Another Boettcher

Monday July 4

It only took me 49 years but I’ve done it, I’ve finally me someone I shared a surname with that wasn’t a relation. 

We had to respond to a 16 y/o on a bike being hit by a car.  We got there, package the patient to ship to the hospital and then we got diverted to Columbus Regional Medical Center.  So off we head to Columbus and arrive in the ER.  A slew of nurses and surgeons met us at the door and once it was determined that the injuries were superficial they all weeded out a bit.  That’s when I notice that another crew that was waiting to get a place for their patience and all of a sudden my subconscious mind register that I had seen my surname.  I looked again and yep, sure enough it was.  This man was Bruce Boettcher and he worked at Lifeline out of Columbus.  We did a quick exchange of introductions and pleasantry before I had to take our patient back to his room.  Once I got the patient off loaded I got the stretcher and backboard back out to where the truck was and Bruce was out there having a smoke.  We talked for a little bit, I believe that I’m the first non-family he’s met, and did a little genealogy.  I am 5th generation American from my understanding of when my branch of the surname first came over.   Bruce is 3rd generation. He also pronounces the name with a ch sound, were I give it a K or hard C sound.  But he wasn’t surprise one bit.  After a few more exchanges we had to part and do our duties.   I hunted down my Paramedic, he has no sense of direction, and found that he had gone back to the truck.  On my way out I ran into my old Medical Director from LaGrange and we exchange pleasantries for a few moment and caught each other up.  From there, we went headed back to LaStrange.