Kent Donald Holst

Kent Donald Holst of Anoka, Minnesota, passed away on February 6, 2023. He was 93 years old.

Born in Plainview, MN, on August 23, 1929, Kent was a child of the Great Depression and never lost the habits of working hard, finding value in little things, and saving for the next rainy day. Later in life, this led to a formidable collection of plastic containers and used plastic utensils.

He grew up on a farm with his parents, Robert and Ruth Holst; his siblings, Bud, Faith and Betty; his cousin, Doreen Ressie; and honorary family member, Everett Hunter. He'd tell vivid stories of life on the farm -- wandering the countryside with his dog, making Peppernuts with his family at Christmas time, and horsing around with his cousins, Bernard and Charlie, and his neighbor, Beryl Zarling.

Smart as a whip but a student who struggled with reading, Kent left school at the end of 8th grade and worked on the family farm. He later attended the School of Agriculture at the University of MN to broaden his farming knowledge. While he was there, he learned to box. One of his proudest achievements was winning the Silver Gloves in boxing.

Kent married his sweetheart, Mary Katherine Leisen, on January 3, 1952. It was a quiet wedding as his Air Force draft notice had arrived and would soon pull them to Georgia, then on to California. They shared a birthday (which he still managed to forget). She was the love of his life, and he never stopped marveling at her beauty. Though she died and left him alone for his last 32 years, he kept her photos always in view and never stopped mourning her loss.

After the Air Force, they moved back to Plainview to start a family. Kent purchased the Holst family farm, where he grew feed crops and raised beef, cattle, and pigs. The farm years were tough but good. Amidst the hard work, there was plenty of good living. Kent and Mary had four children: Jane, Kaye, Dee, and Cris. There was fresh food from the garden, fishing with bamboo poles in the pond, horseback riding, games of kick-the-can, card games around the kitchen table and many family celebrations.

They sold the farm in 1974 and moved to Winona, MN. Five years later, an opportunity to start their own business led them to Holcombe, WI, where he and Mary ran the Big Minnow Bar, Restaurant, and Bait Shop (only in Wisconsin). A fire damaged the business and led to their early retirement in 1982. Kent and Mary enjoyed traveling together in their RV to Branson, Missouri and Mesa, Arizona, until 1991, when Mary died in a car accident. They'd been married for 39 years.

For the last 24 years, Kent found a friend and companion in Terry Watson. He learned woodcarving and won top honors at the Minnesota State Fair for several years running. He also took pleasure in his growing family and his six grandchildren: Remi, Elli, Megan, Natasha, Mary and Garret. He and Terry spent many hours cheering on the kids at dance recitals, motor cross races, gymnastics tournaments, volleyball games, swim meets and football games. His campfire stews, roasted chicken on a stick, and BBQ Ribs were always a hit with friends and family.

When he was young, Kent was a man of action: strong, charismatic, and confident that he could solve any problem. The original MacGyver, he was always jerry-rigging things or improving on designs that he found wanting. He built our family a beautiful home in Holcombe, doing most of the work himself. Later in life, his "fixing" involved lots of duct tape and Shoe GOO and digging the occasional hole in the backyard. He had endless projects and so many dreams.

Over his lifetime Kent was many things: a farmer, Air Force MP, plumber, electrician, truck driver, landlord, salesman, tugboat hand, janitor, restaurant owner, and traveler. More than anything else, he was a storyteller, and boy, did he tell some whoppers. In the end, his stories came in the flickering light of TV westerns: Gunsmoke, Cheyenne, and Wagon-Ho, shows that featured heroes who always caught the bad guy by the end of each show, just like dad.

We will miss him terribly.

Kent is survived by his children, Jane (Michael) Laskey, Kaye Holst, Dee Ann (Randy) Guthman, and Criston (Ann) Holst; his grandchildren, Remington Guthman, Ellicia (Adam) Holst, Megan Holst, Mary Holst, Natasha Laskey, and Garret Laskey; his sister, Betty Green; and many, many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be scheduled later this spring.