Dwight Holzer, age 66, passed away at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa in the morning hours of August 22, 2026.

There will be an intimate burial for just the family on September 26, 2026. A luncheon from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. will follow at the Odd Fellows in Decorah. All are welcome to attend.  As Dwight had a love for cars, specifically old cars, and riding in SXS with friends and family, we would love to see what you would be able to present. Along with this, please wear your favorite NASCAR or racing shirt.

Dwight Dean Holzer was born on November 26, 1959, the son of Dean and Doris (Koch) Holzer of Decorah, Iowa. Dwight would later welcome his sister, DeAnne (Holzer) Krull. The four of them resided on a farm northeast of Decorah with Dwight’s grandparents, Alfred and Myrtle Holzer.

 Dwight married Janean Stortz in January, 1982. To this union, three children were born - Jesse, Jarad, and Daniel. The two later divorced. Dwight later wed Jennifer Hjelmeland in September 1999. The two of them had four children together; Jamie, Amie, Tamie, and Shawn. They would also later divorce.

 Dwight was very curious as a child, and getting into trouble sometimes came naturally to him. There was an instance when he was around 6 years old when he didn’t come home on the school bus. Well, of course his parents panicked and had no idea where he was. After calling virtually everyone they knew, they headed to town to look for him. They found him happily staring in the window of the Haugen Garage where they had just put a new car in the showroom, which he just couldn’t resist!! That grew in him a love of anything mechanical - mini bikes, motorcycles, and, of course, cars. It seemed like he was always buying, selling, working on, or trading something!! 

During his senior year in high school, Dwight began working for Camcar in Decorah. After graduation, he worked for Breeze Sports in Decorah, which was a garage and sports shop combined. Later, he was promoted to managing a second shop in Cresco. 

A few years later, he went to work for DECO in Decorah. Then, he returned to Camcar a few years later. After a heart attack in 2001 left him with short-term memory loss, he didn’t feel he could perform a job to his best ability, so he retired. After his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, he stayed with him and took care of him until he passed away. He was currently residing at Heritage Haven Apartments and enjoyed this residence for several years. 

Dwight highly enjoyed spending time with friends and family. He enjoyed taking his kids fishing when they were young. He loved a good game of pool. He was an avid patron at the VFW and loved socializing with his friends there from time to time. Dwight also raced stock cars for a while growing up, and he was a huge NASCAR fan, whether it was listening to the races on the radio or watching them on the television. Jeff Gordon was who he loved watching/rooting for until he retired from NASCAR. He also enjoyed working on cars, or anything mechanical. He even overhauled his sister’s car one time, and only had “a few parts left over”! (At least the car still ran!) 

Dwight is survived by his children Jesse (Anna) Holzer, Jarad (Katie) Holzer, Daniel Holzer, Jamie Holzer, Amie (Ryan) Ayers, Tamie (partner, Em) Holzer, and Shawn Holzer; sister DeAnne (Kelly) Krull; niece, Kelsey Krull and nephew, Nathan Krull; grandchildren Dominic and Julia Holzer; Caleb and Dawson Holzer; Hailey, Kortney, and Daxen Holzer; and Raylee and Abel Ayers. He is survived by two aunts: Delores Koch of Des Moines, Iowa, and Judy Styve of Alexandria, MN. He is also survived by several cousins He is also survived by his best friend, George Ruen.

Dwight was preceded in death by his parents Dean and Doris Holzer; Grandparents, Alfred and Myrtle Holzer and Walter and Mabel Koch, along with several aunts and uncles. 

He will be greatly missed.