Frank L. Holland

Frank L. Holland, age 87, of Decorah, IA, died Thursday, March 10, 2011 at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah with Rev. Phillip Gibbs officiating. Burial will be in St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery in Decorah. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 P.M. Tuesday, March 15 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and on Wednesday one hour before the service at the church. Frank Leo Holland was born on November 16, 1923 on his parents’ farm near Decorah, Iowa. He was the youngest of five children born to Joseph and Mary (Herold) Holland. In 1929 Frank’s father died leaving his mother with five children, a mortgaged farm and the Great Depression bearing down on the family. With faith, family support and hard work the family was able to keep and improve the farm. After earning his degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University in 1945, Frank returned to Decorah. Postwar infrastructure needs presented him with an opportunity to put his education to work. With the purchase of a used dragline in 1946, Frank and his brothers launched their 45-year adventure and Holland Brothers Construction Company, Inc. opened its doors. Perseverance, integrity, and good humor greased the wheels and the company grew. By the sixties they were grading roads in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Frank had great enthusiasm for heavy equipment, earthmoving, and blasting rock. Yet he held nothing more dearly than the friendships he made with colleagues and employees. In 1951 Frank met his bride, Vivian (Vicki) Benson, at a convention of the Iowa Association of General Contractors (AGC) in Des Moines, Iowa. They were married the next year in St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah. Daughter Julie was born in 1955 and son Rex in 1958. Delighting in the memory of their first meeting, Frank and Vicki returned to the annual AGC convention in Des Moines for the next fifty-five years. Frank participated and served in many organizations including: 4-H; Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity; St. Benedict Church; St. Benedict School Board, co-chair of new school building committee; Aase Haugen Home Development Committee; Decorah Ski Association; Elks Lodge; Oneota Golf and Country Club; Iowa State Alumni Organization; and the Luren Singing Society. Frank was a member of the Iowa AGC where he served on several committees and served as president in 1973. In 2009 he was inducted into the AGC of Iowa Hall of Fame. He also served on the national board of directors for the AGC of America and was appointed a life director in 1987. In retirement Frank took great pleasure in his role as grandfather to four boisterous grandsons. He cherished the time spent with family and continued to keep us laughing with his jokes, wry comments and humorous stories. Frank enjoyed fishing, golf and singing. Frank died on Thursday, March 10, 2011 at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah at the age of 87. Frank left this world surrounded by family who while grieving give thanks for the years they shared. Frank is survived by his wife Vicki; his daughter Julie (Peter Torvik) of Hopkins, MN; his son Rex of Minneapolis, MN; grandsons Frank and George Torvik; step-grandsons Fred Torvik and Lance Corporal Harry Torvik; three sisters-in-law, Rosemary Holland, Marilyn Holland, and Beth Benson; one brother-in-law Frank Benson; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Madonna Bolstad and brothers Paul, Harold, and Fred Holland. Memorials may be directed to the Aase Haugen Home.