6, 1923 – Died February 1976 | Deceased | ||
| 3 | Johnson | Robert | 1055 Rocky Springs Rd | Frederick, MD 21702 | (301) 662-2367 | No email address |
| 4 | Knox Earl | Dorothy | Born June 12, 1922 – Died July 10, 2004 | Deceased | ||
| 5 | Linde | Percy | Born November 1, 1922 – Died January 1980 | |||
| 6 | Maginel Jentry | Georgeina | 13576 Bisquet Ridge Ln | Bow, WA 98232-8252 | Note: Geroginina is in a nursing home. This is her son Kendall’s adr | |
| 7 | Mongeon | Armand | 311 1ST ST NW | DUNSEITH, ND 58329 | (701) 244-5665 | armand@srt.com |
| 8 | Myhre | Kenneth | Born March 18, 1922 – Died August 5, 1988 | Deceased | ||
| 9 | Sanders | William | Born April 23, 1923 – Died January 20, 1989 | Deceased | ||
| 10 | Tooke Vandal | Edna | Born in 1921 – Died in 2008 | Deceased | ||