Dennis A. Holmen

Published February 10, 2020 at 3:14 PM

Dennis Arnold Holmen (Denny), 79, long-time resident of Nisswa, MN, joined his heavenly home on Friday, February 7, 2020. A memorial and celebration will be held at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa on Saturday, February 15, with visitation at 11:00 a.m., service at 12:00 p.m., and luncheon to follow.

Denny was born on March 25, 1940 in Storm Lake, Iowa, the second-born of three sons to David and Martha Holmen. He grew up on a farm in Comfrey, Minnesota, where he attended high school before the family moved to a new farm in Alexandria, Minnesota, in 1958. Denny attended Mankato State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and minors in Business Administration, Chemistry, and Geology. MSU is also where he met the love of his life, Karen, through the Christian-based Gamma Delta community.

Following college, Denny served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves for six years before starting his career in the early era of IT, working at Archer Daniels Midland, UNIVAC, and Control Data. Denny and Karen married on March 26, 1966, in Osseo, MN, and spent many wonderful years skiing, traveling with friends, and building and visiting their cabin on West Twin Lake near Nisswa, an area they had truly grown to love. Denny always wanted two girls, and welcomed first daughter Jodi into the world in 1974. In 1976, Jill joined the family, and together they moved into a home on Round Lake in Nisswa, where the couple has lived happily since. In Brainerd, Denny served as a computer programmer, programmer analyst — and finally — Director of Information Systems for Crow Wing County, a tenure that spanned 27 years, and one in which he made many wonderful and lasting friendships. Denny retired in 2003.

Denny was an active and dedicated member of Lutheran Church of the Cross and loved spending time with family and friends, whether downhill skiing, pontooning, fishing, traveling, working in the yard, or firing up his trusty John Deere B tractor. Denny will be remembered for his kind and gentle demeanor, selfless generosity, dedication to those he loved, and a dry and often groan-worthy sense of humor.

Last Wednesday, Denny experienced an unexpected heart attack and died two days later in CentraCare Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. Denny is survived by his wife, Karen, of Nisswa, MN; daughter Jodi (Nathan, son Riley) Lewis of Chaska, MN; daughter Jill (Joe Taatjes) Holmen of Duluth, MN; brother Don (Susanne) Holmen of Park Rapids, MN; Barb Holmen of East Bethel, MN; a large extended family, and many loving nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by parents David and Martha Holmen of Alexandria, MN; brother Arlen Holmen and sister-in-law Myrne Holmen of Crosslake, MN.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

Arrangements have been completed by Nelson-Doran Funeral Home, Brainerd.