Gordon A. Holt

GORDON ARNOLD HOLT was born to Albert and Catherine (Quissell) Holt on September 15, 1918 on the “Wilson farm” one-half mile east of the Ole Quissell farm in Alliance Township of Moody County, South Dakota. Gordon was baptized in Bethania Lutheran Church. The family moved to a farm southeast of Jasper, Minnesota in 1923, and started school at five years of age. In 1925, the family moved into Jasper. In 1927, the family moved to a farm in rural Jasper. This is where Gordon started his life as a farmer – livestock chores, planting the crops and caring for them. He finished elementary school at the Thompson School District #19 in 1932, graduated from Jasper High School in 1936, and was confirmed in Bethania Lutheran Church. At age 23, was drafted and served 38 months in the U.S. Army, Headquarters Company – 3rd Battalion – 21st Infantry – 24th Infantry Division from 1942 to 1945 in World War II.

On January 25, 1949, he was united in marriage to Mavis DeSchepper in the Rectory of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jasper. Following their marriage, they made their home on the family farm, where Gordon and Mavis provided for and raised their family of five children. Gordon died peacefully on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne, Minnesota at the age of 101 years, six months, and three days.

Gordon was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church of Flandreau, South Dakota. Gordon loved farming and the harvest, caring for the livestock, machinery, and buildings, and took pride in his wife and their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. For many years, he was a seed corn salesman for Payco Seeds of Dassel, Minnesota, by which he and Mavis enjoyed traveling experiences in Europe twice, Portugal, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico City, and the East Coast of the United States. Gordon enjoyed traveling to over 30 years of World War II veteran reunions taking him, Mavis, and family members to a variety of cities across the U.S. He could often be found enjoying farm and livestock sales, and exchanging stories with fellow farmers and friends in the surrounding communities. He served as township clerk, director of Jasper Farmers Elevator, member of Messiah Lutheran Church Council, member of Sons of Norway, and flag guard and chaplain of Oscar Iverson American Legion Post #133 in Jasper.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Mavis Holt of Jasper, Minnesota; five children, Robert Holt and his wife Gayle of Rogers, Minnesota; Jean Giese and her husband Ronald of Maple Grove, Minnesota; Rebecca Foster and her husband David of Jasper, Minnesota; Wayne Holt and his wife Ramona of Jasper, Minnesota; and Nancy Lund of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; 8 grandchildren, Daniel Giese, Jason Giese, Laura Nelson, Marie Foster, Heath Harding, Dustin Holt, Courtney Wall, and Adam Lund; 12 great grandchildren, Connor Holt, Carter Holt, Josephine Geschwind, Eleanor Geschwind, Elyse Nelson, Micah Nelson, Dayton Wall, Kinsley Wall, Dylan Kasma, Trevor Kasma, Hailey Harding, and Genesis Harding. He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant brother; one brother, Orvan; and two sisters, Alice Jensen and Lois O’Dea.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Messiah Lutheran Church, Oscar Iverson American Legion Post 133, or the Minnesota Veterans Home - Luverne.

**Due to the CDC Guidelines, Gordon’s funeral service will be a private event limited to family only. Please consider sharing a memory, thought, or photo here on Gordon's life history. A public gathering will be held at a later date.