[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9423-S9424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN TRIBUTE TO JOHN PAUL BOLLMAN

  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, today I come to the floor to pay tribute 
to a great man who has dedicated his life to helping people and 
families in need. John Paul Bollman has grown up in the small town of 
Dallas, OR. His family has made funeral service their life's work and 
as a result, he has helped thousands of people cope with the most 
difficult loss a family can experience. Over the past 4 decades he has 
worked tirelessly to help people in need by extending kindness and 
compassion to acquaintances and strangers alike, each as if they were 
an old friend. A man of conviction, he is deeply admired by his peers, 
respected for his principles, and highly regarded as a noteworthy civic 
leader. Throughout his life he has embodied the true sense of a 
Christian. He has helped all people, doing so humbly and with great 
adoration from his community.
  John has spent countless hours working for the betterment of the 
community and has achieved a number of significant accomplishments as a 
result. Serving on the boards of the local school district, the 
education service district, the local hospital, along with numerous 
civic and professional boards, John has dedicated his time to improving 
the community at all levels. Whether he has taken the time to offer a 
helping hand, a kind word, or a heartfelt gesture, he is always 
available for those who need him. He recognizes that people are busy 
today and don't always

[[Page S9424]]

want to invest their time helping in a classroom or teaching a high 
school student about a business or profession, so John leads by example 
and hopes that his involvement will encourage others to give of their 
time as well. He realizes that an opportunity to explore a career path 
at a young age can make the difference between providing a child an 
incentive to stay in school and dropping out. For many young people, 
John has shown them the connection and the importance of receiving a 
good education.

  Over the years, many fortunate people have had a unique opportunity 
to learn from this man who has made helping others his life's work. 
Following in the steps of his father, John entered the funeral service 
in 1960. It was with a great deal of pride, that John welcomed his son 
Michael into the family business 10 years ago, to follow in the 
footsteps of his father and grandfather before him. I share a great 
fondness for the Bollman family, for it was John's grandfather, Dr. 
L.A. Bollman that brought me into this world 74 years ago. I have known 
four generations of this family and have seen the attributes of his 
father and grandfather in John and have seen them passed on to his 
children. His daughter Amy worked in my offices in Washington, DC and 
Oregon and I saw in her the qualities of her father. She, too, is an 
outstanding role model in her community. We need more people like John 
Bollman--people willing to give their time and their hearts to help 
others. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to thank 
John for his tireless service to those in need and let him know that 
his selfless dedication to his profession and his community does not go 
without recognition and appreciation. The town of Dallas, OR and all 
who know him are both fortunate and blessed. John Paul Bollman embodies 
the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson in his famous poem entitled Success:

       To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent 
     people and the affection of children; to earn the 
     appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of 
     false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in 
     others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy 
     child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know 
     even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. 
     This is to have succeeded.

                          ____________________