MIKE BOLDON

I was born in the Hamilton County Hospital in Webster City, Iowa. I have a younger brother, Randy, who owns and operates a women’s clothing store, "Iowa Miss". There have been articles in the Des Moines paper, speaking about him as a very successful businessman. I don’t have a lot of relatives. My father was an only child and my mother’s sister died in 1995 about four months after my grandmother's death.

I attended six elementary schools in Hamilton County, Iowa, besides Tampa and St. Petersburg schools in Florida. My father was a contractor. Mother was a housewife. She helped Dad as he built spec houses. A friend of my parents was a realtor and he often brought people over to see our house, then talked my parents into selling. There was an instance when there was a new doctor in town. The realtor asked if he could show the house. The doctor didn’t want to buy any other houses he had seen. The realtor said he just wanted an idea of what the man wanted. The doctor made an offer my parents couldn’t refuse and they sold.

It became kind of a joke that I never had more than one birthday in the same house. I always hoped that I would get to have a birthday before we moved, and usually that was about all I had; then we would sell. Dad got a job with some big firm and so we moved to Florida. We had a brand new home, then sold it and went to Tampa. I started to school there but my father's work was really in St. Petersburg so we moved there.

We liked Florida, but it was different. There was a wild alligator not too far from our home. It ate ducks and geese. Parents knew about this and when it got dark we kids couldn’t play outside or ride our bikes. One day when my mother was hanging up clothes she saw a huge snake. She wasn’t fond of having to watch for those. It also rained a lot and was very humid, so there were advantages to Iowa. We came back for my mother’s sister’s graduation and spent the summer. Both Mom and I hated going back to Florida but my father had to finish whatever project he was working on before he could move back.

I stayed with my grandparents on the farm. I was the oldest grandchild and I was always very close to them the rest of their lives. My parents came back for Christmas and stayed. Dad and Mom picked up the same pattern of constructing new houses for us to live in, the same realtor brought people over and we would sell and move again.  Dad made some money on them but not much compared to prices now. One that sold for $20,000 then just now sold for $70,000.

As a youngster I didn’t think it was easy to leave friends behind when I changed schools. Sunset Heights Elementary was a double unit building with about fifty 6th grade students. The junior high (Washington Central which is being torn down in 1996) was a huge building that had three floors. A junior college was on the third floor. The high school didn’t have a cafeteria so those students ate with us and even had some classes there. It was a big adjustment to go where I was thrown in with hundreds of students. The positive side was that I found I did know a lot of them and I also got to see some of my friends from early elementary school.

I went to the Asbury United Methodist Church and was very active in Sunday School, handbell and vocal choirs. Thursday night was church night and I was pretty well involved. Mrs. George Aden, whose relatives were the Throckmortons in Osceola, was very active with our youth. She started lots of choirs. For every young person in the church, at whatever age, there was a bell choir. The whole balcony of the church was filled with 4th, 5th and 6th graders for vocal choir. There were also junior high and high school choirs. Even though I couldn’t sing I was in all of them because I had friends who talked me into it. Mrs. Aden knew I couldn’t sing but she asked me to participate, too. She also saw that the choirs had lots of exposure - performing for local organizations like Friendship Haven in Fort Dodge, and other out of town places like Ames and Manhattan, Kansas.

I continued pretty much all through high school to be involved in choir and youth activities in the church. We usually had an assistant pastor and youth director so that helped a lot with leadership. One time when I was in 8th grade I led the whole church service and people were saying I should be a minister. After I was married and came back home from military service I was lay leader for a worship service and I was still considered a good candidate for the ministry except for one lady who said, "I always thought you should have been a minister" as though now she knew why I wasn’t. So I think I did make the right decision.

Ralph Kitterman, Rev. Judy Miller’s father-in-law, was one of our ministers when I was in grade school. He and his wife always encouraged me. Dr. Paul Heath was another. I am a fourth generation Methodist. Both my parents, all my dad’s parents, and my mother’s parents and all her grandparents were Methodists.

By the time I was a sophomore in high school I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I had a social studies teacher who let me teach the class. There were requirements. You had to have certain grades. You had to meet with him ahead of time to study the materials and plan. We went over everything together and then he monitored the class. That was my favorite class. I joined the Future Teachers Association (FTA) and from then on I wanted to be a teacher, thinking toward teaching high school. That choice was changed quite a bit later. It is interesting that I didn’t like standing up in front of everyone, but teaching school was different.

I graduated from Webster City High School and attended Webster City Junior College, which later became Iowa Central Community College. When I graduated from there, I had an Associate Arts degree and transferred to UNI (University of Northern Iowa) and went there for two years, graduating with honors.

I had worked all the time I was growing up, sometimes having two jobs, and saved up money for college. I always had a savings account which we have tried to do for our children. I put myself through college. One year I had an academic scholarship. From my savings and the scholarship I paid my own room and board, tuition and books. With my parents buying clothes and other necessities, thus I was able to go all four years.

At UNI I met my future wife at orientation. I was going with several friends to one of the programs on campus in the evening and on the way one of the guys said, "I have to stop and pick up Trudy." When Trudy looked out her dorm window, she said, "I am not going with three guys," so she talked her roommate, Eileen, into going. So five of us went together and I ended up sitting by Eileen. We didn’t start dating right away, but soon I asked her to go to a football game. That was the beginning of our life together because I didn’t ever date anyone else after I started dating Eileen. We dated both years while I was at UNI.

My major was high school social studies, hers was elementary education. When I graduated I could teach economics, American and world history, sociology and government. I was in Pi Gamma Mu International Honorary Society for Social Studies majors. During our senior year we were in Kappa Delta Pi Honorary Society for education majors. We both graduated the same spring, Eileen with high honors. We were engaged by the time we graduated and had our wedding date set for June 21st.

However, I didn’t have a job and couldn’t get a teaching job because I had a low draft lottery number. I had been deferred for my first years in college but they were no longer giving teaching deferments. The Viet Nam War was at its height and they were drafting many people, taking almost everyone that had a low number. I thought I would be going in the first call as soon as I was through with college. I was offered a teaching position in the Des Moines schools but couldn’t accept because I wasn’t able to get a draft deferment to teach.

One of my friends from grade school was in the same predicament and he told me we would be going as soon as school was out. He had gotten into the Army Reserve. It was a dilemma. I knew I would be going but our wedding was also on my mind. We had our invitations all printed and everything in place. Eileen had a kindergarten teaching job in our own community. I went to see about the Army Reserve. The only opening was for a cook but the officer said, "You may already be taken." I went to the draft board secretary and she said my papers hadn’t come up but they would be coming up in June. The culmination of it was that we were married and I got into the Army Reserve also. I was in the Army Reserve for six years, training to be a cook.

We were married in June and in August I got my notice to go for basic training so I left just before Labor Day for Fort Leonard Wood. There I got my basic training and then Advanced Individual Training as a cook. Our first Thanksgiving was spent on the Army base. They had a special mess hall for wives and families and Eileen’s parents came with her. For Christmas I got a leave and I was finished before the end of January, so I didn’t get any of the G.I. benefits since I was out before the six-month limit.

The second semester had started. I didn’t have a teaching job but I started substituting and I substituted a lot. One day the principal in Ft. Dodge called and asked me to substitute for 6th grade in an inner city school. I don’t know why he called me except that his wife had taught next door to me when I student taught.

They had trouble getting subs for that school. Ihere were a lot of low students and cultural diversity with some children not even speaking English. It was kind of a rough area. I went one day and although I didn’t know it at the time the principal sat outside my door and I had a great day! I loved teaching 6th grade and I began to be called from all over. I was offered a job. I explained that I could teach 7th through 14th but I didn’t have certification for elementary. 'The principal I interviewed with said it would be no problem. I could go back to UNI and get a provisional. At that time there were many elementary teachers so the Department of Education put out a statement that they were giving no provisionals. By this time I really liked elementary and particularly wanted to teach upper elementary. Since I’d already gone to UNI to see about getting my elementary endorsement, I found out that I could go one more year and be able to teach elementary. I had opportunities to teach high school, but I’d have had to coach and I had no qualifications for that. Des Moines would have been a possibility but it would have been in the inner city.

I went back to UNI. Eileen gave up her teaching job. We didn’t have much money for a while but she got a job in a private day care for minimum wage. I still had savings from my education, and I went once a month for my Army Reserve which gave me some compensation.

They were phasing out the old student barracks and new accommodations weren’t ready; but they rented dorm rooms for married couples in Bartlett Hall. There were about 12 couples in the same situation. We put everything we owned into this one room - we had a little house in that dorm room. There was only a hot plate so it made for awkward cooking. When we had fire drills, we fellows had to go out one way, the girls out another. We lived there until November when the new housing on "The Hill" opened up. It was not as handy as the dorm room — a long way from classes.

Ft. Dodge had promised me a job and had written me a letter, but by this time there was declining enrollment and they were closing one building. So I began applying. It was hard to find couples’ jobs. Men were preferred because there weren’t so many men teaching elementary in 1972. We had a chance to come to Osceola. Ron Reikena was superintendent. We came down on a Saturday and interviewed. Mr. Reikena showed us the town and the United Methodist Church. We were impressed and before school was out I had a phone call asking if I would be interested in teaching 4th grade if they gave me a contract. I said, "Yes, I would be interested." I’d interviewed for the 6th grade but the 4th grade was a certainty which was not the case with the 6th. They were holding the positions open for remedial reading teachers in case federal funds for that program didn't’t come through.

We checked out immediately if they would hire husband and wife. In other cases when I refused a job if the school didn’t take couples they immediately hired another man. The Clarke Community system would hire couples, and since they promised to watch for positions opening for Eileen, I accepted. I was going to summer camp in May in San Antonio, Texas. By the time I came back it would be June and I didn’t want the summer to get away and not have a position.

We moved to Osceola August 4, 1972. I had to re-student teach and I did that. When I finished, my wife’s parents, Harold and Bessie Martin helped us. (Harold has died since then and Bessie has moved to Osceola.) We loaded everything we owned and got to Osceola about 11:00 at night. We had difficulty finding a place to rent. Luckily Don Hargis knew my wife’s family from Burlington and he got our first apartment for us through Mickey Thomas. It was on Sunset Drive next to the Cecil Davenports. We immediately took it.

In those days the stores were open on Saturday nights and we shopped for a broom and a few other things. We could hear people saying, “Who are those people?" We weren’t accustomed to this because we had come from large shopping areas. But the Davenports made us feel welcome, invited us to church that Sunday and we attended. The first people we met were C.D. and Linnea Friday. They came up and talked to us. Later we stayed with John and Suzanne in the Noel Friday home while their parents were gone, so the Fridays were always important to us. I still try to see Linnea at the nursing home. Then we met Fern Underwood and she got us into the choir in the fall, and we sang until Margo was born. Eileen has continued different years.

The Chamber of Commerce at that time was pairing up newcomers with business people to tour Osceola. I was paired with Noel Friday. Eileen was paired with Fern Underwood. It’s a small world.

We really have liked Osceola. I had taught one year and then there was declining enrollment. I was offered 2nd grade for one year (1973) and I agreed. Eileen was first offered kindergarten at Weldon when that teacher didn’t take the job, then had an opportunity to come to Osceola and teach 1st grade. We wondered if they would allow us both in the same building, but Mr. Reikena and Mrs. Frances Carson, the principal, said it would be all right so we started. We lived just a block and a half from the school.

We’d like to have been closer to Ft. Dodge because I still had the monthly drill to attend, but we both became involved in Career Education in the school and we were both leaders, which led to an opportunity to take another job — it was a big honor – the salary was better, and we checked it out thoroughly. We went to see the school and community. We looked at apartments. We gave it a great deal of thought and finally decided to stay where we were because we liked it here.

We moved to Leona Eddy’s mother’s house because she had asked us to rent it. In the fall of 1975 we were at Darrell Swan’s mother’s auction. Margo was on the way. Judy Querrey talked to us about buying a house. She went to Darrell Swan and said, "I want you to show this couple your house," and he did. We began thinking about buying. He had several parties interested but we ended up buying it. We stripped all the woodwork and papered and moved in in December, 1975.

Margo was born Mar. 4, 1976. We were teased because there was no school that day so I got to be a papa that day and not go to school. Blake was born Oct. 8, 1979. Eileen took the year off — she didn’t think it was fair to the school children for her to start and then be gone. She stayed home with Blake 1979-80.

Marissa was born Dec. 6, 1984. Eileen taught school until noon, she went to the hospital around 2:00 and Marissa was born at 2:37. Even before we were married we talked about the family we wanted. I always wanted two children; Eileen wanted four, so we compromised with three.

During my first year of teaching in Osceola I had a shock. My parents divorced.

My father remarried and is now semi-retired, living in Webster City.

Mother has taken charge of her life. While I was in high school she had a job as a waitress to fill in for a relative who was ill. She went on to be a check—out person in a grocery and somehow got to working on the local paper. She came to be in charge of the whole department of advertising. It was before the days of women in high positions.   She had quotas which she always exceeded. She got bonuses so she had a big paycheck. She was paid more than some men. A new owner came in and he didn’t like that. He wanted her to take a cut in pay and give up her title. She was enough of a Liberationist that she refused and quit. She didn’t work as much after that although she has had a variety of jobs. She’s never had to look for a job. There was always one available if she wanted it.

After the divorce she has taken care of people. One was a 107·year—old man who had been one of the founders of the Federal Savings and Loan in Webster City and president for years. He had fallen and broken his hip. Mom took care of him in her home in preference to his being in a nursing home. He had an 80-year-old daughter in Florida and my mother used to take him to visit. She took him for rides every day. She took care of him until he died. There was a Nissen of the Nissen Meat Corporation that she took care of in her home until her death. She has retired from keeping people in her home but she continues to help care for elderly or very ill people. She was always good to go help people and do things for them and we were brought up to do that, too.

I have done lots of community things while in Osceola: I have worked with Cub Scouts and been Cub Scout Master, served on boards and committees of the Historical Society, Library, Parks & Recreation, Arts Council, Long Term Care at the Hospital and been in community musicals. I’ve coached Little League Baseball and Softball. I’ve held church offices beginning with the time of Rev. Bys who was in Osceola 1971-1978; I’ve been a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher and served on the church board. I am a Past President of CCEA (Clarke Community Education Association) and of the Reading Association. I have been honored to receive the Community Service Award and the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame Award given by Gov. Branstad.

 During 1992-1995 both Eileen and I earned our Masters degrees at Morningside College. Mine is in elementary education with emphasis on reading; hers in elementary education with emphasis on Talented and Gifted. She will be teaching in the TAG program from kindergarten to 12th in Clarke Community Schools. This is an expansion of the former position which had been only Kindergarten through 6th.

Currently Margo will be a junior at NW Missouri State at Maryville, Blake a junior at Clarke Community High School, and Marissa a 6th grader at Clarke Elementary.

My view of life is that children haven’t changed much since I have been teaching. They still have the same needs and wants. Society, parents and families have changed. Parents have so much uncertainty in their own lives, their jobs, family status and sometimes have trouble just trying to make a living. Quality time with their children becomes difficult to achieve. Many children don’t have the same respect toward parents and teachers as they used to have. Education is important but not everyone thinks so.

However, as long as I can look around and see people who are trying, I have hope. There have always been some who have thought that one person can’t really make a difference, but one can. You can start with yourself and change the world around you.
Part of being Christian is being considerate. I’ve been praying about this. I know every single person is important to the Lord and I think God is putting certain people in touch with me. As a church we need to address everybody’s needs. When I am faced with decisions or situations that I question, I often ask, "What would Jesus do?"
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
 he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
the rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Psalm 23 KJV, favorite scripture of Mary Woods,
Fannie Jacobs, and Ethel Tangeman)

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