Thelma Holland

Thelma F. Holland, 97 of Kellogg, passed away Friday, January 2, 2026, at Gundersen – St. Elizabeth Health Care Center, Wabasha, MN.
Thelma Fern Olson was born December 6, 1928, in Wabasha to Dorothy (Curtis) and Gilmore Olson. She graduated from Winona High School in 1946. On August 11, 1956, she married Victor Holland and together they raised three children: Patricia, James, and Paul.
Thelma’s primary interests were the nurturing and growth of her family and other families around her. Thelma nurtured her family and others through her optimistic view of life and her strong message of faith. Thelma was very active in church and brought a strong message of optimism and faith to almost every conversation she was involved in. She assured her path to the Kingdom of God by enjoying dual membership in the St. Agnes Catholic Church and the Weaver Methodist Church.
Much of Thelma’s optimism stemmed from her love of the beauty of nature and all of its splendor. Her love for the outdoors began at a young age. She often told stories as a very young girl of accompanying her father waterfowl hunting in the Weaver Bottoms. The Weaver Bottoms and the surrounding hills were Thelma’s favorite playground. Thelma loved fishing. She fished extensively in the Kellogg area for over 90 years. She enjoyed numerous fishing trips to Canada with family and friends. In her later years she often fished daily. Her companion was her brother, Bo, they caught sunfish and bass at West Newton.
In 1980, Thelma became one of Minnesota's first female hunters to successfully harvest a Wild Turkey on her family farm near Weaver. Deer hunting was a true passion for Thelma. First, in northern Minnesota when her uncles returned from WWII. Thelma passed her love of deer hunting on to her three children and continued to hunt deer every year on the family farm in Weaver up until 2025. Thelma was an elk hunter and truly loved the mountains and all of their glorious splendor. She hunted elk and deer, with her sons, in numerous western states and western Canada.
In 1946, after graduating high school, Thelma moved to Minneapolis and worked for Twin City Scenic. She started as a secretary and advanced to sales and customer management. She returned to Kellogg when she married Victor in 1956. For many years she helped Victor run the farming operation and their business, Holland Construction. She then spent 10 years working for the State of Minnesota as a nutrition specialist. In 1980, Thelma went to work as the head cook at Slippery’s in Wabasha, Minnesota. In 1986 Vic and Thelma purchased the Town and Country Café serving home cooked meals along with her message to the patrons of faith, optimism, and happiness. She remained active in the café up until 2025. In her later years she focused on preparing the “Bread pudding” that Town and Country is so famous for.
Thelma had a lifelong vision of leaving a Legacy of Faith and Optimism to her family, and each individual she encountered in her 97 years here on earth. She was an artful communicator using her love of family and nature to deliver her message. She considered her entire life a journey of spiritual growth. Everyone who met and knew Thelma, considered themselves enriched by her words of wisdom and contagious optimism!!!
Her Legacy is alive and well. It is entrusted now to her family, and each of you, to carry it forward!!!
She is survived by her children: James (Carol) Holland and Patti (Donnie Graner) Holland; daughter-in-law Amy Holland; grandchildren: Adam (Emily Knaup) Yaeger, Jeremy Yaeger, Jonathan Holland, Alex Holland, Victor (Autumn) Holland and Dorothy (Nathan) Farrar; a brother Gilmore “Bo” Olson; a sister-in-law Elaine Olson; and other relatives.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Victor; son Paul; siblings: William “Billy” Olson, Paul Olson, and Marlene Lord; sister-in-law Janice Olson; and brother-in-law Charles Lord.
Funeral Mass was held 11 a.m. Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Kellogg with Rev. Tom Loomis officiating. Interment was at St. Agnes Catholic Cemetery, Kellogg.
Visitation was held 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, January 6 at Abbott Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7 p.m. The visitation began at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Memorials can be directed to St. Elizabeth Foundation or Paul Holland Memorial Music Scholarship, 300 S Garden Street, Lake City, MN 55041.
Services entrusted to Abbott Funeral Home & Crematory, Wabasha, MN. Words of sympathy or remembrance may be left at www.abbottfh.com