William Tilghman Asher "Howard" Boles was the 8th of 12 children born to a country doctor, William H. Boles (1799-1879), and his wife, Lydia D. Johnston Boles (1805-1867). William and Lydia were married Dec. 21, 1821 in Lawrence County, Indiana. They settled in Indiana and all 12 children were born there. Their children were: Nancy Jane Boles Davenport (1825-1870), Robert D. Boles (1827-1848), Margaret A. Boles Hutchinson (about 1829-about 1868), David Johnson Boles (1831-1844), John Jordan Boles (1833-1836), Mary Matilda "Polly" Boles Calvin Helton (about 1835-about 1868), Angelina Emma G. Boles (1839-1878), "Howard" Boles (1840-1916), Martha Caroline Boles Mathers (1841-1866), James G. Burney Boles (1844-1844), Isaac Newton Boles (1845-1845), and Lydia Emeline Boles Greene (1846-1867).

Sometime after the 1860 census, the William H. Boles family moved to Monmouth, Shawnee, Kansas because they are living there in the 1865 Kansas census. After the move to Kansas, "Howard" Boles enlisted in the 9th Kansas Cavalry to fight for the Union. Howard served for about a year before becoming ill after drinking from a stream that had become polluted when dead mules were dumped in the water upstream from their camp. He spent almost 3 years in the hospital and walked with a limp after he was released. When Howard returned home he met and married a neighbor girl, Lettie D. Mathers. They were married on June 21, 1865. Howard's younger sister, Martha Caroline, had already married Lettie's brother, Mahlon B. Mathers, on Sept. 29, 1864.

Together Lettie and Howard had 10 children. They also raised two orphaned children of Howard's older sister, Mary Matilda "Polly" Boles Calvin Helton. Their niece and nephew were Mary Lydia Loretta "Lara" Calvin (1860-?) and William Hiram Vinson Calvin (1862-1942).

Howard & Lettie's children were: "Ella" Boles Jones (1867-1939), "Bessie" Boles Underhill (1868-1958), Minnie Boles Gray (1870-1932), Grant Boles (1872-1877), Herbert Boles (1875-1951), Mary Dora Boles Frink (1877-1966), Grace Boles Thompson (1879-1972), Arthur Boles (1881-1969), "Kittie" Boles Rowe (1885-1970) and Clyde Boles (1889-1973).

After the death of their oldest son, Grant, Lettie and Howard left Kansas and moved to Oregon. In addition to their children, Howard's niece and nephew, and Lettie's youngest brother, Samuel, came too. They settled in Philomath, Benton county, Oregon. There they farmed and raised their children. All the children, except Arthur, married and Howard and Lettie were blessed with 14 grandchildren.