Reply from Toni Morinville Gredesky (68): Farimount, ND

Note: Picture was posted yesterday

The young man with my Dad is Oscar Hagen as you and Bev assumed. He is married to my cousin
Emmeline. Her mother Myrtle was mom’s sister and also a sister to Bert Hanson as you stated.
I too appreciate any cards that would be sent to Debbie. It is hard to look at the pictures of her
when we were children knowing what she is presently going through. Thanks, Gary.
Toni Morinville Gredesky

Toni, I just got off the phone with Oscar Hagen. He has not had a chance to look at the past several days messages because his wife has been in the hospital and is currently in a nursing home, but will be going home shortly. Oscar sure has a sharp mind. He and I were raised in the same neighborhood, but at different times is all. He is closer to my dads age. He told me a lot of the Stokes history that I never knew. It was sure a pleasure talking to him reminiscing our old neighborhood and the people in it. Toni: Oscar said he saw you at his wife’s mothers funeral a few years back. He remembers your very beautiful daughter that he said looks just like you. You guys along with Oscar’s wife, Emmeline and us share Audrey & Jean Hanson Pladson as first cousins.

Reply from Bill Hosmer (48): Tucson, AZ & Lake Metigoshe, ND

Dick, Thanks for the new picture of Uncle Bob, and letting my brain relax from the temporary vertigo. Bill Hosmer

Reply from Colette Hosmer (64): Santa Fe, NM

I noticed the “reversed” image, as well. Thanks, Dick, for the switch…..my mind couldn’t quite manage it. So now it looks as if it was taken in your driveway, not ours, right, Bev? Was the car yours?

Colette

Reply from Sybil Johnson: Cheyenne, WY

Gary and all,
While living in North Dakota, for 20 yrs, I was in every point of the state. I was in direct sales at the time and I know personally, 99% of those I had contact with, were great people.
They went out of their way, to make me comfortable during the time I was in their homes. Here in Wyoming, I dont get that feeling. Yes, there are nice people here, but most of them just dont have that hospitality attitude, like the people of North Dakota.
Sybil Johnson, Cheyenne, Wyoming (great_grandma2007@live.com)

Dorothy Pritchard – Posted by Neola Kofoid Garbe: Minot & Bottineau, ND

Hi Gary,

After visiting Mom at Good Samaritan today, I visited my aunt, Alvina Christianson, in long term at St. Andrew’s Hospital. Alvina’s St. Andrew’s Health Center newsletter was lying on the table, so I read it. This great article about Dorothy Pritchard is in it. Karen Hagen Simon came into Alvina’s room to refresh her water shortly after I was wondering about there being extra copies of the newsletter. I mentioned to Karen I’d like to scan/send Dorothy’s article to you, and if she knew of any extra copies. She said she was sure she could locate a copy/two, which she did almost immediately.

Neola

Neola, The neighbor Dorothy mentions calling in this write-up, when Robert died, is the Hagen Family, Karen’s folks, Clarence & Mary Ann. Dad called me in Bremerton, almost within the hour too, to let me know of Robert’s death. It was a sudden shock. The Pritchard’s were our neighbor’s, one mile to the south. In reading this article, I have sure learned a lot of facts about Robert & Dorothy that I never ever knew before. It’s a beautiful write up. Gary

From Erling Landsverk (44): Portage, WI

HI GARY;

THIS MUST ABOUT THE THIRD TIME IN ONE YEAR THAT I HAVE LEARNED OF UNTRUTHS ABOUT MY FAVORITE STATE. I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY OF A LETTER THAT I MAILED TO THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GROUP. I WAS GLAD I WROTE IT

ERLING LANDSVERK

TO:NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

1145 17^TH ST. NW

WASHINGTON D C20036-4688

ATTN: EDITORIAL STAFF

MY FAMILY AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN AVID READERS AND SUBSCRIBERS TO THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FOR THE

`PAST 40 YEARS OR MORE. THAT BEING THE CASE I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED AND MORE THAN A LITTLE CHAGRINED AT THE ARTICLE THAT APPEARED ON PAGE 140, ENTITLED “THE EMTIED PRARIE”.

THE TONE OF THE ARTICLE IMPLIES THATNORTH DAKOTAHAS BECOME AN EMPTY WASTELAND, ABANDONED BY THE EARLY SETTLERS DISAPPOINTED AT THE MEAGER EXISTENCE THAT COULD BE ATTAINED FROM AN UNFRIENDLY CLIMATEAND EXTREMELY POOR SOIL. AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS BORNAND RAISED INNORTH DAKOTA, I CAN SAY WITHOUT FEAR OF CONTRADICTION THAT THE PICTURE DRAWN BY THIS ARTICLE IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH,AND

IN NO WAY

REFLECTS THE CONDITIONS IN THAT GREAT STATE OR THE ATTITUDE OF THE CITIZENS LIVING THERE.

I EXPERIENCED THE DEPRESSION, DROUGHT AND DIFFICULT TIMES DURING THE THIRTIES AND EARLY FORTIES. OUR HOME WAS LOCATED IN THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER. A BEAUTIFUL AND SCENIC AREA FILLED WITH SMALL LAKES AND STREAMS,WITH FORESTS OF POPLAR, WHITE BIRCH, MOUNTAIN ASH, AND OAK. WILD GAME AND BERRIED FRUITS ABOUNDED EVERYWHERE IN THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS, A VIRTUAL PARADISE LOCATED AWAY FROM THE LARGE METROPOLITAN CENTERS, AND WAS THEREFORE OVERLOOKED OR SIMPLY IGNORED. ANYONE VISITING THE AREA TO THIS DAY WILL FIND THE COUNTRY MUCH THE SAME, AND AS BEAUTIFUL AS BEFORE. NATURALLY TINY HAMLETS IN SOME AREAS BECAME DESERTED, THE SAME COULD BE SAID ABOUT MANY STATES, INCLUDING WISCONSIN, WHERE I LIVE PRESENTLY. I CAN EASILY NAME A DOZEN SMALL HAMLETS THAT HAVE REGRESSED TO A FEW HOUSES OR LESS, BUT THE POPULATION IF FAR GREATER HERE AND THE AREA IS FILLED WITH HOMES AND SMALL FARMS INSTEAD, BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO LARGER CITIES. I SUGGEST THAT IF NORTH DAKOTA WAS LOCATED ABOUT A HUNDRED MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST, NEARER TO THE TWIN CITIES, THE STATE WOULD BE FILLED WITH PEOPLE, EVEN IN THE AREA THAT YOUR ARTICLE COVERS.

TO PUT NORTH DAKOTA IN A FAIR PERSPECTIBE, I WOULD LIKE TO LIST SOME POSITIVE COMMENTS.THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN LOCATED IN THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS, DEDICATED IN 1932, IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF SERIOUS ATTENTION TO FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION WITH OUR NEIGHBOR CANADA. ANYONE VISITING THIS LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL SYMBOL OF INTERNATIONAL UNITY WILL COME AWAY WITH A LASTING FEELING OF NATIONAL PRIDE, AND SECURITY. TO THE WEST LIE HUNDREDS OF OIL WELLS, STRETCHING FROM THE MONTANA BORDER TO BOTTINEAU. ONE OF OUR NATIONS WELL KEPT SECRETS AS TO OIL RESERVE. THEN THERE IS THE TWO LARGE MILITARY AIR FIELDS AT GRAND FORKS AND MINOT. ONE OF WHICH IS A MEMBER OF THE NORAD DEFENSE. NEXT THERE IS GRAND FORKS, HOSTING THE FIGHTING SIOUX, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HOCKEY PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA.NORTH DAKOTA CAN ALSO FEEL PROUD OF IT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ETHANOL PROGRAM BY THE WAY THE FARMERS AND RANCHERS HAVE BEGUN TO GROW CROPS OTHER THAN CORN TO PRODUCE ETHANOL.THE AREA AROUND DEVILS LAKE, AND MINOT (LAKE GARRISON) ARE BOTH KNOWN FAR AND WIDE FOR THE EXCELLENT FISHING AND LOCATIONS FOR WATER SPORTS.

I COULD GO ON, BUT I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BEGIN TO SOUND LIKE A PROMOTION COMPANY FOR ATTRACTING TOURISTS.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET THAT NORTH DAKOTA HAS ARE ITS PEOPLE.DURING MY LAST VISIT THERE IN 2007, I FOUND THEM TO ALL BE THE SAME FRIENDLY, HARD WORKING, UNASSUMING, FAIRMINDED PEOPLE AS ALWAYS.GOD BLESS THEM ALL

ERLING LANDSVERK

P SI REALLY WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE PROVIDED ANYONE IN THE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE TIME TO READ THIS LETTER.