Edward "Buck" Bolen

Broken Bow, NE- Edward “Buck” Bolen age 89 of Anselmo died Thursday December 1, 2011 at the Golden Living Center in Broken Bow. Private family services with military honors will be held at the Ft. McPherson Cemetery at Maxwell, NE with Reverend Doug Jones officiating. Edward “Buck” L. Bolen was born on May 28, 1922 at Merna, Nebraska to Archie Daniel and Edna May (Jacquot) Bolen. He was the youngest of 5 children. He graduated from Merna High School in 1942. After high school he worked on a ranch in Sheridan, WY until he was drafted into the Army Air Force in the fall of 1942. He was line chief at many Army Air bases and supervised 23 airplane mechanics doing airplane maintenance and repair on B17 airplanes, changing engines and repairing mechanical engine failures. He performed general repair on fuselages and equipment. He served 8 months in England and completed 25 combats missions as a turret gunner and aerial engineer on B17. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oakleaf Clusters, ETO with one battle star, Presidential Unit Citation and the Good Conduct Medal. He was discharged Oct. 19, 1945. He went to Kansas to work at Boeing, then to California for a short time where he married Lila Ruby Halouska. They returned to Anselmo to help his mother farm. Their daughter Cecelia Sue was born at this time. They returned to California where he worked for Pacific Gas and Electric for 20 years. He was a proud union supporter of IBEW Local Union #1245 and served as shop steward and union trustee. He retired and moved to Cheyenne, WY for 12 years and then to Anselmo where he lived until his death. He was preceded in death by his two sisters Mary Paylor and Alice Eacker, and two brothers John and James. He is survived by his wife Lila of Anselmo, daughter Cecelia (Bob) Ray, grandson David (Amy) Ray and great granddaughter Alexis Ray all of Cheyenne, WY.