MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
Paul Boettcher and
Lillian (Nelson) Boettcher
Lillian (Nelson) Boettcher
Spring Coulee and District page 221
by Beverly Boettcher Caldwell
Paul was born in Blanchard, North Dakota in 1883.
He married Lillian Nelson who was born in Bark,
Wisconsin in 1883. They came to Lethbridge in
1914 and then homesteaded in Del Bonita until
1921 when, after repeated crop failures they moved
to Spring Coulee. Paul started a garage business in
a building rented from John Thompson. He had the
Texaco and Minneapolis Moline dealerships. He also
wired homes and supplied electricity for the town of
Spring Coulee with a Delco plant. Few people who
lived in Spring Coulee did not benefit from the
kindness of Paul in some service, from blacksmithing
to repairing cars and machinery and furnishing
electricity. It was often said "If Paul can't fix it, it
can't be fixed".
Paul used to play his violin at home and the children
would dance around. He converted an old 1928
Buick into a truck and painted it black. It was
named the Black Mariah. Paul used to fix the kids
bicycles and keep the kids supplied in old tubes
for swimming.
Lillian was a niece of Congressman Nelson of
Wisconsin who spent some months in Spring Coulee
with his family. She was an active member of the
Women's lnstitute and community affairs in
Spring Coulee. She was an omnivorous reader but
later became blind.
Paul and Lillian moved to Lethbridge in 1952 and
Paul commuted back and forth. Paul passed away
and due to poor health Lillian eventually lived in
Southland Lodge until her death on Feb. 26, 1992.
Paul and Lillian raised eight children. Their two
oldest daughters were born in Wisconsin and the
other children were born in Spring Coulee and
Magrath.
PAUL BOETTCHER
by Charles T. Ripley
Paul Boettcher was a long time resident of Spring
Coulee who served the district as blacksmith and
machinist for over fifty years. His ingenuity and skill
in making repairs was phenomenal and his ability to
foresee what items to keep in stock to make repairs
for his customers was little short of uncanny.
Seldom did anyone come to his shop in need of help
that he couldn't find something in his meager stock
that, with a bit of altering, if necessary, and welding
of broken parts, would get his customers equipment
operative.
Long before Calgary Power came to Spring Coulee,
Paul installed a diesel powered generator in his shop
and built a transmission line to the homes in Spring
Coulee.
His loyalty to his customers was remarkable. He could
be found in his shop 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days
a week.
When his health was failing he said "I must keep on
until after harvest and keep the boys going." An
objective which he nobly attained.
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Mary Tollestrup