Lifelong Coeur d'Alene resident Jim Shepperd celebrates his 83rd birthday July 29 and shared a fun story of that day in the print Main Street column HERE. Our conversation included other interesting tidbits. Jim's father, Warren was a longtime member of the Coeur d'Alene Kiwanis, starting in the 1920s. He had 23 years of perfect attendance. Jim also became involved in the Kiwanis as an adult and made 23 years of perfect attendance himself. The Shepperd family lived on 11th and Sherman, in the St. Thomas area. Jim said that 13 of the boys he knew in the neighborhood later became priests. Dr. Alexander Barclay Sr. was the family doctor and had his offices and a hospital on Garden Avenue across from the courthouse. His two sons, Alexander Jr. (Bud) and Gedney (Ged) became doctors and continued on in the same location for many years. The building in most recent years was the location of the Kootenai County Elections offices. Dr. Barclay Sr. forgave all doctor bills during the Depression, not wanting his patients and neighbors to suffer any additional financial hardships. Jim was brought into the world, not by Dr. Barclay who was gone that day but by Dr. John T. Wood, who later went on to become a US Congressman. Dr. John T's son, Dr. William Wood had a long and illustrious career in Coeur d'Alene including decades as Kootenai County Coroner. He passed away a few years ago in his nineties.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tales of Coeur d'Alene
Lifelong Coeur d'Alene resident Jim Shepperd celebrates his 83rd birthday July 29 and shared a fun story of that day in the print Main Street column HERE. Our conversation included other interesting tidbits. Jim's father, Warren was a longtime member of the Coeur d'Alene Kiwanis, starting in the 1920s. He had 23 years of perfect attendance. Jim also became involved in the Kiwanis as an adult and made 23 years of perfect attendance himself. The Shepperd family lived on 11th and Sherman, in the St. Thomas area. Jim said that 13 of the boys he knew in the neighborhood later became priests. Dr. Alexander Barclay Sr. was the family doctor and had his offices and a hospital on Garden Avenue across from the courthouse. His two sons, Alexander Jr. (Bud) and Gedney (Ged) became doctors and continued on in the same location for many years. The building in most recent years was the location of the Kootenai County Elections offices. Dr. Barclay Sr. forgave all doctor bills during the Depression, not wanting his patients and neighbors to suffer any additional financial hardships. Jim was brought into the world, not by Dr. Barclay who was gone that day but by Dr. John T. Wood, who later went on to become a US Congressman. Dr. John T's son, Dr. William Wood had a long and illustrious career in Coeur d'Alene including decades as Kootenai County Coroner. He passed away a few years ago in his nineties.
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That's my uncle! Kerri, you should take a week (maybe a month, heck, maybe a year and write a book--seriously) and interview him. He is the most entertaining source of local history you will EVER find.
ReplyDeleteMike Shepperd, LCDR, USN (Ret.)