Doug Boilesen

Lincoln General Hospital, Lincoln, Nebraska, May 7, 1950

Growing up 1950-1954

By Doug Boilesen (2018)

Lincoln General Hospital, Lincoln, Nebraska, May 7, 1950.

It's a Boy!

Here's how my parents announced my birth (since Dad was a Civil Engineer):

 

When I was born my parents lived at 1410 Sioux Street in Lincoln. They would soon move to 1301 "H" Street, Apartment 2 on the ground floor of the house that had been made into four apartments. My parents and I lived there until August 1954.

1301 "H" Street is historically known as the Noble-Dawes home. Built as a duplex in 1885 for Henry E. Noble, the house was sold in 1891 to Charles G. Dawes and his wife. Dawes was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. It became Billy's Restaurant & Bar in 1986.

 

Instructions for feeding Douglas from Lincoln General Hospital.

 

 

 

Doug with Grandma Barr, Age 4 months

 

 

Wooden high chair and kitchen on "H" Street.

 

Studio Portrait 1951

 

Axel, Doug, and Betty, 1951

 

My stroller on sidewalk of "H" Street.

 

Doug's 2nd Birthday, 1301 "H" Street. 1952.

Left to Right: Greg Henry, Unknown, Marsha Wagner, Doug, Bonnie Tomac and her brother.

Halloween party 1953, 1301 "H" Street

Back Row, Left to Right: Doug, Ivy Hiatt (Leland Hiatt’s daughter), Mary Francis McKelvey, Connie Gould, Bradley Gould. Front Row, Judy Sundberg, Lyle Hiatt, Steve McKelvey, Eva Gibson, and Greg Henry.

 

Douglas 3rd Birthday (as identified on back of photo by Mom).

 

 

GO BIG RED

Since we lived in Lincoln and Dad had just graduated on the GI Bill from the University of Nebraska it was only natural that early on I became a "Husker" for life.

 

 

Dressed for my first day of Kindergarden in 1955. Go Big Red!

That event was captured on film by our neighbor across the street Mrs. Reynolds showing Janey Reynolds and myself skipping to school in 1955 from our house with my baby sister Beverly sitting her stroller in our carport. Watch HERE. The film starts from the Reynolds house with Janey and her older sister Patti waving and then walking across the street. We all skip back across the street, then back to our house where Mom is talking to another neighbor Mrs. Zank.

 

 

Transportation

In 1946, soon after their marriage, Mom mentioned to a Professor at the University of Nebraska Teachers College that she and her husband (who was just starting the University using the GI Bill) were looking for an apartment. Shortly later, Dr. Oscar H. Werner and his wife Gertrude started renting their 1841 Lake Street basement apartment to Axel and Betty. See Axel and Betty Boilesen The University Years - 1841 Lake Street for a series of home-life pictures taken by a photographer friend in 1946.

They didn't own a car after they were first married and relied on bus transportation for getting around. Dr. Werner would also provide them rides to the University when schedules worked.

In 1951 my parents bought their first car, a 1949 Plymouth painted in "Edmonton Beige."

 

When Axel and Betty moved in 1954 to their new house in Eastridge they still had the Plymouth which only my dad drove until Mom started driving some time later. They would eventually sell the Plymouth to my dad's brother Floyd who lived on a remote farm outside Burwell for $50 and a shotgun. The story goes that Floyd drove it a mile and it ran out of gas.

In 1956 they purchased a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air, the same color as the following one in this Saturday Evening Post ad.