Holland, Mary Lee died 2011

HOLLAND, WRIGHT

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/25/2011 at 09:46:00

Mary Lee Holland

Date of Death
Thursday, February 17, 2011

Le Mars, Iowa

Mary Lee Holland, 81, of Le Mars passed away Thursday, February 17, 2011, after a lengthy battle with Type II Diabetes at the Plymouth Manor in Le Mars.

Adhering to Mary’s wishes, she was cremated and a private ceremony with family and close friends will be held this summer. The Carlsen Funeral Home in Le Mars, Iowa is in charge of arrangements.

Mary was born to Thomas and Alice Wright and raised in Red Oak, Iowa. She graduated from Red Oak High School. After school she set out on her own briefly in the working world with administrative jobs in Des Moines, Chicago, and San Francisco before finding her way back home to Red Oak. That is when she met her husband to be, Paul Holland.

Mary and Paul then moved to Falls City, Nebraska where their oldest son Mark was born, before moving to Omaha, then eventually Le Mars. Mary and Paul had two more sons, Kirk and Kent, and raised them in Le Mars where all three graduated from LCS.

Mary’s life revolved around raising her children and taking care of her family. She was a very active supporter of Le Mars Little League, and Boy Scouts. After her husband Paul passed away in 1978 and her boy’s were grown, she then used her motherly instincts and worked for a local family helping raise their two boys.

Mary then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico to be close to her son Mark, and his wife, Lilia who were starting a family at this time. Now a grandmother, Mary’s natural instincts again took over and was now helping raise and shape two beautiful granddaughters, Leanna and Kimberly; whom she affectionately referred to as “my girls”.

During this time Kirk and Kent were serving their country and she would always have time to write a letter and send it to wherever in the world they might have happened to be. She also took time out to help raise Kent’s two boy’s Matthew and Cameron while he was deployed during the Gulf War.

Mary moved back to Le Mars and met some new and wonderful friends at Sunrise Villas. She truly enjoyed their friendship and time spent together playing cards and bingo. Due to health complications she then moved into the Plymouth Manor and even though brief, became close to the wonderful staff and residents. She appreciated and respected them all, especially her roommate Bernice Sitzman for her consideration and understanding in the final days.

She is survived and loved by her family, Mark Holland and his wife Lilia of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kirk Holland of Fountain, Colorado and Kent Holland of Vermillion, South Dakota. Her sister Carolyn Woods of Phoenix, Arizona. Grandchildren, Matthew Holland of Seattle, Washington; Cameron Holland and his wife Jennifer of Vermillion, South Dakota. Leanna Holland and Kimberly Holland both of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Great Grandchildren; Alakai and Vanesa and nephew Tom Woods Jr. and niece Deborah Esquer, and their children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Paul Holland and her parents Thomas and Alice Wright.

Honorary pallbearers will be her grandchildren Matthew, Cameron, Leanna, Kimberly Holland, Dan Sitzmann and Jim Martin.

The Carlsen Funeral Home
Le Mars, Iowa