Norma Ferguson with Frank, Fred & Elaine Kroetsch

Hollis Joseph "Joe" Kroetch was born January 1, 1903, in Harrison, Idaho. Hollis was the son of John Baptist Henry Kroetch and Hellen Isabella ‘Nell’ Steeples. His parents met and eventually married at John’s mothers home in the little city of Plainville, Kansas. A day after their wedding, the couple moved to Nebraska for a short time, then settled in Harrison, Idaho where John helped establish a family lumber business. Hollis had one older sibling, Juanita Josephine Kroetch, born in 1901, also in Harrison, Idaho. Hollis’ parents divorced when he was 5, and Nell and her two children moved back to Plainville, Kansas where both children entered school while they lived with Nell’s mother and step-father. Nell’s mother, Mary Ann Morrison Steeples Burns, and her step-father, Sam Burns, ran a small hotel in Plainville. Living near the Plainville Catholic Church was Hollis’ paternal grandmother, Angeline Chartrand Kroetsch. During his school years, Hollis often appeared in the local newspaper, the Plainville Times: Plainville Times, June 15, 1911: "Childrens Day Exercises.....there were 7 in the exercises and little Hollis Kroetch the premier boy singer of the burg went to front in this as he always does in similar exercises..." July 20, 1911, Plainville Times: "...Mrs. Nell Kroetch and children Hollis and Juanita will leave for Portland, Oregon this evening..." Plainville Times Date: May 23, 1912 Hollis did a recitation for the Decoration Day Program sponsored by the GAR Plainville Times May 29, 1913 Decoration Day Program at M. E. Church....Recitation by Hollis Kroetch from "An American Exile..." Plainville Times, July 30, 1914 " Mrs. S.W. Burns and grandson Hollis left Tuesday night for Loveland, Colorado to visit her son George Burns and daughter Mrs. James Chamberlain and families. Mr. Burns will join them later." 1915 Kansas State Census Name: Halles Krotch (incorrect name....) Census Date: 1915 Residence County: Rooks Residence State: Kansas Locality: Plainville Birth Location: Idaho Family Number: 5 Line: 16 Roll: ks1915_208 Living in household: G.S. Burns 70 M.A. Burns 57 (grandmother) Krutch, Hollis '9' (age incorrect-should be 12 years old..Sam's age reported incorrectly also, as age 80, when it should be '70'). Hollis was attending school, per the census records. At the time the 1915 Kansas census was taken, Hollis' mother Nellie was living in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor Co., Wash and was married to a Chester McKenzie.... Per Plainville Times, September 9, 1915: "Mr. and Mrs. G.S. Burns, Charles Holland and Hollis Kroetch were expected to start for home in their ford Monday...." Per Plainville Times, July 6, 1916 "Hollis Kroetch has accepted a position at the Plainville Pharmacy..." Per Plainville Times, July 13, 1916 "Mrs. G.S. Burns and grandson Hollis Kroetch expect to leave next week for an extended visit at Garden City, Kansas, and Loveland, Colorado." Per Plainville Times, Nov. 23, 1916 "Reading : An Imaginary Invalid Hollis Kroetch, Sophomore" during a school program... Plainville Times Date: August 2, 1917 "Mrs. M.A. Burns, Mrs. H.A. Cool, Mrs. J.C. MacKenzie, and Hollis Kroetch spent Friday at the Ed Richardson home in Zurich." Plainville Times Date: August 9, 1917 "Mrs. J.C. Mackenzie, who has been visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.S. Burns and other relatives, left Tuesday night for her home in Portland, Oregon, Her son Hollis Kroetch, who has made his home with his grandparents for several years, accompanied her to make his home. They will visit relatives in Loveland, Colorado, on their way. Per Plainville Times, October 24, 1918: "Hollis J. Kroetch, USS Oregon, San Francisco, Calif care PM" Plainville Times, January 16, 1919 Hollis listed on the Honor Roll for Plainville High School, Plainville, KS...most likely for the 1918 school year In the 1930 census, he was listed as living in Neeson, Grays Harbor, WA, with his family: wife Dorothy and children Elaine, Fred, Frank, and Juanita. He said he was a "bucker(?)" in a logging camp.

Frank Kroetch was one of four siblings and was born to Dorothy Elaine (Ferguson) Kroetch and Hollis "Joe" Joseph Kroetch. As far as I know (grandson), Frank and his brother & two sisters had a bit of a rough childhood, having been separated into different groups living with various family members. He was one of the youngest to serve on the USS Killen for the U.S Navy in World War II. In fact, he lived his entire life thinking he was the youngest crew mate on the ship (he lied about his age to serve in WW2), but found out in the late 1990's at a Killen shipmates reunion in San Francisco that one lad had him beat by a handful of days. He married Marian "Joyce" Benning and had two children Kathy Pinna and Pamela Marks. He later married Carol (Antonsen) Kroetch and they raised John Kroetch. He was a very smart man (with an IQ that tested between 165 and 185) and good looking - charismatic! He was a life-long entrepreneur starting numerous businesses in various industries after attending the University of Washington and graduating from San Jose State University. He lived in both California (where his daughters were born) and Washington (where he was born and died). Frank was never baptized (as far as his child Kathy knows) and has no burial site. He was cremated and his ashes distributed between his wife and two daughters. He was quite a human being and we all miss him every day.

On May 9th, 1936, Norma married Louis Punnett in Grays Harbor County, WA. It was a second marriage for both. The witnesses were her brother Harry and sister-in-law Aileen. Harry said he was a shipping clerk and Norma said she was a waitress.

Elaine Marguerite Kroetch was adopted by the Bell family when her mother died (she was age 8). Since her younger sister was also adopted (by the Dahlquist family) and her brothers Fred (who lived with his Aunt Wea) and Frank (who lived for a time with his Aunt Thelma) were sent to live with family, even at the young age of 8 Elaine insisted that she and her siblings see each other often. And they did. They always told stories of the mischief they got into as kids. As a result, they were close all of their lives and so were their children ("the cousins"). Although only Frank and Elaine lived in Washington state as adults (Norma lived in San Diego and Fred lived in Dayton Ohio), they spoke on the phone often and visited often. Fred died first (lung cancer), then Frank (cardiac arrest), then Norma, then Elaine. Although her mother's family didn't like our grandfather and therefore obtained an order from a (family friend) judge to keep him from the children, they did see my grandfather as adults. My dad (Frank) and Fred saw him often. The girls still held a grudge against him.