Work And Play Bertholic Family Makes The Most Of Foothills Farm Life, Family Life
The cornerstones of the Bertholic family are simple enough. Work, play and faith.
But the actuality - with eight children, 6 to 21 years old - seems larger than life.
For Kathie and Bart Bertholic, both 45, the plan always was clear: Live according to God’s wisdom, raise their children to be independent and keep a sense of humor. Oh, and find a farm where their children could learn to work hard.
Four years ago, God’s wisdom and Bart’s gift for creative financing landed them on 32 acres up a little draw in the Foothills. The family had fled California, with its rat race and earthquakes - “We each were assigned a doorway to stand in,” remembers Diana, 17 - for Spokane, where Kathie’s parents grew up.
On the Bertholic family farm, opportunities to work come easy. Rows of blueberry bushes, currant bushes, raspberries canes and grape vines offer chores all spring and summer: pruning, watering, mowing, weeding and picking. Three chest freezers in the garage wait to be filled with produce from mom’s garden - and, besides, entrepreneurism flows in the veins of any child of Bart Bertholic.
A financial planner who discovered he could work from home as easily as he could battle Spokane’s traffic, Bart grew up a go-getter.
When he was 4 years old, he found a cache of surgical tape and masking tape in a car his father was working on. Bart sold tape to everyone who came into his father’s shop. That was the first of many business ventures.
A year ago, Bart started a feed delivery business with his two sons.
“Then, I discovered He put us in the middle of hay country,” he said. Selling and delivering hay for neighboring farmers has kept Bart busy, while the two boys have been in Michigan to take part in a Christian leadership program.
Kathie grew up a country girl. She’s had a garden every summer since she married, at age 22.
“I get up each morning about 5:30 and go out and enjoy my goats,” she said. At that hour, Canada geese honk and circle down onto the pond snugged up against the house.
Both parents want their children to learn early they can support themselves, and someday, their own families. They believe that all children can be taught the habit of hard work.
Before they settled on their farm, the family lived in Hangman Hills. Paul, then 11, used to leave their neighbors fliers offering to do chores.
“There are lots of opportunities for industrious kids,” said Bart. “There just aren’t lots of industrious kids.”
Most of the Bertholic children pick up baby-sitting and other jobs through a neighborhood newsletter.
“Mom just put our names in,” said oldest daughter Jeannie, who is 20. “It was, like, surprise! But it’s really, actually neat.”
Jeannie said she’s enjoyed meeting neighbors and learning that some of the elderly ones like her company, having someone to listen to them.
The older children have some of their savings in mutual funds, no surprise, considering the business their dad is in.
“What we’ve done for the children is we said, tythe 10 percent, save 25 percent and spend the rest,” Bart said. “That has served the children very well.”
The Bertholics renew their faith Sundays at the Faith Bible Church in Spokane.
“We take up a whole pew,” Jeannie said, stretching her arms wide.
Kathie urges her large family to be ready for church on time. Otherwise, when all 10 Bertholics walk down the aisle, the person at the microphone might interrupt announcements to say, “Hi-i-i, Bertholics.” In a congregation of about 1,000 - that’s recognition Kathie can do without.
At home, the younger children have idyllic opportunities to play: Tree forts, secret hideaways, an heirloom playhouse - literally, Kathie remembers playing in it at her grandparents home - a horse, six dogs and an uncertain number of cats. Sometimes the girls play orphanage and, the poor dears, the only food they can find is raspberries.
“We pick a lot and put ‘em in a bowl and smash ‘em and eat ‘em with sugar,” said Julie, 12.
When the three “little girls,” Debbie, 6, Suzie, 10, and Julie, play “beauty salon,” fragrance fills the house.
“You should see them, they get out all the makeup and do their hair. And the smell is incredible - they use way, way too much perfume,” Jeannie said, waving away the memory of it.
Although they are home schooled, the Bertholic children are in no way cloistered.
This week, the family drove to the San Juan Islands for a diving vacation.
Lunch at the Bertholic home just might be Whoppers Dad brought home from Burger King. But adventurous tastes have an outlet too.
“You know those little square Japanese things with seaweed wrapped around them?” Suzie asked. “My dad and I love them.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 Photos (2 Color)