HOLTHUS, George Albert

Vistoso Funeral Home, Oro Valley, Arizona George Albert Holthus February 18, 1933 - April 28, 2014 The following are two different Biographies which George wrote about his life. One is centered around his family and was written for their 50th wedding anniversary, ten years ago. The other was written by George for his 55th class reunion, also 10 years ago, reflecting on his journey from farmer to executive. The 10 years since these were written have been filled with fun, friendship and love. Biography- Family Born February 18, 1933 at 10:30 pm on a Saturday night in Princteon, MN. My parents, Al and Ruth Holthus are deceased. Raised on a farm 1 1/2 miles outside of Princton on Higway 95. Attended school in Princton grade k-12 all in the same building. Was one of the class leaders from grade 5 on. Prior to grade 5, just a troublemaker. In today's school environment, I would have been classified ADD (or whatever). Played snare drum in the HS band starting in 5th grade. Student council member, grade 7-12. Class President - grades 9, 10 and 11. By then my class insisted someone else be the Senior Class President. Was editor of the student newspaper and the HS Annual. Was allegedly the leader of a sit-down strike when the entire study hall (we all started the day there) all grade 10,11,12 students, simply "SAT" and refused go to their first hour class. We finally did go to class about noon after appeals from the chairman of the school board. Played football for three years, right guard on offense and basketball for 2 years. I was not a starter in either. Graduated third in my class (out of only 60) in 1951. Graduated from University of Minnesota in June, 1955, with a major in finance and a minor in mathematics. Chief claim to fame at the U of M was being named the Outstanding Sophomore Student in the Air Force ROTC. I was an in-house member of Theta Chi Fraternity my second, third and fourth year. Played my first game of bridge at Theta Chi for 1/4 cent per point. Was a cymbal player in the Minnesota Marching Band for three years and that's where I met Evelyn. Married Jun 20, 1954 to Evelyn Elsie Morrow. We met the first day she tried out for the Marching Band in the fall of 1952. Our first "real" date, as I recall, was for an Air Force ROTC formal dance in Jan. of 1953. I chased her around all during the fooball season and we had a few occasions to have coffee or study together. She always got at least one grade higher than I did on any subsequent test even though we had just reviewed the same information. Our wedding was a wonderful day, she showed up! We honeymooned at Uncle Hank and Aunt Rose's cabin on Round Lake, north of Grand Rapids. As the old joke goes, we got to "Aitkin" (MN) and stayed over night in a motel there before going to the cabin the next day. When Bruce was born, Jan. 31, 1956, we lived in an upstairs apartment on N. Dale Street in St. Paul. Evelyn woke up "Ready" about 3 or 4 am and said "We have to go NOW!" I proceeded to shave and dress for work until it was nearly "too late". We did get to the hospital on time, but things went so fast. I also got to work on time at 8 am. She still keeps bringing this up. We then bought a house in St. Paul. We painted it coral, the same color as our 55 Chevy two tone hardtop. Just an aside here - would you believe we bought a house that didn't have a sink in the bathroom? Well, we probably wouldn't have - IF WE HAD NOTICED! Brian was born when we lived there on Dec. 19, 1957. His birth was a lot more routine. After all, he was the second baby and we were now experienced. The most memborable thing was the Christmas Tree Music Box I bought to the hospital instead of flowers. I never have been big on flowers. That tree was a feature of our Christmas for the next 25 to 30 years until it finally gave out. Lyn was born on September 17, 1960, when we lived in Park Forest, Ill. in a 2 bedroom apartment. The hospital was in Chicago Heights about 10 miles away. Her birth was also a race against time. Evelyn skipped the prep room and went directly to delivery. She also skipped having the doctor there, so Lyn was delivered by the night nurse. Our next child was Paul, who we have not talked about much during our lives because he was stillborn on April 17, 1963. I was on a consulting assignment in Findlay, Ohio when our neighbor called to tell me that he had taken Evelyn to the hospital, she had a boy, but the baby was stillborn. It was hard for him to tell me and hard for me to understand. I immediately drove home, about 4 1/2 hour drive, and remember crying often for the baby, but especially for Evelyn, wondering "How could this happen?" There was no explanation, it just did. We decided to have another child. Paul is buried in a small cemetary about 6 miles west of Park Forest, just off US Route 30. Charlene was born on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1964 in Beverly, Mass. at about 6 pm. This is by far the most memorable of our children's births. Briefly, we moved to Beverly over a 3 day period when Evelyn was eight month's pregnant. We rented an 8 foot U-Haul trailer, loaded all the things we needed to live in a furnished house for the next six months and headed East on Friday morning. Meanwhile, Evelyn went to a doctor on Tuesday morning. She found that she was fully dilated aldready to have the baby just about any time. Nonetheless, she thought she would just wait to tell me when I got home. The next key event was Evelyn going to a neighbor's house on the hill, knocking on the door and telling them she was about to have a baby and would they take care of her children. This was followed by two police cars and a fire truck coming to her rescue and taking her to the hospital. She didn't know were I was, didn't know the name of the neighbor she had left the children with and didn't know her address. Pandomonium at the hospital. The nurses finally sorted out where she lived and who the neighbor was, but they still had no idea how to find me. They finally located me. There is a lot more to this story, but too long to include any more. Just accept that it was VERY MEMORABLE. We have had a wonderful life together. Evelyn had taught me the meaning of love through her love. This includes helping me to understand God's love and forgiveness. I am still learning how to love through her example. It was a lucky day for me when I met her in the band room at the U of M, a luckier day when she showed up for the wedding, and a blessing that we have been together for 50 years. Their 60th wedding anniversary would have been June 20 of this year. ********** Biography- Career Graduated from Univesity of Minnesota in June 1955 with a major in finance and a minor in mathematics. Was a cymbal player in the Minnesota Marching Band for three years and that is where I met my wife, Evelyn. Married June 20, 1954 to Eveyln Morrow of Anoka, MN. We had four children who are all married and living in the Twin Cities. Now with 9 grandchildren, all above average of course. My working life began at Montgomery Ward & Co.as an Industrial Engineer in July 1955. We used to stop watch times studies to establish labor standards for workers in the mail order house. After moving up to the ranks to Head Engineer, I was transferred to their home office in Chicago in July of 1959 and moved to Park Forest, IL. July, 1960, after a year in Chicago with Wards, I was hired by Arthur Young & Company, a CPA firm, as a management consultant working in their management Services Departement. The job utilized my time study skills from Wards to install methods improvement and work measurement programs at a variety of clients over the next several years. I was the proverbial "efficiency expert". In 1967-68, I was on a long term consulting assignment with First Bank System in Minneapolis, then stayed in the Minneapolis office of AY&Co until July of 1971 when I left to Join First Bank Minneapolis. We lived in Hopkins MN at the time. I started as the manager of a new methods Reasearch Department and was soon given additional responsibility, ultimately including systems analysis, programming and operations of in-house systems, purchasing, forms control, word processing, telecommunications, bank property, etc. As part of a reorganization in 1984, I was transferred to First Computer Corporation where I managed their telecommunications Division. In 1987 I was "offered" early retirement which I gladly accepted. This changed the rest of my career signicantly. I was fortunate to find another job at age 55 at a computer systems and services company in Hopkins, 10 minutes from my house. Through a quirk of fate I became the CFO of the division in Hopkins Subsequently the accountant for three other divisions, one in Boston one in Atlanta and one in Canoga Park, CA was transferred to Hopkins. I served as CFO of this combined group until I took early retirement in 1995. In addition to my working career I was active in communtiy affairs, particularily during the years I lived in Hopkins. Church council, political party leadership roles, swim club parent organization, but most noteworthy, I served on the Hopkins School board for 18 years, from 1974 through 1992 (Chairman for 15 years). Now resident of Oro Valley, AZ living in an "active adult" retirement community, Sun City Vistoso. Our activities include land aerobics, line dancing, ballroom dancing, western dancing, doubles bridge, U of Arizona sports and music fans. I play duplicate bridge twice a week, bowl, and chair one of the community committees. We live at our lake home on Lake Shamineau during the summer enjoying being with our children and grandchildren who visit on weekends and the quiet times during the week. We enjoy having company and enjoying friends.