Gene arrived in Williston during our sophomore year from Kansas. We had just moved to the new High School and Gene was a new student. Since Haugen and Iverson are close in the alphabet, we were in the same home room. I do not remember whose room that was, but that is how Gene and I met. As you may remember, Gene was a wild one and brought new thoughts and new ideas to Williston High School. Gene and I became good friends, but I am not sure why. We were different in so many ways, but some how it jelled. Gene went to UND, Grand Forks while I stayed in Williston and attended the UND Extension Center with classes in the South Wing of the old Central School. A year later, I moved to UND at Grand Forks. Gene was there in the TKE Fraternity and that is where I pledged -- primarily due to Gene.
We roomed together and dated together. Gene drove an old green Plymouth that was not too reliable. If you remember the winters back then, it was very cold. We took our dates to a movie one night and Gene explained to our dates that he would leave the car running while we were in the theater so the car would be warm when we came out. What Gene did not say -- the car, if turned off, would not start in the cold weather. The next fall, after returning to UND, Gene, Forrest English, John Steidel and I shared two rooms in the basement. Bob Himler was also a member of the Fraternity. About a month after school started, Gene was out on the town and had a bad night, returning to the Fraternity House after sunrise. He was unhappy with the school, ND, and everything else and left about noon to return to Kansas. One of Gene's requests was for me to go around to all his Professors and drop him from the class to avoid the failing grades that would have followed him if he did not drop the classes. I did as he requested and did not see Gene for a number of years.
Gene did not forget his friends. Years later when gene was a practicing attorney in Williston, he assisted my Mother in obtaining a stipend from the State when my Father died from an injury received on the job. He did that for free. He was a good friend.
Jerry Iverson
Gene arrived in Williston during our sophomore year from Kansas. We had just moved to the new High School and Gene was a new student. Since Haugen and Iverson are close in the alphabet, we were in the same home room. I do not remember whose room that was, but that is how Gene and I met. As you may remember, Gene was a wild one and brought new thoughts and new ideas to Williston High School. Gene and I became good friends, but I am not sure why. We were different in so many ways, but some how it jelled. Gene went to UND, Grand Forks while I stayed in Williston and attended the UND Extension Center with classes in the South Wing of the old Central School. A year later, I moved to UND at Grand Forks. Gene was there in the TKE Fraternity and that is where I pledged -- primarily due to Gene.
We roomed together and dated together. Gene drove an old green Plymouth that was not too reliable. If you remember the winters back then, it was very cold. We took our dates to a movie one night and Gene explained to our dates that he would leave the car running while we were in the theater so the car would be warm when we came out. What Gene did not say -- the car, if turned off, would not start in the cold weather. The next fall, after returning to UND, Gene, Forrest English, John Steidel and I shared two rooms in the basement. Bob Himler was also a member of the Fraternity. About a month after school started, Gene was out on the town and had a bad night, returning to the Fraternity House after sunrise. He was unhappy with the school, ND, and everything else and left about noon to return to Kansas. One of Gene's requests was for me to go around to all his Professors and drop him from the class to avoid the failing grades that would have followed him if he did not drop the classes. I did as he requested and did not see Gene for a number of years.
Gene did not forget his friends. Years later when gene was a practicing attorney in Williston, he assisted my Mother in obtaining a stipend from the State when my Father died from an injury received on the job. He did that for free. He was a good friend.