Alma Hearne Holland

WARREN, HEARNE, HOLLAND, BROOKHART

Posted By: Fran Hunt Volunteer
Date: 10/10/2001 at 06:52:51

ALMA HEARNE HOLLAND
Read at the Memorial Services held for her at Washington Iowa on June 20, 1951.

Alma Hearne Holland was born in Van Buren County Iowa, on a farm near Keosauqua on October 20, 1879. She was the youngest of four Hearne children. Her ancestry was strictly pioneer stock. The Hearne grandparents came to make their home on the Iowa frontier when Indians outnumbered white people ten to one. Mrs. Holland’s father Samuel Hearne, was born in a log cabin and as a young boy, received his education in a school set up by a Rev. and Mrs. Lane in Keosauqua. Her mother, Sarah Warren Hearne, was a different sort of pioneer, coming as a small child with her family from Ireland, driven out by famine and religious persecution. Having read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” before they left Ireland, the family definitely chose to settle north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Mrs. Hearne was an ardent lifelong student of the Bible; a firm believer in good works and so skilled at nursing the sick that she was frequently called upon to assist the local doctor. Her enthusiasm for foreign missions doubtless left its imprint upon her daughter’s thinking.
Life was hard and left no time for hysteria. Problems were met as they came, calmly and with all the resources at hand. It was often necessary to reach out for the sustaining hand of God, a family habit handed down from generation to generation. The family trait of meeting quietly and calmly all life’s situations was a marked characteristic of Alma Holland in later years when cruel tragedy overtook her and when she passed through beautiful experiences of high exaltation.
Thus Alma’s home life during her girlhood was that of a solid Christian household, the type of home which was duplicated by the thousands 75 to 100 years ago and which made America great. In that home was a broad streak of individualism and self-reliance, which characterized good pioneers. There was a constant use of prayer and Bible study as a force in the lives of the parents and imparted to their children: there was a thirst for knowledge which was insatiable throughout the years; there was also a deep devotion among the members of the family which was never strained by the miles and years they lived apart. All this proved to be a bulwark of strength for Alma during the years ahead and no doubt equipped her well for the work she had to do. She was a lively youngster and loved to romp and climb so much that her brothers nicknamed her “Tommy”. She attended the public school at Keosauqua and had lots of merry times at picnics and parties that usually involved the Des Moines River. Like all girls of her day she mastered the household arts, but they were not her first love. Early in life her eyesight became impaired and she was forced to hide her merry brown eyes behind gold-rimmed spectacles in order to see at all.
When Alma was 15 years old, her mother suffered a serious lingering illness and died. Jennie (later Mrs. Smith Brookhart) left college to return home and be the mother for the household, a relationship that lasted through the years. Upon graduation from high school where she was always a good student, Alma entered Iowa Wesleyan College at Mt Pleasant, Iowa. Many of her college acquaintances became life-long friends. There, too, she met Howard Holland and by their graduation day in June, 1899, they were betrothed. Educated for the ministry, Howard had during his senior year, volunteered for service in the foreign field in response to a call from the Missionary Board. His offer was accepted and he was commissioned for Concepcion, Chile, S.A. in the summer of 1899. Plans were made for Alma to join him as soon as he was settled and she was prepared to share his work. She received her commission and started to New York City in November of 1900, where she was to sail for South America on November 20th. During the forenoon of that day she received a cablegram asking her to wait and a few days later the news came that Howard was very ill with tuberculosis, brought on by the heavy work and climatic conditions. It was nearly four months before he was able to start on the homeward journey, which proved beneficial, so that when he arrived in New York City they were married on May 2, 1901.
During the months of agonized waiting in New York, Alma had worked as a deaconess. They returned to Iowa and made their home at the Holland Homestead in Milton during the summer while Howard steadily improved in health and strength. In the autumn they went to Sugar City, Colorado, where Howard was appointed as the first resident pastor and where it was hoped he would be able to do effective work in that mild climate. A parsonage was built and their first home established. However they were not to enjoy this home long. Mrs. Holland became ill with typhoid fever and while her life hung in the balance, her husband contracted a severe cold, which resulted in pneumonia and it soon became apparent that he would not be able to with stand this siege of lung trouble.
Just as soon as Howard was able to make the journey, both started back to Milton, reaching there January 15, 1902 and a short time later on February 3, he departed fro his earthly life.
When her own health was sufficiently regained, Mrs. Holland went back to New York City and spent two years as a Deaconess in the New York Deaconess Home. Then she decided that the women and children of India needed her efforts more that anyone else on earth and so volunteered for Foreign Missionary service in that country.
Alma Holland’s last rites were held in Ceres California on May 2, 1951, which was the fiftieth anniversary of her marriage. I am not related and am posting this obituary for those who might find this person in their family history.