Not long after Lester and Mabel Punch moved to Billings in 1919, they purchased this house in the growing North Elevation subdivision. Although it now has modern windows and siding, the home’s open porch, tapered porch columns, and decorative braces under wide, overhanging eaves still recall the 1910s and the era’s popular Craftsman style. The manager of the Foley Brothers Grocery, Lester made a large impact on civic life. During his seven years in Billings, he served as president of the Kiwanis Club and a member of the Billings Park Board; he also “played a prominent part in the work of the YMCA and Commercial club and [other] kindred activities....” The Punches sold their home to Arnold Rich. The automobile dealer lived here until 1932 with wife Stella, two daughters, and sister Pauline, who worked as a librarian at the nearby normal school (now MSU-B). Later occupants included county extension agent Bruce McKee and his wife Mabel and store clerk Laura Lemmer and her son, William, who worked as a printer for the Gazette.
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