From Lyle Olson (75):

Gary and all:

I read where my dear sister, Bev Azure, and then Sharon Longie, requested stories from the ‘70′s classes.  I think many of us are reluctant to share some of these stories because we either have children or parents who read the blog and we are reticent to let them know just how wild we really were.  Well, I have no children and both parents are deceased so I am not so worried about that.  However, I also do not want to expose any of my friends or classmates, so I will attempt to tell a few stories without divulging any names; however, this does not mean the readers, if any, will not guess who was involved in so many of the good times had in Dunseith.

My frame of reference for Dunseith really rests with the classes from 1972 to 1975.  We really had some “rockin’ good times” back then.  Most of my fondest memories center around the never ending summers – the days were long and the nights even longer.  For some reason I do not remember any bad weather days – all the days in my memories were framed by beautiful blue skies and even more beautiful friends.  My world centered around playing basketball at Campbell’s, eating Bismarcks and learning about kindness and integrity from Herman, Terry and Tim Martinson, and hanging out at the Morinville’s.

Playing basketball at Campbell’s was a real treat.  The court was inclined on a slope from the garage to the street.  On the West side was this huge tree that actually had several branches that grew out over the court.  Pity the newcomer who tried to launch a jump shot under that tree.  The East side of the court had a steep drop off for ½ the length of the court and then a deadly rose bush at the end of the court near the garage door.  Alan Campbell once told me that was the toughest rose bush in the country, and he was right. I wish I had a dollar for every thorn taken out of my body after falling into that bush.   Other dangers existed on that court.  One of the dangers was “Grandma” Campbell backing her Buick Wildcat out of the garage.  There was no nicer lady than she but it didn’t take even a dumb kid like me long to know that once she put her car in gear there was no stopping it until it reached the street.  All games were suspended when she left and when she returned.  I will never forget how nice David and Jeff were to always carry her groceries into her house and then rush back to pick up the game right where it stopped.

Ever present was Mrs. Campbell, who could hear you swear even if mumbled under your breath.  She would simple tell us not to swear and that was the end of that!  There seemed to be many unwritten rules about playing basketball at the Campbell’s.  First, all kids were welcome.  It never mattered if you lived at the housing, in a 12 X 50 mobile home like I did or the nicest house in town.  The other unwritten rule was that you did not play unless someone was home.  We used to wait on Sundays for the Campbell’s to return from Lake Metigoshe so that a game could get started.

I loved playing basketball at the Campbell’s.  I once played there for so long on a hot day that I got heat stroke.  I stumbled over to the bakery and told Herman that I had a headache and was sick to my stomach and he asked how long had I been playing.  When I told him it was several hours, he gave me some water, a cold rag for my head and told me to go lie down on the flour sacks.  After about an hour of doing that, I went back to Campbell’s to play another game.

My younger brother, Rob, now perhaps the best criminal lawyer in North Dakota, once wrote a story for the high school newspaper about how much he missed playing basketball at Campbell’s.  I share his feelings to this date.  I can’t imagine that a place like that could exist today.  It was magical, and the Campbells should know that there are literally dozens of Dunseith Alumni who share these feelings.  Thank you for making your home our home for all those years.

Summers were also full of lots of parties.  When I was younger we all looked forward to going swimming at School Section Lake.  Joe Morinville used to pack as many kids as he could in his car and take us all swimming.  He would listen to the Twins games on the radio while we went swimming.  We would swim for a few hours, make our way back to Dunseith, and either hang out at Morinville’s.  What a carefree existence!  As we got older and gained driver’s licenses, we would all pile in several cars and go to School Section.  It seemed like the summers never ended back then.  Someone would gather wood for a bonfire and eventually some cool intoxicants would come out and a good time would be had by all.

Somewhere along the line, we moved our swimming activities away from School Section Lake and then started going to Lake Williams and then Lake Adams in Canada, just a short drive away from Boissevain where a young but oversized teenager like me could pass for age-18 and imbibe in $.25 draws.  The first time I went into Boissevain was at age-13.  I wore one of the guys’ college fraternity coats (TKE, Minot Chapter) and didn’t even get carded.  By the end of the summer, I knew the owner of the bar better than some of the people living in Boissevain and, of course, we knew all the cool Canadian girls.  I’ll never forget when my mother got married to Joe Somers in Boissevain in March 1972 and they had their wedding dance at the Boissevain Inn.  Indeed, she played in a band that night.  In any event, she thought it would be a great thing if I were able to sit in the bar for one of the band’s sets before being hustled back to Dunseith.  Well, little did she know that I ordered a Rum and Coke while she was up there playing and the drink was on the house as the owner said I was one of his best American customers – HA!!  Sure glad Mom didn’t hear that one.  Rather than risk being busted, I left after that first set.

Going to Canada to have beers and dance to live music was not just a summer past-time.  We went year round but the port closed at midnight during the winters back then.  There were many a fast ride from Boissevain to the port because it seemed we always had to stay until 11:30 or so before making our way back home.  Once back in the “States”, we would usually continue the party at Beer Can Alley, Wilsons, Halvorsons, Butte St. Paul, and, during the summer, at the Peace Garden Lookout picnic area.  All places were perfect party places and I am certain my generation was not the first to use those places to party and flirt with each other.

L. Olson

Message/Picture from Dick Johnson (68): 

Gary and Friends,

The attached pictures are of the Peace Garden. The first was taken on

dedication day in 1932. The other two are from 1953, after some of the
stone work had been done in the Formal Garden area. What I noticed was
the lack of trees when these were taken. Thanks Gary!

Dick

Dave Slyter’s (70) reply, with names, to picture:

Gary and Neola,

I will try and name some of the kids in the 82 summer baseball picture.

Top row:  Russell Lagerquiest,  ? ,  Keith Strong ,  ?,   Alan Renault,  ?,  ? Armountraut,  Jeff Woods,  Mark Wilson,  Coach Jim Oslon.

Middle row:  Steven Leonard,  Cory Espe,  Danny Peltier, Rob Wilson,  Mark Melgaard,  Scott Leonard,   ?

Bottom row:   ?     Chad Slyter,  Kris Barbot,  Uriah Davis,  ?,   ?,   ?,   ?,

Great picture and thanks

Dave Slyter (70)

Gaillord Peltier’s (80) reply, with names, to picture: 

This picture is the 1982 Dunseith summer baseball program.

Front row kneeling, Right to Leftis;
Keith St.Pierre, Chad Slyter, Jamie Melgarde, Uriah Davis, Mike Allery,
Scott Leonard, ? Allery, Jermey Brunelle.

Middle Row, Right to Left;
Steve Leonard, Cory Espe, Dan Peltier, Robert Wilson, Mark Melgarde,
Stuart Leonard, Mark Wilson and Danny Davis.

Back Row, Right to Left;
Billy LaVallie, Jamie Malaterre, Keith Strong, Steve Renault, Allan
Renault, Jerry Peltier, Brent Armentrout, Jeff Woods, Coach Jim Oslund

This is the best my memory can do.

Gaillord Peltier
Class of “80″

Jeff Woods, I see you are in this picture too. Can you or anyone else enlighten us with what you know for identities for those in this photo?  Thanks, Gary

1982 Dunseith summer baseballPicture:
Back Row:Billy LaVallie or Russell Lagerquiest, Jamie Malaterre, Keith Strong, Steve Renault, Allan Renault, Jerry Peltier, Brent Armentrout, Jeff Woods, Coach Jim Oslund or Olson

Middle Row: Steve Leonard, Cory Espe, Dan Peltier, Robert Wilson, Mark Melgarde, Stuart Leonard, Mark Wilson and Danny Davis.

Front row kneeling: Keith St.Pierre, Chad Slyter,Jamie Melgarde or Kris Barbot, Uriah Davis, Mike Allery, Scott Leonard, ? Allery, Jermey Brunelle.

                                     Dunseith High School Class of 1960

	Last	First	Address	City / State / ZIP	Phone	Email
1	Allard Heinz	Betty	Route 2	Rolette, ND 58366	(701) 656-3683	rbheinz@utma.com
2	Anderson Bergan	Glenda	RR #1 Box 31	Dunseith, ND 58329	(701) 263-4512	dbergan@srt.com
3	Anderson Doan	Shirley	2611 Englewood Ave	Yakima, WA 98902-	(509) 248-2506	Will send email message
4	Boardman	Donald	811 Thompson St	Bottineau, ND 58318	(701) 228-2698	donboardman@min.midco.net
5	Boppre Boguslawski	June	Born September 27, 1941    –    Died December 14, 2006			Deceased
6	Brennan	Shirley	1425 31st Ave SW, Apt 104	Minot, ND 58701	(701) 838-7799	sybb@srt.com
7	Espe Klein	Claudia	530 W Capitol Dr	Appleton, WI 54911	(920) 739-5846	kleincd@athenet.net
8	Eruich Paulson	Eva	509 Fourth St SE	Rugby, ND 58368	(701) 776-5489	No email address
9	Evans Carlson	Linda	Born May 30, 1943    –    Died September 7, 1996			Deceased
10	Henriksen	Rick	210 SE Harlow Ave	Troutdale, OR 97060	(503) 267-0704	fmhenriksen@comcast.net
11	Hosmer Cobb	Janet	7252 SW Lynnwood Ct	Wilsonville, OR 97070	(503) 682-3503	janetcobb@gmail.com
12	Iverson Staub	Marie	6000 Corliss Avenue North	Seattle, WA 98103	(206) 244-4327	mdmjstaub@camcast.net
13	Jacobson Johnson	Vernes	Born March 2, 1942    –    Died January 1, 2007			Deceased
14	Kelly	Cleo	382 Bluebird Lane	Woodbury MN 55125	(651) 776-8779	cckelly@isd.net
15	Knox Millang	Edna	RR #1	Dunseith, ND 58329	(701) 263-4520	Ednamillang@srt.com
16	Longie	William	6314 NE 70th St	Vancouver, WA 98661	(360) 828-7544	longie2596@comcast.net
17	McKay	Bill	1540 Highway 5 NE	Bottineau, ND 58318	(701) 228-3474	memckay@utma.com
18	Pigeon	Gary	Born September 6, 1940     –    Died May 2, 2004			Deceased
19	Robillard Volker	Geraldine	Mother Alvena 477-5402	Arizona
20	Salmonson	Roger	Born April 14, 1941    –    February 23, 2004			Deceased
21	Sime Espe	Peggy	16 3rd Street	Dunseith ND 58329	701-244-5724	peggyespe@yahoo.com
22	Strong	Jerry	PO Box 427	Dunseith, ND 58329	(701) 244-5583	No email address
23	Strong	Ronald	PO Box 1236	Dunseith, ND 58329	(701) 244-5282	rstrong@min.midco.net
24	Trevers Llewellyn	Sandra	7315 Steeple Dr	San Antonio, TX 78256	(210) 698-2587 WK(210) 490-2400	sandra@ajtravel.com
25	Walter	Clayton	542 Avery W.	Winlock, WA 98562	360-262-9662	No email address