Gatzke Road EstablishedHistorical Map Story Title

Gatzke Road begins at highway 97 and is a dead end road. The road is named after a prominent Oyama family.
Leo Gatzke was the founding member along with his wife Wanda, whom he met in Vernon in the 1920s. Wanda and Leo moved to Oyama in 1939 where they purchased their first orchard. During the 1940s and 1950s, at a time when the fruit industry was very prosperous, Leo and Wanda bought more property, expanding there orchard operation to 60 acres. The Leo Gatzkes worked their orchards until they retired in 1980, when they sold part of their operation to their son Bernie and his son Alan.
Bernie served for many years as a volunteer firefighter with the Oyama Fire Department. His wife Helen served as the Oyama representative on the Board of Trustees for School District #23. She also was the first president of the Board of Directors of the Lake Country Museum.
Alan Gatzke married Ingrid Tepper of Winfield in 1983 and together they expanded into 'agritourism' by not only selling fruit from their Highway 97 stand but adding preserves and bakery item. Leading up to the stand, tourists can view the many old pieces of farm machinery. some of which was once used on the property. Under Alan's ownership, the Gatzke farm is now said to be one of the largest operations in British Columbia.
In 2001, Alan Gatzke won the civic by-election as councillor at large.
Most of the Gatzke descendants still reside inthis area today and have given a lot of their time to the community.

Source: Lake Country Archives: various Calendar articles.