JOHN P. HOLM

From 'Echoing Footsteps', published 1967, Powder River County Extension Homemakers Council

By Mrs. Charles Green

John P. Holm was born in Dalarnes Province in central Sweden, near Stockholm in 1888. He received some schooling there, but had to leave at an early age and go to work. He worked in the woods some and also on railroad construction. When he was an adventurous young man of 22, he left Sweden to come to the United States in 1911. John told his mother he would be back home in five years when he left. As it turned out, he didn't return to his native Sweden until 1963, some 52 years later, when he returned for a summer's visit. Upon coming to the United States he worked in North Dakota first. In 1914 he chose his homestead on land joining Axel Blank, an old neighbor from Sweden who had homesteaded here in 1905. John has remained on the same location ever since. He added his brother Henry's adjoining homestead to his farm. John raised very good quality Hereford cattle and small grains. He also is an excellent dry-land gardener, and still raises some of the best vegetables (especially watermelons) and fruits in this part of the country. He does all of his work with horses. The only motorized equipment he has is a pickup. He quit planting crops in 1963 and put his place into grass. He now runs some cattle during the summer months and sells them in the fall so that he won't have to be outside during the winter months.