Edwin Bohlman

Edwin Bohlman passed away at home on May 3, 2024. Edwin was born in Melstone to Adolph and Rose Bohlman on October 27, 1930. When Edwin was 4 years old he was dying from Pneumonia. Edwins father, Adolph held him down on the families kitchen table while the doctor cut out a rib in order to place drain tubes into his lungs. At the time it was the only way known to save Edwins life.

The Bohlman family left the town of Melstone to live on the family homestead south of Melstone. Edwin and his siblings traveled the ten miles to school by either walking or riding horseback. Some of Edwins school years were spent living North of Melstone on a different homestead.

In the early 1950s the family purchased land on the Musselshell River just a few miles west of the town of Musselshell. In 1953 Edwin married Jean Godfrey. One of thier first homes was living on the 3rd floor of Jean's grandparents (L.W. and Cecilia Goffena) home in Roundup. In 1954 Adolph, Edwin, Jean and John moved to Spring Creek (near Martinsdale) where they lived in one room tar paper shacks. The only running water and refrigeration was the creek 1/4 mile from thier shacks. Adolph and Edwin were employed cutting down trees. They also assisted the forest service fighting fires in the area. After Adolph was killed in a logging accident Edwin, Jean and John moved back to the Musselshell River Ranch. Edwin loved to Calf Rope. Edwin and Jean woke up before dawn in order for Edwin to practice roping before the days ranch work began. In 1958 Edwin won first place in Calf Roping at the Roundup Rodeo. He won enough money to purchase thier first television. He treasured that first place buckle his entire life.

After years of devastating ice jams and floods Edwin, Jean, John and Nancy moved thier house to higher ground. Edwin and Jean physically built all of the buildings needed for an efficient ranch on that hill. The family raised sheep, cows and a few horses and had many acres of irrigated hay land. Edwin started driving a school bus for Melstone school while running this ranch. He continued driving his route and many activity trips for 24 and a half years.

During the tough winter of 1979 they sold their ranch. Edwin, Jean and Nancy moved into a house in Musselshell while building a new house on their property on the highway west of Musselshell. Edwin, Jean and Nancy worked hard building thier new home, fencing the land, building many barns, sheds, corrals, stud pens and riding arenas. Over the years they established Bohlman Quarter Horses. Foaling season was always highly anticipated. Every new foal and mother were carefully cared for. New technology made checking the mares during the night much easier. Edwin and his childhood friend Emmett Clark wired the barn with electricity for lights and cameras for the foaling areas. Now, they could check the mares from the comfort of thier living room instead of going out in the cold in the middle of the night. Hollywood Monty was their first stallion. He was home raised and successfully trained and shown by Nancy. One of the most remembered stallions was Sr Doctor Tari. He was one of the first grandsons of Doc Bar to arrive in Montana. Nancy named one of thier most popular stallions after her dad. This was Ed's Little Whiskey. His offspring have earned many awards all over the USA and Canada. One of his sons stands at the Famous Parker Ranch in Hawaii. Edwin took great pride in showing off photos of the fancy black horse they raised that became the mascot for Texas Tech College. Over 50 horses were tried before choosing the Bohlman raised horse for this honor.

Together Edwin, Jean and Nancy worked hard caring for and training thier horses. They raised many foals, stood thier stallions to the public and in the latter years collected and shipped chilled semen on several of thier stallions all over the USA and Canada. For several years they owned as many as 50 horses. Nancy's health problems made it impossible to continue and with great sadness they found new homes for each horse.

Edwins last 5 years were spent living in their new home near Roundup. In his late 80s Edwin insisted on fencing and building the corrals on their new property. Finding it extremely difficult to completely let go of having horses they continued to have 2 horses.

Edwin was very adament that he wanted to live his last years at home and absolutely did not want to spend any time living in a nursing home. His biggest difficulty was his almost complete loss of hearing and during the last year hated wearing hearing aids. He preferred watching Television by reading the closed caption over listening with hearing aids. With the help of Stillwater Hospice Jean and Nancy were able to fulfill his last wish of remaining at home. At 93 Edwin still enjoyed telling stories of his life and recognized everyone that came to see him.

Hospice set Edwin up with a set of headphones with a receiver to talk into allowing him to hear. He only wore it when he had company. Edwin worked hard his entire life and did what he wanted to do. He was a skilled horseman, builder, welder, mechanic and fence builder. He always said he enjoyed fencing and built miles and miles of fences in the Melstone and Musselshell communities.

Edwin is in heaven calf roping on his great horse Shiner and no longer building endless fences.

Celebration of Edwins life will be on June 11, 2024 at 2:00 at the Roundup Cemetery. Coffee and dessert will follow at Roundup Ridge Riders. (Date is pending)