Sensational Seniors – March 2019

“Jacksonville is such a delightful place to live. Good people come here to live and then do great things for our little town.” This was how my interview started with long-time Jacksonville resident, Lyn Boening, this month’s “Sensational Senior.” Like all Sensational Seniors, Lyn has an interesting life story to tell and, as always, I’ll start at the beginning.

Ironically enough, Lyn was born on June 29, 1944 in Jacksonville, Florida where the main work was in the Jacksonville ship yards where her father worked. Lyn had two older sisters and a younger brother. Unfortunately for the family, Lyn’s father was an alcoholic which led to her parent’s divorce when she was six. The rock and driving force of the family was Lyn’s mother. “My mother was a loving, sweet woman who was broad-minded and always had a vision for a better life and world. Even though we lived in the south, my mother insisted that we love and appreciate all human beings and this included respecting people of color. This was pretty unique in Jacksonville, Florida in the 1950’s.”

Lyn’s elementary and high school days were spent attending the public schools in Jacksonville. Her high school, Robert E. Lee High School, had an early innovative program, Divested Cooperative Learning, that Lyn’s mother insisted she sign-up for. This was to lead to a long career for Lyn. Through this program, during her junior and senior years, Lyn attended high school in the morning and then after lunch walked to a nearby bank where she learned introductory banking skills. Lyn remembers, “I grew up in an era in the South where a young woman was expected to first finish high school and then get married and start having children. And that is just what I did…graduating in June of 1962 and getting married in September of 1962.” During the 1960’s, the United States space program was going full throttle, and in 1966 her first husband got a job at the Kennedy Space Center which resulted in the young couple moving to West Palm Beach, Florida to be near to his work. “This was an exciting time to be so close to the space program,” Lyn relates, “and we were able to witness numerous launches, all leading up to the moon launch.”

During Lyn’s time in West Palm Beach, her two sisters married military men and moved to Oregon to start a business. After a vacation visit to Oregon to visit her sisters Lyn urged her husband to pack up and join them. This they did in April of 1969, bringing along their two young children, Bruce Jr. and Lori. They initially moved to Grants Pass which was somewhat of a shock to Lyn. “Grants Pass was like moving back in time…everything was strange to this southern girl, so I had to make some adjustments to my life.” In 1970, Lyn and her family moved to Oregon Street in Jacksonville, completing the transition from Jacksonville, Florida to Jacksonville, Oregon. Lyn’s husband worked with his brother-in-laws, who owned a motorcyle shop, but when it was forced to close down, he found sporadic work as a machinist and sheet metal worker. In 1971, Lyn utilized her high school bank training and started working a part-time night shift at a US Bank in Medford, processing checks and other paperwork from the day. This work experience eventually led in 1974 to securing a bank teller’s job in the Jacksonville US Bank branch, working for the bank manager, Viola Davis. “Viola Davis took me under her wing”, Lyn remembers. “She was so good to me and a great moral support system during some rough times that came. In addition, she inoculated me with the community service gene; I have always been grateful for that.” After proving herself in the bank teller’s position, Lyn was promoted to what the bank called a “Savings Counselor.”

“Basically, I was responsible for opening new accounts and for greeting people. Since I loved meeting and greeting people, this was a natural fit for me.”

The banking industry in the 1970’s was challenged to start offering management training and opportunities for women. This was to prove to be a boon to Lyn as she was encouraged to take advantage of what US Bank had to offer. “US Bank gave me a lot of amazing management and professional development training. I’ve often said, US Bank fed me, educated me and paid for my kid’s braces.” Taking advantage of the bank training programs, Lyn was able to work up to become the manager of the Jacksonville US Bank branch and, even though she did not have a college degree, it did not keep her from learning and achieving, a real testament to her drive and willingness to be a lifelong learner.

While Lyn’s professional life was beginning to thrive in the 1970’s, her personal life was struggling, and in 1978 she and her first husband divorced. As Lyn reflects, “We were married way too young because that is what you did in the south in the 1960s. Young people nowadays tend to wait until their late 20s or even 30s before marrying and that, I believe, is much healthier.” The second phase of her personal life opened on a positive note when she met and married Bill Boening in 1979. Both brought a son and a daughter to this union and then Bill and Lyn had daughter, Emily join the family in 1980. Lyn believes that her second marriage was especially strengthened by thier faith and by their involvement in the Jacksonville Calvary Church. “I really believe that the good Lord and Calvary Church provided the needed foundation for my second marriage.”

With Lyn’s personal life moving along in nice fashion, the next challenge and opportunity in her professional life came about in 1994 when she was presented with an “early retirement window” from US Bank and, even though she was only 50, she saw this option as an opportunity to move on to another phase of her career. “Utilizing my extensive banking training and experiences, I decided I would put in the extensive time and study to get my financial advising credentials. Studying for and passing the two-day exam was challenging but with Bill’s strong support I was able to achieve it and start a second career.” She laughs when remembering, “I was 60 when I sat for the financial advisor test. As the oldest person in the room, this two day eleven-hour test was a real challenge. Once she had her financial planner certificate in hand, she started working out of the office of a Jackson County financial advisor, but soon decided that she wanted to be on her own, so she purchased the old farm house at 820 N. 5th Street in Jacksonville and Pioneer Financial Planning was launched. Lyn’s honest and energetic personality was a perfect fit for her new work and as she relates, “I was able to develop good and deep relationships with my clients so they became my friends. This was really important because in the serious downturns of the market, it was important that my clients trusted me and hung with me. And, as I always say, none of my clients ever missed a meal.” She smiles when she remembers the first million dollar check that came through her door. “That was pretty exciting for this small town girl.”

The community service bug that Viola Davis planted in Lyn has stayed with her in a big way, and her list of community service activities is long and wide. She prides herself on being the first woman member of the Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary Club, joining in 1988. She has assumed numerous positions in the club, including serving as the president in 1996. She was a charter board member of the Dogs for the Deaf organization, serving for eight years. She recently completed her term of office on the Rogue Valley Manor Foundation Board of Directors, serving as treasurer. An active member of the Jacksonville Boosters Club, she continues to serve on the Boosters Foundation Board. Professionally, she has been a board member of the Oregon Estate Planning Council. While Lyn likes to profess that she is “a cheerleader on the sidelines,” her knowledge and dedication to service often land her in leadership roles.

Currently Lyn is in the process of turning over her Pioneer Financial Planning business to Anthony Roa. Moving on to another phase of her life had been a goal of Lyn’s for several years, but she was looking for the right person to do that. “Anthony has been the answer to my prayers. He is young, energetic and committed to providing great service to my many clients and friends.”

At 74, Lyn has earned the right to a relaxed and quiet retirement, but that’s not her nature. She is looking forward to starting the Master Gardner program, believes the Southern Oregon University OLLI offerings would be a great fit and wants to do more hands-on activities, specifically at the Jacksonville Cemetery and the Peter Britt Gardens. Her philosophy is a simple one—”I believe you need to keep using your brain and you need to keep your body moving.”