Charles Bordman Forbes

FORBES, SELE

Posted By: Volunteer Paul French
Date: 5/13/2007 at 17:05:04

Charles Bordman (Bordie) Forbes was born in Saguache, Colorado, on July 20, 1916. After the death of his father in January 1917 he left there with his family for southeastern Iowa. In 1924 the family moved to the Covina, California, area where he lived until 1928 when another family move took him to Huntington Beach, California. Here he graduated from grammar school. One of his favorite activities was swimming around the Huntington Beach pier, which he frequently did. As he was swimming he would wave and call to his mother, who would be walking out on the pier just looking to see what her boy was doing. In the early 1930’s Bordie and his mother moved to Azusa with the older brother, Mont. Bordie graduated from Citrus High School in 1935.

Soon after, he married Lois Sele who lived next door to him. He held a number of jobs, including Assistant Manager of the Azusa Theater, work on the Friant dam and work on road construction on the Parker Dam in Arizona. During this time they lived in Earp. During the war he helped to build a road in Iran. Following his return from Iran he did heavy-duty equipment work for Kirkland Paving Company. He also started a business, “The Forbes Bike Shop,” on Azusa Avenue, Azusa. He worked on the heavy-duty equipment during the day and in the bike shop until late in the evening and on weekends.

Bordie loved his family deeply. He made many things for their enjoyment—a hutch, a cradle for a new baby, the kitchen cabinets. He even moved a house to a vacant lot and rebuilt it. It continues to be the family home today.

He became active in the Christian Church in Azusa, serving as an elder in the church. He was awarded a medal by the Azusa Parent-Teacher Associatoin for his civic and community work. He was a member of Azusa Lodge #305 of Free and Accepted Masons. Bordie was truly a wonderful person.

Source: transcription contained in “Family History” of the Barker, Sherod, and Forbes families and descendants compiled by Bernadine Forbes Clark, December 1980.