Ronald
Ronald Holden
d. September 5, 2012
Ronald Holden, age 74, of Holland, died on Wednesday, September 05, 2012 in Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 15, 2012 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode. Interment will be in the St. Olaf Cemetery, Bode. Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Bode.
Ronald was born on February 10, 1938 in Ottosen, Iowa to Sevel and Pauline (Bonnstetter) Holden. He was a Veteran of the United States Navy and retired from Plascore Inc after 24 years of employment in October of 2010. Ronald was also a member of the Fennville Rod and Gun Club. Ron grew up on a farm in Bode Iowa and was the eldest of his two brothers and two sisters.
Ron graduated High School from Bode Iowa then went on to college at St. Olaf College in Northfield Minnesota. Ron played football and achieved his Bachelor's degree from there. After college, Ron wanted to serve his country and attended the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island where he graduated and then was assigned to the USS Hanson where he achieved officer status of Lieutenant Commander. The USS Hanson was a member of the 7th fleet whose motto was "Ready power for peace." Hansen was a radar picket destroyer with a primary mission of giving early warning of approaching enemy air, surface, and sub-surface forces. After his Naval career, Ron worked at Coast Manufacturing in Livermore California where he met his beautiful wife JoAnn while on the company bowling team. They dated for a couple years before getting married on September 3, 1967, in Dublin, the beginning of a beautiful life together. Their family was complete when Ron accepted JoAnn's son Warren as his own.
Eventually, Ron and JoAnn began working for Hexcel then transferred to the plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. They bought a cabin in the mountains and loved to spend weekends there. The cabin was nestled in pine tree country and gained the nickname of "Broken Pine." While in Casa Grande, Ron enjoyed hunting and being a member of the Elks Lodge and the American Legion. Fritz Huebner, President of Plascore, recognized Ron's incredible scientific savvy, and asked him to join him at Plascore. Ron and JoAnn packed up and left Arizona, settling in the sandy shores of Holland, Michigan, so Ron could finish his successful career at Plascore of Zeeland Michigan. Ron retired from Plascore after 24 exciting years of contribution and was nicknamed "The Big Wheel." Ron made several wonderful and dear friends from his career at Plascore and they have been an important part of his life and family.
Ron and JoAnn kept their mountain cabin in Arizona and loved making the cross-country car trips to visit Broken Pine where Warren, Kathy, and Ron's grandchildren Chase and Kayleen would join them every year for enjoyable vacations. Ron and JoAnn would stop at Bode Iowa and Colorado Springs to visit family and friends along the way. Ron loved his dog and trusty companion "Oscar." Oscar kept Ron company and gave Ron companionship during his time after his wife passed. Ron enjoyed shooting his guns and was a member of the Fennville Rod and Gun Club. Ron's hobby was reloading is own ammunition for shooting his guns and also enjoyed brewing his own beer back in the day. Ron enjoyed history and especially was interested in military battles and wars. He was an astrologist, a scientist, a historian, and most importantly Ron's family loved him dearly and will miss him and listening to his interesting stories and conversation.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Warren and Kathy Holden, of CA; his two Grandchildren, Chase and Kayleen Holden; his brother and sisters, Gary and Carol Holden of Colorado, Diana and Bill Garrison of Colorado, and Sandra and Wayne Schultz of California; and his sister-in-law, Ruby Holden of Iowa; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Donald and Lillian Garcia of CA, and Edmond Alves of CA. Several nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive him. His wife, JoAnn Holden in 2007 and his brother, Eldred Holden in 2011, preceded him in death.
Ronald was born on February 10, 1938 in Ottosen, Iowa to Sevel and Pauline (Bonnstetter) Holden. He was a Veteran of the United States Navy and retired from Plascore Inc after 24 years of employment in October of 2010. Ronald was also a member of the Fennville Rod and Gun Club. Ron grew up on a farm in Bode Iowa and was the eldest of his two brothers and two sisters.
Ron graduated High School from Bode Iowa then went on to college at St. Olaf College in Northfield Minnesota. Ron played football and achieved his Bachelor's degree from there. After college, Ron wanted to serve his country and attended the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island where he graduated and then was assigned to the USS Hanson where he achieved officer status of Lieutenant Commander. The USS Hanson was a member of the 7th fleet whose motto was "Ready power for peace." Hansen was a radar picket destroyer with a primary mission of giving early warning of approaching enemy air, surface, and sub-surface forces. After his Naval career, Ron worked at Coast Manufacturing in Livermore California where he met his beautiful wife JoAnn while on the company bowling team. They dated for a couple years before getting married on September 3, 1967, in Dublin, the beginning of a beautiful life together. Their family was complete when Ron accepted JoAnn's son Warren as his own.
Eventually, Ron and JoAnn began working for Hexcel then transferred to the plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. They bought a cabin in the mountains and loved to spend weekends there. The cabin was nestled in pine tree country and gained the nickname of "Broken Pine." While in Casa Grande, Ron enjoyed hunting and being a member of the Elks Lodge and the American Legion. Fritz Huebner, President of Plascore, recognized Ron's incredible scientific savvy, and asked him to join him at Plascore. Ron and JoAnn packed up and left Arizona, settling in the sandy shores of Holland, Michigan, so Ron could finish his successful career at Plascore of Zeeland Michigan. Ron retired from Plascore after 24 exciting years of contribution and was nicknamed "The Big Wheel." Ron made several wonderful and dear friends from his career at Plascore and they have been an important part of his life and family.
Ron and JoAnn kept their mountain cabin in Arizona and loved making the cross-country car trips to visit Broken Pine where Warren, Kathy, and Ron's grandchildren Chase and Kayleen would join them every year for enjoyable vacations. Ron and JoAnn would stop at Bode Iowa and Colorado Springs to visit family and friends along the way. Ron loved his dog and trusty companion "Oscar." Oscar kept Ron company and gave Ron companionship during his time after his wife passed. Ron enjoyed shooting his guns and was a member of the Fennville Rod and Gun Club. Ron's hobby was reloading is own ammunition for shooting his guns and also enjoyed brewing his own beer back in the day. Ron enjoyed history and especially was interested in military battles and wars. He was an astrologist, a scientist, a historian, and most importantly Ron's family loved him dearly and will miss him and listening to his interesting stories and conversation.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Warren and Kathy Holden, of CA; his two Grandchildren, Chase and Kayleen Holden; his brother and sisters, Gary and Carol Holden of Colorado, Diana and Bill Garrison of Colorado, and Sandra and Wayne Schultz of California; and his sister-in-law, Ruby Holden of Iowa; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Donald and Lillian Garcia of CA, and Edmond Alves of CA. Several nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive him. His wife, JoAnn Holden in 2007 and his brother, Eldred Holden in 2011, preceded him in death.
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