Across the street was the Russell house. They were a very large family. They had about six or seven kids, at least. Forty-five years ago, I thought this house was a mansion:
We lived next door to our landlord's mom, Hedve Lenhart. She'd been married to a WWII vet name Papesh. He was killed in the war. Billy Papesh was their son. Our house was his. Billy lost an eye smashing live ammunition with a rock. He did it in our neighborhood. He has a glass eye.
Here is a picture of Bill Papesh today. He is president of WM Advisors, Inc. You can read more here:
As the Cold War got more tense in 1961 and 1962, fellow neighborhood boy Duane Gunderson and I used to speculate what would happen if the Russians bombed Kellogg. For some reason, we had decided that Mr. Dick Cripe was rich and his house was big and the Russians would target his house. Cripes lived across Portland from us and down the street about 500 feet. Here's the Cripe house:
Two doors down Mary Pavelich lived as a widow. Her husband, Nick, an immigrant from Yugoslavia, died of a stroke. He was the first stroke victim I'd ever seen. The stroke thickened his tongue and made his lower lip droop. I'd see him sitting in his wheelchair, sunning. After Nick died, Mary helped Mom sometimes by watching me or my sister Christy if she was short a babysitter. Like Bill Papesh, Dan rose to the top of the Spokane world of finances. He recently retired as the Chairman and CEO of BDO Seidman and sits on the boards of Catalytic Software, Washington Mutual Bank, and Wildseed Ltd. Here is the Pavelitch house:
Please come back for more pictures and my take on some other aspects of my life in Kellogg.
