CHESTER BOARDMAN, Obituary

CHINOOK Alan Boardman, 46, died unexpectedly Nov. 15, 2002, at his home in Chinook from natural causes.

Funeral services were held Thursday at the American Lutheran Church in Hogeland.

Alan was born Feb. 10, 1956, in Havre to Chet and Dorothy (Leech) Boardman. He was raised and attended school in both Hogeland and Sumner, Washington. He spent his school year with his mother in Washington and his summers with his dad in Hogeland. He attended school in Hogeland when he was in seventh grade. Alan graduated from Sumner High School in 1974. After graduation, he came to Hogeland to live with his dad and stepmother, Nora, and worked on the family farm. He also began working for Blaine County in October of 1976 as a blade operator in the Hogeland area.

He was an active member of the Hogeland Volunteer Fire Department and Blaine County II Ambulance and the Hogeland American Lutheran Church and played on area softball teams.

He married Sandra Lenhardt on Oct. 12, 1984, and moved to Chinook. There he worked as a shop machinist for the county and eventually was promoted to shop foreman. While in Chinook, Alan was an active member of the Chinook American Lutheran Church and the Chinook Men's Bowling Association. He also did many odd jobs for others and worked with the Butcher and Birky families farming and trucking, in addition to his county career.

Alan was a gifted mechanic and woodworker and invented many different tools and machines throughout his lifetime. He loved working and helping others and never turned down a request for help. His "shop" was open 24 hours a day. He thoroughly enjoyed trucking for and working with the Sonny Birky family of Chinook. He loved people and never had a bad word to say about anyone. He always made time to say hello and talk to others and stopped to pet all the neighborhood dogs and cats. He loved bowling and bowled two nights a week. Just this year, he earned an award for bowling a triplicate at men's nationals. Alan was a pilot by age 17 and loved to fly planes while he lived in Hogeland.

Alan was truly a wonderful person. He loved his family dearly and was a devoted son, husband, father, uncle and brother. He was very intelligent and knew how to do anything. Everywhere you look you can see Alan's many works. Whether it is seen in the lighted cross on the Lutheran church in Hogeland, in the vehicles he fixed for members of the community, in his help at the Blaine County Fairgrounds, in the many county vehicles he worked on throughout his life, or possibly just in the many kind words everyone in the community has to say about him, Alan is truly everywhere. He leaves a deep void in our lives and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Alan is survived by his mothers, Dorothy Allen of Sumner, Wash., and Nora Boardman of Belgrade; daughter, Jennifer Jamieson of Lynwood, Wash.; brothers, Mike Boardman of Aurora, Colo., and Neal Allen of Sumner; sister, Susan (Royce) Walker of Bozeman; good friend, Sandi Boardman of Chinook; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, one niece and one nephew.

He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, stepfather Howard Allen of Sumner, and father Chester Boardman of Hogeland.

Arrangements were made by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.