Chris and Elizabeth Boilesen's six children were Floyd, Lester, Lois, Fern, Axel, and Garold. All were born and raised on their farm west of Cotesfield, Nebraska. Because of finances and the Depression the family moved in 1943 'across the river' east of Cotesfield to a farm with Garold the only child still in the house.
(L-R Back) Fern, Floyd; (Front) Lester, Lois
L-R Backrow: Lester, Axel, Floyd; Lois and Fern in front ca. 1927
Axel, Lester, Garold and Floyd ca. 1938
Lois, Fern holding Garold, and Axel, 1937
Family portrait - Backrow L-R Fern, Floyd, Axel, Lester, Lois; Front row Garold, and parents Elizabeth and Chris, circa 1941
The four brothers L-R Axel, Lester, Floyd and Garold in front
Fern and Lois
Cotesfield News: The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska October 7, 1936
Lois and Fern
Ray and Lois, Mildred and Floyd 1939
"1940 there about"
1949 (Cotesfield farm across the river)
Lois, Fern and Betty
Circa 1951
January 1982
Floyd Axel Boilesen was the eldest, born on October 4, 1915 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
The Cotesfield Department: The St. Paul Phonograph, July 15, 1918
Floyd (two-years 9 months) was the baby thrown from the wagon with his mother. Lester would be born six weeks later.
Cotesfield News: The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska March 11, 1931
Floyd and Mildred were married on July 15, 1938 in Ord, Nebraska
July 20, 1938, The Phonograph, St. Paul, NE
Mildred M. Johnson was born on January 1, 1916 on the family farm in Howard County, Nebraska to Clyde and Rosa (Hunter) Johnson.
Mildred passed on September 13, 2003.
Floyd Axel Boilesen was born on October 4, 1915 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Floyd passed on February 20, 1988.
Floyd and Mildred lived in Salina, Kan., Burwell, Scotia and Loup City before settling on a farm near Ord in 1948. They farmed until 1958 and then moved to Ord and ran agricultural enterprises, selling the business in 1980.
Floyd and Mildred had four children: Janice, Carol, Gaylord and Ila.
Lester Andrew Boilesen was born on August 28, 1918 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Enlisted in Army June 19, 1944 Leavenworth, Kansas
Bernice and Lester were married on May 27, 1949 in Brownhelm, Ohio.
Lester Andrew Boilesen was born on August 28, 1918 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Rev. Lester passed on March 23, 1994.
Bernice Hasenpflug was born on July 1, 1924 to Arthur A. and Marian A. (Brandau) Hasenpflug in Brownhelm, Ohio.
Bernice passed on August 15, 2016.
Bernice and Lester served many United Methodist churches in Nebraska during a period of more than 40 years.
Lois Marie Boilesen, was born December 17, 1919 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Lois was baptized as a child in the Dannevirke Danish Lutheran Church.
Cotesfield: The St. Paul Phonograph, April 15, 1920
Lois was the baby being referenced in this article.
Lois graduated from Cotesfield High School in 1938.
Lois and Ray Stevens were married in St. Paul, Nebraska, on January 21, 1939.
Cotesfield News: The Phonograph, St. Paul, NE, January 25, 1939
Cotesfield News: The Phonograph, St. Paul, NE, February 1, 1939
Lois and Ray first made their home on the Stevens family farm northeast of Cotesfield where they farmed until 1961.
The Stevens' Family Trip to Oregon 1958
Ray and Lois visiting Ray's sister Wilma in Oregon, 1958
Ray and Lois had three children: Leila, Russell and Jeanne
Raymond Paul Stevens was born on April 4, 1919 to Willie and Agnes Stevens.
Ray Stevens passed on July 7, 1991.
Lois Marie Boilesen, was born December 17, 1919 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Lois Stevens passed on January 27, 2007.
Fern Johanna Boilesen was born on February 12, 1921 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Cotesfield News: The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska May 14, 1930
The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska Wednesday, May 5, 1937
Note: This would mean that Fern went into Hospital on April 30, 1937.
The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska May 12, 1937
The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska June 9, 1937
The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska June 9, 1937
The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska June 16, 1937
This would mean that Fern was released from hospital on June 9, 1937, 5 weeks after surgery.
Fern and Albert were married on June 6, 1942 in St Paul, Nebraska
Howard County Herald, June 10, 1942
Fern visiting parents at their farm
Fern and Albert had three daughters: Sheryl, Gloria and Crysta
Fern and Albert 1982
Fern Johanna Boilesen was born on February 12, 1921 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Fern Boilesen Stroh passed on August 26, 1990.
Albert Glenn Stroh was born on December 11, 1920.
Rev. Albert passed on September 16, 2005.
Here's how the Cotesfield Department section of the Howard County Herald reported his birth in their Thursday, April 26, 1923 edition:
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Chris Boilsen (sic) on Wednesday morning, a bright little baby boy, with Dr. Arnold of St. Paul and Mrs. Wm. Lint, in attendance. All concerned are doing nicely, as well as circumstances will allow, as the mother had been suffering with pleurisy for several days before the arrival of the baby. She is resting very comfortably at this writing (Monday).
Axel was named for his late cousin Axel Chris Boilesen, eldest son of his Uncle Hans Boilesen (brother of Chris Boilesen) who passed away on June 15, 1922 at the age of 13.
The following is the Obituary for young Axel as it appeared in the St. Paul Phonograph newspaper on June 21, 1922, p.8.
Cotesfield News: The Phonograph, St. Paul, Nebraska January 9, 1929
Axel and Betty were school classmates
Cotesfield class picture for Grammar Room, 1936-37
Axel and Betty were married on August 25, 1946
For details about this wedding see Betty Ann Barr's Wedding
Axel and Betty had three children: Douglas, Beverly and James
Betty Ann Barr was born on August 26, 1924.
Betty Barr Boilesen passed on October 26, 2000.
Axel Christian Boilesen was born on April 18, 1923 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Axel Boilesen passed on March 21, 2013.
Garold Boilesen was born on November 23, 1935 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Garold 6 Months
"Papa & Garold behind the hen house" c.1937
Garold and Russell
"Garold in need of new teeth"
Garold
Garold holding Russell, Edna Mae holding Janice.
Garold with Floyd's calf
Garold, circa 1943
Garold in back row fourth from left; Russell third from left and Leila seventh from left front row - District 5 School House east of river.
High School Graduation 1954
After graduating from high school Garold attended Northrop Aeronautical Institute in Inglewood Ca. for training and certification as an Airframe and Power-plant mechanic. Here's how Garold described that time period and his next steps:
The job market was tight between the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. The USAF had certain career fields with by-pass programs whereby with Test completion a person could go directly to work from USAF basic Training. This was relatively a time of peace so not much family worry. I was 20 years old. A USAF recruiter came to the farm and told me I would probably be a B-47 pilot. I never saw him again.The hope of being a pilot had some precedence in his family. His older brother Axel had wanted to become a pilot when he joined the Army to serve in World War II. Garold was only seven at the time but probably knew that his brother's military dream was to fly a P-38 which they occasionally would see fly over their farm. Axel's failed depth perception test, however, ended that dream. Garold's neighbor and cousin Dwain R. Rasmussen likewise wanted to fly and was deployed in Europe as a 'left-side waist gunner' on a B-17. On Dwain's 33rd mission, January 9, 1945, his B-17 went down in the English Channel.
After his certification Garold would join the Air Force in 1956. He would not become a B-47 pilot but he continued his aircraft mechanics training while in the Air Force.
Airplanes and tools and motors would continue to define Garold's career, his hobbies, where he would live and what he would fix next.
Upon completing his military service in 1960 Garold joined Braniff International Airways, Inc. and moved to Des Moines, Iowa. While in Des Moines he met and married Andrea Huddleston, who also worked for Braniff.
Garold with parents on the farm, April 1956.
Garold and Andrea, July 1, 1964, The Phonograph, St. Paul, NE
Garold and Andrea "Andy" Boilesen were married on August 8, 1964.
Andrea "Andy" Boilesen was born on February 14, 1939 to Robert and Lillian Huddleston and raised in Williams, Iowa.
Andy attended Iowa State University and went on to work for the airlines, initially as a flight attendant based in New York City. She met her husband, Garold “Jerry” Boilesen, in 1963, through mutual friends–Andy was a ticket agent and Jerry was an aircraft mechanic at the Des Moines airport. They married on August 8, 1964.
After marriage Garold and Andy moved to Miami in 1969 and then to Denver; next to Des Moines and back to Denver. After joining Northwest Airlines in 1983 they lived in Minneapolis until retirement in 2005. In 2006 their official retirement destination was completed with their move to Webster City, Iowa. Andy and Garold had two children, Karen and Robert.
Karen
Robert
October 2017
Andrea "Andy" Boilesen was born on February 14, 1939 to Robert and Lillian Huddleston and raised in Williams, Iowa.
Andrea passed on March 24, 2018.
Garold Boilesen was born on November 23, 1935 in Cotesfield, Nebraska.
Garold passed on February 21, 2023. He was the last surviving sibling of the Chris and Elizabeth Boilesen family.
Chris and Elizabeth Boilesen Family Gatherings
The Grandchildren with Grandpa and Grandma at their farm, 1951
Grandchildren of Chris and Elizabeth (the cousins) at picnic Ord, NE1952
Family picnic Central City 1953 (Elizabeth and Chris far left)
Family reunion, Lincoln, September 2007
Family reunion, Garold, Bernice and Axel, Lincoln 2007
Garold and Axel, Lincoln September 2007
Cousins gather with Garold, October 2021
Cousins gather March 4, 2023
Phonographia