HI JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I GOT HOME YESTERDAY, SURGERY WENT WELL. SORE AND TIRED, GLAD TO BE HOME. THANKS FOR ALL THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS LOVE AND GOD BLESS   SHIRLEY (LAROCQUE) WENDT

Reply from Sharon Longie Dana (73): 

Reply from Lyle Olson (75): 

Gary and all:

Bernard Morin’s story about my scintillating oratory about the “Brown Cow” brought back a few memories about shop class with Mr. Enander.  Most remember that there were boys and girls bathrooms off the shop classroom.  Well, one day a few of the girls were smoking in their bathroom.  Since we had been taught to put out fires in shop class by using the chemical fire extinguisher, I grabbed the same off the wall and put the nozzle under the bathroom door and pulled on the handle for for a minute or so, all the while yelling “fire, fire” as loud as I could.  The whole alcove filled with the white powder and I vacated the premises as fast as I could.  Mr. Enander entered into the alcove and then yelled at the girls to get out the bathroom.  They refused to come out of the bathroom for a few minutes but when they did Mr. Enander and the girls who were in the bathroom then entered the classroom literally covered from head to toe in the white powder.  I’ll never forget that the white powder seemed to accumulate around Mr. Enander’s bushy eyebrows.  It was sight to behold to be sure and we all laughed till our bellies were sore.  Of course, I got punished for my little act of fire prevention and was sent to the office.  Well, as with all office visits, I was not nearly as fearful of what the principal might do but rather how my mother would mete out the punishment.

I enjoyed Bernard Morin’s story about the car that didn’t operate just right and ended up in Bev’s driveway.  He must have had the same problems with the white car that he drove to Boissevain one night.  Bernard, Brian Williams and I were up at Boissevain one night and we had consumed some of Canada’s finest beer at $.25 a draught.  Well, we eventually had to leave before midnight as the port closed at midnight during the winter months back then.  So Bernard gets behind the wheel and he was having a hard time steering as the car seemed to weave within the driving lane.  To be fair to Bernard, as he really did have excellent driving skills, normally, this car actually was kind of loose in terms of its finely designed rack and pinion steering mechanism.  In any event, after successfully negotiating the correction curve south of Boissevain, the red lights of a RCMP car showed up behind Bernard’s car.  Bernard pulled over and we are were all sitting there thinking how we were going to explain this one to our parents.  Well, the Mountie took Bernard to the back of the car and began to question him.  I, however, thought this would be a good opportunity to try and talk our way of the situation.  I told the Mountie that I could the drive the car much better than Bernard because I knew how to handle a car with poor steering.  Well, the Mountie, knowing he had scared us to death, let me drive the remainder of the way to the port.  He followed us for a while to be sure and I actually caused the car to weave once or twice just to show him that Bernard was in fact not impaired and it was the car after all!!!  Quite frankly, Bernard and Brian just could not get over the fact that I talked our way out of that situation.  Each told me I should be a lawyer and, sure enough, I took their advice later in life.  Come to think of it, I never charged Bernard for my first case as a lawyer . . .

Lyle

From Gary Metcalfe (57): 

My son, Andy, had a great friend here in our park some years ago.  Kirk Bellows, an 80 year old man that was high on life, he winters in Az.  When Andy introduced me to him he said he was from ND.  He had trained a lot of the boxers I knew, and yes he had been at the Forestry that night when Jerry Baugh, an African American from Detroit or Chicago put Wendel Uthke sound asleep in the first round. These heavy weights made Wendel look like he weighed 230 or 240 pounds.  I think it was a grudge fight, not sure.

Kirk was full of fun and energy at 80 yrs. old and had to swim out to retrieve his houseboat while loading it got away from him and he swam out and around and crawled up on the back….Andy admired that about ole Kirk.  Kirk and I agreed that Joe Peltier had a lot of class and Don Hosmer had a lot of heart.  By the way, my brother, Jim bested Beef Dacotah that night in Belcourt when Malaterre was there.

Neola, Ole and Lyle Bursinger are one and the same person.  Ole was German, but raised by the Norweigan.  I would almost swear that is not the Lyle Bursinger I knew.

Thanks all for keeping this going.  It brightens my day.  Gary Metcalfe

Gary, You are so right about Ole Bursinger. Read What Dick found out and has to say below.  Gary