Folks, there is a lot to this message today. Please read all the way to the bottom so as not to miss anything. Gary
In reference to the 1956 band picture. I got a message from Neola. With a second look she was inclined to think that the Smith girl standing between Dave Shelver and DuWayne Lang is Beverley and not Lois. I called Lois today. She is inclined to think that it is her in that picture. She and Beverley only attended school one year in Dunseith and that was in 1956 after their mother died in 1955. Lois does not have email, but her kids do. I gave her my email address, so she can have one of her children send me a message so I can send a copy of that picture and the other Smith girls to her. Gary
Ronald LaRocque has cancer – message from Ginger LaRocque Poitra (65):
I haven’t read all the e-mails, so maybe you already know that Ronald
LaRocque, my cousin, he was born in 1949, has pancreatic cancer, he just
found out a few weeks ago. It is the fast growing type, he will have
surgery in Minneapolis on Wednesday the 26th, the day before Thanksgiving,
so they celebrated their Thanksgiving this past weekend. It would be nice
to have prayers for him. He has always been a hard worker. He lives in
Center ND. he works in the coal mines there in Falkirk I think. He and
his wife’s plans are to move to Bismarck after he retires. He is married
to his second wife Mary Jo Malaterre from Belcourt.
I need to run now. You can send me e-mails here.
Talk to you later.
Ginger (65)
Pea Shooters from Bill Grimme (65):
Gary,
Those mentions of KC in the past few posts got me to thinking that you just can’t buy pea shooters anymore. They were kind of a seasonal thing, it seems. One time I got into my mother’s cupboard for “ammo” and decided that tapioca would work. Try that some time-it’s quite an experience.
Kids don’t know what they are missing.
Bill
Request from Marshal Awalt (51):
Gary
Thanks for keeping everyone in touch.You get everybody’s day started off right.Yesterday Diane Larson Sjol gave us the name of the book the birds were silver then.I’ve tried to find it on google and books a million with no luck and the web site my computer says no such address so I am hoping that some one came up with a location and can help me find a copy.They were in the sky and we were on the ground everyone doing their thing.I sure would love to read that book.
Thanks again
Marshall
Marshall, your request has been answered with Bill Hosmers reply below. Gary
Reply from Bill Hosmer (48):
Gary, I am infoing my two wonderful cousins who blasted you with all those words of kindness about my younger days. The book which Diane mentioned is about the men in our squadron and some of our experiences in the early days of the Vietnam War. If anyone is interested in purchasing the book, it would make the author happy because his living room is still full of books. This is not a marketing ploy, just a continuation of Diane’s input. He was the flight surgeon of our squadron when we were flying missions out of Korat Thailand in the mid 60s
The author is Lowell Peterson, a practicing cardiologist. To order a book which costs $25.00 plus $2.50 for mailing. Send your address to his address. He does not use a credit card capability, so the check is the quickest way. His address is: PETERSON HOUSE 2627 BEECHWOOD APPLETON, WI 54911.
Now the hot sauce that Diane mentioned is unusually distinctive and not overpowering hot. It has a distinct flavor with which to enhance sandwiches, omelets, stews, chile, bloody marys ad infinitum. In regard to the mailing by Diane, the gentleman who produces this delicious stuff was not a Thunderbird pilot, but he is a close friend of about 45 years with whom I got qualified in the F-105 fighter right after I left the team. Then I went to Okinawa and he went to another base in Japan. Then we both got involved in the Vietnam War. The email address Diane gave for the milehighhotsauce.com is valid, and Mike Cooper will accept credit card orders. His phone number for that will also provide the credit card order capability, which is:866 264 5344. Orders can be by the case 12 bottles, or by lots of three bottles. There is 10oz in each bottle. I buy mine by the case. .
Gary, I don’t think all of this has to be in your next issue of Dunseith Contacting, but the address, cost etc will be helpful to him and appreciated by me. Now, Gary, one more thing. I am going to send you a copy of the book as a gift of appreciation for every word, thought, and gesture you have gifted us with. On top of that , I’m ordering a pack of three of the sauce for you for the same reason. I expect no objection to this idea, I really want to do this.
The only thing I request is that you please give me your mailing address for getting these items to you and your family and friends. The refrigeration of unopened sauce is not necessary, so this is practical,and tops in my agenda. If you have included your address earlier, my recovery capability is limited and it would be easier to get it from you. A direct mailing to hozndaz7@yahoo.com will do the trick.
Lastly, but not conclusively, I wish you and your beautiful bride, and all of your offspring, and your good friends my wishes for a Happy Celebration of All The Holidays coming up. One more thing, Gary. When I was a Plebe(Freshman)at West Point I played soccer. An upper classman who also played soccer, introduced himself to me and shook my hand which meant that I could call him by his first name instead of “sir”. He graduated in 1950. I never saw him after that, but his. name was Ramos, and he became the President of The Philippines and I read about him with pride and remembered I could call him Fidel. Cheers and gratitude, Bill Hosmer
Bill, Thank you so much for the nice gesture, with the book and sauce. It is absolutely not necessary for you for to do this. Bernadette and I really appreciate your kind gesture. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. If what I’m doing brings pleasure to others, that in turn brings pleasure to me. I hope you realize the cost of postage to mail stuff to us here in the Philippines.
Bill, You have another fan, your cousin Nancy, with her message below. Gary
Reply from Nancy Hosmer Baldwin (62):
Hi Gary and all,
I was out of town for a few days so just now read all the
emails regarding our local hero and my cousin, Thunderbird
Bill, and can’t help reminiscing. Way back in early 70′s I
was dating my future husband, Mike Baldwin, and on our way to a
Thunderbird air-show, I mentioned that my cousin, Bill, had
been a Thunderbird pilot. Mike was a true aviation enthusiast.
He lived, breathed and dreamed jets and even though he had a
private pilot’s license, he was in awe when it came to jet
pilots. It’s not that he didn’t believe me but after the show,
he couldn’t wait to ask the Thunderbird pilots if they knew
Bill Hosmer. The four he got close enough to ask, either knew
Bill or knew of him which impressed Mike to no end. I always
had a sneaking suspicion that Mike proposed soon after just to
get close to Bill. Eventually that day came and over the years
they had several great visits. Mike passed away in 1999 but I
think he was pretty close to being Bill’s number one fan, even
telling the story about the Thunderbird’s impromptu Dunseith
flyover as many times as I did. You’d think he’d had been there
himself. Anyway, cousin Bill, you’re so darn charming, Mike
would have loved you even if you hadn’t been a pilot..
One more note.. Diane Sjol mentioned Col. Cooper’s Mile High
Hot Sauce. I’m on my second “case”. It’s delicious!!
Nancy
Thunderbird story from Gary Morgan (54):
Gary & All,
In reply to Diane Larson Sjol…thank you for putting us on to “The Birds Were Silver Then”. I immediately went on line and ordered a copy for my brother, Dick, for Christmas. It’s available through Barnes & Noble. Incidently, the year The Thunderbirds buzzed Dunseith was 1962. I was working as a summer seasonal Customs Inspector at Dunseith that summer and had just gotten off the mid – 8 shift. It must have been about 9: AM because I was waiting for the bank to open to deposit my paycheck and had just gotten out of my car when these planes came swooping down main street. I then went home and changed my shorts before I went to the bank. You may remember we lived in the basement apartment below you that summer.
A note to Patty & Terry. As a rule there were three people assigned to the port at Dunseith, Bill Yuill, Kenny Shirk & Al Koenig. When they went to 24 hour service during the summer they would add one summer seasonal so 4 of us covered the port 24/7. As you can guess, we worked alone most of the time. Sundays we would add a 10 AM – 6 PM shift to supplement the other 3 eight hour shifts so we could have two lanes of traffic open when the band concerts at the Peace Garden got out. A far cry from today.
Gary Morgan
Thunderbird reply from Dale Pritchard (63):
Gary, Here’s a little more input on the Thunderbirds. In the Spring of
’73′, while stationed at Forbes AFB, Topeka, KS, I was selected as one
of the crew members to provide Air Force C-130 support for the
Thunderbirds. This lasted nine weeks with only two returns to Forbes to
switch out airplanes and go again. We were required to attend every
show so we wouldn’t lose any time in going for replacement
parts/equipment if needed. If I remember right, we covered shows in 23
states during this period. I never tired of watching the shows. The
pure professionalism of everything they do is awesome to see. On the
downside, in the Fall of ’79′ I was at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas as a
maintenance superintendent for two weeks with three of my own C-130s and
three from Germany. We watched the Thunderbirds taxi out one day and
they didn’t come back. All six had crashed during a training session.
That was truly a sad day and time, not only for the temporary loss of an
American tradition, but also for the loss of sons, husbands, and
fathers.
Dale
Question from Evie Gottbreht Pilkington (65):
Evie, your mystery person has been solved. Please see my comments at the bottom. Gary
Hi Gary,
I am wondering if I should know this person, is it a Dunseith person????? ) my brain is not what it use to be…..Hope I didn’t go to prom with him……lol
That is a private joke that Connie Halvorson and I share…..we are close friends and when I don’t know someone, we always say…did we go to prom with them…..it is that senior moment thing.
We are approaching my favorite time of year….I love the Holidays!!!!!!!!
Thanks Gary for all you do ….everyone really enjoys the emails.
emp
From: Pat Meidinger [mailto:prm@drtel.net]
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 11:15 PM
To: empilkington@yahoo.com
Cc: larryn@westriv.com
Subject: Days Gone By
Evie,
Do you know me? I think I know you.
Nagel’sEducated Prairie Dogs
LarryNagel
8650 43rd Ave.
Shields, ND 58569
Phone: 701-597-3730
Email:
Mystery solved:
Larry, Evie Gottbreht Pilkington is part of the class of 65. She lives in Irvine, CA. How did you come across Evie’s email address? This is interesting. Gary
Evie, Larry Nagel is a prior Dunseith High School teacher. The book has him listed as being hired in 1967. Larry came into the school system after our day. Gary
Former teacher memories from Ele Dietrich Slyter (69):
| Many teachers ran through my head when Mr. Jerstad and Mr. Conroy were mentioned today.
Mrs. Siem 1st grade what an awesome lady Mrs. Hanson 2nd grade don’t remember a lot about her but I do remember the class was on the stage in the old gym Mrs Halvorson, Mrs. Conroy, Mrs. Hosmer, Mr. Rude. Mr. Morgan, Mr. Morrison, Mr. and Mrs Knight, Ms. Shurr, Mrs. Fish (she taught me to knit,which I still do some of even now) Mrs. Boppre and so many more. The one who really sticks out for me though is Mr. Nagel — we used to call him Napoleon behind his back, not a name he deserved I am sure, but you know kids. He taught typing and shorthand as well as some other office classes. We bumped into him at the State Fair in Minot a few years back. He was working for Game and Fish at the time and taking care of the fishing pond there. He was making a bunch of kids very happy by teaching them to catch their very first fish. What a teacher!!! He would accept only the best you had to give and gave you only his best. An awesome man. He like Mr. Johnson is a memory I will always have with me through life.
Reply from Dick Johnson (68): Gary and Friends, Dick
Reply from Joe Johnson (77): Gary, As you can see I copied Rod on this message as well. Here is a route that can keep Chip from driving US 83. There was only one house (Myers place) between where we lived in Dunseith and Chip’s family’s home. I remember Chip’s family even though they were older than me. Sorry, it is hard to call Chip “Mike”, in fact I remember he was called “Little Chip” back in the ‘70’s or so. Chip might want to try this route. I drove it in 2006 and the roads were good. Take US 20 west from Valentine to Hay Springs, then go south on 87 at Hay Springs. Follow Hwy 87 south the southwest until it meets 7E west and take that 7E Hwy west. At Hemingford 7E ends and becomes Hwy 2. Continue west on Hwy 2 until it meets Hwy 71. Drive west on Hwy 71 which turns south and takes you into Scottsbluff. Continue to follow Hwy 71 through and south of Scottsbluff until you come to Hwy 88 west. Hwy 88 west is also called Pumpkin Creek Rd. Follow it west into Wyoming. At the Wyoming border 88 changes to Cty Hwy 151. Continue to follow 151 passing through La Grange until you reach US Hwy 85 south. Follow US 85 south-southwest until it joins I-25 South and follow it south into Cheyenne, Wyoming. Now just take I-25 south into Denver. I travelled this route on my way back to Lindstrom, MN from Salt Lake City, Utah in September 2006 and the roads were in good condition at that time.
Reply from Mel Kuhn (70): Gary, Isn’t that a good picture of Dick and Brenda, with Dick wearing glasses and everything, pretending that he can actually read music. Usually Brenda stands closer to him so that she can whisper to him when to move his fingers so that he actually looks the part. HA!! Back at ya Dick. Mel Kuhn[70]
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