Edward Edmond Holland

Edward Edmond Holland, 72, of Polson, MT, passed away at the family home December 20th, 2017. Ed was born January 4, 1945, to Maxwell E and Myrtle C Holland in St. Louis, Missouri. The family moved to Ohio and later to Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin where he went to high school, graduating in 1962, joined the U.S. Marine Corp in 1964 and was honorably discharged in 1967.

On April 16th, 1966, Ed married Jane Holland (Rueth). Ed, Jane and children, Kurt and Kim, migrated west to Montana in 1977 in a modified blue school bus and settled in Polson where together they built their dream home overlooking the Flathead Valley.

In his younger days, Ed was an avid trapper and hunter, and raised racing homing pigeons with his buddy Ken. In the early 1970’s Ed became a Boy Scout leader inspiring his entire troop to getting their Eagle Scout badge and all but one of the scouts joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a Polson Pirate wrestling fan for many years putting his Marine Drill Sargent voice to good motivating use. In his later years he become a leader in the Marine Corps “Toys For Tots” program provided for toys for over 1,000 children in Lake County in 2005 alone. In 2006 he was selected ‘National Coordinator of the Year’ by the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation and was invited to Washington D.C. where he was honored and given a Letter of Commendation from the Marine Forces Commander.

Ed was preceded in death by father Maxwell, mother Myrt, and brother James. He is survived by his 2 children Kurt (Ellen), Kim (Ron), 8 grandchildren, Justin, Jordy, Jenna, Sanne, Lelie, Bas, Alisha and Lindsey, and 5 great-grandchildren, older sister, Peg (Bob) of Prescott, Arizona, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Military gravesite services will be held at a later date. The family requests that any donations in Ed’s memory be made to the Lake County “Toys for Tots” program – P.O. Box 33, Polson, MT 59860.