Boydston, Marion

• Marion Elmer

Richard Mason Boydston was born on February 4, 1917 in Randolph, Missouri, the youngest of four boys. Richard ("Dick") attended Kansas City, Missouri public schools and graduated from Central High School in 1934, after which he attended Kansas City Junior College. At this time, Richard was employed by Skelly Oil Company in Kansas City where he worked in the service station, advertising department, and as a retail sales district manager and division manager.
Richard enlisted in the United States Army after Pearl Harbor in 1942, and was assigned to the Quarter Master Corps. After being stationed in Skagway, Alaska, he went to Officer's Candidate School at Fort Francis E. Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Following his time at Fort Warren, he was stationed at two Army posts in California, the last of which being San Bernardino for desert training (which he continually refers to as San Berdu. in letters to his wife). During the month of June 1943, Richard spent his leave at home with his mother in Kansas City before being deployed overseas.
On June 16, 1943, he had a blind date with Marion Elmer, the future Mrs. Richard M. Boydston, from Manhattan, Kansas. Marion was a chemist for General Mills in Kansas City. On July 7, 1943, Marion and Richard were married at Mission Inn, Riverside, California; one month later Richard left for overseas assignment. While overseas Richard was stationed in North Africa, southern Italy, and finally southern France, where he was stationed in Marseilles for a year and promoted to the rank of Major. After Marseilles he went to Rognac, about thirty miles away, where he stayed until redeployment for the states was issued in October 1945, 29 months after leaving for overseas duty.
Upon leaving the U. S. Army, Richard rejoined Skelly Oil Company and worked in the following locations: Butler, Missouri; Topeka, Kansas; Kansas City, Kansas; Chicago, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Richard retired in 1977 and he and Marion moved to Marion's hometown of Manhattan, Kansas. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Manhattan Rotary Club, Kansas State University President's Club, and the Manhattan Country Club. Richard and Marion had two children and four grandchildren. Their son Rick, and his wife Susan, had three children, while their daughter Anne, and her husband Will, had a son. Richard Mason Boydston died on May 18, 1998 in Manhattan, Kansas.

Creator Source: Local Authority File