Oscar Junior Boismier

Oscar Junior Boismier was born on July 18, 1923, in Flint, Michigan. He was the youngest of 5 children born to Oscar Boismier and Julia May Sheldon. As a child he had many adventures with his siblings, in particular, his brother LaVerne. He had hilarious stories of the dangerous high jinks they got into while they were supposed to be working on the farm. He would also share how difficult it was to grow up during the Depression.  

One funny story was how glad he was when they invented homogenized milk. As the youngest he was at the end of the table. The milk would first go to his dad, then to the oldest son, and so on with him last. So, by the time the milk got to him, it was skim milk. With the invention of homogenization, the milk tasted so much better.  

Oscar was quite small for his age, when at the age of 8 he was hospitalized weighing only 25 pounds. He was hit by a car and had a broken leg with multiple fractures. His mother would not let them amputate his leg, so for 3 months he was in the hospital in traction, but they saved his leg.

Oscar did not like school, but he did like poetry, memorizing many poems and limericks, he would later recite to fit the occasion. His parents did not plan on sending him to high school as he was to apprentice with his dad as a carpenter, but his 8th grade teacher came personally to visit his parents convincing them into letting him continue his studies. He was the first in his family to finish high school.

After finishing high school, he was drafted into the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. During WW2, he was stationed in Panama. It was during his time in Panama he developed an interest in Physical Therapy. Oscar had a rare blood type and spent much of the war donating blood, sometimes even being hospitalized. After the war he continued to give blood whenever the blood bank called him. Not counting the blood given during the war, he gave over 10 gallons of blood. 

At the end of the war, he returned home and became very involved in the church youth programs. He met a cute girl named Fern Craner who became the love of his live. They were married on July 27, 1947. Together they embarked on a life of service in their church wherever they were.

Moving first to Emanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) and then to Loma Linda University, he received a degree in Physical Therapy. They moved to Hinsdale, Illinois, to work at the sanitarium. It was the height of the polio epidemic, so he worked long hours with live polio cases. In 1952, Fern gave birth to their first son, Jim. After moving to Lansing, Michigan, their second son Gary was born in 1954. Oscar continued with his career in Physical Therapy, working at Sparrow Hospital, and then as the Supervisor of the Physical Therapy Department at the Olin Health Center, the student hospital at Michigan State University. He retired after 30 years at MSU. Over this time, he volunteered with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as chairman and Trustee Circle Member of the Michigan chapter.  

Oscar was very active in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Oscar and Fern were charter members of the University Church in East Lansing, serving on the board both of the church and the church school for over 55 years. They were both very active in Pathfinders, serving as club director with over 100 pathfinders in the club. Oscar had a positive effect on many children both in pathfinders as well as sabbath school and Vacation Bible School.

Oscar loved to fix things, carrying a full toolbox with miscellaneous spare parts in his car trunk. When he saw things that needed fixing, you did not even need to ask him. It did not matter if it was at work, at home or at church, he would just go out to the car and get the necessary tools and parts.

Oscar and Fern shared a passion for travel. The family camped at many lakes in Michigan. They were often joined my Oscar’s sister, Viola, and her family. They made many car trips around the country, eventually visiting every state. 

They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the Traverse City area, sailing and canoeing. For their 60th anniversary, Jim and his wife, Maria, took them to Portugal, and their son Gary and his wife, Marilyn, took them on a cruise through the Panama Canal. One of their biggest adventures was in Maui, where they did house sitting for over three years. They were able to have many members of the family visit.

They were very devoted to their parents and siblings. They made regular trips to see them, until they had passed away. At this time, they felt free to move away and begin a new adventure. In 2011 they moved to Houston where their son, Gary, lived. They found a cute little senior apartment at a facility that had a swimming pool. It was here that they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on July 27, 2017. Unfortunately, Fern developed a pulmonary disease and passed away on February 13, 2018. 

Oscar celebrated his 100th birthday at the facility with family, and friends. He sat at the head table with balloons, a cake, and 4 pies. He had a great time. 

Oscar continued living in the apartment, and Gary and Marilyn began looking after him. They made sure that all his needs were met. Gary and Marilyn built a beautiful home in the country and invited Oscar to move in with them. They all loved living together until Oscar had a stroke on January 1st, 2024. After a short stay in a rehabilitation facility, his condition worsened, and he passed away on January 24, 2024. 

Oscar is survived by his two sons, Jim (Maria) and Gary (Marilyn), two grandchildren, Robert (Sarah), Helen (Eric), and two great grandchildren, Katherine and Audrey. 

Oscar had an extraordinary life. Through it all, he lived a life of faith. To live over 100 years, one acquires many memories. There wasn’t a situation that didn’t remind him of a joke or story. He was always willing to help, and he left this world a better place than he found it.