George Bolles Biography


	This biography appears on page 1453 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	GEORGE BOLLES, a leading real-estate and insurance man of 
Aberdeen, of which city he is treasurer, was born at Marshall, Michigan, 
on June 30, 1854, the son of George Nelson and Sarah (Polhemus) Bolles. 
The father of Mr. Bolles was a native of New York state, and was 
descended from an old American family, his ancestors having come over 
from England in 1620, settling in the New England states, and later the 
family getting into New York state. At an early date the father removed 
to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he died about 1885. The mother of the 
subject died a few days after his birth. George Bolles was reared on a 
farm, and attended the high school and the Baptist college at Kalamazoo, 
Michigan. After leaving school, he worked on a farm in summers and 
taught school in winter for several years, and then entered an insurance 
office in Kalamazoo, where he continued until 1883, at which time he 
came to Aberdeen, South Dakota. He at once engaged in the real-estate 
and insurance business in that town, now city, at the same time taking 
up land near Ipswich, upon which he settled his family. Mr. Bolles is a 
Republican in politics, and has served as treasurer of Aberdeen 
practically all the time since 1885, holding the same at present. He is 
a member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of United 
Workmen and the Woodmen of America fraternities. 

	Mr. Bolles married Ellen A. Dennis, who was born in Kalamazoo 
county, Michigan, the daughter of Wilfred and Mary J. (Downey) Dennis, 
and to their union one son has been born, C. Bliss Bolles.