Biography of Jerry A. Bolinger, pages 438/439/440. History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.

Jerry  A. Bolinger

	By a life of persistent and well applied industry, led along the 
most honorable lines, the gentleman whose name appears above has justly 
earned the right to be represented in a work of the character of the one 
at hand, along with other men of DeKalb County who have made their 
influence felt in their respective communities.
	Jerry A. Bolinger, foreman of the trimming department of the 
Zimmerman Manufacturing Company at Auburn, was born in the city in which 
he now resides on December 29, 1872, and is a son of Andrew and Elizabeth 
(Walborn) Bolinger.  These parents, who were both natives of the state 
of Pennsylvania, came in their childhood to Dayton, Ohio, where they 
were reared and where their marriage occurred. During the latter sixties 
they came to DeKalb county, locating three miles west of Auburn, where 
the father followed farming pursuits and also conducted a dairy, and 
there he lived until his death, which was the result of injuries 
received by being struck by a railroad train at Garrett on August 9, 
1887, while on his way home from delivery milk.  He lingered until 
September 2d, that year when he passed away. He was one of the leading 
members of the Lutheran church at Auburn, living a life entirely 
consistent with his profession and was an official of the church for 
many years, his wife also belonging to that society.  They were the 
parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, namely: Benjamin 
Franklin, familiarly called Frank; Emma, the wife of Emanuel Miser; 
Lettie, the wife of Levi Wolf, and Jerry A., the subject of this 
sketch, who was fourteen years old at the time of his father’s death.  
In 1888 the family moved to Auburn and here the mother still resides.
	The subject of this sketch resided on the home farm, in the work 
of which he took a part until his father’s death and his mother’s 
removal to Auburn, when he accompanied her to this city and here 
finished his education, which had been begun in the district schools.  
His first active employment was in the Auburn woolen mills, where he 
remained two years and then he entered the employ of the Kibblinger 
Company, manufacturers of carriages, where he learned carriage 
trimming.  When Mr. McIntire succeeded Mr. Kibblinger, Mr. Bolinger 
remained with him seven years and then accepted a position as a 
carriage trimmer with the Zimmerman Carriage  Manufacturing Company at 
Auburn, with whom he remained five years, then going back to the 
McIntire Company for five years longer.  In October, 1908, Mr. 
Bolinger went to Butler Manufacturing Company, in which position he 
was retained three years, and then going to Elkhart, Indiana, took 
charge of the trimming department for the Crow Motor Car Company.   
After remaining there one season Mr. Bolinger returned to Auburn and 
on August 3, 1912, took charge of the trimming room of the Zimmerman 
Manufacturing Company, having sixteen men under him.  By natural 
adaptability and training Mr. Bolinger is well qualified to supervise 
this important department of the business and his services with the 
different firms with which he has been connected have been eminently 
satisfactory in every respect.  He has at all times enjoyed the fullest 
measure of confidence on the part of both his employers and the men 
under him and is considered an invaluable man in the position, which 
he occupies.
	In 1892 Mr. Bolinger was married to Lottie Shull, who was born 
two and one-half miles west of Auburn, the daughter of Eli W. and 
Adeline (Olinger) Shull.  Her father, who was born and reared here, is 
the son of Henry Shull, one of the early pioneers of this county.  The 
Olingers are also one of the DeKalb county’s prominent old families, 
the early generation of the family having located here at a time when 
corduroy roads were in vogue and bridges more conspicuous by their 
absence than otherwise.  To Mr. and Mrs. Bolinger has been born a 
daughter, Jessie, who is now stenographer for the De Soto Motor Car 
Company.  She was for a time employed in the city treasurer’s office 
at Elkhart.
 	Fraternally, Mr. Bolinger is a member of the Knights of Pythias 
and for a number of years was prominently identified with the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen.  Religiously, the family are all members of 
the Lutheran church. In every phase of life’s activities in which he 
has been engaged, Mr. Bolinger has preformed his full part as a man 
among men and, standing four square to every wind that blows, he 
merits the high position which he now enjoys among his fellow citizens.  
Genial and unassuming, he has a host of acqaintances throughout the 
county, among whom he is popular.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com