Theodore Holtan, the next to the youngest of Hans and Margit Holtan’s children, went on to college and medical school and became a medical doctor. We have two wonderful pieces written about him. The first is an obituary from the local newspaper and the second is part of a chapter of professional people in the history of LeSeuer County with a story edited from a number of articles over the years in the newspapers in the Kilkenny and Waterville, MN area.
Dr. Theodore Holtan Obituary from the August, 1948, Waterville, MN Newspaper
The family and friends mourn the death of Dr. Theodore Holtan, a physician and surgeon of this and nearby communities for the past thirty years. The doctor, after spending Saturday evening in his office as he usually did, died at his home of a heart attack at 12:48 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 22.
Theodore Holtan, the youngest of thirteen children of pioneer Norwegian Immigrants, Hans and Margit Holtan, was born on a farm near Forest City, Iowa, on April 6, 1883. At the age of three, he moved with his parents and younger brothers and sisters to a homestead near Washburn, in the Dakota Territory which three year later became the state of North Dakota. Their first home there on the Dakota prairies was a sod hut.
When he was sixteen years old Theodore Holtan went to Moorhead, MN, where he attended Concordia College. The following year he entered Decorah Institute at Decorah, Iowa. Endeavoring to raise funds to continue his education he staked out a claim and homesteaded his own farm on the brush covered bands of the Missouri River near Washburn. Several years later he enrolled at Hamline University, St. Paul, MN, to study medicine. The medical department at Hamline University was discontinued so he together with a group of his classmates, after a term at the University of Minnesota, registered in the School of Medicine at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis., where he graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1911.
Following his internship at Asbury Hospital, Minneapolis, which he completed in 1912, Dr. Holtan went to Wheaton, MN, to practice medicine. It was here that he met and on June 23, 1914 married Mabel Amundson, who added immeasurably to his happiness and comfort for the rest of his life. It was in Wheaton also that their first son, Hanley, was born.
Early in 1918 the family moved to Kilkenny where Dr. Holtan practiced medicine for three and one-half years. while in Kilkenny his second son, Wendell was born. It is interesting to note, as recalled by the Sheridan family who operated a livery service in Kilkenny before cars were in common use, that hire livery service had to use three to four teams of horses a day to take the doctor on his country call during the severe flu epidemic of 1918.
In September, 1921, Dr. Holtan moved to Waterville where he continued his practice of medicine among the people he learned to know so well until his death on Aug. 22, 1948, at the age of 65.
Besides his wife, Mabel, his son, Hanley and wife, Gladys, his son Wendell and wife Priscilla, of Santa Monica, and his four grandsons, Theodore Holtan is mourned by his three brothers. Engebrigt of Raub, ND, Martin and Gilbert, both of Washburn, ND, and also by many nieces and nephews.
The following doctors were honorary pall bearers, E. S. Johnson and C. A. Rohrer of Waterville; D. W. Francis of Morristown; B. J. Gallagher and O. J. Swenson of Waseca; F. R. Huxley, J. J. Kolars, P. F. Meyer, A. W. Neutzman, C. M. Robilliard, D. J. Studer, C. A. Traeger, and C. H. Weaver of Faribault. Truly it can be said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” – Copied from August, 1948, Waterville Paper
KathyHoltanWilner 1950 Holtan Family History, compiled by George T. Holtan, Mrs. Agnes Brackey, C. Carl Holtan: pg. 79, Dr. Theodore Holtan
Information for this chapter taken from Kilkenny Gleaner, Le Sueur Center Sentinel, Montgomery Messenger and Waterville Sentinel.
HISTORY OF KILKENNY by MAE C. (ZELLMER) MACH
LE SUEUR COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Chapter 10
Professional Men
The medical history of doctors in Kilkenny only lasted about 40 years. Dr. Manning was here for one year in 1853. In 1896 Dr. J. F. McDonald came and started a practice of Physicans and Surgeons. A board of health started in 1892, Martin Pierce was elected for three years. Dr. McDonald was here until 1906. Dr. Allen and Dr. Flynn were here in 1907 and Dr. L. L. Moench in 1909. In 1915 Dr. V. G. Hazelton was here and was succeeded by Dr. Holtan. There was no doctor again until 1932 when Dr. Joseph B. Gaida of Minneapolis came in August.
There were three dentists between 1896 and 1897, they were Dr. Gale, Dr. DeForest and Dr. J. M. Smith. A Dr. W. T. Flynn served in 1911 but the kind of doctor he was is unknown.
Dr. Theodore Holtan, 1883-1948.
It didn’t take much room to write Dr. Holtan as one of the doctors who was in Kilkenny, yet it would take pages to tell of all the good things he did. Dr. Holtan only stayed in Kilkenny for three and one-half years and then went to Waterville. We still had him for our family doctor until the time of his death, August 22, 1948. Dr. Holtan was a magic word that meant, “When all else fails, turn to Doc and prayers!”
Theodore Holtan was born in Forest City, Iowa, April 6, 1883. When he was three years old his family moved to Washburn, when it was still in the Dakota Territory and which later became the state of North Dakota. He went to college for two years and then took time to claim and homestead his own farm near Washburn. Several years later he returned to college and graduated from the School of Medicine at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a Doctor of Medicine, 1911.
After completing his internship at Ashbury Hospital, Minneapolis, he began to practice at Wheaton, Minnesota in 1912 where he stayed until 1918. When Dr. Holtan came to Kilkenny he brought his family with him, his wife Mabel Amundson, whom he married on June 23, 1914 and his son, Hanley. When he was in Kilkenny another son, Wendall was born. Dr. Holtan stayed in Kilkenny until Sept., 1921.
The severe flu epidemic of 1918 kept Dr. Holtan very busy. Sheridans had the livery stable at this time and it some-times took 3-4 teams a day to take Dr. to all his calls in the country. I was brought into the world by Dr. Holtan and a good many others will say the same thing. I don’t remember ever hearing him talk or visit too much, as it seemed to me, he was all business. I do know that when you went to Dr. Holtan and he checked you over he probably would say something that sounded like would hur-rump, hur-rump, and then get a shot and you knew you would be well. Now going to the doctor was not just a thing to do, like we do today, when something is a little wrong. First, you took all the home remedies. At our house, they consisted of the following: mentholatum or Vicks, iodine, laxative, castoria, listerine, and Watkins or Raleigh salve that came in a large round can, the size of a raised doughnut and about that high. Also, the rag bag had clean pieces of old sheets and pillow cases for bandages. There was very little the above could not cure, but sometimes things got worse and Dr. Holtan would have to be called.
Now if the Doctor was coming you were told to get out of the way and stay out of sight. He would come in a short time after he was called, carrying his black bag. He would come in, say hello and ask where the patient was, and what seemed to be wrong. Then he would set on a chair beside the bed and put his bag on another chair provided for this or else on the floor or dresser. Then he would proceed to examine you and also open that black bag. It sure was fascinating with its rows of bottles with medicine – some parts had boxes that snapped open. In the middle were lots more things used by the doctor. After a couple of hur-rumps he would either take out some capsules, pills or maybe give you a shot.
Then he would give you the nicest smile and say, she’ll be better soon. Those pills could have been candy and the shots just plain water, but if Dr. Holtan gave them to you, you knew you would soon be well.
When you went to the office to see Dr. Holtan, you sat in the waiting room until he came to the door and said next. There is a display at the LeSueur County Historical Society Museum at Elysian, that shows Dr. Holtan’s office and it is all so much like you can remember it. There was a wash basin where he washed his hands, a table to sit or lie on and a chair. Then there was his desk where he wrote the prescriptions out and a glass windowed cabinet with all the things he needed. Everyone in their own mind can picture this room and the man who was so devoted.
All the stores were open on Saturday night and so was Dr. Holtan’s office and it was always full. He was such a kind and good hearted man and solved problems for you, such as going to the hospital. If you didn’t have the money, he would have the bill sent to him, he would pay it, and you could pay him a little at a time. He was also the eye doctor for some of my family, including me. The examination was given in the room of his office that I mentioned. There were two or more other rooms but what they were for I never knew.
The doctor died of a heart attack at his home at the age of 65 which is young today. With him went a way of life and people from far and near lost a wonderful friend and a great doctor.
A good description of Dr. Holtan would be the painting by Norman Rockwell of the doctor listening to the heart-beat of a little girl’s doll. He was that type of man……