A half century ago, Harold Bothman was a cog in a network of business owners who, at the sound of the fire siren, would drop what they were doing and man the fire trucks. In Bothman’s case, his tow truck sat idle and his auto repair shop empty and quiet as Forest Lake men dashed off to fight fire.
Bothman exemplified business owners of the time who gave their time and effort to put in place the foundations to make Forest Lake what it is today. He was like many of his generation who served in the military in the years during and after World War II and made good on personal commitments to start families and make a living.
In Bothman’s case, it was a commitment that started in the early 1950s when the native of northwestern Minnesota put down deep roots in Forest Lake. Bothman, whose name was attached to an auto repair shop and towing business for more than 50 years, died unexpectedly at home on Friday, Dec. 11, 16 days shy of his 89th birthday.
A native of Plummer in Red Lake County, Bothman attended schools in Plummer before signing on for duty with the U.S. Coast Guard in the late 1940s. After the service, he married and started a family while living and working in Thief River Falls and Little Falls.
By 1952, Bothman found work with Baltes Ford in Forest Lake as a mechanic. Over the next five years, he was employed by the Ford dealership, Benson and Peterson and Selchow Chevrolet before striking out on his own in 1957 with Harold’s Auto Repair and Harold’s Towing. He had handled towing duty in his early years of employment in Forest Lake and gradually moved into his own towing business.
It would last for more than 50 years. Bothman sold Harold’s Auto to Tom LaBarre in 2007 after selling Harold’s Towing to Orman and Lori Anafarta in 1998. Even in retirement, Bothman never totally walked away. After son Dan Bothman started Dan’s Towing, dad was a constant figure around the business and a partner. He had been active and in good health in the days before his death, Dan Bothman said.
A good servant
Taking care of customers was first and foremost for his father, Dan Bothman said.
“He had a big heart,” Dan said of his father. “He always made sure a customer’s car was fixed, whether they had money or not.”
Bothman approached volunteer fire service with the same philosophy. After establishing his businesses, he signed on for fire department duty in 1966. He would serve for the next quarter of a century before retiring in 1990.
Along with general firefighter duty, Bothman held the ranks of engineer, captain, assistant fire chief and served for a period as acting fire chief, said his son, who followed in the fire service in Forest Lake.
“He wanted to give back to the community,” Dan Bothman said. “He wanted to help with anything that he could.”
He was also active in Ducks Unlimited projects, was a member of the Forest Lake Sportsmen’s Club and shared his love for animals with support of local animal rescue groups.
A celebration of Harold Bothman’s life took place Thursday, Dec. 17, at Roberts Family Life Celebration Home in Forest Lake.
He is survived by children Debbie (Jon) Kuefler, Ron (Louise) Bothman, William (Sue) Bothman, Terry (Ron) Fischer and Dan (Nicole) Bothman; 12 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one sister, Delores Olson; other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda Webster; one grandson, Mark Holt; one sister, Dorothy; and his parents.
Memorials are preferred to Northwoods Humane Society, 7153 Lake Blvd., Wyoming, MN 55092.