REV. DANIEL AND SANDY BOLHKEN
REBEKAH BOLHKEN
Dan and his twin
brother, who is two minutes older than he is, were born 6-11-1948 in
Monticello, Iowa. Pastor has come a long ways from that beginning
considering the twins were born dead. They weren’t breathing and no
effort on the Doctor or nurses’ part would resuscitate them. Finally,
as a last resort, the Doctor said, “Dash them in cold water;” it worked
and we have our Pastor.
The three Bolhken
boys were raised on an eighty acre farm, a wonderful place to grow up,
but not a big enough farm to make a living. Therefore the three boys
did most of the farming and Dad worked as an electrician.
Pastor graduated
from the University of Iowa with a BA degree in Political Science. It
was here that he met Sandy, the cutest little gal on the campus. They
were married 8-15-1970. It was an interesting wedding. There was a
thunderstorm and just as the minister said, “Does anyone object…,” there
was a terrific BOOM. Fortunately, their Pastor kept right on with the
service.
Sandy and Pastor
worked alternately while she first got her degree and then he went to
Concordia Seminary at Springfield, Illinois to get his Master of
Divinity Degree. While they were in vicarage, Sandy worked part time,
then when he went back to the seminary for nine months, she worked in
the District Office.
In the next twenty
years they lived in twenty different places, part of that while they
were going to school and vicarage. Pastor’s first call was to Prescott,
Michigan where they lived in a chalet style house on gorgeous Elbow
Lake. Here every morning Pastor could hike and swim.
Two years later, his
second call was to Iowa City. The District sent him there to start a
church.
In 1985, his third
call was to Lola, Montana. What do you do when you are in a place you
never want to leave and get a call to a place you always wanted to go?
So he answered that call.
In 1988, he received
seven calls and decided to answer Mt. Olive, Forest Grove. The rest is
history.
An interesting
footnote: This Congregation started the new remodeling the day Mount
St. Helens erupted. But that is also history and that mortgage has been
paid and burned.
Today Pastor’s
statement: The Congregation needs to make a movement forward and
concentrating on the High School and Sunday School is probably the
correct area to begin.
HIS HOBBIES: Golf,
Sudoku (a Japanese logic game), Hiking, Reading, and he enjoys many
other sports but time interferes.
Sandy was born in
1949 in Moline, Illinois on the Mississippi River, and she lived there
until she was married in 8-15-1970.
She graduated from
High School one of the top seven #1 students, then attended the
University of Iowa which was only sixty miles from Moline. She had
always planned to go into some form of medical technology. She holds a
BS degree in “Medical Micro Biology”, the title is MT (ASCP). She did
her internship at the Veteran’s Administration. Today, Sandy works at
Tuality Hospital in laboratory in Micro Biology. They research what
kinds of bacteria are causing infectious diseases and what is the best
treatment, antibiotics to treat them.
SANDY’S HOBBIES:
Reading, Listening to books on tape, Yoga (three classes a week),
Walking, Computer, and Scrapbooking (a hobby she wants to get back to).
CHILDREN: 1.
Anna Bolhken born: 10-7-1976
2. Rachel Bolhken 9-3-1978
3. Miriam Bohlken 7-18-1981
4. Rebekah Bohlken 11-4-1983
Bolhkens’ started
their family when Pastor received his first call.
REBEKAH BOLHKEN
Rebekah was born
11-4-1983 in Iowa City, Iowa. She was six years old when her Father was
called to Mt. Olive Church in 1989. She attended Harvey Clark
kindergarten and, in the course of time, graduated from Forest Grove
High School in 2003. Now she takes courses at Portland Community
College.
She also works full
time on the Direct Supports Staff with adults with developmental
disabilities at “Daniville Services.”
Rebekah’s hobbies
are playing with her niece and nephew, playing the guitar, exercise
classes; she loves swimming and was on the swim team. She hopes to get
into a young person’s Bible class soon.
 |
MIRIAM BOHLKEN and
RACHEL BOLHKEN |
MIRIAM BOHLKEN
Miriam was born in
7-18-1981. She came to Mt. Olive Church with her folks in 1988 when she
was seven years old.
After graduating
from Forest Grove High School, Miriam attended the University of
Portland graduating Magna Cum Laude, with a Master’s Degree in
Counseling. Now she works at Nike.
Miriam and Rachel
live together in Beaverton until Rachel marries in August. All of the
girls love hiking and backpacking together. Miriam has bicycled in a
marathon.
Miriam tells us, “In
my free time you can usually find me: running, at the gym, or at a
local coffee shop reading a good book or meeting with a friend. I also
spend times as a volunteer with the middle school group at Sunset
Presbyterian. Here I serve as a small group leader for 6th
grade girls.”
RACHEL BOLHKEN
Rachel was born in
9-3-1978. She was ten years old when the family came to Mt. Olive.
After high school, she attended Oregon State University, graduating
Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in “microbiology; she
worked in microbiology research at the Veterinary School for a couple of
years after that. Then she went to a medical technology school at OHSU
and got a second bachelor’s degree in “Laboratory Science” graduating at
the top of her class. Now the school has hired her permanently.
Rachel tells us, “I
currently live in Beaverton with Miriam and work the graveyard shift at
the OHSU hospital laboratory. I recently got engaged and will be
married to Jake in August. We met while swing dancing at the Crystal
Ballroom in Portland, which is something I have been doing for about a
year and a half. I also enjoy running, playing tennis, hiking, and
camping.
(prepared by Annie Jarrell) |
