Obituary for Elizabeth Holland

Elizabeth Mae Holland, age 87, died of stage 4 breast cancer Thursday, August 8^th 2019 at St Therese Senior Living in New Hope, Minnesota.

Honoring her wishes, she was cremated and taken to Colorado for her Celebration of Life service. She will be buried in Anchorage Alaska at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in a shared plot with her husband Jerry W Holland who passed in 2003.

She was born in the beautiful hills of Valdez, North Carolina on May 14, 1932. At the age of 13 she moved to Denver Colorado. She married John Wilson in 1949 and had 4 beautiful children Judy, John Jr, Joseph and Janine. They were married for 11 years. She remarried in 1969 to Jerry Holland, gained a step-son Daniel and had 3 more daughters Beth, Shelly and Elaine. In 1986 she moved to Alaska and settled in Wasilla for almost 20 years. Oh how she loved it there! Her gardens where a joy to walk through – she could name every flower. After Jerry died and she was diagnosed with breast cancer (the first time) she moved to Minnesota in 2007 to live with her daughter and son-in-law Elaine and Tom Sheffrey.

She was preceded in death by her parents Floyd Stephens and Dolly Dieters, ex-husband John Wilson, husband Jerry Holland, brothers Kenneth & Glenn Lee Stephens, sisters Barbara Corley and Edna Boles, daughter Judy Wilson and grand-daughter Kristin Maddux.

She is survived by her sister Joyce Hopple and brother Larry Stephens of Arizona, sons John Wilson Jr. & Joseph (Karen) Wilson of Colorado, step-son Daniel Holland of California, daughters Janine Wilson & Beth Holland of Colorado, Shelly Maddux of Alaska & Elaine (Tom) Sheffrey of Florida. She had 17 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.

She served the Lord faithfully for more than 60 years. She taught school at Green Mountain Christian Academy in Lakewood CO and Anchorage Christian Academy in Anchorage AK until she retired in 1988. She had a servant’s heart in everything she did, Volunteer cook at North Star Bible Camp, vacation bible school every summer, teaching Sunday school to both children and adults. No matter where the Lord placed her she viewed it as a ministry. She lived out the last 4 years of life at Steeple Pointe Assisted Living in Osseo MN. She loved crossword/game time, coloring and doing puzzles. She loved to sew and quilt.

Her passion was Jesus! She showed everyone what living for Jesus looked like. He was her friend and she basked in His presence and chose joy in every situation. She loved deeply. She was ready for heaven.