Tribute : Bill Reynolds’ life was filled with sports
“Play ball!”
It’s amazing the memories and sensations two little words can evoke, but in the minds of a whole generation of rural Americans, those words are powerful. They were sweet music to the ears of Bill Reynolds, Rathdrum “old-timer” who recently died.
In the first half of the 20th century, baseball was king. When the winter snow melted, the amateur “town teams” materialized and the competition was fierce. Every little Podunk, including Rathdrum, had a team. Neighbors came together in animated support of their community. The “color fights,” vying for ribbons, among the Kootenai county teams really brought out the crowds.
There was never a more enthusiastic participant than Reynolds, whether he was playing for the town team, coaching Little League or cheering from the sidelines. His wife, Pearlie, says he was “sports crazy,” and never missed a game in their 61 years together if he could help it. It didn’t have to be baseball; he loved any kind of game.
Reynolds was born Milton Irvin in Newton county, Missouri, where he worked on farms like most of America’s boys at the time. At 16 he fudged about his age to sign up with the U.S. Army. In 1939 the nation was gearing up for war, and an officer advised Bill that it looked like they’d be going overseas, and perhaps it’d be better if he ‘fessed up and left the service. Some of the family had migrated to California by then, so Bill went to work at Mare Island Naval Station. Then he and a friend learned how to drill water wells. They traveled around doing jobs, landing in Rathdrum about 1944.
He was busy drilling a well on Crenshaw Street when an evening of socializing brought an unexpected bonus. He was introduced to Pearlie Bradbury, whose parents ran the meat market. It didn’t take more than a few months of movie dates and evenings out for them to decide to tie the knot.
They were married on Aug. 31, 1946, and followed a few well-drilling jobs to surrounding states. But when their daughter, Jean, was ready for school they settled back home in Rathdrum. Pearlie says they could have found better work elsewhere, but they stayed here for the quality of life. Son Mike completed their family, which grew to include 33 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The grandchildren remember his welcoming lap, his quiet teasing and gentle, infrequent correction. He loved to be with them, and all children – in fact Pearlie would locate him at games by the crowd of kids that would surround him. One grandson, little John McCrite, took great satisfaction in out-fishing Reynolds one day, and asking him over and over on the hike out, “How many did you catch, Grandpa? And how many did I catch?”
Jean says her father never had a bad word about anybody. He never raised his voice, and Mike was a teenager before he ever heard his father swear. The hand crank on the old ‘39 pickup truck fired back on him and hit him hard. He shook it off and returned to the task. Reynolds’ favorite car was a 1949 light green Buick sedan with a straight-eight – smooth ride for Dad and Mom, but car-sick city for the kids in the back seat.
Reynolds was not a person who required a lot from life – being happy with his family, taking life as it came. Rarely, the family traveled to Missouri or California to visit his family. More frequently, they went camping, primarily at Priest Lake. Like many men of his era, he worked hard and could do most anything he put his mind to. He helped build the firehouse on the corner of Main and Coeur d’Alene streets, and was a volunteer fireman. He helped dismantle Farragut Naval Station, serviced cars at Merle Hansen’s Mobile station, where he could tune a carburetor better than anyone, and drove the city snowplows. People appreciated his clearing their drives as he plowed, but then he was always helping someone do something. He finished out his career with 25 years at Idaho Veneer.
Working made a living but sports made life. Reynolds loved to creek fish, and relished the fried catch. He hunted deer and elk for the table with anyone who would go with him. He played outfield for the Rathdrum town team, and in 1949 they exulted in taking the league championship. In the late 1950s Bill was instrumental in forming the Kootenai County Little League. He put a lot of hours and labor into building track and ball fields through the years. Coach Levi Cushman said of him, “I was a Lakeland athlete and am now a Lakeland coach. I don’t think we will ever have such a devoted fan. I’ve seen Bill at Lakeland sporting events from Bonners Ferry down to Moscow.” The students and personnel alike appreciated his support, the kids showering him with souvenirs.
A plaque honoring him as their No. 1 Booster is in the works for the trophy case at Lakeland High School. This loyal, quiet man might be sidelined, but he will not be forgotten.