In Memoriam

Genevieve Bolger of Minneapolis was a businesswoman who cared about the needs of her female employees who were trying to raise children and make a living.

Bolger, a former executive in her family's multimillion-dollar printing business, which she cofounded, died of congestive heart failure Monday. She was 89.

Bolger graduated from the University of Minnesota's business college in the 1940s. She was especially tickled by one of several printing awards she won during her career -- the 1986 Man of the Year award from a printers' trade group.

Bolger and her husband, John, started Bolger Publications and Creative Printing of Minneapolis (now known as Bolger Vision Beyond Print) in 1950 by converting her husband's family's publishing business to a commercial printing venture.

Genevieve Bolger's specialty was sales and human resources, and she eventually became president and chairwoman of the board of the now $30 million-a-year firm.

At printers' conventions, Bolger would be the only woman among a thousand men, especially during the 1960s, said retired Bolger creative director Jane Eschweiler. But it didn't bother her; she made friends with all and did business with them, too.

Most large printing companies didn't have women working the presses and setting type, but the Bolgers did.

"Genevieve believed in me and believed in people, and that allowed us to be successful," said Eschweiler, who joined the company in the 1960s as a printer.

Bolger's answer to the problem of being a working mother was to bring the kids -- hers and her employees' -- to the printing plant on a snow day or when working overtime. One young mother brought her infant to work daily for four months in the early 1980s.

"It was good for the mother," Eschweiler said. "The atmosphere was very positive. We were in a business that was pretty much male-dominated."

Bolger's husband died in 1992; her son Jack died in 1993.

Today the firm is run by her sons Charles of Edina, and Dik of St. Paul.

In addition to her sons, she is survived by sisters Mary Dean of Minneapolis and Ann of Edina; a brother, Leonard of Tucson, Ariz., and seven grandchildren.

A memorial celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Colonial Church of Edina, 6200 Colonial Way.

Visitation will be 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Washburn-McReavy Davies Chapel, 2301 Dupont Av. S., Minneapolis.