Maria Witham

2/24/2009: Everlasting adoration is often the material for writers and poets, but for Bea Agard from Larimore, North Dakota, receiving the gift of lifelong fidelity was real.

2/10/2009: Gravity does not often cause worry or apprehension. It reliably will be a part of the daily walk to our frozen vehicles, which in turn will remain on the ground until our various destinations are met.

1/20/2009: It was on this day in 1938 that the Walcott Reporter printed a story about a particularly interesting oak tree. Surveyors in 1870 had used the oak as a landmark when measuring land near the Sheyenne River south of Kindred. The oak was not an unlikely choice for a landmark on the North Dakota prairies, where it was most likely the only tree for miles.

1/19/2009: In January of 1945, President Franklin Delenor Roosevelt shocked many Americans when he announced the dire shortage of Army and Navy nurses.

11/29/2008: On a crisp November morning in Mandan, Mack and Drury’s was up in flames. In minutes, the fire devoured this local eatery, with Mack barely escaping with his life.

11/15/2008: History can be seen as one great tapestry; however, the significance of each thread should not be forgotten. In this month we honor our veterans, who, with each single thread, held fast the fiber of our country.

10/18/2008: On this day in 1904, in Silva, North Dakota, Clifford Thompson was born. Although a normal size at birth, in 1940 Clifford became known the world’s tallest living man.

10/8/2008: October of 1862 brought the 12th Michigan Infantry to the battle fields of the South. Joseph Tooley had left behind his young wife, Sarah, and three-week-old son to fight for the Stars and Stripes. Later, Sarah received a letter stating that Joseph was being hospitalized at the Arkansas/Texas border. Sarah knew that she must find her husband and, facing certain danger, she made her way through war-torn territory from Michigan to the Texas border. The countryside was fraught with bands of guerilla soldiers, a constant threat to her safety. However, for Sarah, the most constant concern was getting to Joseph in time.

9/14/2008: What is over the River Kwai, falling down in London, and golden in San Francisco? Bridges.

9/27/2008: Skunks are not native to Norway, therefore many settlers to North Dakota had never seen nor heard of one, and most significantly, had never smelled one. A popular joke was to invite a newcomer to chase one, letting them discover later this animal’s particular charm.