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Beth Lucile Holdeman |
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July 4, 1923 ~ February 23, 2018 |
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Beth Lucile (Williams) Holdeman was born July 4,
1923, in Gratiot County, Michigan, to Iam Marion
and Bessie Joy (Wonnacott) Williams. She died at
her home on February 24, 2018, at the age of 94
years. Funeral Services will be held on Friday,
March 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. in the Woodland
Mennonite Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho with
interment in the Mountain View Mennonite
Cemetery.
Mom’s childhood was spent in various towns in
central Michigan where her father had meat
markets during the difficult depression years.
Her family moved often; on average of once a
year during her growing up years. The hard times
and a house fire when she was 8 years old,
helped shape her character. After her graduation
when she was 18, she was invited to a revival
service at Newark Mennonite Church. She was
convicted of her lost state and gave her heart
to God accepting Jesus’ redemption. This changed
the direction of her life completely. She was
baptized into the church on February 7, 1942, by
Minister Reuben Koehn. She was faithful to these
vows until death.
She married our father, Laurence Holdeman, on
March 16, 1947. Mom was Dad’s darling throughout
their 62 years of life together. They made their
home near Harrison, Michigan, where six
daughters and four sons were born to them. Mom
was totally devoted to her family. Life during
the Harrison years was challenging financially
but as children we were not so aware of that.
Employment opportunity brought the family to a
dairy farm near Ithaca, Michigan. Next the
pioneer spirit took us to Fort Vermilion,
Alberta, to a log cabin at the end of a northern
winter. It was Mom’s idea to take a milk cow to
the North with us and Dad agreed to this on
condition that she would tow the stock trailer;
which she did. She rose to the challenge of
feeding her family and making a home in the
midst of beautiful but rough surroundings. In
fact, she had to choose between two log cabins;
one we would live in and the other for the cow.
The family had spent 6 months in Idaho prior to
crossing into Canada. Idaho called to us and we
moved back there in 1971. The mountains and
beauty of the area spoke to Mom and she felt at
home. She delighted in gardening, flowers,
growing fruits and food preserving. Prayer was
central to her life and she read the Bible to us
as children, even making the travels of the
Israelites a story we could follow. She
entertained us with stories of her childhood and
spent much time talking with us. We feel rich to
have had a mother like her. We believe the
effect of her prayers will endure.
It was particularly difficult for Mom that
within one year she lost five close family
members, her husband, second-born daughter,
Grace, two brothers, and one sister-in-law.
Left to cherish her memory are her children: Joy
Friesen, Fort Vermilion, Alberta; Faith and
Leonard Isaac, Kleefeld, Manitoba; John and
Elizabeth, Dan and Gloria, David and LeAnn,
Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Rebecca and John Condon,
Portland, Oregon; Nathan, Barron, Wisconsin;
Rachel and Priscilla, Bonners Ferry, Idaho;
son-in-law, Bill Dirks, Bonners Ferry, Idaho;
thirty grandchildren, and eighty-four great
grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild;
one brother, Hobart (Bud) Williams, Sheridan,
Michigan; one brother-in-law Ben and Lois
Holdeman, Dumas, Arkansas; sisters-in-law, Hazel
Holdeman, Buhl, Idaho; Rosalee Holdeman, Ithaca,
Michigan and many nieces, nephews, relatives and
friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents,
husband, one daughter, Grace; one son-in-law,
Johnny Friesen; one daughter-in-law, Lana; four
brothers and one sister. |
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