Sam H. Boehms
Sam Boehms received the Meritorious Service Award of the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors in 1997.
He served as secretary-treasurer of the Missouri Dairy Products Association for 21 years – 1985-2006. His expert coordination of planning annual and semi-annual meetings for the organization resulted in many profitable and enjoyable educational and social experiences for employees of dairy product manufacturers, their suppliers, and other interested professionals.
Sam’s long background in milk processing and his familiarity with leaders in the industry made him especially qualified to provide this service. In addition Sam shared his knowledge and time with the St. Louis Dairy Council which he served as vice president.
Sam was born August 14, 1923 in Hendersonville, TN, and grew up on a small farm hear Whites Creek, TN. He gained early insights into the dairy business from his grandfather, who ran a cream-buying testing station in the 1920s, and his father who ran a milk route. He also milked cows by hand.
Upon graduation from high school Sam worked in the milk plant of the National Dairy Products Corporation in Nashville, TN. However, World War II came along and Sam enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in the 100th Infantry Division and was wounded in action resulting in awards of a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, and a Presidential Citation.
After his discharge from the Army in 1946 Sam enrolled in the University of Tennessee. He supported himself and Nell, whom he married in 1948, using the GI bill and full-time work at a milk plant in Knoxville, TN. He and Nell met when both were working in the milk plant.
Upon graduation with a degree in animal science Sam was named production manager of the Nashville bottling plant where he had worked before entering the Army.
In 1955 he was named general manager of a milk plant in Shelbyville, TN.
The Boehms moved to St. Louis in 1958 and Sam became assistant manager of the Sealtest milk plant that processed about a million pounds of milk per day. When he became general manager of the plant in 1965 there were some 300 employees.
These diverse experiences gave Sam the expertise to become operations manager for five plants belonging to Kraft-two ice cream, two fluid milk, and cold storage.
Throughout his life Sam was active in Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, the Experiment in International Living, Friendship Force, and Elderhostel. He and Nell were “intrepid travelers” who visited all the continents except Antarctica.
Sam was nominated for the Pioneer Dairy Award by the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors and the St. Louis Dairy Council.
Sam and Nell had four sons and each attended the University of Missouri. They are employed in construction trades – Stephen in Columbia, David in Kansas City, KS, and Mark in St. Louis. Chris teaches building trades at the Career and Technology Center in Fort Osage. Their eight grandchildren are named Kate, Isabel, Sam, Adam, Kelly, Karen, Jeff, and Tom.
Sam and Nell died within a few days of each other in 2006 – Sam died June and Nell died August 5.