Holles, Michael 1847-1923 & Theresa Hartz Family

HOLLES, HARTZ, HELES, ZWANK, HAAS

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 1/26/2026 at 06:31:24

Holles, Michael, Sr. 1847-1923 Theresa Hartz Family

This biography of the Michael Holles and Theresa Hartz family was taken from a family story in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church book of Granville Iowa page 116. This narrative was further researched and composed by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

The full narrative including additions to the church book story were made from various sources including records from the web site www.iagenweb.org/sioux; family reports and vitals collected from ancestry.com records and ancestry’s public member trees, Find A Grave index, internet searches and various local archives.

Disclaimer: Names, dates and places may vary from one source to another, but have been stated in this biography as presented in the source. Family data taken from ancestry.com public member trees is subject to the submitter of data to ancestry.com and was not fully verified by this submitter. Information was cross checked from other sources when possible.

Holles family story from the St. Joseph’s church book page 116.

Michael Holles, Sr. was born August 28, 1847 at Obergeckler, Germany. When he was twenty-five years old he came to the United states. He traveled west. In the spring of 1874 he came to the prairies of O’Brien county. He later went to Le Mars, Iowa, working on a farm. Theresa Hartz was born in Obergeckler, Germany on May 11, 1856. she came to the United States and then to Le Mars, Iowa in the winter of 1881.
Michael Holles and Theresa Hartz were married on April 20, 1881 in Le Mars at St. Joseph Church. They then moved to Rickerville (now known as Granville). They built a small cottage and lived in town for two years. They then moved to a farm northeast of Granville. They lived there for the rest of their lives. Theresa died on July 3, 1934. Funeral services were held at St. Joseph Church and they were buried in St. Joseph cemetery at Granville.
Michael and Theresa were the parents of six children. They were all born at O’Brien county and all learned the ways of farming as they grew up.
Frank was born in 1882 and died on September 8, 1949 at the age of 67.
Susan was born in 1884 and died in 1898 at he age of 13 from diphtheria.
Michael Jr. was born in 1886 and died on January 1949 at the age of 62.
Henry was born in 1888 and died in August of 1965 at the age of 77. He remained single.
Mary was born 1890 and died in 1966 at the age of 76. She remained single.
Margaret was born in 1892 and died in 1933 at the age of 41. She remained single.
They are all buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery at Granville.
(end of the family story in the St. Joseph’s church book)

RESEARCH Notes:
Michael Holles Sr. was born 28 Aug 1847 at Obergeckler, Germany died 1 Jun 1923 Granville Iowa. His parents were Adamus Heles born 17 Aug 1819 at Obergeckler Germany; and Catherine Zwank born 12 Jan 1823 at Mettendorf, Bitburg Prum Rheinland Germany died 12 Mar 1874 Obergeckler, Germany. Michael Holles married Theresa Hartz 1881 Plymouth county, IA.

Theresa Hartz was born 11 May 1856 Obergeckler, Germany died 1934 Granville, Sioux, Iowa. Her parents were Hubert Hartz born 17 Jul 1818 Obergeckler Germany died 9 Mar 1892 Obergeckler Germany; and Susanna Haas born 3 May 1818 Dasburg, Rheinland Pfalz, Allemagne died 10 Mar 1892 Obergeckler, Germany. Michael Holles and Theresa Hartz had the following children:

CHILDREN: From Ancestry.com public trees, Find A Grave, Local archives and obits.

1. Francis Holles born 20 Apr 1882 Granville IA died 8 Sep 1949 Granville IA. He married Emma Mary Reith 1882-1932. Their children Mathew Albert Holles 1906-1965, Roman Michael Holles 12 Apr 1910, Bernadette Margaret Holles 1913-1968, Urban H. Holles 1913-1993, Arthur C. Holles 1915-1993, Sylvester Holles 1917-1920, Isabelle C. Friedrich 1919-2009, Francis Holles 1922-1922, Marvin Holles 1923-1923 and Caroline Emma Holles 1924-1934.

2. Susan was born in 1884 and died in 1898 at he age of 13 from diphtheria. From the Alton Democrat of Jan 22, 1898 Granville news.
The thirteen year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hollis/Holles, who has been sick with diphtheria the past three months died Wednesday afternoon. The funeral was held Thursday afternoon and the remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery at Granville. Mr. and Mrs. Hollis have the heartfelt sympathy of their many friends.

3. Michael J. Holles born 13 Mar 1886 Granville IA died 1949 Sheldon IA buried St. Joseph cemetery Granville IA From Find a Grave - he married Catherine Gaul 1888-1963. Their children were – Clarence Holles 1917-1996, Elmer Holles 1918-1919, Dorothy R. Holles 1921-1939, Ambrose ‘Bud’ Holles 1926-2006, Robert Mathew Holles 1933-2004.

4. Henry H. Holles born 1888 IA died 1965 Granville, IA.

5. Mary Theresa Holles was born 23 Feb 1890 Granville Sioux Co. IA died 3 June 1966 Oakdale Johnson IA buried St. Joseph’s Granville. See her obit on this web page. Her actual obit was not readily found in the newspaper digital archives.

6. Margaret M. Holles born 6 Feb 1892 Granville IA died 26 Mar 1933. See her obituary on this web page. See her obituary on this web page.

OBITUARY of Michael Holles not found.
Holles, Michael born Sep 1847 Germany died 1923 buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery Granville IA as listed in the Sioux County IA cemetery index. No obit was readily found. Some of the Holles family lived in O’Brien county east of Granville therefore the news of deaths was not always carried in any Sioux county newspapers.

OBITUARY of Theresa Mrs. Michael Holles 1856-1934
Alton Democrat of Jul 13, 1934
Her Home The First Built - Mrs. Holles born in Germany in the year 1856. Mrs. Theresa Hartz Holles, for 53 years a resident of Granville and one of the first to establish her home there after the townsite was laid out in the spring of 1882, died at her hoe Northeast of Granville on Tuesday noon July 3.
Funeral services were held at St. Joseph’s church at Granville Friday morning at 9 o’clock, Burial was made at St. Joseph’s cemetery, Rev. J. A. Gerleman officiated.
Theresa Hartz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elubbart (Hubert) Hartz, was born in Obergeckler, Germany, May 11, 1856. She passed away July 3, 1934, after patient suffering which lasted for the long period of 28 years, during which time she had been practically confined to her home. She reached the age of 78 years, one month and 23 days.
Theresa Hartz was the second youngest of a family of six children. Three sisters and one brother older that she remained in Germany A younger brother passed away at Stuttgart Arkansas, on March 25, 1934. He had come to this country with her in the winter of 1881. On April 29 of that year she was married to the late Michael Holles at Le Mars, IA. They lived about a mile east of what is now Granville for one year. In the spring of 1882 they built a cottage, the first residence in the newly laid out town which for a number of years was called Ricker, Iowa, but was later changed to Granville. Here they remained for two years when they moved to a farm 8 miles north of town. Nine years later they moved to the present farm where she remained until her death. Her husband died June 1, 1923.
Mrs. Holles was the mother of six children three sons and three daughters. Two daughters passed away. Susan of diphtheria at the age of 13, in 1898, and Margaret at the age of 41 of pneumonia in 1933. She leave to mourn her loss, three sons, Frank, Michael and Henry, and one daughter, Mary, all living near Granville. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and one great grandchild.
A kind and loving mother, whom to know was to love. Mrs. Holles, thru her long years of suffering was seldom heard to complain and ever tried to be cheerful for the sake of those around her. She lived her family and her home, and as long as strength and health permitted, work was her greatest pleasure. Experiencing great poverty in her youth, she was ever ready to deny herself the luxuries and pleasures of this world even thought it was possible for her to have whatever her heart might desire of this world’ goods. But she would not have it so, dividing among her children the property which had been accumulated, living in her old age as she had in her youth, with frugality. Her humble personality would not allow her to take glory for good deeds, and so her many works of charity will be forever unknown except to the recipients there of.
Pallbearers at the last rites were William Schemmel, Mike Goergen, Dom. Penning, William Niichel, John Roetzel and Christ Grady. Those from a distance shoe came to attend the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Klein and daughter of Hospers: Mrs. Susan Holles of Currie, Minn.; Mrs. John Schneider, son John, and daughter Mary Ann of Sheldon.

If anyone knows of a early family story of the Michael Holles family please contact the page coordinator of this web site.

This picture of the Holles family comes from page 116 of the St. Joseph’s church book.

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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