Julius F. Holm

He attended Wartburg College and Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa and was ordained in 1938. His first parish was Trinity Lutheran in Blanco, Texas together with a small Lutheran church in Twin Sisters. He married Elisabeth Lindenberg, the daughter of Rev. Otto and Else Lindenberg of Fredericksburg on August 19, 1941. He served Zion Lutheran in Muscatine, Iowa from September 5, 1941 until February 1945 when he moved to Dodge City, Kansas where he served Hope Lutheran.

In May of 1948, he moved to Doss, Texas, a rural congregation, where he served St Peter's Lutheran and Christ Lutheran in Cherry Springs. During this time, he began to chair the annual summer pastors' theological retreats at Buchanan Lake which he did for about 10 years.

In May of 1954, his family moved to Moulton, Texas where he served Zion Lutheran, along with Evangelical Lutheran in Witting, for 25 years. Over the years he taught his children a deep love for God and God's creation. He shared with them a love of nature through his hobbies of bird-watching and camping, his love of music, especially hymns, and the value of reading. His devotion to his family was shown in his photography. He was diligent in developing his children's interests and activities, in play, school, faith and work.

He retired from the active ministry in May of 1979 and moved to New Braunfels, Texas where he and his wife lived for about 25 years. They were members of Peace Lutheran Church there. At the time of death he was being cared for in the home of his oldest daughter, Mag, who is currently the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran in Austin and her husband, Charles Holm-Roesler, the pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran of Bastrop. He passed away on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

He is predeceased by his parents; brothers, Bernhard, Arthur and Theophil; and sister, Lydia.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Elisabeth Lindenberg Holm; his sisters, Agnes Behrens and Irene Bulgerin; his son, Michael and his wife, Verlyn; his son, Stephen and his wife, Suellen; his daughter, Magdalene and her husband, Charles; his daughter, Elsa; his daughter, Lois, 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, October 13, 2011 at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 W. William Cannon Drive in Austin, Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 14, 2011 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 4622 S. Lamar Blvd. in Austin, Texas. Interment will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Greenwood Cemetery in Fredericksburg, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Peace Lutheran Church in New Braunfels, to the conservation agency The Nature Conservancy, or to the Julius F. and Elisabeth L. Holm Endowed Pioneer Scholarship of the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest under Wartburg Seminary, P.O. Box 5004, Dubuque, IA 52004-5004.