YAMANE-BOSE
FOREST GARDEN
Our newest property, Yamane-Bose Forest Garden was donated in
2021 by Madelon Y. Bolling and the Estate of her younger brother, Omar Bose.
In August 1947, their maternal grandmother, Amanda R. Yamane, purchased the
property from Lester and Elva Perkins. Amanda was an American citizen of
Norwegian extraction, married to Rio S. Yamane, a Japanese who was ineligible for
citizenship at the time. They had both been detained on Aug. 20, 1942 along with their
daughter, Madeline. Rio and Amanda were sent to the Minidoka relocation center in
Idaho, and their daughter was released to teach in Portland. Rio and Amanda later
moved to National, Utah when Rio obtained a job as a loader at the Hudson Coal
mine. There, until 1947, he served as a branch chief of the United Mine Workers
Local #6511.
Back in Portland, while living and gardening on his land Rio returned to
his life-long career as Maintenance of Way engineer for Spokane Portland & Seattle
railroad. He continued to serve as union organizer until he retired.
Meanwhile, Madeline had met Omar F. Bose, a conscientious objector of German
Mennonite heritage. They were married Aug. 3, 1946 and moved to Hawk Springs,
Wyoming, where Omar taught school. In July 1947, their first daughter, Madelon, was
born in Wichita, Kansas, where Omar’s parents were living. Omar and his little family visited Madeline’s parents in Portland, just when the Yamanes obtained the property.
Omar taught school in Esterbrook, Wyoming and then Freeman, South Dakota, where
his son, Omar, was born. Back in Forest Grove, Oregon, in 1951, Mr. Bose obtained
his MA in music, before moving back to teach in Pavillion, Wyoming, where his
second daughter, Eda, was born. This peripatetic lifestyle continued until 1966 when
Mr. Yamane gave the south half of his Beckman Avenue property to Madeline and Omar and family. Amanda had passed in 1964.
Omar built the southernmost house and garden and planted the fir tree grove as the
children moved on to lives of their own in Seattle and Denver. In 1975, Grandpa Rio
went to Japan, married Taniko Murase, a friend of his family, and returned to continue
his extensive gardening and fruit tree care with her help until he died in 1986. Taniko,
who passed in 1987, had brought chestnut seeds with her from Japan, which grew into
the trees on the northeast quarter of the property.
In 1988-89, Omar the son (he refused to be termed “junior” and Madelon spent a year
living and working on the property with their parents, trying out a few Permaculture
ideas. Madelon worked with Rick Valley doing Permaculture advocacy and design,
before returning to work as clinical psychologist in Seattle. Omar returned to Denver
where he worked as master electrician until 2019.
Madeline had passed away in 2004. At that point, her husband, Omar, took over the
care of the orchard and garden, and rented out the smaller house. He moved to the
smaller house, renting out the house he’d built. But by 2012, the property was more
than one person could manage. The one thing he asked was that the property not be
sold to developers. Madelon proposed contacting OSALT, whose vision was attractive
to the whole family. In February 2019, Omar gifted the land to Madelon and her
brother. She took over managing the property from her home in Seattle, using income
from the rentals for Omar’s retirement housing and medical care until 2021, when the
property was completely and gratefully gifted to OSALT. Omar died in 2022, at the
age of 100. His son, Omar, had died of cancer in June 2019, at 69 years old.
This 2-acre site now features mature chestnuts and fruit trees that are the legacy of
this gracious family. The property also contains 2 rental houses that OSALT owns and
manages.
