About Local Folks

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway (Hvoslef) Island 1944-1987
Part 16

Two lucky International Falls residents will be spending Halloween aboard a cruise ship in the Bahamas, all expenses paid.
Sean Bahr won a recent drawing to join Bud Light Party Cruise from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.
Bahr will travel to Cape Canaveral, Fla., where he will join 4,600 other cruise winners aboard the Royal Caribbean liner, Sovereign of the Seas, and its sister ship, Majesty of the Seas. He visited the contest Web site and saw there are about 10 other Minnesota winners.

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway (Hvoslef) Island
1944-1987
Part 15

[On November 26, 1944, Don wrote the following which turned out to be the resumption of diary keeping. He continued to write about 100 words a day with few significant breaks until August of 1987.]
Will try to give a blow by blow account of transformation from caretakers at Dahlbergs to resort owners on Hvoslef's island.

Big Falls native receives two national honors from the Central Intelligence AgencyA Borderland native was honored by his nation twice last week for service as an intelligence officer.

Maj. Gen. Michael Ennis, United States Marine Corps retired, was honored by the Central Intelligence Agency with its Distinguished Intelligence Medal for exceptional service as the first director of the National Clandestine Service Department of Community Human Intelligence, known as HUMINT.

Paul Reuter and Don Reuter Sr., two cousins that served in World War II, were honored for their service as commanders in the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Around 30 friends and family gathered Sunday at the International Falls VFW Peter Graham Post 2948, to reminisce and enjoy cake and ice cream in honor of the two past commanders.
Present post and District 8 Commander Terry Randolph presented the two with certificates from the VFW and U.S. Army for meritorious and distinguished service, which were also signed by Stan Kowalski, state VFW commander.

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway (Hvoslef) Island
Part 14

[Also in the February letter to Bill Welsh, a progress report on the island project.]

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
The Dahlberg Years 1936-1945

[The following is from an oral history recorded by Voyageurs National Park in August of 1976. This was Don speaking.]

For the Heppner family, no life is insignificant.
And for Karrene Heppner, bringing an orphaned sparrow home to her six children seemed as right as rain.
The sound of chirping had gotten Karrene’s attention at Farm Bureau Insurance where she works in the International Mall. Staff at the mall traced the peeping to the bay next door where a young sparrow had likely fallen from a nest built behind the Farm Bureau sign. The fledgeless, fuzzy creature was found lodged in the wall.

Fifteen-year-old Kassie Dotzler is the first-ever Koochiching County resident to win a purple ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair, talent division.
Dotzler won the honor with her rendition of Taylor Swift’s song entitled “Tim McGraw.”
Wearing a little black dress as depicted in the song, Dotzler said it is the type of number that can captivate an audience.
“I love the guitar part, and think the whole song is pretty,” she added.

The Dahlberg Years 1936-1945
Don Johnson Journals and Letters

[The following are excerpts from letters during the years that the Johnsons were at Redcrest]

Don Johnson to Gilda Dahlberg • Oct. 7, 1940
I received a letter from John Erickson [Bror’s secretary] today which certainly set me on my ear. He says, “I had you on schedule that we owed you $200 back salary, but Mrs. Dahlberg says that she paid you while she was at Red Crest.”