Herman John Holzum
Source: Eleanor Holzum Dolan Nobles 1995 Family History

Herman John Holzum (Theodore, Robert, Theodore H., Joannes H., Christian H., Joannes H., and Sanderus) was born in Leopold, Bollinger, Missouri on December 28, 1887 and died April 8, 1956 in Red Lodge,Carbon County, Montana. He married Pearl Westwood Holzum on March 4, 1916 in Portland, Oregon, daughter of Charles Westwood and Frances Westwood. She was born September 25, 1898 in Evanston, Illinois, and died February 28, 1989 in El Monte, California.

Herman went to work in St. Louis in 1904 when he was about 16 years old. He worked for Schulte Dairy. When he turned 18, his mother was going to give him a horse, but he told her he would rather have a hundred dollars and his freedom.

With that he left for North Dakota in 1906. Two cousins went with him: Herman R. Elfrink and Robert Holzum, aka "Little Rob". He was the son of Uncle John Holzum. He didn't like North Dakota and returned home. Herman Elfrink stayed awhile. Herman (Dad) went to Montana to homestead land in late 1906 or early 1907. He returned to Missouri in February, 1908, for a visit and was Uncle Robert's oldest daughter, Helen's Godfather.

In 1915, he took over the Roy Wilkinson ranch, which bounded the Crow Indian Reservation and Frank and Irene Woods homestead. The Wilkinson’s were friends he had worked for and they went to Wenatchee, Washington, so he leased the ranch from them. He sold his homestead in 1916.

Irene Woods' sister, Pearl Westwood, came from Portland, Oregon, to stay with Irene on the homestead as Frank worked for the telephone company in Billings, Montana.

Herman and Pearl met, and were married march 4, 1916, in Portland, Oregon.

Paul W. Holzum was born January 14, 1917, in Billings, Montana.

Eleanor Frances Holzum was born June 6, 1918, at the ranch. Mrs. Tom Turner, a neighbor and friend assisted.

Olwen Elizabeth Holzum was born February 19, 1922, in Edgar, Montana at Mrs. Lee Herald's home.

Paul and Eleanor began their schooling in the Five Mile Country School, located about three miles from our home at the ranch. We rode horseback through over "Little Canyon" and across the "Big Canyon" over the rim to the schoolhouse. We started in the fall of 1923. Due to the fact that we were the only two out of six who began that year, we accomplished 1st and 2nd grades by the time school was out the middle of May, 1924. The Five Mile School closed due to lack of kids for 1924-1925 school years. They needed me (Eleanor) in order to get a schoolhouse built, and I had to start school at age 5. Paul was 6.

We went to school in Edgar in 1924-1926. Mom and we kids lived in town and went home to the ranch weekends when the weather permitted. Dad stayed at the ranch, but it was only 12 miles so we saw him often.

In late summer of 1926, mom took us to Portland, Oregon and dad stayed at the ranch. Paul and I were both in the 5th grade. We were put in separate schools, which we did not like. Paul told me to act as ornery as I could so they would kick me out and I could go where he was.

It didn't work out that way. The teacher had a conference with my aunt Ruby, with whom I was staying, and they decided I could do the 5th grad work just fine, but I seriously lacked discipline. They decided since I was only eight years old, I was too young for 5th grade and they put me back into 4th grade. I think my aunt was a little tired of me by then, and she had two daughters who were near perfect. Whatever happened, I went to live with Mom, Paul and Babe, but I never caught up with Paul in school again.

We kids all got the measles after Christmas. Paul and I were not very ill, but Babe was really hit hard. She had a very serious ear problem and needed a mastoidectomy, so we returned to Billings, Montana, for surgery to be done by our family doctor, Dr. Barrett.

We got through that all right and were back at our beloved ranch when it was time to go to school in September, 1927. This year we moved to Fromberg, and Paul was in 6th grade and Babe in 1st grade.

Paul and I continued our schooling in Fromberg. He graduated in 1934 and I in 1935. We spent summers and most weekends at the ranch with dad.

In June 1932, Mom and Babe went to California to help my Aunt run her resort. Our lives changed drastically at this time. There was a lot of going back and forth between Montana and California for all of us. Paul and I always got back to Fromberg for school. Babe did not. She and Mom were there when I graduated in 1935, but went back to California to again work at the resort. Babe would finish high school in California, graduating from Hollywood High School in 1938.

Babe attended Beauty School in San Diego, California, graduated and worked as a beauty operator until after she and Dave Davies married. He was a U.S. Navy aviator and they moved around a lot, but always kept their home in Coronado, California.

Paul and I attended Eastern Montana State Normal School in the fall of 1935, but only lasted one quarter. Paul went home to Fromberg and worked for Mac Emmett in the store. I attended Billings business college for a few months and had all but one credit to graduate, but didn't.

Pearl Westwood Holzum parents moved from Illinois to Seattle, Washington in 1909 and then to Portland, Oregon in 1911.

Pearl graduated from high school in Portland, Oregon, and in 1915 went to Montana to stay with her sister, Irene Woods, on her homestead next to Roy Wilkinson. There, she met Herman Holzum. They married in Portland, Oregon, on March 4, 1916.

They made their home on the ranch, except for the school months beginning in the fall of 1924. The Five-Mile School had closed due to lace of attendance, so Pearl and the kids would move into town for school while Herman remained on the ranch because ranches didn't shut down when winter came.

Ranch life was hard work, but Pearl could work with the best of them. Work was not a problem. She loved people and a good time. So, as more of the homesteaders left the area, it was lonely and more isolated than ever. In 1932 Pearl went to California to live.

When Herman homesteaded there in about 1906, it was only about 30 years after the Custer Massacre which had taken place about 60 miles away "as the crow flies". So, for the first few years on the ranch, which bordered the Crow Indian Reservation, she was quite nervous when the Indians passed through. They did this often in the winter time of the early years.

Billings Gazette
Billings, MT
April 13, 1956

HERMAN J. HOLZUM

CARBON SHERIFF's RITES CONDUCTED

Red Lodge: Last rites for Herman Holzum, Carbon County sheriff were at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Agnes Catholic Church. Burial was in the Rockvale Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were C. R. Bequette, R. H. Garst, Walter Owens, George Flaskerud, Roy Riley, and Ray Stewart.

Mr. Holzum died Sunday of a heart attack while shoveling snow at his home here.

He was born Dec. 30, 1888 at Leopold, Mo. and came to Montana in 1909 to work for the Milwaukee Railroad. He went to Billings in 1910 and then homesteaded east of Edgar in 1912. He was engaged in stock raising and ranching in the Bridger area until 1943 when he became deputy sheriff of Carbon County. He had been sheriff since 1945.

He was a member of the Montana Peace Officers Assn., the Elks Lodge, the Eagles Lodge, The Loyal Order of Moose, all of Red Lodge, and had been a president of the Bridger Service Club.

Surviving are a son, Paul Westwood Holzum of Belfry; two daughters, Mrs. Elmer Nobles of Rivers, Calif., and Mrs. Olwen Elizabeth Davies of Gulf Breeze, Fla.; a sister, Miss Sina Holzum of Leopold; six brothers, Edward, Louis, Leo, and Robert all of Leopold, Elmer of Madison, Wis., and George of Festus, Mo., and eight grandchildren.

The Banner Press
Marble Hill, MO
April 12, 1956

HERMAN HOLZUM

Robert and Leo Holzum of Leopold left Sunday for Red Lodge, Mont. to attend funeral services on Wednesday for their brother, Herman Holzum, who died suddenly at his home in Red Lodge. Mr. Holzum, a son of the late Theodore and Elizabeth Holzum, was born December 1887 at Leopold. He went to Montana when a young man and had lived there 50 years. At the time of his death he was Sheriff of Corbin co., Mont., having been serving in this capacity since December 1949. Prior to becoming sheriff he was engaged in ranching. He is survived by a son, two daughters, one grandchild, six brothers and a sister. His brothers are Robert, Ed, Louis and Leo of Leopold and George of Festus and Elmer of Madison, Wisconsin. The sister is Miss Sina Holzum of Leopold.

Herman John Holzum was married to Pearl Westwood on 4 March 1916 in Portland, OR. Pearl was born in Evanston, IL on 25 Sept. 1898 and died in El Monte, Los Angeles, CA on 28 Feb. 1989.