A Celebration of Life Service to honor the life and legacy of John Holt, age 72, of Windom, will be held Sunday, November 24th at 2:00 PM at The American Lutheran Church in Windom. Full military honors will be provided by American Legion Post #206 of Windom. Burial will be in Memory Garden's Cemetery in rural Windom.

A visitation for John will be held on Saturday, November 23rd from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the LaCanne Family Celebration of Life Center in Windom. Visitation will continue on Sunday, November 24th at The American Lutheran Church in Windom for one hour prior to the service. The service will be livestreamed on the American Lutheran Church's Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in John's name may be made to the Business, Arts and Recreation Center (BARC) or the Windom Lions Club.

John William Holt was born to Milford and Leona (Van Gerpen) Holt, on December 11, 1951, in Windom, Minnesota. He was confirmed in the Evangelical Free Church (1966) and was baptized as a young adult (1971). John attended country school from 1956-1960 and later attended Windom Schools, graduating with the Windom High School Class of 1969. He attended Humbolt Institute Airline School and worked for Delta Airlines from 1970-1971.

On January 16, 1971, John married his sweetheart Judy Jacobson. The couple was blessed with three sons, Travis, Troy and Zach. In January 1971, John was drafted and later enlisted in the U.S. Army and earned the rank of sergeant. He received the National Defense Service Medal Expert M16 and was honorably discharged in February 1974. Upon returning from the service, John started the family business, Holt's Steamway, which later became Holt's Cleaning Service. This past April, he was so thankful to celebrate 50 years in business.

John was very active in his church and community. As a longtime member of The American Lutheran Church, John was an usher and mentored confirmation students, and he served on several church boards. He proudly served the Windom Lions Club for 48 years and was the Lions President for many years. John was instrumental in saving the old high school to serve as the Business Arts and Recreation Center (BARC) in 2000 and was a BARC board member for many years. John leaves a legacy with his latest vision of a golf simulator, which is being installed at BARC to provide a consistent revenue stream for the center.

As an outdoor enthusiast and avid hunter, John started "Deer Camp" in 2009, where his family would gather annually to hunt and enjoy many laughs and time together. He was active in the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and helped with various projects. John also raised goats for many years. In 1998, John attained his pilot's license. John's business sponsored the Holt's Steamers softball team for over 20 years, and he coached 4-H softball for many years. His time spent with family was the most important.

On November 18, 2024, John lost a courageous battle with cancer at Windom Area Health in Windom.

John is survived by his wife, Judy Holt of Windom; three children, Travis (Tonya) Holt of Hastings, Troy (Sara) Holt of Sioux Falls, SD, and Zach (Kelcey) Holt of Bingham Lake; five grandchildren, Courtney, Carson, Connor, Tanner and Georgia; two brothers from Windom, Roger (Tammy Jo) Holt and Rodney (Carol) Holt; sister-in-law, Marie Holt of Keystone, SD; mother-in-law, Lorraine Jacobson of Windom; brother-in-law, Richard Jacobson of Jordan, MN; sister-in-law, Carol Vought of Windom; as well as many relatives and friends.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Milford and Leona Holt; brother, James Holt; sister, Lisa Holt; father-in-law, Truman Jacobson; brother-in-law, Ronald Vought; and sister-in-law, Annette Jacobson.

Blessed be the memory of John Holt.