1975 President John Henry Bonebrake

John Henry Bonebrake was born on February 25, 1909 on a farm just south of Philomath, Oregon. His father was a minister and teacher who became president of Philomath College, a small United Brethren College. Before coming to Philomath Dr. Bonebrake had served Campbell College and Lane University (now Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa) in a similar capacity. John always claimed his father could "do anything" and was his admired ideal. His mother, Charlotte Estella Shipley, was a student at the college and married the president. John's grandmother, a Henkle, crossed the plains to Philomath,  Oregon on the Henkle wagon train. Faithful oxen pulled their prairie schooner to the foothills of Mary's Peak where the subsequent families were raised.

1975 - JOHN HENRY BONEBRAKE

John attended grade school at Hood River (West Barrett) where the family of ten moved. The four older boys had their specified chores on their apple orchard as their father traveled extensively at this time as Conference Superintendent for the United Brethren Church. Moving again, this time to Portland, John finished his grade school education at Woodlawn and graduated from Jefferson High School. Early in life he decided to be a metallurgist, but changed his mind in mid-high school to that of Mechanical Engineer.  He is a graduate engineer in that field. His college schooling was at Oregon State University 1929-1934, followed by numerous specialty courses at University of Oregon Extension Center, Oregon Technical Institute and others. Together with his wife, Phyllis, they have, since before marriage consistently studied courses in several schools. Each has accumulated about 30 credits at Clark College, Vancouver, 12 credits each in Geology and Rocks and Minerals.

Phyllis Greer and John were in the same high school but actually met at an Oregon State University function. They were married April 11, 1937 at Piedmont Presbyterian Church in Portland. They raised two daughters, one of whom, Jean Katherine Gatherer died during pregnancy in 1967. The youngest daughter, Beverly Rae is married to Kenneth W. Vernon, chemical engineer and patent attorney whose office is in Seattle, though they live in Auburn where their three children attend school. 

After formal training, John worked in a number of technical fields. One experience that established his interest in geology was employment in the engineering department of the International Smelting Company at Tooele,  Utah, under his brother, a graduate mining engineer. In those days engineering employment was hard to find. He did engineering with Columbia Aircraft Company in Portland, became plant engineer at Timber Structures Company, Portland, and switched to heavy power plant contracting also in Portland.  At the close of World War II he became an associate member of a local consulting engineering firm. In 1952 he opened his own professional office as John H. Bonebrake, Consulting Engineer. His specialties are primarily large air conditioning systems, boiler plants, heating ventilating, piping, duct systems and sewerage design.

Alaska has been one of John's main fields of operation for all of his consulting years. Included are hundreds of projects for the state, institutional, hospital, and governmental projects throughout most of Alaska.  He has been a registered Professional Engineer since 1943, being registered in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

The drilling of many wells in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska by necessity created in him a great interest in geology. A number of wells, many in the Portland area were drilled entirely through the thick Columbia River basalt flow in search of tepidly warm water for heat pump projects. Others were drilled shallower for cold water, for domestic water, and for fire fighting purposes.

His diversified work is his main hobby. He also likes to swing a hammer and saw. A weekly swim in the pool across the street is on his agenda, and an occasional game of golf.  Another hobby, skiing, regrettably takes a back seat, though the whole family skiied for many years on the slopes of Mt. Hood. Hiking takes high priority, even the Chilkoot Trail of Alaska and many hunts in Alaska.

The Bonebrakes are members of the Mock's Crest Evangelical Church and are registered Republicans.