Gilbert was the next to the youngest son of Hans and Margit Holtan and moved to North Dakota as a young boy. He grew up helping his dad on the farm and in the Holtan store, then homesteaded himself, farmed, ran a store and was the McLean County treasurer and then auditor. He married Clara Severts, a neighboring homesteaded and a distant cousin. Here is the Gilbert Holtan obituary and then an article from the Turtle Lake anniversary book about Gilbert and Clara Severts Holtan that tells their story, shows their wedding photo and introduces their children, Lucille and Harley and his son, Bradley
Gilbert and Clara Severts Holtan
Gilbert Holtan, son of Hans and Margit Holtan was born on April 11, 1881 near Forest City, Iowa. In October 1886, when he was five years old, he migrated with his family to Washburn in the Dakota Territory. He attended elementary school north of Washburn, and then attended Normal School in Decorah, Iowa. When he returned to Washburn he taught school in the years of 1901 and 1902.
In April of 1902 he filed on a homestead eleven miles northwest of Turtle Lake and farmed there until 1913. In 1913 Gilbert traded his farm for the Friese Hardware Store and a residence in Turtle Lake. He operated the store until 1928 when he sold the store to I.F. Zwemke of Denhoff.
Going back in this history a bit, on March 8, 1909 Gilbert married Clara Severts at Hayfield, Minnesota. She was also a pioneer in her own right as she had proved up on a claim northwest of Turtle Lake. Mrs. Holtan was born at Hayfield, Minnesota on November 21, 1879.
Five children were born to them. Harley, Lucille, Helga died from diptheria at the age of three and two boys, Melvin and Ralph, died in infancy. Of the two who survived, Lucille is a speech therapist in the Bismarck Public Schools and Harley is married to the former Bernece Haas of Turtle Lake, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Haas. Their son Bradley is the only grandchild. He married Andrea Sheldon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orlan Sheldon of Washburn. They operate a Super Value Store at Beach, North Dakota.
During the years while Gilbert was a business man in Turtle Lake, he was very active in community affairs. Gilbert was a charter member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church which was organized in 1915. He served as a trustee for Turtle Lake school board and was a member of the Washburn Lions Club. He also served on the Turtle Lake Volunteer Fire Department of which he was fire chief in 1923.
His friends remembered him as an ardent sports fan. He played the position of catcher for many years on the Turtle Lake baseball team. Gilbert loved to hunt and fish. As the Turtle Lake area was an excellent place to hunt, he was often asked by other hunters to assist them in finding good places to hunt.
During these years Gilbert also did some farming. Gilbert in the early days will be remembered because he broke up the virgin sod on many farms in that area. He had several threshing rigs which moved from farm to farm doing the threshing for many of the farmers in the community. Gilbert was very excited about the coming of the combine. As an implement dealer and car salesman, he sold machinery to farmers and was often called upon to help the buyer learn how to operate their combines. He spent many hours repairing and fixing machinery for other people.
In 1935 he was elected to the position of County Treasurer. He served in that position until 1939 at which time he was elected to the office of County Auditor. During his years in public office Gilbert acquired a host of host of friends in the county, and these friends returned him to office year after year. He was County Auditor at the time of his death.
During his first term of County Auditor, Clara died on October 20, 1940. Clara Holtan was active in church work and was president of the St. Paul’s Lutheran Ladies Aid for many years. She also enjoyed her associations and activities in the Turtle Lake Homemakers Club. She will be remembered by all who knew her as a most gracious lady. She was always willing to lend a helping hand, both in her personal relations with her friends also in her club organizations.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Holtan will be remembered by all those who knew them for their willingness to do a favor for a friend and their loyalty to the Lutheran Church of which they were lifetime members.
On June 23, 1948, Gilbert married Mrs. Mattie G. Thelen of Bismarck. On January 2, 1953, Gilbert suffered a heart attack and death claimed him that day. He was buried in the Sverdrup Cemetery north of Washburn. After his death Mattie went to live with her sons in Perham, Minnesota where she died in 1956.