ALBERT BOSHEK 1890-1917 AKA Al Bochek

Al Boshek

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Tom Dolka, 1-31-06      Found out, so far, that Al Boshek is buried in Scranton, Pa. He left Scranton in 1914 to attend the Osbert E. Williams (used to live in Scranton: 1902 to 1913) Flying School in Michigan. Mr. Williams started the O. E. Williams Company that constructed airplanes in or near Fenton, Michigan. The Williams Flying School trained 11 pilots......8 of them died prior to 1920. Mr. Williams was killed flying in 1917 in Mobile, Alabama...........a few weeks later, Nov 13th, Al Boshek died in Nebraska.      Were you aware of any of this? I don't know how much you know about Mr. Boshek. I do know at this point the he is a distant relative of my wife. Had he lived, he would have been 67 or 68 years old when my wife was born. Still researching............................ Take Care, Tom Editor's Note: I thank Tom for this basic information on the life and career of Al. I hope that his research reveals even more information on this nearly forgotten pioneer. If you can help, please contact us..

 

MAIL PILOT via email from William J. Ballard, D.D.S., 11-16-05      I saw a blurb that Al Boshek flew the mail from West Branch to Bay City (MI) pre-WWI with 'Billy Brock'. I believe this is the same Wm. Brock of Brock and & Schlee who flew the Stinson 'Pride of Detroit'.

 

Al Boshek & O. E. Williams Submitted by Tom Dolka, 3-22-06

O. E. Williams School of Aviation via email from Nancy Mess, 1-18-06 Niece of O. E Williams 1930, OCT 27 American Aero Philatelic Digest and Canadian Stamp Journal; Vol. 1, No. 3, p.1 and 8. The Fenton Michigan Memorial. The CHAMBER OF COMMERCE of Fenton, Michigan arranged the commemorative of twelve men (listed below) who gave their lives in the development of aeronautics. A cachet was arranged showing the names of those men. Letters arrived from all parts of the world to be mailed with the special cachet applied. 5,300 letters went into the mail on that Memorial Day, 1929. "TO THE STUDENTS OF THE WILLIAMS SCHOOL OF AVIATION AND OTHERS OF OUR YOUNG MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION" O. E. Williams Al Boshek Ransom Fowler Don McGee Harold Bruner Leroy Wilson Lt. Cyrus Bettis (served in WW1) Lt. John Burns (served in WW1) Capt. E. G. Knapp (served in WW1) Lt. J. Thad Johnson (served in WW1) Sid Robberts Elwood Junken

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Sharon Alger, 2-27-11 Mr. Cooper,      My father was just showing us some pictures he saved from my grandfather belongings. My grandfather was friends with Al Boshek and worked as a machinist at the aviation factory in Fenton, MI. So, I googled Al Boshek's name to find out more about him and that led me to your website. Thanks, Sharon Editor's Note: I thank Sharon for contacting me and will ask her for any more information she may have acquired regarding her grandfather and his relationship with Al.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Al Boshek", using the Google search engine, (11-19-05), you will two links.

 

IONIA FREE FAIR HISTORY      This website offers a detailed history of the fair from 1915 to 1945. Al Boshek is mentioned in both the 1915 and 1916 revues. He had been contracted to provide the thrills for the crowd as he demonstrated the abilities of the new attraction, the aeroplane. You can access the site by clicking on the title above. You may want to use the FIND function on Boshek to find his locations on the page.

 

Ionia-Montcalm Magazine      In this July-August, 2004 issue of the online magazine, you will find a brief, but interesting mention of Al Boshek. Here is the relevant paragraph which is found on page 27 of the magazine. "With flight barely a dozen years old, fair-goers were dazzled. As the gazed upward, aviator Al Boshek of the Williams Aeroplane Company rose to altitudes of 2,500 feet, circling from the reformatory to the city limits, and they witnessed the first parachute drops in Ionia when aeronaut Ben Groulx jumped from his balloon, christened the Ionia just for the occasion. Fair-goers could dance the latest cakewalktango, or waltz, or have some barbecue. There were horse races, and a raffle for a 1916 Ford roadster."      You can access the pdf file, assuming you have the Adobe Reader installed, by clicking on the title above. You may want to go directly to page 27 to find the quotation.

 

THE BOSHEK FAMILY via email from Tom Dolka, 2-3-06      My wife, (maiden name Boshek), is the distant relative to Al Boshek. I don't know if I told you or not but Al Boshek was my wife's grandfather's cousin. I spoke with another cousin at the beginning of the week. This person was born after Al Boshek died, but remembers hearing the story. (born in the 1920's). The person is up in years and basically wasn't able to tell me any thing I didn't know currently.       Did find out Al's father came from Austria around 1879. Exact name and age couldn't be remembered but I was told my wife's great- grandfather came to U.S. when he was 8 years old with two brothers. One of these brothers is Al's father. According to my wife's great-grandfather's obituary....he came from Austria in 1879. No name of siblings was mentioned in the obit.       Doing some math...if great-grandpa came here in 1879, he was 87 when he passed, 8 years old in 1879........I figure great-grandpa must have been born around 1871....and passed in 1958. No year of birth or death was in the abit.

 

Holdrege Progress OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER - SWORN CIRUCLATION OVER TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED COPIES HOLDREDGE, PHELPS COUNTY, NEBRASKA - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1917 Entertainment Week Aviator Meets Death In Twenty-Five Hundred Foot Fall Albert Boshek, Popular Attraction at Annual Fall Entertainment Makes His Last Ascension - Multitudes Fail to Appreciate Seriousness of His Rapid Fall - Thought Fall To Be Oneof the Thrillers That Had Been Advertised. Was Experienced Aviator Lately Employed by Government. Tuesday's Flight Was an Added Attraction and Was Provided for in Terms of Contract--Contrary Reports Uncalled for and Flights Sere Made Under Most Auspicious Conditions.--Body Shipped to His Home in Pennsylvania.

For the complete text of this news clipping, click on: Al Boshek

 

ESCANABA MORNING PRESS ESCANABA, MICHIGAN, WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 14, 1917 AVIATOR DEAD IN FALL       Holdredge, Neb. Nov. 13 --Albert Boshek, a professional aviator of Scranton, Pa., was instantly killed here tonight when he fell from a height of 3,000 feet. He was making an exhibition flight for a carnival. Editor's Note: A copy of this newpaper article was kindly supplied to me by Tom Dolka.

 

Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back