Obituary provided by Neola Kofoid Garbe: 

EVELYN PLADSON

May 3, 1928-Nov. 2, 2008

DUNSEITH Evelyn Grace Pladson, 80, Bottineau, formerly of Dunseith, died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008, in a Minot hospital.

She was born May 3, 1928, to Edwin and Gertie Nelson in the Turtle Mountains and was raised by her mother and her stepfather, Nels Landsverk. She married Arthur Pladson Oct. 16, 1948, in Rolla.

Survivors: sons, Allen, Dunseith, Wallace, Cavalier, Almo, Ontario, Calif.; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brothers, Elwood Landsverk and Virgil Landsverk, both Minot, Bruce Landsverk, Dunseith, Roger Landsverk, David Landsverk and Leland Landsverk, all Bottineau, Kenneth Landsverk, Salinas, Calif.; sisters, Sharon Beckman and Barb Lawrence, both Bottineau,

Funeral: Today, 2 p.m., Peace Lutheran Church, Dunseith.

Burial: Rendahl Cemetery, near Dunseith.

Visitation: Today, 9 a.m. to noon, Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau.

From Erling Landsverk (44):

GARY!

THANK YOU FOR THE SPEEDY REPLY AND HELP WITH THE INFO.  I NEVER FAIL TO BE AMAZED AT HOW SIMPLE  THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF COMMUNICATION HAS BECOME.  WHILE READING ONE OF YOUR LAST E MAILS, I READ ABOUT THE OLD UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER.   FOR US AT THAT TIME, THAT WAS A PRETTY DARNED MODERN  WAY TO TYPE LETTERS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.  INCIDENTALLY, I TOOK TYPING FOR TWO YEARS, AND NOW I AM HAPPY I DID.

THANKS AGAIN GARY FOR YOUR HELP.  IT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED

ERLING LANDSVERK

Erling, I’m not sure how many of our readers realize that your are blind.  If I understood you correctly with what you told me before, you independently read your email with Audible software and of coarse reply with the excellent typing skills that you posses.  You are to be commended for the skills you have developed, enabling you to communicate with all of the well written beautiful messages you send. Gary

Reply from Sharon Longie Dana (73): 

Folks, David Skarr has been on the Jeopardy show.  He is Wayne Smith’s (61) Nephew.

That David Skarr is a smart fellow. We have been watching him on the show!!!

Sharon Longie Dana(73)

Memories from Gary Metcalfe (57): 

Neola, Johnie Kofoid was the only guy I have ever seen that could fix a car tire with a pair of pliers and a small hammer. Alfred  Belcourt worked for John awhile, by the way Alfred was kind of a hero.  One night, in Rugby, he put a would be mugger out of business, even though Alfed had one crippled arm.  It made the papers. Lyle Olson, you should have pursued that style of arranging ? your cards.  August Dionne used that exact style, whist or pinocle either one, A.C. Bar, Flynn, Vanorny, my dad and more put money on their games and intended to win.  August held his own and no one had to wait for him.  Saturdays in the winter time. Hey Dick, the boys would have done well with a wool sack.  The day I opened up a cache of Hamms cans with the front end loader. Margaret, I may have typed 42 words a minute one time.  Arlene Lamoureux and Marlene Kraft both tried to help me, but I decided to go with Leo Lamoureux’s method, one finger. Wayne and Rosemary, I may be wrong about where Hank and Gladys lived, but I put them north of Hans Johnson’s on the old Shorty Gallager place.  Gladys was a sister of KenRose Medlang.  They were lots of fun. Gary, you might be surprised how much history is gathering in your great  endeavor.  I stuck my hand in a three gallon bucket of water, made a fist, splashed around.  When my hand was drawn out, I realized how little an impression was made.  On the other hand, that old Native American said with out a culture or history you lose your will. Trivia – What do Duane Woodford and Dick Cheney have in common??  Janice or Bonnie, I am counting on you. Also was Rene Dore as romantic as he told my dad that he was? Thanks.  Gary Metcalfe

Memories from Lyle Olson (75):

Gary and all:

Hanging out at the Snow White Bakery is a favorite memory of mine.  I am certain that many other Dunseith Alumni remember doing so.

Herman Martinson was a kind man, and a good example to many kids.  He never had all that much to say, but when he did say something, it had meaning and it stuck with you for awhile.  He was one of the hardest working people I have ever met, up at 3:00 a.m., and up all day long til the bakery would close for the day.

Kids in the 70′s used to hang out at the bakery to look at the girls walking up and down main street, and eat Bismarcks by the half dozen.  I remember I used to get $2.00 for allowance.  I would go to the Crystal Café and get a Jumbo Burger for a $1.00 and then top off the meal with a few Bismarcks from Herman.  If I had money left over, Glen Shelver’s store was the next stop for a few candy bars.  These bad eating habits have served me well over the years as anyone who has seen me lately can certainly attest.

In any event, one of the greatest highlights of hanging out at Herman’s during the summer was getting a chance to ride with Tim Martinson up to the Peace Garden for deliveries to Minnie Flynn’s store and to the music camp.  Those trips always led to some good girl sightseeing, and if lucky, we would even talk to some girls and make plans to meet them at the lookout or the lodge.  Fun times to be sure.  Tim also used to pack several kids in the back of the pickup for trips to Lake Williams so that we could go swimming.

Tim used to coach baseball in Dunseith.  He was an excellent catcher in his day, and even a better coach.  I remember that either he or his brother Terry put me in to catch batting practice one day.  A foul ball found a most delicate spot and I was taught by the Martinson brothers how to do the bicycle.  Terry asked me why I wasn’t wearing a cup and I had no answer because I had yet to catch my breath long enough to speak.  Well, Tim, perhaps sensing that I wasn’t going to be a catcher after all, hit ground balls to me for over a half hour.  I was quite afraid of the ball and that coaching strategy only enhanced my fear.  Today, I realize he was making a valiant attempt to make a better ball player and person out of me by forcing me to face my fears.

Herman also often taught lessons that you did not know were lessons until well after the event.  I remember being short of money once and I asked Herman if I could charge a few Bismarcks.  To my surprise he said no!  He said he was sure that I did not “need” the Bismarcks but that I only “wanted” the Bismarcks.  He told me to be sure that if you “wanted” versus “needed” something, then you should save money for it.  Now that is advice to live by.  He later let me charge Bismarcks after I learned he had let my younger brother Rob charge a few – his heart was too big to do otherwise, but I did learn a valuable lesson.

Herman was like a father to many kids, especially kids like Marvin Kalk, Donald Malaterre, Clark Malaterre and many others who worked for him over the years.  I already told people about the heat stroke incident after playing basketball at Campbell’s.  There was another time when my instincts told me to go to Herman because he would know what to do.  Many of us kids were ice skating and I, somehow or another, stepped on Shelley Hagel’s hand with my ice skate.  Well, the blood started pumping immediately and I just knew she was going to die if I did not do something.  I grabbed her other hand and dragged her from the ice skating rink south of the old police station through the back door of Herman’s, blood following all along the way.  Herman grabbed a towel and wrapped Shelly’s hand and then calmly told me to drag her to the clinic.  He never said a word about why I felt the need to drag Shelley through his spotless working area.  I am happy to say that Shelley survived and she and I are friends to this day; however, I do not think Ray or Lois Hagel were too impressed with my heroics.

Many of us realize as we get older just how much of an influence people like Herman have had on our lives.  I think those of us who grew up in Dunseith in the 1970′s can thank our lucky stars for people like Herman  – I know I do.

Lyle, those of us from the 60′s have fond memories of Herman and the bakery too.  Every lunch period, I’d top off my school cafeteria meal with 3 glazed donuts at Herman’s bakery. They were three for a dime.  Herman would just let us put our money on the counter and help our selves.  Those were the best donuts ever.  Gary

Memories from Dick Johnson (68): 

Gary and Friends,

Thanks to Sharon Longie Dana for the quick reply! I wish I could
remember the girl’s name, but it’s gone. Thanks for trying to fill in
the gap! We spent lots of evenings skating and goofing around at the old
skating rink. George Aitcheson was the city employee who always flooded
the rink on the first really cold night–sometimes 20 degrees below! The
ice froze quickly and made a smooth rink. Mel and I were talking about
the homemade scraper that we had to use to clean the snow off the ice
after it snowed. We both remembered that it was about 4 feet wide and
had a two man handle. I used it because I wanted to—Mel said something
about a debt he owed to society, or something like that! I’m quite sure
Mel didn’t intend for me to put that on this blog, so I will!! Thanks Gary!

Dick

This Article should bring back a few memories.

Folks, I had seen this article before and remembered Vonnie Hiatt was in it, so I queried the system using her name to locate this article.  That is why her name and the Hiatt names are highlighted.

Rod; Vonnie left us way to early in life. I know that she was a big part of your actioneering business and that your family misses her dearly. She was a neighbor and very close friend of my Brother Darrel, his wife Debby and their children, Kristin & Nathan.  Your brother Earl was in our class of 65 too.  I knew him well and was extreemley shocked when I heard he was killed in that accident in the winter of 65/66 on #3 south of Rolette. Leland Stickland was with him.

Gary

Turtle Mountain Star – July 22, 1965
Mr. & Mrs. John Awalt Celebrate 40 years of Marriage