The Ritzville Adams County Journal - Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887

Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series in The Journal.

WASHTUCNA – Raised on a 1,800-acre farm with his older brother and sister, Dennis D. Sackmann grew up collecting eggs, feeding pigs and herding cattle on horseback.

He also developed an aptitude for mechanical innovation and problemsolving.

Later nicknamed "MacGyver" by his family (after the popular television series that aired from 1985-92), the now 65-year-old became a real-life exemplar of the TV character's talent for finding creative solutions to perplexing problems.

"As a kid, Dad taught me how to build and c...