Get to Know Grandpa Von Bolander

I was the seventh of eight children born to James Emanuel George Bolander and Nora McGary. I was born on 19 March 1928 at Shelley, Bingham county, Idaho. My youth was spent on farms in eastern Idaho. I remember well, how as a boy, I loved to ride horses. This sprouted very early in my life. The first I remember of riding a horse was when Papa was plowing. He used three horses to plow with and four to harrow, and while he plowed he sometimes let me ride the extra horse. One time while I was riding the extra horse he ran away with me. He ran around and around in a circle until papa could get him stopped.

We were never fortunate enough to have a saddle horse so I had to wait my chance to ride the work horses. I would sometimes get to ride them on days when they weren't needed in the fields. One day Vance and I had been for a horse back ride in the nearby foothills. On our way home we met some of our friends on their horses and they told us papa had been looking for us. He wanted the horses so he could try out a new wagon he had just built. We knew we had better get home as fast as possible, so we had a race. Just as we turned in the gate I fell off the horse and landed on one foot, spraining my ankle. I couldn't walk for a few days. Another time Gary, Vance and myself were riding the horse and it got away from us and walked under the clothesline, sweeping all of us off on the ground.

We sometimes went fishing down on the Snake River. All our tackle amounted to was a straight willow for a pole, a little line, a hook and some sinkers. We never caught many fish but we had fun.

Every farm boy has a certain amount of chores to do and starts out very young to take his responsibility of doing them. One of my first chores was to gather the eggs. On one occasion papa told me to hurry and gather the eggs and I could go to town with him on the wagon. I didn't have anything to pack them in so I borrowed Vance's hat. In my hurry to get the eggs to the house I fell down. I really had a mess in his hat and he let me know about it when he found out.

At that time, herding cows was the main job of all farm boys during the summer months. I didn't mind this to much because there was usually two or three of us doing it and we could usually get a lot of playing done along with our work. There was responsibility in herding the cows because we had to see that they didn't get to full and bloat and also see that they didn't get in the crops.

All the boys in the neighborhood had home made flippers. We made them out of a good forked willow that had good balance, and two strips of intertube about one half inch wide and twelve or fourteen inches long. We could cut the willow so that it had a handle about four inches long and cut the two parts of the fork so they were about three inches long. We would then tie the strips of intertube onto the flipper crotch, as we called the forked willow, and on the other end we would tie an oval shaped leather pad. We hunted birds and ground squirrels with them, and used round rocks for our ammunition.

I always liked to play the game of cops and robbers, or cowboy and Indians, for which we also made our own guns. We made them out of wood scraps, clothespins and a piece of intertube stretched around the barrel of the gun, which we pinched in the clothespin until we wanted to shoot it. This was a game of fun and also of skill to see who made the best gun.

I had an unusual hobby of collecting bird eggs. I would take an egg and puncture it on both ends with a pin and then blow the insides out so that all that was left was the hollow shell. At one time I had about twenty five different kinds of bird eggs. This also led to the knowledge of different birds. I knew every kind of bird around. One day I walked about two miles up the river just to see a white pelican. Another time we caught a big sandhill crane that had such a big fish caught in it's mouth that it couldn't fly. We kept him in a shed about a week and then let him go.

I can also remember times when we would take robin eggs and put them in blackbird nest, or woodpecker eggs in robin nests. We would just mix them up anyway that was convient. It was fun to see the perplexed mother bird when she hatched the peculiar offspring. Sometimes she would raise it and sometimes she would throw it out.

I regret to say that I didn't have much interest in school. My first remembrance of school was an incident that took place in the first grade. The boy sitting across the isle from me had been absent a few days and he was trying to catch up on some of his work. The teacher stepped out of the room and while she was gone he asked me how to do a certain thing. Just as I was showing him how, the teacher came back in. She slapped my face and sent me to the cloak room. After that I was always afraid of my teachers. I think this was one of the biggest reasons why I didn't like school very well. We never lived very close to school and most places we lived I had to walk. When we lived in Blackfoot I got to ride in the school wagon. This was a little gray bus drawn by horses. When we moved to Firth I rode in the AOrange Crate, as it was nicknamed, but it only ran in the winter and the rest of the time we had to walk. It wasn't until the year I started to High School that I got to ride a bus all the time.

My folks were never blessed with a lot of wealth but they always had a lot of love and understanding, for which I am grateful. They could be considered quite religious for they went to church regularly and took us kids with them. Going to church became part of my life. Through the activity of my parents I remember how I loved Primary. As a trail builder boy I did many things. With the aid of my father I built a small treasure chest. I painted it brown and painted one of the trail builder emblems, a green pine tree, on the top of the lid. I also attached to the inside of the lid a name plate which my grandfather Bolander had made for me several years earlier. This little chest is still in my possession and a true treasure of my youth.

As I grew older and had more activity in the church, I graduated from Primary in the Firth ward at Firth, Idaho. I then went on into the boy scouts and also received the priesthood. I advanced in the priesthood as age would permit. During my time in the Aaronic Priesthood the church started the practice of giving the boys individual awards for activity in the Priesthood and church activities. I received an award each year until I was ordained an Elder. In the scout troop I had many enjoyable times camping, swimming, hiking, and all the things of an active scout troop. Our troop was very active in advancements and for one whole year every boy in our troop received at least one advancement a month. I became a Life Scout and earned a total of 23 merit badges. I could not swim good enough to get the life saving merit badge. This badge was the only thing that kept me from becoming an eagle scout.

In my teens I had many wonderful times. The kids in our ward had many home parties as well as picnics, dancing in MIA, roller skating, swimming and all done as a group with little dating until we reached our late teens.

In February of 1946 I asked Lorraine Peterson to marry me. She accepted and on the 17^th day of September 1947 we were married in the Idaho Falls Temple. We started our married life together by farming in the Firth area for about 9 years. The first home we lived in had four rooms and a path. During the first year we were married I dug a basement and had the house moved onto it. We then put in running water and a bathroom.

Knowing the grass was greener on the other side of the fence we decided to give up farming so we moved to Logan, Utah where I attended Utah State University for about five years. I graduated on the 10^th day of June 1961 with a BS degree in Industrial Management and minors in Math, Physics and Economics. Lorraine received a PHT degree (putting Huby Through) the day before.

While we lived in Firth Marlene, Jerry, Thane and douglas were born to us. While in Logan Cheryl came along to increase our family to five.

Upon graduation from the university we moved to Kent, Washington where we lived for 4 2 years. While there the addition of Vicky and Denice increased our family to seven. While we lived in Kent I worked for the Boeing Company as a Systems Analyst and Computer Programmer. I worked in Renton, Washington and also a short time in Seattle. The division of the Boeing company I worked for manufactured big jet airliners.

Being active in the church all the time I was called to serve on a Stake mission while we lived in Firth. While in Logan I was ordained a Seventy. When we first moved to Kent the ward there was very small. The ward had no chapel and had to meet in an American Legion Hall. They were working hard to raise enough money to build a chapel when we moved there. Finally enough money was raised and we built a small chapel overlooking the Kent valley. Soon after the chapel was finished I was asked to be the 1^st counselor to Bishop Marshall Lewis. Loren Anderson was the 2^nd counselor and I came to love these brethren very much. We served in the bishopric together for about 2 years. During that time we helped the ward finish paying for the building and also helped it out of debt for the first time since it became a ward. We had many wonderful experiences while living in the Kent ward. We made many friends while there that I shall never forget.

We then moved on to Kennewick , Washington, where I was employed for 18 months by Computer Science Corporation. Kevin was born while we lived there. The work at C.S.C. was similar to that which I had done for the Boeing Company. While working for C.S.C. I traveled some. I worked in Houston Texas for about four months at the NASA Site. The work at Richland, Washington for C.S.C. was for the Atomic Energy Commission. I also worked a short time in Los Angeles, California. Not liking to be away from home and the family I soon looked for employment elsewhere. I then obtained work with the State of Idaho and moved the family to Boise, Idaho.

Since we moved to Boise we have kept very busy. I first worked for the State Division of Management Services, which was a very interesting job. Then I worked for the County Assessor and then for Ore Ida Foods.

I enjoy working in the church very much. I have worked in many positions in the church. I had the privilege of working in the Boise North Stake for about 15 years, first as Assistant Stake Clerk then High Counselor, then Stake Clerk and then Executive Secretary. While in these positions I had the privilege of working directly with Aldin Porter, who when released as the Stake President became one of the Regional Representatives to the Twelve Apostles. I next served with President Vaughn J. Featherstone and J. Richard Clarke, who was a counselor to Vaughn Featherstone. President Featherstone was called to be 2^nd counselor in the Presiding Bishopric and later as a member of the 1^st Quorum of 70. J. Richard Clarke was called to be the President of the new Meridian Stake, then a Regional Representative and then as 2^nd counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. I next served with President Seth Redford, who was the next Stake President, with President Ted C. Peck as 1^st counselor and President Ron Loveland 2^nd counselor. President Redford and President Loveland were called at the same time to be mission Presidents with Pres. Redford going to the Atlanta Georgia Mission and Pres. Loveland going to the San Antonio Texas Mission. I then served with President Ted C. Peck who was called as the next Stake President.

I like to work around the house trying to fix it up to be comfortable for our family. I also like to work in the yard in the flowers and garden. These things are probably the nearest things to a hobby I have. (The pictures at the end are of the home in Boise just before we moved after living there 40 years.)

We are quite pleased with our family. Most of our children were married in the temple, and three boys served missions.

January 1, 1993 I retired from Ore-Ida foods. December 1993 we left to go on a mission to the Lagos Nigerian Mission. Our mission was great!! We trained the leaders in a new district for about 8 2 months, then we worked in the mission office as the office couple. There I took on the duties of the Mission Financial Secretary. I handled all the money used in the mission. We worked with the mission President and his wife, who were black, but very, very special people. Our testimony grew while serving our mission.

Since we came home from our mission, I have served as the financial clerk in the Boise 11^th Ward. We are also serving in the Boise Temple.

I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ. That it is lead by the Lords Prophets. I know the Book of Mormon is a true testament of Jesus Christ. I know the Father and Son live; they direct the church thru their Prophets. It is important that we keep the commandments and serve where we are called with all our mite. Our goal is to return to our Heavenly Father with all our family.