Dear Editor:
Re: Historical Lens in the July 1st Pioneer.
I lived in the Lakeside Inn with my mother (1959-1960) when it was John Kroepfels property. He was an Austrian friend of my parents. At the time, my father worked at the Mineral King Mine. My mother helped him out as a nanny/housekeeper with his three daughters: Deedee, Patti and Peggy.
I once drew a mural on a wall in the sitting or dining room with those little Avon sample lipsticks. Uncle John, needless to say, was NOT impressed. Rumour has it paint was never able to cover it up.
John apparently bought the place for a good price and fixed it up bit by bit. Mom says he was always fixing the roof!
He added fill and burned his garbage and gradually increased the size of his parcel. In spring, the yard was always under water, but not flooded from the lake, more like groundwater coming up.
He drove a big dark blue antique Ford car. He kept it and the whole place immaculate. I think Uncle John did take in boarders as well upstairs. He had a big wood cook stove in the kitchen.
I am hoping to look for some old pictures over the holidays. I know we have several. So far I have found one of Peggy, my brother, myself, my Mom and Uncle John sitting on the boathouse dock.
I would like to get in contact with any of the family that still may live in the Invermere area and ask they contact The Pioneer to get my contact information. My parents are Gunter and Ilse Polivka and still live in Kimberley where they moved when the Mineral King closed down in 1968.
Uncle John passed away from cancer in the early 1970s.
Susan Templin
Fernie
