Harold & Elsie Boutelle

Elsie & Harold Boutelle

Excerpt from ORONOCO, PAST AND PRESENT (used by permission from Richard and Peg Boutelle)  

Harold I. Boutelle, son of Frank Edward and Alice (Montgomery) Boutelle, was born March 30. 1911, in Cascade Township, Olmsted County, Minnesota. He attended school at District #30 Rural School, and later graduated from the Rochester High School in 1929.He worked at construction work for a short while and was then employed by Foster Battery Company in Rochester. In 1935, he started working for Maurice Alexander at Alexander Auto Electric, where he continued to work until November of 1949, when he decided to start an Auto Electric business of his own, Harold’s Auto Electric. December 10, 1931, he married Elsie Marie Patterson, daughter of Charles Edward and Bertha (Schrock) {Patterson in Rochester, Minnesota. Elsie was born November 3, 1913, near Waterloo, Iowa, and moved to a farm near Preston, Minnesota when two weeks old. About 1917 her parents purchased a general store in Potsdam, Minnesota, where they lived and operated that store for four years. The family then moved to Rochester where they operated grocery stores until 1931.After Harold and Elsie married, they lived in her father’s apartment building for about three and one-half years. They had bought a lot in northeast Rochester from Charley Carroll and proceeded to build their own house in 1935. It was lots of hard work. It was during the depression days of the thirties, and Harold and his wife did most of the work building the house.The couple had three children, two sons, Richard Irwin, and Gerald Wayne; and one daughter Beverly Rose. The children grew up in that house and all attended Holmes School and graduated from Rochester High School.Richard was born February 25, 1933, in Rochester, Minnesota. After his graduation from high school, he attended and graduated from Rochester Junior College in 1953. That fall he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was trained at San Diego and Brownsville, Texas. After his graduation, he continued his service at Hamilton Air Force Base at San Francisco, California. At the time of his transfer to California, Dick came back to Rochester and married his fiancé, Margaret Jean Hansen.(daughter of Hans and Clara Hansen). Margaret (Peggy) was born July 22, 1935, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and came to Rochester with her parents in 1943 where her father was the Immigration and Naturalization Officer.  Peggy graduated from Rochester High School in 1953 and went to Westmar College. After their marriage, the young couple started housekeeping near Hamilton Air Force Base. They were married in Rochester, June 7, 1954At the conclusion of his service, they returned to Rochester and Dick resumed employment at his father’s garage. They have four children; (1) Connie Sue, born March 6, 1956, who married Larry Lathrop on August 21, 1976.  Connie and Larry have three children:  Carrie Sue, born November 15, 1977; Lori Beth, born July 11, 1980; and Michael John, born March 11, 1982.  (2) Diane Kay was born January 16, 1959, and married Murray Dean Jorgenson on June 10, 1978, and they have two children; Jennifer Lea, born April 16, 1979; and Tina Marie, born August 25, 1981.  (3) Steven James was born July 2, 1961; and (4) Michael John was born March 15, 1965.After 18 years of employment with his father, Dick and Peggy purchased the business, and Harold and Elsie retired in 1973.

Beverly Rose was born April 3, 1938, in Rochester, Minnesota, and attended Rochester schools and graduated from Rochester High School.  In 1960 she graduated from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in English. Beverly taught English several years, and now works in the Public Library in Oskaloosa, Iowa.  On August 30, 1958, while she was in college, she married William Russell VanDevender of Pueblo, Colorado. He is the son of Nell and the late William R. VanDevender. Bill graduated from the Pueblo High School and in 1959 graduated from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Music Education.  In 1963 he graduated from the University of Iowa with a Master of Arts Degree, majoring in Music Education.  Bill has taught in Hull and Swea City Iowa, and is presently teaching in the Oskaloosa, Iowa, Junior High School. Beverly and Bill have two children: Jeffrey Scot who was born January 22, 1962, in Estherville, Iowa.  He attended Oskaloosa school and graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1980, and is presently attending Northwest Missouri State University in Kirksville, Missouri, majoring in Music Education. Their daughter Pamela Kay was born November 18, 1966, in Oskaloosa, Iowa.  She is attending Oskaloosa schools and will graduate high school in 1985.  She is active in the school band and cheerleading and sings in the church choir and belongs to the M.Y.F.

Gerald Wayne Boutelle was born June 21, 1944, in Rochester, Minnesota.  He attended Rochester schools and graduated from John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minnesota, June 8, 1962.  He enrolled in Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa, and received his B.S.A. degree with cum laude honors from Westmar in 1996.  During his senior year, he served as student pastor in Spencer, Iowa.  During 1968-69, he served a year of internship in Esperazola, New Mexico. He attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Naperville, Illinois, later going to McCormick Theological Seminary of Chicago, Illinois, and receiving a B.D. degree cum laude from there, in 1970. He received a Master of the Science of Theology degree in conjunction with a project and teaching assistantship in the Bible Department at McCormick Seminary. He was ordained June 27, 1971, at the United Presbyterian Church of South Holland, Illinois.  He is presently serving in a church in Springfield, Illinois.

Just before Jerry graduated from Westmar College, he married Judith Ann Miller of Waverly, Iowa.  She was born October 20, 1944, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Richard Miller of Enid, Oklahoma. They were married April 6, 1966. She graduated from the Methodist Kahler School of Nursing and received her R.N. Degree in the fall of 1966.

When Jerry entered the Naperville Seminary, Judy took work at the Aurora, Illinois Hospital and later at Chicago hospitals when he studied at McCormick Seminary.  They have three children; Kathlena Ann Boutelle, born October 5, 1972, in Harvey, Illinois and Shari Elaine born July 12, 1976, in Harvey, Illinois. Their son Gregory Wayne was born March 25, 1980 in Peoria, Illinois.

After Harold and Elsie lived in their first house for thirty years, they bought a new house in the Elton Hills area in Rochester, Minnesota. They enjoyed their new home and worked hard at operating their Auto Electric Shop which was at 432-434 South Broadway in Rochester.  Harold worked on cars and managed the business, while Elsie did the bookkeeping, waited on customers, and ordered and unpacked parts.

In 1945 they came to Oronoco and looked at property around Lake Shady.  They liked what they saw and purchased three lots from Erwin Hewitt in Maple Grove Addition on the lake shore west of Highway 52. The next spring they built a small summer cottage there. The family all enjoyed boating, water skiing, and fishing on the lake. They all treasure memories of the years of fun at the lake.  Their only neighbor at that time was the Rev. and Mrs. Ralph Lynn and their families.  Their summer cottage was next door to the west, and they spent their summers on Lake Shady.

In 1973 Harold and Elsie retired and built the cottage into a year around home, here in Oronoco. It was a big project.

Since moving to Oronoco, they have been members of the Oronoco Senior Citizens. In June 1979, they became leaders of that group, after Harriet Glasenapp resigned from twelve years of service to the Seniors.

Harold and Elsie have been long time members of Homestead United Methodist Church in Rochester, Minnesota.