Carlton Holmes

1946 - 2021

Carlton Stephen (Steve) Holmes March 26, 2021 Carlton Stephen (Steve) Holmes, 74, of Minatare, died on March 26, 2021, at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies. Steve was born on December 23, 1946, in Wood River, NE to Paul W. and Myrtle (Bassett) Holmes. He grew up in Grant, NE and was baptized at Grant Congregational Church. He was devoted to a life in Christ and the promise of His mercy and eternal salvation. Steve attended elementary and high school in Grant, NE where he was active in sports, especially football. He attended McCook Community College, followed by Chadron State College (CSC). As part of an outreach program from the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan, Steve was one of the first in the US to receive the level of black belt through a program to build goodwill through sports between the two countries. He ultimately received a bachelor's degree in biology from CSC and taught high school biology after graduation. He did graduate work in paleontology continued this work as a hobby to the present day. Steve married Marilyn on Jan. 15, 1972, at First Christian Church in Scottsbluff. Their nearly 44-year union was blessed with three children, Kristi, Andrew and Megan. They lived for almost 20 years in Grant. In the early years, he worked with his dad in the Gamble's store and later he and Marilyn worked together to build a family business. They were active in the community, including Jaycees and other activities. In 1990, the family moved to rural Minatare. He and Marilyn were very active on the family farm and cattle business and he continued in that work today. They were loving partners thro- ughout their lives together. Steve was always very involved in his kids' education and was a big advocate for educational opportunities for kids of all ages. He provided endless support and encouragement of his kids and grandkids on their own educational journeys. It was not unusual for Dad to strike up a conversation with a young high schooler or college student and offer an encouraging pep talk, especially girls studying science and thinking about non-traditional careers. He quietly supported several kids with tuition and other needs and cheered even more from the sidelines. He was especially supportive of youth development activities such as athletics, FFA, scouts, and 4-H and viewed support of these activities as an investment in our shared future. His optimism and love of learning has impacted many people over the years. He absolutely loved nature! Steve was an avid gardener, with a number of major gardening and landscaping projects over the years. He had a particularly green thumb with his flower beds and planned to put in a huge rose garden later this spring. He enjoyed bird watching and quizzing his kids and grandkids on taxonomic classification of trees, plants, and birds. He was the ultimate Cornhuskers and Broncos fan and he especially enjoyed watching football, girls' basketball, volleyball, and track and field. He was an avid movie buff and enjoyed reading books about the history of the United States and especially the wild west. He loved to spend time with his entire family and had a special place in his heart for his two grandsons, whom he adored. He and Connor worked closely together over these past years and developed a deep and special bond. Dad was a champion for the underdog and was generous and thoughtful in word and deed and his impact will resonate for years to come. Steve is survived by his children, Kristi (David) of Evanston, IL; Andrew of Surprise, AZ; and Megan (John) of Starkville, MS; two grandsons, Connor and John; sister, Ramona Schroeder of Kearney, NE; brothers Jess Michael of Hemet, CA and Wes Holmes of Imperial, NE; nieces and nephews; a loving extended family and friends; and his cat, Rosie. Steve was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn, his parents, and by an infant brother, John. The family would like to extend special thanks to Drs. Anthony Doing and J. Brad Oldemeyer and the team at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies for their compassionate care of Dad over the years and also Dr. Vince Bjorling from Regional West Health Services for many years of thoughtful care for our family. His funeral service will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Salem Congregational Church in Scottsbluff with Pastor Dale Brown officiating. Services will be livestreamed on the Bridgman Funeral Home Facebook page. Interment will follow at East Lawn Cemetery in Minatare. Visitation will be from 3-7pm on Friday, April 2 at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials in Steve's honor be made to Festival of Hope to assist area cancer patients during the treatment process at http://festivalofhope.net and the family also plans to make a special gift to the Cardiac Rehabilitation program at Regional West Medical Center. Online condolences may be made by viewing Steve's memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. In this time of COVID, the family wishes to honor Steve in a manner that maintains health and wellness. We request that friends and loved ones observe masking and social distancing in the sanctuary. For loved ones with health concerns, we respect your choice to attend the virtual service and want you to know that we appreciate your support during this time and look forward to celebrating Dad in person with you sometime in the near future.