Where Are They Now? Retired teacher and coach dedicates career and life to community

Every small town has "characters." These people are those whom everyone recognizes, perhaps because of their quirky personalities or their solid reputations. New Rockford has its share of characters, and David Bymoen, better known as "Tubby," is one of the most famous. It was highly probable that Tubby would grow up with quite a sense of humor after receiving his nickname at the tender age of 2 from his uncle "Swede" Ekrem. "I guess I was on the heavy side," jests Tubby. Tubby is legendary for his deadpan jokes, but underneath the clever punch lines is a man of great ideas, devotion to his hometown and significant generosity.

Tubby's most recent brainchild is to have the New Rockford-Sheyenne School (NR-S) yearbooks digitally saved to the school's server and to a computer hard drive. Because traditional paper copies of yearbooks could be destroyed in a fire or other accidental disaster, it is important to preserve these historical books in a modern format to make copies of the annuals easily accessible to the general public. In researching how to go about this, Tubby contacted the State Historical Society in Bismarck. A quality book scanner was essential for copying the information from each of the yearbooks. NR-S, Transcript Publishing and the Eddy-New Rockford Public Library worked together to select and purchase the machine.

Going all the way back to 1918 to the present, with the exception of the years of 1921-26 and 1944-45 during which no yearbooks were produced, all of the annuals are now ready to be transferred to either DVDs or thumb drives that anyone can purchase for $15 per yearbook. Proceeds for the sale of the electronic yearbooks will go directly to the Dial staff, which is a group of high school students who complete the annuals each year, and to Dollars for Scholars, an organization which grants college scholarships to local seniors. Contact Dial adviser Mark Huber at (701) 947-5036 or [email protected] to purchase yearbook DVDs or thumb drives.

Another beneficial community idea that Tubby thought of at least a decade ago was to build a "crow's nest" out at the football field. Tubby relates, "Our teams were often in the playoffs, and it was embarrassing to have radio station announcers come to town only to have them work on flatbeds. Along with asking businesses to get on board with this project, I decided to contact former football players and coaches to see if I could get some donations. Hundreds of letters were mailed out, and well over $30,000 came in! It was unreal! My selling point was that Booster Club would have a place to make money, which in turn goes back to the athletes." Since it is city-owned property, New Rockford also has a place to store lawn mowers and equipment. The crow's nest affords a bird's eye view for game and radio announcers and has been a huge asset to the NR-S football program.

Tubby has a strong connection to the school, having taught German and physical education classes for 28 years there. In addition, Tubby has been a board member for New Rockford Dollars for Scholars since its inception in 2004. Through his employment and volunteerism, he was instrumental in raising much money for students by spearheading numerous wienerschnitzel feeds throughout the years. The meals became popular fundraisers for student trips to Germany. Tubby organized eight German trips, allowing students to travel every two years. "What is great is when I hear from a former student that he or she went back to Germany," Tubby proclaims. He likes to know that his students have acquired the "travel bug" after experiencing a trip abroad.

On the Dollars for Scholars side, a truly unique project boosted this organization's funding. Tubby commissioned NR-S artistic graduate Kenny Rose, whose payment was in the form of a scholarship in his name, to draw a 1960s view of New Rockford's downtown area. The organization has netted a nice sum of money from the map sales, which is earmarked for scholarships.

Before graduating in the New Rockford Class of 1964, Tubby worked for a couple of years at Farmers Union Oil Company, setting up machinery. While attending Jamestown College, now known as University of Jamestown, Tubby worked for Archie Campbell during the summers. At Jamestown College, Tubby was fortunate enough to take classes from two different German professors who really seemed to enjoy teaching. After graduating from college in 1968, he was able to spend five months studying in Germany on a scholarship, which was a momentous experience. His two German professors were the inspiration for Tubby to come back to his hometown and teach in the same style as he was taught.

Now retired for five years, Tubby continues to give of his time and energy to Dollars for Scholars and the New Rockford Golf Club. Volunteering is in his blood because he notes, "It is just a part of being from a town like New Rockford. We are good at getting things done." Perhaps this sense of giving back is a product of his upbringing. The son of Manfred and Anna Bymoen, Tubby grew up in a family that endorsed discipline. He recalls, "I knew where the fence line was. My parents let me go to the fence line, just not cross it. If I didn't cross it, they would back me all the way."

Unfortunately, Tubby has suffered more than his fair share of obstacles and tragedies. In a two-year period, he lost his teenage son and parents. Even though his son is no longer with him physically, Tubby wears Kyler's class ring to keep him close spiritually. In the past year and a half, he lost his only sibling to cancer and his brother-in-law to dementia. The only family members that Tubby has are his niece Rachel and her two daughters. Tubby himself has been treated for two different cancers, but he adamantly states that he is doing fine. He offers these words for everyone: "We all feel invincible at times, but we are not. How are you going to handle the tough times? Somehow you have to stand up and fight. You can't give up."

Using humor has never failed Tubby. Shortly before his final radiation treatment for prostate cancer, he was approached to do a television interview. The short segment is available online at http://www.kvrr.com/search/Cancer+survivors. In addition, he was asked to use the podium at a special Head and Neck Cancer Survivors banquet at the Avalon Events Center in Fargo to introduce Dr. Miran Blanchard, a radiation oncology specialist, who was on Tubby's team of doctors. Although Tubby was a bit emotional while telling his own story, he decided he needed to lighten up the serious atmosphere by telling several exaggerations and "white lies" when introducing Dr. Blanchard. Because Tubby is well practiced in the art of joke telling, the audience fell for every word he said. Tubby laughed and said, "I got them good!" When the realization hit, more than half of the people gave him a rousing standing ovation. After the dinner, several people told Tubby that the humor was exactly what they needed.

An extension of his teaching job involved coaching football and track teams. Tubby found this teaching assignment to be very exciting because he was in the company of great coaches and exceptional student athletes who possessed good attitudes. While he was sick, a different type of team emerged. Tubby was surrounded by a lineup of specialists who met every week to tend to his personal needs. Roles had been reversed. He was now the "student" learning from a squad of exceptional medical professionals who sincerely wanted to help him.

Tubby admits that when life looked like it might be taken from him, it was bleak, to say the least, but through his relationships with his "team" and reliance on his sense of humor, the hard days were easier to take. When he received the word that he had a "little more time to roam the planet," he decided he had better enjoy it because many people don't get a second or third chance to do so! His advice? "Don't spend all your time on yourself! Bring cookies to your neighbor, go visit a stranger at the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd, bring usable clothes to the Boys' Ranch, or call your son or daughter just to visit. You will feel better doing any of these little things."

Despite his hardships, Tubby has always maintained his love for the rural atmosphere and his zany sense of humor. He says, "Even though I am sure I would probably adapt to the big city, I am okay with being here. My roots are here." His most recent joke that he likes to tell people is about a cigarette lighter. The next time you see him, you can bet that he will be willing to tell you the details with a definite twinkle in his eyes. Yes, Tubby Bymoen is certainly a New Rockford "character" who has made a big difference in this town.