December 20, 1938– September 23, 2021
Mahlon Philip “Sam” Boehler, 82, of Elko, NV passed away on September 23, 2021.
A Celebration of Life for Sam will be held at 1 p.m. on October 9, 2021 at the Elko City Park near the Johnny Appleseed section.
“Sam” was born December 20, 1938 in Isabel to Philip and Lottie Boehler. His family were ranchers/ farmers southwest of Isabel. He attended 8 years at the Isabel Public School. For high school, he attended boarding school at Northwestern Lutheran Academy at Mobridge. During the early summer months he worked on the ranch, putting up hay to feed cattle for the winter. During the later summers he worked in Baker, MT at an auto salvage yard owned by his aunt and uncle, Lester and Delores Paulson.
He attended college for a short time at what is now Northern State University in Aberdeen, taking civil engineering courses.
The late 1950's were tough on ranchers in the region, due to drought and poor cattle markets. Sam, being mechanically inclined, did not show much interest in ranching or farming so he headed west. He landed in the Livingston, MT area about the same time that a major earthquake struck northern Yellowstone Park. Contractors were brought in to repair roads and bridges in the park, and equipment operators were in great demand. This was his first job in road and bridge construction. The construction of the interstate highway system was in full swing at this time.
Sam was foreman, general foreman and superintendent for various heavy construction companies in the southwest, primarily Nevada, where he became a licensed general engineering contractor.
Sam married Donna Ashby from Burley, ID in September of 1959. Donna had two sons and Sam adopted Patrick and Craig. Sam and Donna were blessed with two additional sons, Rance and Adam.
In the mid-1970s, Sam met Bonny Cress and her son Tim from Elko, NV. He and Bonny were married in 1976. Sam had his eye on an out-of-business grading, paving, sand and gravel company at Elko. He and Bonny pooled their assets to purchase the company that they named Boehler Construction.
Sam was a good mechanic and welder, which was needed to bring this company and equipment back to life. The company was started about the same time the gold mining boom began in northeast Nevada. After 32 years, they sold the company in 2007 and retired.
Sam is survived by sons Adam (Tami) Boehler of Burley, ID and Craig (Lisa Cumerow) Boehler of Fallon, NV; stepson Tim (Lisa) Cress of Spring Creek, NV; daughter-in-law Corene Boehler of Corinth, TX; special niece, Alyce (Larry) VanBlarcom of Elko, NV; sisters Sharon Jackson of Eureka Springs, AR and Fran (Willard) Guffey of Gillette, WY; brother Larry Boehler (Charleen) of Henderson, NV; nine grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Sam was preceded in death by his wife, Bonny Boehler; sons Rance and Patrick Boehler, and his parents, Philip and Lottie Boehler.