What about the Bolings?

Maitland, Missouri city limits - May, 2011
Home of James Boling family for a number of years

 I know that I jump around a lot on this blog, writing about different families, scattered events,  and random places.  The truth is -  I write what interests me at that moment, and that doesn't usually follow a predictable order!  When I start researching, I can very easily get off on a tangent and end up many miles and several generations from where I started looking.  

You  may have noticed that I've already included several posts about Leona's history.  For a while I wasn't certain I should include her history on a blog about her husband, but I finally realized that I can't really write about Lou's life without including Leona.  I couldn't figure out where to draw the line between his story and hers - and I didn't want to start another blog!

So since my interest right now is on the Bolings, let me introduce you to the family:

Leona's mother, Etta Lorene Boling (Carpenter) was one of 11 children of James Leonard Boling (1884-1942) and Ruth Elizabeth Winger (1891-1928).  Eight of the children were born in Missouri, and the other three were born in Nebraska.  I know very little about the Boling history, so I don't yet know what took them from Missouri to Nebraska and then back to Missouri where the two youngest children were born, but I'm trying to find out.

A granddaughter reports that James and Ruth raised a hard working and close knit family.  From James' World War I Draft Registration Card, we learn that he was employed in 1918 as a carpenter and mason.  His obituary states that he was "industrious" and "well liked by all with whom he came in contact."

As was typical for that generation, Ruth was at home with the children - which would have been no easy task as the mother of 11!  Grandma Tootie (Lorene got the nickname of Tootie from her dad) told of her mother's great cooking, but added that she couldn't bake a cake.  As a result, Tootie baked all the cakes for the family - and I'll bet there were many - from the time she was eight years old.

In the stories that follow I'll share what I know about the Boling family including Ruth's early death, which necessitated a variety of living situations for the children still at home.  I've been fortunate in making contact with one of Leona's Boling cousins who is helping me with names, dates, and places and hopefully some more of the family history stories.

I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich.

-Dan Wilcox & Thad Mumford

Ashland, Nebraska - James Boling's last home

The sign on the main road into Ashland assured us we had followed the map correctly

In May, 2011, Don and I went with his mother on a family history trip, visiting some of the places where her ancestors had been born and/or lived.  Our first stop was Ashland, Nebraska the community where Leona's maternal grandfather, James Leonard Boling had lived at the time of his death.

There is something about visiting the places where family members actually spent time and worked and raised children and farmed and laughed and cried and lived and died that strikes a chord in me as I try to imagine their lives.  Ashland was a great starting point for my first family history trip, because it was everything I imagined an ancestral town should be: small, quaint, picturesque, and home to a charming public library. 

I loved the stone arches on the bank building, now being used as offices.

The National Bank building

I'm sure this home was in Ashland when James lived there between 1936 - 1942, and probably for many years prior to that.  It was an interesting contrast between old and new with the air conditioner sitting next to the stone foundation.

Old meeting new sometimes creates junk

Note the stone foundation

Hopefully Oscar Hoffman sold a lot of dry goods, shoes, groceries and feed at one time.  Unfortunately, this building now stands vacant.

The dry goods store had a prime location on the main street

The cemetery was at the edge of town.  As Leona had been there once before, we were confident that we would find Grandpa Boling's grave.  The volunteer was so willing to help us, and she was delighted to show us the recently completed display area which allowed us to easily locate the grave. The pictures of his grave can be found here.

The cemetery rules were posted prominently at the gate

She quickly located the Boling name in the list

James Leonard is not the only Boling buried in this cemetery

Our last stop in Ashland was the public library.  Not only did it look like the set of an old movie, the smell that greeted us as we stepped inside was perfect!  Books (old and new), wax on hardwood floors and a little bit of mustiness blended to create the quintessential library atmosphere in the small and crowded rooms of the outdated building.  A huge sign on the lawn proudly announced construction on a new library - thanks to a bond that had passed. Is it wrong of me to feel a little sad about that progress?

The view from the street looked like a postcard

Note the re-purposed mailbox that serves as a book return

The microfilm area in the library was accessed only by way of a very dark and narrow stairway leading to the basement. We cautiously made our way down the steep steps (wondering all the while if our librarian guide would be able to navigate them successfully) and then squeezed into the tiny room where we found the microfilmed newspaper reports of James Boling's death.  Success!

Are blue Rubbermaid bins archival storage?

My first experience with microfilm

Whenever you go on a trip to visit foreign lands or distant places, remember that they are all someone's home and backyard.  -Vera Nazarian

It's a Girl!

The first daughter of Etta Lorene (Tootie) Boling and Ream Everett Carpenter, Eleanor Leona was born on November 14, 1925 in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Eleanor Leona Carpenter

She was a tiny baby and weighed only weighed three and a quarter pounds at birth. As typical for that era, Leona was born at home, but there was a doctor and a nurse or midwife in attendance. The doctor (surely joking) said, "Do you think it's worth keeping?" Grandma Tootie said she was furious with him since she had just gone to a lot of work to have that baby!

Leona - mid 1926

Do you see some family resemblance? 
Do you or your children look like this chubby cheeked baby girl?

At the time of Leona's birth, her parents Lorene and Ream, along with Ream's sister Effie, were investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and meeting regularly with the missionaries.  One of the missionary sisters was Eleanor Bills, and Leona was named for her.

 Bessie Williams - Eleanor Bills 

The picture back

The back of the picture reads:  (in Effie's handwriting) "the first missionary girls I ever met.  Sr. Bessie Williams and Sr Eleanor Bills".  Both good as gold"

And in Ream's handwriting below: "Leona, you were named after Sis. Eleanor Bills, the one on the right."

James L. Boling

James L. Boling

January 30, 1884 - March 11, 1942 

I've never seen a picture of Leona's maternal grandfather, and information about his life is sparse, but the little bit of information in his obituary printed in the Ashland Gazette, March 18, 1942, gives us a look into his life.

Home of James Boling at the time of his death
1919 Boyd Street, Ashland, Nebraska

"What is believed to have been a cerebral hemorrhage caused the sudden death of James L. Boling at his home about 7:00 Wednesday night.

1918 Boyd Street
Home of S.E. Merford Family in 1942

 "Mr. Boling had returned from his work at the National Guard Camp and had been at the SE Merford home – 1918 Boyd Street to do a piece of work. He started for his own home directly across the street and when he reached his yard was heard to utter a scream. Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Greenslit heard his cry and helped him into his house where he lived about 10 minutes.

"James Leonard Boling was born at Seymour, Jackson, Indiana on January 29, 1876 and passed away at Ashland March 11, 1942 at the age of 66 years, 1 month, 10 days. Thirty-four years ago he was united in marriage with Ruth Winger. She passed away March 1, 1928. To their union 11 children were born – all of whom are living. They are Mrs. Lorene Carpenter, Mrs. Bernice Bergerman, Mrs. Velma Reed, Miss Lydia Ruth Boling and Donald Boling all of Pueblo, Colorado. Nelson, Merrill and Robert Boling of Ashland, Charles Boling of Los Angeles, CA, Billy Dean Boling of San Diego, California and Sergeant James Boling Jr. of Camp Roberts, California.

"Mr. James Boling and his family came to Ashland from Graham, MO in May 1936 and had made this their home since that time. The family had resided some years at Valley and Freemont before going to Missouri.  Mr. Boling was an industrious man, well liked by all with whom he came to during his residence of nearly 6 years in this city and will be greatly missed by a wide circle of friends in addition to his family and other relatives.

James Boling's grave just inside the gates of the
Ashland Cemetery

James Boling
Final resting place

"Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon, March 16 at the Mercy Chapel and was conducted by Bishop Bell and Elder Abbott of the Church of Latter-day Saints at Lincoln. Pallbearers were Lewis R. Burley, Walter Buskirk, Elmer M. McFarland and Arthur Robinson and Jesse Roger and Virgil Shields. Interment was in the Ashland cemetery.

Happy Father's Day, Grandpa Boling! 

The birth date on his headstone was a point of "discussion" between Toodie and her brother, two of James' children.  Because the brother was in Ashland and had the final say, the head stone reflects his opinion.  However, Toodie insisted he was born in 1884, and his Draft Record for WWI confirms that she was right!

James Boling's draft record which he would have
completed in his own handwriting.

Signed 12 September 1918