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Katich

Martin was a commercial fisherman and owner of the Purse Seine Vessel Welcome. They had 5 children; Tony, Johnny, Mary (Katich), Lena (Karmalich) and Ann (Manley). His son Johnny, later owned and operated the boat. Tony owned and operated the Stanich Grocery Store at 3411 Harborview Drive. The store provided groceries and other supplies to the commercial fishing fleet and the residents of the Historic Millville area of Gig Harbor. The historic Stanich Netshed constructed and originally owned by the family is located at the end of Dorotich Street right-of-way adjacent to the family home. The home is currently owned by Mary Ann (Manley) Jackson. Mike and Mary Katich owned and resided at the single-family home located at! 3502 Harborview Drive until 1940 when they built their home at 3509 Ross Avenue. Mike was a commercial fisherman who owned and operated many purse seine vessels in Washington and Alaska. Mike and Mary had one son, Antone Peter Katich, a career commercial fisherman who also owned and operated commercial fishing vessels in Washington and Alaska, and who was married to Evelyn (Gagliardi) Katich for 55 years prior to his passing on April 11, 2009. Their son Athony Peter married Elizabeth and they have two adult children, Peter and Elizabeth have lived in his parents home on Ross Avenue for 34 years. (Peter is the great grandson of Martin & Katie Stanich who's family home is at 8212 Dorotich Street.)

Kazulin

The Kazulin family’s reputation for designing and building exceptional watercraft dates back seven generations, to the Island of Brac, Dalmatia (Croatia). Sam Kazulin immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. He was hired by the Skansie Shipyard, where he built many of the early motor-driven wooden fishing boats and was foreman for 27 years. He was also the sponsor of Skansie’s first purse seiner. Sam’s son Mike immigrated to Tacoma and established his own boat-building business in the 1960s. Meanwhile, back in Croatia, Sam’s other son, Velko, continued the family tradition, building fine wooden excursion boats. He progressed into fiberglass in the late 1950s and built the very first fiberglass production boat in Eastern Europe. Decades later, thousands of these fiberglass boats can still be found throughout the Adriatic. In the late 1970s, Velko and his son Tony emigrated to Victoria, B.C., bringing Kazulin boatworks to Canada. Today, Kazulin yacht-tenders and runabouts fetch prices well into the six- and seven-figures. (source: croatians.com, American biographies K-R; also http://kazulinboats.com/ history.htm)

Kimball

William Kimball fought in the Civil War with the 7th Michigan Calvary. His father, Isaac, served in the same unit. In 1889, William came to Gig Harbor with his wife, Anna Dow, and nine children: Mary, William Jr., Arminda, Dell, Charles, Frank, Edson, George Delmer, and Norman. They traveled from Kansas, over the Oregon Trail, with Anna’s brother, Edson Dow, and his family. Anna’s father, George Dow, joined them. Upon arriving to Gig Harbor, William and his family built their first sod house. A year later, Anna gave birth to their youngest child, Lewis. The couple’s son George died in a logging accident. Of their children who survived to adulthood, several stayed in Gig Harbor. Norman farmed and logged until he retired in 1920. He then grew vegetables to sell in town. Edson and William Jr. were farmers too. GHPHS

Knapp

Roland Knapp met Shirley Gustofson at a dance at Horseshoe Lake Lodge while he was still in the military. He was a mortar gunner in WWII and was with the 1st Marines when they landed at the beaches of Guadalcanal. After leaving the Corps, he spent 16 years working for Shirley’s father. He then established his own auto repair business. He retired as shop foreman for the Peninsula School District. He was a volunteer firefighter for 25 years and was active in the VFW. (source: History of Pierce County, Paul Gustofson, & Shirley Knapp) GHPSH