July 21, 2023
Donald Roy Bollman, 91, of Dassel passed away Friday at Hutchinson Health. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Monday, July 24, at Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel. A Mass of Christian Burial is at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 25, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Darwin with a visitation one hour prior and the interment following service at St. Anastasia Catholic Cemetery in Hutchinson.
Donald Roy Bollman, the son of Roy and Ethel (Erickson) Bollman, was born on Aug. 7, 1931, in Litchfield. Donald grew up in the Dassel area where he was baptized at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Dassel and was a member of St. John's Catholic Church at the time of his death. Don graduated from Dassel High School in 1949.
Don went to work for Vern Erickson at Minnesota Poultry delivering chickens. In 1952, Donald was employed at the Northern Pacific Railroad as a fireman shoveling coal. On July 16, 1952, Donald was inducted into the United States Army and served his country during the Korean War until June 15, 1954, in the 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper. He returned to and continued to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad until 1962.
On Oct. 27, 1956, Donald was united in marriage to Jane Provencher at St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Hutchinson. Together they lived in North Minneapolis before they made their home in Blaine until 1964. Don and Jane moved to Dassel when Don started to attend the Staples Vocational Technical School in engineering. Upon receiving his degree, he was employed at Storm Systems and later Miller Manufacturing where he was employed as a machinist, engineer, plant manager and later an engineering consultant. In 1976, Dwayne Wischmann and Donald became partners and operated Jay-Dee Industries until his retirement in 1993.
Donald enjoyed spending time with his family for holidays and special events, including Bollman Family Fun Days at the cabin, which he built with his father and brother-in-law, Dale. He loved golfing, bowling, playing cards, shaking dice, tinkering, carpentry, and fishing. He thoroughly enjoyed the Canadian fishing trips and had never missed a year since they started in the mid 1970's. Jane and Donald enjoyed spending the winter in Arizona and in 1998, they built a home there. He was a talented woodworker and had built over one hundred wooden board games. He was always busy, took great care of his home, and loved to spend hours mowing his lawns.
Don volunteered 20 years to the Dassel Fire Department, 12 years to the Dassel City Council, numerous years as the Pit Boss on Red Rooster Days and was on many church boards. He was a member of the Paul F. Dille American Legion Post #364.
He is survived by his wife, Jane Bollman of Dassel; Douglas (Denise) Bollman of Dassel, Diane (Mitch) Elke of Dassel, and David (Jodi) Bollman of Granite Falls; eight grandchildren, Janai (Jeremy) Kittock, Isaac (fiancé, Caylin Coen) Bollman, Krystal Elke, Nichole Elke, Andrew (Sarah) Bollman, Jacob (Emmy) Bollman, Jake (Amalia) McCalla, and Nena (Josh) Hart; fourteen great grandchildren, Khloe Kittock, Madelyn Kittock, Ivy Kittock, Bria Bollman, Isla Bollman, Luca Bollman, Thatcher Bollman, Willa Bollman, Porter Bollman, Renner Bollman, Etta Bollman, Evika McCalla, Sophia McCalla, and Clara Hart along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Debbie Bollman; his parents, Roy and Ethel Bollman; and his sister and her husband, Betty and Dale Anderson.
