Axel's Memories
of Growing Up
By Axel Boilesen, February 2013
One bright sunshine day in late
May 1941 the five graduates-to-be of Cotesfield High School
took off in complete secrecy with Professor Archibald
Kaiser Combs and headed to Lincoln, the capital city of Nebraska.
I had just turned 18 and Lincoln was only about 130 miles away
but it was my first trip ever to Lincoln and I was excited.
We drove in what I think was a 1938 Ford. I'd call it a mid-size
car and I believe the seating assignments had Virginia and Marjorie
in the front seat with Prof. Combs driving, and Ronnie, Robert
and myself in the back seat.
When we got to Lincoln we toured
a number of sights but the State Capitol was the most prominent
and memorable part of the day for me. I was really impressed
with it at the time and 72 years later I am still most proud
of it as a citizen of Nebraska. It was paid for prior to its
dedication. The design features of the capitol were very advanced
and the total cost was under two million dollars.
Linen postcards
circa early 1940s
"O" Street
East from 11th Street
I also enjoyed seeing the football
stadium and the historical society museums. It's strange that
I have no memory of what or where we ate during the day. We
had to go home that evening so our touring of Lincoln probably
only lasted about 4 hours. Prof. Combs had been around Cotesfield
forever and I don't think anyone ever thought of him as Mr.
Excitement but the trip was nevertheless fun.
I believe the next year "Bumps"
Wienrich was the only graduate of our High School and the following
year the logical decision was made to send Cotesfield high school
students to neighboring towns Scotia and Elba. My wife Betty
spent her high school years in Grand Island staying with her
brother Ray and sister-in-law Edna so I didn't get to see her
like I had in my earlier school years (beginning in grade-school).
But it was a wise decision by her parents as she aways enjoyed
school and I think her education at Grand Island H.S. was a
much better experience than if she had stayed at Cotesfield.
Looking back, Cotesfield High
School was a small school and surely had its limitations. But
it did allow me to always honestly say that I graduated third
in my class.
Class of 1941- Cotesfield, NE,
back row left to right Velma Summers (teacher) Ron Barnes (parents
were farmers), Professor A. K. Combs (Principal and teacher).
Front row left to right Virgina Jensen (parents ran the telephone
office, father was head mechanic at the garage), Bud Cummings
(parents were farmers, Bud died in a tractor accident several
years after graduating), Axel Boilesen (parents were farmers,
joined the Army and served in WWII, moved to Lincoln five years
after the 'sneak', graduated as a Civil Engineer from the University
of Nebraska thanks to the GI Bill and lived in Lincoln for the
rest of his life), and Marjorie Coufal (parents were farmers
who lived along the river towards Scotia).
