Sixth Generation

911. Bertha Ida WAGNER was born on 12 June 1894 in Cherokee County, Kansas. She died on 26 January 1996 at the age of 101 in Catawba County, North Carolina. She was buried in Conover City Cemetery, Conover, Catawba, North Carolina. Name: or Bertha Irene

Bertha Ida WAGNER and Oscar Whetzel BOLICK Sr. were married on 9 August 1914 in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Oscar Whetzel BOLICK Sr., son of Jerome [Bolch] BOLICK and Martha Ellen PROPST, was born on 27 August 1889 in Catawba County, North Carolina.^436,1721 He died on 21 September 1968 at the age of 79 in Catawba County, North Carolina.⁴³⁶ He was buried in Conover City Cemetery, Conover, Catawba, North Carolina. His obituary appeared as follows: Funeral Services Set Tuesday For Furniture Pioneer Oscar Whetzel Bolick, 79, founder and president of Southern Furniture Company and lifelong resident of Conover, died unexpectedly about 4:30 Sturday afternoon. Mr. Bolick was stricken when he returned to his car after going to the plant to unlock a gate in response to a fire alarm. The son of a pioneer Catawba county manufacturer, the late Jerome Bolick and Martha Propst Bolick, he was born August 27, 1889, on a farm east of Newton. He was one of twelve brothers and sisters. Funeral services have been set for four o'clock Tuesday afternoon at Concordia Lutheran Church with the pastor, the Rev. E. F. Meyer in charge. Burial will follow in Conover cemetery. The body was taken to the residence in Conover this afternoon and will be taken to the church for half an hour before the service. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to made memorial gifts may make them to Concordia Church Memorial Building Fund. Active pallbearers for the service Will be Eugene Bost, Ben Bost, Harry Miller, Evans Propst, Clyde Pope, Charles Bolick, Felix Austin, and the Rev. Roy Leinbach. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Bertha Wagner Bolick; one son, Jerome W. Bolick, who is associated in business with his father; two daughters, Mrs. J. W. (June) Reynolds of Newton and Mrs. Clyde (Ruth) Willis of Conover; seven grandchildren and eight great­grandchildren. Also surviving are one brother and three sisters, P. J. Bolick, Mrs. J. S. (Mable) Williams, Mrs. L. S. (Cora) Setzer, and Miss Stella Bolick, all of Conover. He was preceded in death by two sons, O. W. Bolick, Jr., and Norman Bolick, both of whom were associated in business with their father. Also five brothers and two sisters preceded him in death, James, Loy, D. Edgar, Roland K., and Walther Bolick, Mrs. Virtna Mennen, and Mrs. Nona Hood. In 1927 Mr. Bolick founded Southern Furniture Company in Conover, and at the time of his death he was still president and chief executive officer of that company and daily put in a full day's work. He started in the furniture business by the manufacturing of twopiece living room suites in a building 60 feet by 100 feet with himself and two other employees, B. B. Burris and Hubert Dellinger. Today, Southern Furniture Company employs approximately 400 employees and occupies over four hundred thousand square feet of floor space. His son, Jerome, has been in the business since his discharge from the Navy in 1955, serving as vice president of the company. This past April, the company moved into a new office and showroom space, and within the last few months the original 60' x 100' building was razed to make room for additional manufacturing space. The company has maintained a showroom at the factory since the 1930's and was one of the first furniture factories to have such a facility at the plant site. The coming of furniture buyers to such showrooms was the beginning of what has developed into the largest spring and fall furniture markets in this area, and which are now the major furniture markets for the entire country. The growth of the company over the years can be attributed, for a very large part, to the hard work and devotion of its late president and founder. Mr. Bolick attended Concordia Lutheran Church parochial school, and began his business career after he finished old Concordia College in Conover. His father and brothers and he continued a third generation manufacturing enterprise which began with buggies and continued, with the changing times, to the making of school buses. Even then, however, he had a yen for furniture, and shortly after his marriage to Bertha Wagner of Conover, he made numerous pieces of furniture for their first home. He worked at the bus building shop, and after his day's work was finished there he worked making a living room suite, several chests of drawers, and other articles to be used in the home. He had no formal training for this work, just a natural talent. There were in the Jerome Bolick Sons Company the father and four brothers. Death claimed two of the brothers, R. K. and Loy, and the father, and when Oscar pulled out, only the late D. Ed Bolick was left in the business. Mr. Bolick never regretted his move, because he knew his interest and talent lay in the line of work he chose. He devoted the great majority of his time, except that which he took for his family, to carry on his business. A quiet man and a kind, warm hearted man, Mr. Bolick never sought the public eye in any way. He preferred to enjoy his family, his business, and his friends with genuine warmth and sincerity, but without fanfare. To those who knew him best, these attributes made him a truly great man among men. He was a lifelong member of Concordia Lutheran Church in Conover, where he received his confirmation in his youth. Over the years, he held many offices in that congregation, including president of the congregation and a member of the building committee for the present church structure. He was a former member of the Newton Kiwanis Club and the Conover Lions Club, but gave up membership in these organizations some years ago when he could not take part as he would have liked because of the other demands on his time. He was a member of the Catawba Valley Executives Club and the Catawba Country Club, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Catawba County. Mr. Bolick was one of the most widely known people throughout the local area and was known nationwide by almost everyone associated with the furniture industry. Through the death Saturday of Oscar Whetzell Bolick Catawba County lost one of its pioneer industrial leaders whose dynamic ability led to the outstanding growth of Southern Furniture Company. A man whose natural aptitude led him 41 years ago to establish his furniture business with himself and two employees manufacturing twopiece living room suites Mr. Bolick was to see his company expand to over 400 employees manufacturing a wide range of upholstered furniture. Recently a new 47,000 square foot ultramodern structure for offices, showrooms and service facilities was completed. Attributing his success to hard work, paying attention to the business and the production of good, medium priced furniture, Mr. Bolick always felt the furniture industry was challenging and interesting. And, through his keen interest and ability, Mr. Bolick became one of the leading furniture manufacturers in the South. Mr. Bolick was a quiet and kind man who preferred the enjoyment of his family and friends without the fanfare of public attention. His personality led him into a huge host of friends who recognized his ability as a leader. Through his sincerity with his friends and business associates O. W. Bolick gained the respect of those who came into contact with him. As a young man Mr. Bolick worked with his fathers and brothers in the Jerome Bolick Sons Company of conover, a pioneering industry in Catawba County which manufactured buggies and carriages. Mr. Bolick was a devout member of Concordia Lutheran Church, serving as deacon and president of the congregation and also as a member of the building committee when the new church edifice was constructed. He had also served as a Sunday School teacher in his church. He was a lifelong member of Concordia Church. Recognizing his business ability and insight into financial matters he was named a member of the board of directors of First National Bank, a position he held at the time of his death. Through his leadership and understanding of people Mr. Bolick was a man who appreciated the labors of those associated with him. His statement made at the time he announced the new construction of offices and showrooms in the recent expansion program reflects his feeling toward his fellowman . . . "The growth and success of Southern Furniture company is an indication of the high caliber of people who work there and is a manifestation of their labors and devotion." It is fortunate that his son, Jerome, will carry the business on as his father had started. The furniture industry as a whole has lost a fine competitor and Catawba County and Conover will feel the void through the death of this man whose ability, interest, understanding and foresight contributed so much to the growth and development of our area. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family in this their greatest hour of sorrow. [ObserverNewsEnterprise, Sept. 23, 1968]

Bertha Ida WAGNER and Oscar Whetzel BOLICK Sr. had the following children: