MILTON A. BOULWARE
-Santa Clara County Pioneer
Surnames: LEWIS, RUCKER, EMMONS, CONNER
The advanced and eminently satisfactory state of the
undertaker's profession in California today is undoubtedly due to such
far-seeing, idealistic and progressive men as Milton A. Boulware, the
secretary of the San Jose Undertaking Company, who was born in Little
Calaveras Valley, Santa Clara County, on Washington's birthday,
1856. His father, John Wesley Boulware, a farmer in Missouri,
married Miss Louisa Rebecca Lewis, and together they crossed the wide
prairies in 1849, settling at first in Little Calaveras Valley.
In 1860, they removed to Palo Alto; and there they continued to live
until they died, aged about sixty-four years. They had seven
children, and Milton was the second of the family. He attended
the public schools in Santa Clara County, and then took a course in the
business college; and when he was ready to do for himself, he sold
merchandise in the General Farmers' Union. Next, for a number of
years, he was bookkeeper for T. W. Hobson
& Company, and after that, also for a number of years,
bookkeeper and cashier for the Rucker Bros. Furniture Company.
When he left that firm, it was to assist J. E. Rucker for a couple of
years in the real estate field. In 1900 he joined the staff of
the San Jose Undertaking Company, and he has been here ever since.
On December 24, 1878, Mr. Boulware was married at San Jose
to Miss Mary Elizabeth Rucker, the daughter of Joseph
E. Rucker, a well-known pioneer realty man, and their union has
been blessed with the birth of twin daughters. Helen K. is the
wife of Grover C. Emmons, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and Susie W., now Mrs. J. R. Conner, whose son, Douglas Conner, is the
first grandchild of Mr. and Mrs. Boulware. The family attend St.
Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church; and Mr. Boulware is a member of the
Royal Arch and Knights Templar Masons, and for thiry-two years was
secretary of San Jose Lodge No. 10, F. & A. M. He also
belongs to the Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Eastern Star
and the Order of Amaranth. In national politics a Republican, Mr.
Boulware, who is also fond of ranch and out-door life, finds his
greatest pleasure in promoting, in a non-partisan manner, whatever is
to the best interests of the community.
Transcribed by Joseph Kral, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 341
PALO ALTO HISTORY AND GENEALOGY
SANTA CLARA COUNTY-The Valley of Heart's Delight