Jimmy Kugler

Jimmy Kugler (1932–1969) was born and raised in Lexington, Nebraska. Part of a large German immigrant community, he attended Lexington schools and was active in football, basketball, classroom art, and wartime activities like scrap metal drives. A year after graduation he moved to Denver. Meeting Patricia Andrews, they married and moved west, first to Salt Lake City, finally to Portland, Oregon. There they raised three children: Michael, Steven, and Tamara. Jimmy worked various jobs: driving a diaper truck, in the shipping industry along Portland’s Willamette River, or in small factories. Patricia separated from Jimmy in 1968, moving with the children to Colorado. A year later she reconciled with him, and planned to return to Portland. Before leaving Patricia learned that Jimmy, who had broken his leg playing mushball, suffered a series of epileptic seizures from poor medical treatment, as well as alcohol abuse. He died in July of 1969.