Mike (Chip) Johnson (73) is in the Dunseith area – message from Rod Hiatt (69):
Gary
Just a quick note to let the ones in the Dunseith area know that
Mike(Little Chip) Johnson is back in the area for the next 6-7 days. He
and his wife, Vickie, came up to stay with my brother Rick and his wife,
Susan who is a sister to Vickie.
Chip was telling us that now in Nebraska, a part of highway 83 between
North Platte and Valentine is now toll road. The toll is different from
any I have been on, as at 65 mph you don’t pay anything but at 78 mph
you have to pay $119 toll. Can anyone give Chip directions for a cheaper
road back to Denver?
Reply from Bill Hosmer (47):
Gary, and my Dunseith Friends, I am overcome with your comments from the past. My ego has been fed enough to last for the rest of my life. All of you have demonstrated that tremendous Dunseith generosity and support. Anything I accomplished in my past was due to a certain spirit and tons of encouragement by the likes of you, your parents, and grandparents experienced during my terrific days as a Dunseith guy. Blessings and Cheers to you with gratitude and affection. Bill Hosmer
Reply From Bill Grimme (65):
Gary,
This is a great re-run! Brought back all the memories of the fun and pride Bill Hosmer and his team brought to Dunseith.
Those were good times. Plenty left ahead with your daily emails, too.
Last year’s reunion and these daily emails have really kept a spark going. I know when I went back to Dunseith last September, it was almost as good a trip as the reunion the year before. I’m really looking forward to the cruise. I think it is shaping up nicely.
Cold here in Birmingham tonight – should have a low of about 27. It got down to 24 last night. I know that doesn’t get the attention of the folks in Dunseith, but, down here, people start getting excited in the 20′s. Folks sell firewood out of pickup trucks on a lot of corners. We do get the single digits occasionally, but not often. A little snow now and then, too. In 1993, I had 18″ on the level in my yard. Drifts up to 2 or 3 feet. Shut the town down for 4 or 5 days. No snow removal equipment and a lot of hills here. My wife had me shoveling a square IN THE BACK YARD!!! We had three small dogs and they needed a little help for the necessities. The poor little guys would come in with snowballs hanging on their bellies. It would take about a half hour to get them all melted.
Looks like we’ll get a little warmup by Turkey day.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Bill
Reply from Colette Hosmer (64):
Thanks, Gary, for gathering together these “Thunderbird” accounts. Bill has always been a great source of pride to the family and I am especially proud as I have the honor of being his favorite cousin. (Just kidding, I assume several of his other cousins are reading this and I take great pleasure in putting him on the spot). Colette
Reply (Thunderbirds) from Neola Kofoid Garbe:
Great newsletter, Gary. I enjoyed it as much/maybe more than I did the first time it was sent. You do a great job of organizing the info for your newsletter. I remember KC; I bought several neat pairs of earrings from him in about 1954. The story about him is precious.
Neola
Reply from Diane Larson Sjol (70):
To all,
Do any of you remember what year it was that Bill over
Dunseith…seems we lived there then. I think my dad was in Germany
at the time and we lived in the old Art Rude house across the street
from the school. I remember being a little scared and excited at the
same time when I heard those jets and told everyone, “That was my
cousin Bill Hosmer!” We aren’t actually cousins but since my mother
and Lee Hosmer were sisters and I am a first cousin to the Hosmer
girls, Bill’s folks were always “Uncle Jack and Aunt Inie” so Bill was
always my cousin and still is! It was a very proud moment for me and
I have told the story many many times. By the way, a fellow
Thunderbird pilot of Bill’s makes and sells the most wonderful
hotsauce. Bill introduced it to Nancy (Hosmer) Baldwin and she
introduced it to me….I order it by the case. Col. Cooper as he is
known, is quite a character and will answer any email you send
him…..if anyone is interested, it is calle Mile High Hot Sauce…the
website is www.milehighhotsauce.com. One other thing….for those of
you who are interested in reading a very fine book of essays and
stories of the Vietnam Air War edited by Lowell Peterson entitled “The
Birds Were Silver Then” the book is composed of first hand interviews
and stories by the pilots themselves and Bill Hosmer is featured
throughout the book as well as on the back cover. We all know what a
descriptive and eloquent writer he is so it’s great to be given
another opportunity to “hear” his stories. I begged him for a copy of
this book and he was kind enough to give me a signed copy. I
recommend it highly….Diane Larson Sjol
Reply from Bonnie Awalt Houle (56):
Hi Gary,
In answer to the comment by Gary Metcalfe about Dunseith Teacher’s from the 50′s. Of Course Conroy and Jerstad were always on the end of our tongue when it came to classes but what about Ms. Shurr??? She could certainly keep a class in line, with just a look the dungeon could go from rowdy to silence. I didn’t appreciate what she was teaching me at the time but when I entered college one of my professors told me that I must have had a great English teacher because my grammar was excellent.
Ms. Shurr also taught Current Events, Janice Leonard, Mickey Haagenson and I would always get the very front desk for current events. Then we could wink at the boys or make faces when they were trying to give their current events. The boys would get really flustered and mess up and what was so great was that Ms. Shurr couldn’t see what we were doing. Most of the time Mickey’s face was more red then the boys. Lots of fun.
Next was Mr. Erickson, Civics, Band and Choir. We were able to travel all over with the marching band because he pushed us to learn, and perfect. In Civics, well I guess that Band and Choir were definitely Erickson’s best suit.
What about Mr. Starks and drivers education, you boys knew more about the inside of a car then he did, one afternoon he took the entire class out to his car to explain to us how to change oil, DuWayne Lang, Gary Metcalfe, Gary Cota, just kept pointing at things under the hood and naming them off finally Mr. Starks dismissed the class. I still can’t tell you a thing about much under the hood of a car. My husband has taught me the most important thing about cars, “The only thing you can safely run out of in a car is gas, everything else causes damage.” Starks must have taught something else but I can’t remember what.
I don’t remember any other teacher from that time, surely someone out there has something to offer.
Bonnie Awalt Houle 56
Reply to the 1956 band picture from Gary Metcalfe (57):
Reply to Bonnie: Good job Bonnie, I agree, that is Lois, the pictures do not do her justice. What was her older sisters’ name? There was one of them in school with us. Windy Smith lived out near Lords Lake, probably a neighbor of Keith. When the mother died, Windy moved to Bottineau with his girls. Doris Smith married Corbin Pritchard (shoe store).
Hey Bonnie, how come I thought there were only two teachers in Dunseith, Conroy and Jerstad??? Gary Metcalfe
Reply to the 1956 band picture from Neola Kofoid Garbe:
Hi Gary,
Thanks for another interesting newsletter. As you know, I stay up late, so I usually read your newsletter before I “hit the hay”. I always check the computer for your newsletter before I go to bed, IF I haven’t read it earlier.
The Lois Smith picture resembles Winthrop Smith’s daughter, Lois. As you know, Lois’ sister, Doris was Corbin Pritchard’s second wife. This Lois Smith graduated from Bottineau High School in 1958. Her sister, Beverly, graduated from Bottineau in 1957. I don’t know when Winthrop moved to Bottineau, but I’m guessing it was 1955/56, as it states in the Centennial Book the family lived on the farm until Winthrop’s wife, Edna, died in September 1955. I think you have the Centennial Book. Winthrop/Edna are on page 619. See how you interpret their write-up. I would send Lois’ graduation picture, but my annuals are in Bottineau.
Neola
Follow up reply from Neola:
Gary,
The Lois Smith I was talking about is married to Homer Yates. They live at:
10450 Willoughby Cr.
Keithville, LA 71047
318-925-6932
As far as I know, they don’t have a computer.
Beverly Smith, Class of ’57, is deceased.
Neola
Folks, Neola is from both of the Bottineau High School classes of 57 & 58. She had some medical complications in her High School days that held her back a year. Neola is the primary spokes person for both of her classes and is the primary organizer of their reunions. Gary
Gary. I need to “correct” one item; I don’t do much for the Class of ’58′s reunions. My good friend, Cherrille Bergeron McLean, is the “head honcho” for that one. 
Ardell Willard (originally from Omemee) Grimm (Richard)and I co-chair the Class of ’57′s reunions. 
Neola
Folks, I believe we now have everyone identified correctly in this photo. This photo has sure generated a lot of interest. It was a lot of fun with all the replies we got from all of you identifying those that you knew. This was definitely a picture that was not totally identifiable by any one person. It was with the combined efforts, with all your replies, that we were able get everyone identified. You guys have great recall. You realize this picture is 52 years old. Gary Metcalfe, you did a wonderful job policing the replies for being correct. Thank you Dick Johnson for providing this picture. Gary
Picture L to R: 1956 DHS Band
Front row: Gayle Bedard, Caroleen Lider, Janice Lacroix, Marjorie Landsverk, Lowell Williams, Lois Hiatt.
Row two: Karen Woodford, Colleen Conroy, Gerald Lamoureux, Marlene Schneider, Duane Woodford, Mick Kester, Shirley LaRocque, Susan Brew, Connie Bedard, Joanne Kester.
Back row: Charlie Ericson, Ernest Kundart, Charlotte LaCroix,Barbara Bott, Ronnie Link, Lowell Leonard, Dwight Lang, Curt Halvorson?, Don Conroy, Neva Haagenson?, John Morgan, Ellen Graff, BIG DAVE SHELVER, Lois Smith,DuWayne Lang
Minot Daily News article/picture of Dick & Brenda Johnson provided by Neola Kofoid Garbe:
Hi Gary,
This clipping was in today’s Minot Daily. It is the second part of the article. I had planned to attend the jam session, but I became so involved in all I’m trying to get accomplished in this week I’m in Minot that I completely forgot about it until I read this morning’s paper.
Neola
