Hollander writes memoir about his time as a state trooper

HOLLAND — For Hollander Bill Boetcher, variety is truly the spice of life.

Though retired, Boetcher’s career has been anything but conventional. He spent time as a teacher, then worked with the state police, then spent 28 years in the insurance business before going back to teaching. Now, he's a published author.

“My kids kept saying, ‘Dad, you’ve got so many stories. You need to write them down.' Well, I never did. So, they enrolled me in a writing class in the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts for a birthday present," Boetcher said. "Then I was obligated.”

Boetcher found the writing was actually a lot of fun. He took the class again the next year after his wife enrolled him, and then a third time on his own.

Every once in a while, during class, Boetcher would share a story from his time as a police officer. Before long, the professor was encouraging him to write a book.

This time, he did.

When the writing was done, he printed 100 copies "Walking the Line: A Trooper's Tale," to be distributed to local bookstores. There are copies at Reader's World in Holland, two bookstores in Grand Haven, one bookstore near Gaylord and the Book Nook in Saugatuck.

Now, he's ordering another 100.

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“It starts out with me as a little kid, growing up in this little town, living in a house where we burned wood for fuel and had no running water and used an outhouse,” Boetcher said. “The book is really about why I went into police work and also why I resigned from it.”

With his first book wrapped up, Boetcher has his sights set on publishing another — this time a piece of fiction based on events during his time on the force.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hollander writes memoir about his time as a state trooper