Early Life of Harry Hill Bolender -- Auto Biography (1896 - 1918)
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On the 29th day of September[1], I (Harry Bolender) first opened my eyes and looked out onto this world. I was a member of a family of five: Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, and me. I had a good heritage since my grandfather, Joel Bolender, always had family prayer. He would read a chapter from the Bible, then when all the family were on their knees, Joel would pray. My father and mother had family prayer the same system, each night and morning. My first remembrance of being in a public gathering was in church. The pastor, Mont Johnson had a full black beard. He lead the song service with a tuning fork to get the pitch, then the music ceased and voices took their respective parts to sing. My father had a bass voice which I always appreciated very much. There was a Bolender and Shinkle reunion each year in which hundreds of both families gathered to have a great day. The two families came to Brown Co., Ohio. Stephen Bolender bought a tract of 1400 acres from Zacharia Taylor’s grandfather before Ohio became a state. The mentioned church was built on this site.
Harry as a baby
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Harry in his "Turkey Gobbler Suit"
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Harry Bolender around age 4
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John Jacob and Sylvia Bolender around 1887 – Harry’s parents
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Biographical Insert by Elsie Bolender
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In March of 1995, Harry Bolender talked to Elsie, his daughter-in-law, about his early schooling. The year he was five, he started to school in September at Penns Academy. He was six soon after school started. Penns was a one room school with one teacher for all grades. It was one and one third miles from his home. He said he walked the one third mile from the house out the lane to the main road, then turned left and walked about one mile to the school. His first teacher was Frank Turton. The next year his teacher was Teeny Brown. He said she was a middle-aged lady and the very best teacher he ever saw anywhere. That was the year he, as a second grader, learned the names of all the bones in the human body. He also learned the names of all the states of the USA, their capitals, and the rivers the capitals were one. He quoted, "Maine, Augusta, the Kennebec; New Hampshire, Concord, the Merrimack; Vermont, Montepelier, the Missisquoi. . ."
This Ms. Brown only taught the one year at Penns School. His next teacher was Elsie Page. Josie, Herbert and Harry all went to Penns School together. When Herbert and Josie were ready to go to high school in Felicity, Harry went to Penns one more year and then the three of them took horse and buggy and went to Felicity to school. Harry went to the Felicity graded school. I asked him if he ever went to high school and he said no.
Harry stayed out of school for one year, the year he was thirteen. The next year his sister, Josie, taught at Maple Dell School about five or six miles from their house. Harry went to her school that year (when he was fourteen). The next year, (when he was fifteen) Josie taught at Penns Academy near home and Harry went to school there.
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In March of 1995, Harry Bolender talked to Elsie, his daughter-in-law, about his early schooling. The year he was five, he started to school in September at Penns Academy. He was six soon after school started. Penns was a one room school with one teacher for all grades. It was one and one third miles from his home. He said he walked the one third mile from the house out the lane to the main road, then turned left and walked about one mile to the school. His first teacher was Frank Turton. The next year his teacher was Teeny Brown. He said she was a middle-aged lady and the very best teacher he ever saw anywhere. That was the year he, as a second grader, learned the names of all the bones in the human body. He also learned the names of all the states of the USA, their capitals, and the rivers the capitals were one. He quoted, "Maine, Augusta, the Kennebec; New Hampshire, Concord, the Merrimack; Vermont, Montepelier, the Missisquoi. . ."
This Ms. Brown only taught the one year at Penns School. His next teacher was Elsie Page. Josie, Herbert and Harry all went to Penns School together. When Herbert and Josie were ready to go to high school in Felicity, Harry went to Penns one more year and then the three of them took horse and buggy and went to Felicity to school. Harry went to the Felicity graded school. I asked him if he ever went to high school and he said no.
Harry stayed out of school for one year, the year he was thirteen. The next year his sister, Josie, taught at Maple Dell School about five or six miles from their house. Harry went to her school that year (when he was fourteen). The next year, (when he was fifteen) Josie taught at Penns Academy near home and Harry went to school there.
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Autobiography Continued
At the age of twelve I became reckless and for a few years I went the broad way.[2] Thank God for my mother who had a heart to serve God and who knew the power of prayer. For hours at a time with no rest, she prayed. We attended a Methodist church and Sunday school which had gotten cold and formal. Soon we had a new pastor. He prayed the first Sunday morning. I was snowed under. God's Holy Spirit convicted me right there on the spot. I was then nearing my 15th birthday. The revival began in February. The new pastor made altar calls which I had never seen before. The first week, I was saved at the altar. Many new things came into my life. Everything took on a change.
As a boy, of course, I had a girl friend. As time went on, I said to her, "Don't you want to become a Christian?” She said, "Yes." The answer was so decided and clear that it caused me to ask another question. "Why do you want to become a Christian?” I asked. Clear as a bell she said, "Because you want me to." I knew then that God was calling me to the ministry and that a heavy responsibility rested on me. I wondered if my girl friend would help me. She really knew nothing about prayer and especially about what was needed in my life. We never had a cross word before, but one day I said, "We don't see everything alike so perhaps we had better quit." She agreed. We had a pleasant evening, but that night ended our relationship.
At the age of twelve I became reckless and for a few years I went the broad way.[2] Thank God for my mother who had a heart to serve God and who knew the power of prayer. For hours at a time with no rest, she prayed. We attended a Methodist church and Sunday school which had gotten cold and formal. Soon we had a new pastor. He prayed the first Sunday morning. I was snowed under. God's Holy Spirit convicted me right there on the spot. I was then nearing my 15th birthday. The revival began in February. The new pastor made altar calls which I had never seen before. The first week, I was saved at the altar. Many new things came into my life. Everything took on a change.
As a boy, of course, I had a girl friend. As time went on, I said to her, "Don't you want to become a Christian?” She said, "Yes." The answer was so decided and clear that it caused me to ask another question. "Why do you want to become a Christian?” I asked. Clear as a bell she said, "Because you want me to." I knew then that God was calling me to the ministry and that a heavy responsibility rested on me. I wondered if my girl friend would help me. She really knew nothing about prayer and especially about what was needed in my life. We never had a cross word before, but one day I said, "We don't see everything alike so perhaps we had better quit." She agreed. We had a pleasant evening, but that night ended our relationship.
The home of John Jacob and Sylvia Bolender in Felicity, Ohio
John Jacob Bolender – 1915
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Sylvia Bolender -- 1915
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Later at God's Bible School, I participated in a testimony meeting. Others had their friends. I thought of my position and quoted this scripture: "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass." As I sat down the Spirit said to me, "That is your promise for the matrimonial side of life." I accepted the promise. A little while later, one of the students went to the altar at the tabernacle. I was well acquainted with him. I knelt by his side and in a few minutes he got up to go to his room. I followed him. He told me that he had written his family to let them know he was leaving school. I asked him what his future would be if he didn't get saved again. I told him he would surely spend eternity in hell. Oh! We were into a deep subject; therefore, we did not go to supper. Later, many went to the mission. We stayed right there and were still talking when the students returned from the mission. He said, "Well, I will promise you one thing; I will not go home, but I am not going to write home until I can tell them I have the victory." I went to my room relieved, but concerned. The next morning I got his home address from a friend to write his family. I knew it would be terrible if they traveled ten miles to the train and then no one be there. I told them what was happening in the letter and exorted them to prayer.
Harry at about 19 years old
The younger brother Aubrey went to get the mail. The first question when he returned was, "Anything from Dillard?" "No, but there's a letter here from Cincinnati," Aubrey said. So the letter I had written was opened. The news was Dillard's promise not to leave school. A fourteen-year-old sister named Bertha shouted and said, "Glory, glory to God.” So that’s how my name was heard of in the Fortner family. Two years later, Bertha came to Cincinnati. I asked her brother if she was a Christian. He said Bro. Standley, the president of the school, never had a better experience learning of her saving experience. I jotted that down in my memorandum. We were engaged June 30, 1918. As years have passed we have never doubted that God led us together.
[1] Harry was born in 1896.
[2] Matthew 7:13
[1] Harry was born in 1896.
[2] Matthew 7:13
Biographical Insert by Elsie Bolender
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The day Harry was sixteen, on September 29, 1912, he enrolled at God's Bible School, the youngest ever (at that time) to be accepted in the ministerial training course. In March of 1995, Harry told us that he attended GBS for three consecutive school years, 1912-1913, 1913-1914, 1914-1915. During his second year, he became friends with Dillard Fortner from Butler County, Kentucky. During Harry's third year, Dillard's sisters, Bertha and Beatrice, came to Cincinnati and lived with the family of an evangelist named Herbert Humble. Bertha and Beatie worked for the family doing housecleaning and child care. During that year Dillard introduced Harry to Bertha. Bertha enrolled at the school the next year.
Harry worked at his father's farm for about one year and then worked in the shop of the Certagraph Company in Cincinnati for about one year. In the Spring of 1917, Harry and C. B. Fugate, a fellow worker, talked about travelling west. Harry thought he would never get to travel any after getting married. He and Bertha were already engaged. He decided to go west the summer of 1917. He was afraid to tell his parents or Bertha for fear they would talk him out of it. Bertha was in Butler County by this time. Harry did tell his brother, Herbert, a week before he left. He sent a postcard to his folks from Chicago. He went to Nebraska and worked construction for one month on a concrete building for Merle Henry in Madrid Nebraska. His second job was for K. I. Davis, a farmer. [3] He worked for him tow months and turned twenty-one while there. He preached some at a converted school that eventually became a Pilgrim Holiness Church. Harry returned east on October 17, 1917. He then worked for Life and Casualty Insurance Company and the next year on June 1, 1918, he was married at God's Bible School to Bertha Eunice Fortner.
After their wedding on June 1, 1918, Harry and Bertha took a honeymoon trip to Florida. Harry's mother, Sylvia, had a cousin in St. Petersburg, a Dr. William E. Bolender, and she wanted to consult him. So Sylvia and Harry and Bertha went together to Florida. The cousin's home was their headquarters. Harry and Bertha camped out on the beach much of the time.
[3] Most of this Nebraska trip information came from a conversation Joel T. Bolender had with Harry on November 21, 1993.
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The day Harry was sixteen, on September 29, 1912, he enrolled at God's Bible School, the youngest ever (at that time) to be accepted in the ministerial training course. In March of 1995, Harry told us that he attended GBS for three consecutive school years, 1912-1913, 1913-1914, 1914-1915. During his second year, he became friends with Dillard Fortner from Butler County, Kentucky. During Harry's third year, Dillard's sisters, Bertha and Beatrice, came to Cincinnati and lived with the family of an evangelist named Herbert Humble. Bertha and Beatie worked for the family doing housecleaning and child care. During that year Dillard introduced Harry to Bertha. Bertha enrolled at the school the next year.
Harry worked at his father's farm for about one year and then worked in the shop of the Certagraph Company in Cincinnati for about one year. In the Spring of 1917, Harry and C. B. Fugate, a fellow worker, talked about travelling west. Harry thought he would never get to travel any after getting married. He and Bertha were already engaged. He decided to go west the summer of 1917. He was afraid to tell his parents or Bertha for fear they would talk him out of it. Bertha was in Butler County by this time. Harry did tell his brother, Herbert, a week before he left. He sent a postcard to his folks from Chicago. He went to Nebraska and worked construction for one month on a concrete building for Merle Henry in Madrid Nebraska. His second job was for K. I. Davis, a farmer. [3] He worked for him tow months and turned twenty-one while there. He preached some at a converted school that eventually became a Pilgrim Holiness Church. Harry returned east on October 17, 1917. He then worked for Life and Casualty Insurance Company and the next year on June 1, 1918, he was married at God's Bible School to Bertha Eunice Fortner.
After their wedding on June 1, 1918, Harry and Bertha took a honeymoon trip to Florida. Harry's mother, Sylvia, had a cousin in St. Petersburg, a Dr. William E. Bolender, and she wanted to consult him. So Sylvia and Harry and Bertha went together to Florida. The cousin's home was their headquarters. Harry and Bertha camped out on the beach much of the time.
[3] Most of this Nebraska trip information came from a conversation Joel T. Bolender had with Harry on November 21, 1993.
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The Bolender Family at their home in Felicity, OH. L to R: Herbert, John Jacob, Josie, Harry, Sylvia
Appendix to Harry’s Brief Introduction to His Early Life
After he was first saved, Harry arose to his feet to give his first testimony. “The Lord has called me to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the sins of the world. I intend to do just that.” Harry said, “My pastor strongly urged me to go to God's Bible school for my preparation for the ministry. I enrolled as a student September 29, 1912. I was the youngest student to ever be admitted to the ministerial course up to that time. Afterwards, I joined the International Apostolic Holiness Church. At the district assembly at Nelsonville, Ohio, I was granted a license as a minister of the gospel. The name of the church was later changed to the Pilgrim Holiness Church. Since the union of the Pilgrim and Wesleyan Methodist Church, we have become the Wesleyan Church.”
