Delivering joy

The birth of triplets at a Coeur d’Alene hospital happens once a generation.

So, it’s front-page news in this former timber town when it occurs.

On March 15, 2001, Rebecca Brooks, 25, of Post Falls, delivered 5-pound triplets at Kootenai Medical Center. Kalli, Kayne and Kiel appeared in the paper two days later.

They joined a family that included father, Wayne, and 5- and 3-year-old sisters.

Veteran staffers couldn’t recall another set of triplets born in the previous 25 years at what is now Kootenai Health. Nor did hospital records reveal one.

But venerable Dr. Jane Gumprecht told The Press that she helped her husband, Dr. Don Gumprecht, deliver triplets in the mid-1950s at the old Lake City General Hospital downtown.

Two other sets of triplets were raised here but born elsewhere.

The famous McEachran sisters were born to Lloyd and Kathryn McEachran in 1949 in Bremerton, Wash. And the Dorscher brothers were born to Tim and Kris Dorscher in 1991 in Spokane. The boys were grandsons of the late Mayor Al Hassell and his wife, Judy.

In 1991, Dr. Jane Gumprecht told columnist Bob Paulos about her role in the birth of the 1950s triplets. The expectant mother was married to a law student at Gonzaga University.

Dr. Jane said: “As each baby girl was delivered by my husband, I took over resuscitating and observing them. Much to our relief, they had no problems. In those days, there were no intensive care units for newborns.”

The family lived in Post Falls before moving to Canada, she said.

Meanwhile, The Press provided regular updates on the McEachran sisters Annie Marie, Betty Lou and Carol Anne. On March 10, 1956, the girls’ seventh birthday, the paper pictured the triplets and their teacher in front of a blackboard drawing of a cake and seven candles. The cutline said teacher Nettie George couldn’t tell Anna and Carol apart.

As young girls, according to their mother, the trio routinely arranged themselves in “ABC order” – A (Anna), B (Betty) and C (Carol) – and followed one another “like little ducklings.”

Earlier, in 1951, twin brothers were born to the McEachrans at Lake City General Hospital.

A Pearl Harbor survivor, Lloyd McEachran later became a respected dairyman in Post Falls.

He was working at a naval ammunition dump at Bremerton when the girls were born. When he learned that his wife had delivered triplets, he quit pacing the hospital corridor and said: “Oh my, we’ve been using the neighbor’s washer — up ‘til now."

Added Attraction

Forty years ago, the Lake City was abuzz as work on The Coeur d’Alene Resort neared end.

Residents were captivated by features like the 18-story tower, a penthouse with a glass-bottom pool and the floating boardwalk. But most overlooked a feature that tied the project together with downtown and the waterfront: the 5-acre Resort Plaza.

The park-like front lawn didn’t materialize until partners Duane Hagadone and Jerry Jaeger ordered the old Templin’s Grill (Murphy’s Landing) torn down. Then, Lake Coeur d’Alene emerged from decades of hiding behind the building.

“It adds to that grand entrance into Coeur d’Alene and improves the view of the lake,” co-owner Jaeger told The Press on March 17, 1986.

Resort owners removed railroad tracks that crossed the front of the property en route to Potlatch's Rutledge mill (now The Resort Golf Course) on the eastern edge of town. They negotiated with the Washington Water Power Co. (Avista) to bury power lines.

Then, they added a 56-foot, three-faced clock tower, red maples, flowering pear trees, shrubs, grass, and, of course, red geraniums.

The overall effect softened the concrete and copper of the massive resort – and linked waterfront jewels such as City Park, Independence Point, McEuen Park and Tubbs Hill.

Quaint Mail

In March 1986, residents had mixed emotions during construction of new U.S. Post Office buildings in Bayview and Athol.

One customer felt that the construction of a “real post office” meant that Bayview was “going to be a permanent community.” But former Athol Postmaster Mildred Poland regretted that she no longer could walk downstairs to visit customers with letters and packages.

At the time, Athol and Dover, near Sandpoint, had the only remaining in-home post offices from Moscow to Canada. The Bayview Mercantile housed Bayview’s post office.

Both post offices had outgrown their space. Athol served 700 customers; Bayview, 200. Both postmasters dumped some mail into general delivery because they had rented all the USPO boxes.

The connection Athol’s Poland had with the community was evident during Athol Days 1985 when she was voted Citizen of the Year.

Meanwhile, Bayview Postmaster Marilyn Kokot celebrated the move to permanent quarters as “just the most exciting thing in the world.”

Huckleberries

• Poet’s Corner: We drink now to Patrick/may God hold him near,/for he is the saint/who gave us green beer – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“St Patrick’s Day Toast”).

• Trailblazer: During her failed 1956 campaign for Congress, Louise Shadduck was told by an elderly woman: “I hope you know how many women fought to give you this chance to run for office.” Now, fast forward 30 years to an International Women’s Day banquet in Coeur d'Alene. Older and wiser, Louise was the guest speaker. She told the old story to a younger generation of women. And that’s how wisdom is passed along.

• Beach Treats: In the 1980s, competition for prime vendor spots at City Park was fierce. Sometimes, vendors rammed their carts into one another, jockeying for position. So, the city launched a bidding system. In 1991, the bids for seven designated spots raised $13,700 for the parks fund, including a record $3,652 for prime space near the public restrooms. Eventually, the city grew tired of the hassle. And stopped leasing the spots.

• Prized Coach: North Idaho Junior College coach Rolly Williams was the talk of the town 60 years ago. In his first almost-five years as coach, Rolly had led the men’s cage team to a fine 80-28 record – 20-1-1 so far in 1965-66. So, fans held a “Rolly Williams Night” on Feb. 16, 1966. He received “His” and “Hers” recliners, silver cufflinks, a color TV set and love. He shed tears. And he kept coaching NIC until retirement 30 years later.

Parting Shot

On a calm, but chilly evening March 8, 1991, a crowd of 300 gathered at McEuen Field to celebrate Operation Homefront Victory.

The crowd cheered when Brigadier General Denny Hague of Coeur d’Alene announced that the first Washington Air National Guard plane would return soon from the Persian Gulf.

The crowd cheered again when Mayor Ray Stone proclaimed March 8 as Victory in the Gulf Day, Some 500 service men and women from North Idaho served in Operation Desert Storm.

Hague read their names.

Then, the brigadier general predicted historians would look back at the war “and see how quickly a tyrant and butcher was disposed of.”

Unfortunately, tyrants and butchers are not in short supply in the Middle East – or elsewhere in the world.

• • •

D.F. (Dave) Oliveria can be contacted at [email protected]

    First-grade teacher Nettie George can’t tell McEachran triplets (from left) Anna, Betty and Carol apart on their seventh birthdays in 1956.
  

    Mike Hurry surveys the future front lawn of The Coeur d’Alene Resort in 1986.
  

    In 1986, Mildred Poland poses at the window of the Athol post office, which was part of her life and house for 20 years.
  

    Along with the company’s decorated dump truck, employees at Central Pre-Mix are ready for St. Patrick’s Day in 1966. They are: (from left) manager Don Corcoran, Doris Arbogast, Hank van Horn and Jim Mallory.
  

    Marie Russell of Harrison holds onto her hat during the wind-swept 1986 International Women’s Day parade on Sherman Avenue.

    Michele Franks waits for a customer in 1990 at the Maverick Enterprises vendor cart at City Park.
  

 

    Coach Rolly Williams (right) and emcee Bob Angel speak at the 1966 “Rolly Williams Night."
  

    Les and Debbie Frank laugh during comments by Brigadier General Denny Hague at the 1991 Operation Homefront Victory celebration at McEuen Field. The couple’s son, Jason, and Les Frank’s brother, Clarence, served in Operation Desert Storm.