HOLCOMB, Ollie Claire 1891-1949

HOLCOMB, JONES, BURNHAM, NICOL, LAFOY, MERRYMAN

Posted By: Diane Scott (email)
Date: 4/29/2010 at 15:07:01

OLLIE CLAIRE HOLCOMB

Milford Mail, Thursday February 10, 1949

LAST RITES HELD FOR O.C. HOLCOMB AT OSAGE FEBRUARY 3RD

Funeral services for O. C. Holcomb, 57, prominent Osage merchant who died at his home at Osage early Monday evening, January 31, were held Thursday afternoon, February 3, at 2:30 o'clock in the First Methodist church. Last rites were conducted by the Rev. Clarence Dwight James and burial was made in the Osage cemetery.

Ollie C. Holcomb, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A Holcomb, was born June 3, 1891, on a farm northwest of Spirit Lake, in Dickinson county, Iowa.

He received his early education in the public schools of Dickinson county, graduating from the high school at Milford. Following his graduation he was associated with his father in the grocery and meat business for a number of years.

On Sep. 29, 1915, he was married to Blanche E Jones at Milford. A year later, Mr. Holcomb entered the banking business at Milford, where he held the position of assistant cashier for about seven years. Being deeply interested in merchandising, he left the banking business and moved to Havre, Mont., where he received training in general merchandising. Two years later Mr. Holcomb's company opened a store in Lake City, Minn. Mr. Holcomb purchased stock in the store and continued as manager for more than 17 years.

In July, 1945, Mr. Holcomb and his family moved to Osage, where he had acquired a interest in the Daylight store. He later bought the B. E. Petersons Interest in the store and continued as manager until his recent illness.

In the fall of 1947 Mr. Holcomb submitted to surgery at Rochester, Minn., for removal of a lung tumor. After what appeared to be complete recovery, he returned to Rochester last fall where recurrrence of growth in the tumor was discovered. He remained in the hospital several weeks and his condition improved sufficiently for him to returh home shortly after Christmas.

Mr. Holcomb united with the church early in life and he held positions of trust and leadership in nearly all of the offices of the Sunday school and church. At the time of his death he was a member of the official board and the finance committee of the First Methodist church at Osage.

An active Mason, he was a past master of the lodge at Lake City, Minn., and also a past patron of the Eastern Star chapter in that city.

He is survived by his wife; three childrlen; Mrs. Robert Burnham and Samuel of Osage; and Mary a student nurse at Rochester, Minn.; his mother nearly 88 years of age, of Milford; three sisters, Mrs. Freda Nicol of Milford; Mrs. Ray LaFoy of Milford and Mrs. Ivan Merryman of Algona, and three grandsons.

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Refer to Mitchell County Press, Feb. 3, 1949, for another obituary.