Melvin (Mickey) as we all knew him was born and raised pretty much in Baca County. He lived most of his entire life in Baca County and he commented once that it wasn't such a bad place to live and raise a family. Mickey was a simple down-to-earth man with simple needs.
He had two very strong convictions in life with one being honesty. He often said that what made a man was his word and if people couldn't trust you and believe what you said, you didn't have much of a life.
The other value that Mickey truly believed in was a strong work ethic. If you were to do a job, no matter how small or how big, do it like they were measuring your life's work on every task. Mickey always gave an honest day's work. This he passed on to his sons and daughter.
Mickey's mother died when he was just over a year old and after that he was raised by Olive Ewing. He attended school in Pritchett up until the 10th grade at which time he chose to get a job. He worked almost every day since, until he retired a few years back. Mickey was married to Loretta Blundell and to that union came four children, Marvin, Randy, Karla and Mamie. Most of his life he worked as a farm laborer. He worked numerous years for Dale Schroeder and Spencer Hegwood. Dale once said that Mickey worked an eleven year stretch without missing a day.
In talking to the different family members and friends about memories of Mickey one that kept popping up was that when Mick would get home from work in the evening he would shower and get comfortable; in other words, down to his T-shirt and underwear. So if you stopped by before he went to bed that was how you would find him and that didn't bother him. That is the state of his dress the first time Rhonda met Mickey. Mickey loved to walk and stop to talk to people. He made numerous friends this way. You could always find him somewhere around town either walking or on his golf cart.
Mickey passed away after a short bout with cancer. At the time of his death he was living in Springfield West where he had made numerous friends. Someone was always stopping in to see him.
Mickey was preceded in death by his parents, Viola Waldroupe, Delbert Bohlander and Olive Ewing; sister, Alice White; brothers, Bud (Allen) Bohlander and Eldon Ewing; and daughter, Karla Bohlander.
He is survived by two sons and a daughter, Marvin Bohlander, Randy Bohlander and wife Rhonda, and Mamie Hume and husband Greg; seven grandsons, Michael Bohlander, Dustin (Jezreel) Bohlander, Dillon Bohlander, Brian (Stephanie) Bohlander, Todd (Neatasha) Jenkins, Cole Eskew and Riley (Abby) Hume; four granddaughters, Misty (James) Campbell, Samantha (Austin) Harter, Briar (Dustin) Fulton and Allison (Chad) Brown and 10 great grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Quinn McClaren and husband Dale and their son Larry; numerous brothers and sisters-in-law.