The Kunkel-Perez House

103 N. Avenue M Olney, TX | Photo by Will Sadler

This lot is hard to follow as it combined pieces of blocks 41 and 42 of the Stovall Subdivision of the Dieter Farm.

In 1930, Charles F. Kunkel (1890-1967) got parcels of this site from D.B. Wood— (postmaster), R.T. Chestnut (a local farmer) and R.A. Logan (part of the active Logan family in realty)— to have a site to build a house which he did in that year. Kunkel—with an interesting note that his mother was a Junker, and his wife was a Dietrich—and his wife had three sons that were active in the community—Erwin (1912-1998), who was the owner of Texas Cleaners, Wilbert (1915-1995), who engaged in local oil production and well drilling, and Clemens (1923-2002), who ran the farm. The Dietrich and Kunkel families benefited from the Swastika Oil Boom of 1923. On top of that, Charles got a Mississippian well just southwest of Olney in 1950 on a tract of land he probably purchased with his earlier oil royalties.

In 1943, Kunkel sold the property to Hubert Earl (1912-1988) (Jelly) and Ruby Lula (Seals) (1917-2008) Woodall. Jelly worked at the Ford House (Perkins & Myers) as a mechanic all his adult life. Currently, his son, Glen, is engaged in auto repair and service on Main Street. Ruby was a hard worker as she operated an ironing service with a huge clientele of local housewives. Jelly was a veteran of World War II and was a mechanic in the Air Force. He came to Olney in 1928.

In 1954, the Woodalls sold the house to Melvin and Beulah Pearce. Most notable about the Pearce family was their son, Joe, who was one of several Olney High School football stars of the late 50s and early 60s. Joe was relatively small, but he had a desire to achieve. When he graduated, he was one of several players through the years that Glenn Atchley recruited for Oklahoma University.

In 1968, the Pearces sold the house to Ray and Belva Miller, who ran the Whites Auto Store on Main Street. The Millers were Electra people, and he had a penchant for ranching and horses. He bought a small acreage on Highway 79 on the west side of the road; After he left Olney, the Stewarts bought it.

In 2003, Belva, evidently as a widow, sold the house to Louis Gibbs, who shortly thereafter sold the property to William Cody Ashley and wife Kari Amber, who in that same year sold the house to the present owner, J. Jesus Perez.

PHOTO CORRECTION 1/20/22 ISSUE

The photo caption in the 1.20.22 issue incorrectly listed “The dress pictured belonged to Willie Leberman and is on display in the Olney Heritage Museum.” The caption should have reflect Mrs. Leberman’s maiden name Wainwright.

Photo by Barbara Larimore