Harold Holty

Funeral services for Harold E. Holty will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Salem Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. Pastor Mark Boorsma will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service on Saturday. A Private interment will take place at Hillcrest Cemetery. Bayview-Freeborn Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. 

Harold passed away at the age of 85 on Friday, February 21, 2025, at Good Samaritan Center/St. Croix Hospice. 

Harold E Holty was born on August 13, 1939, to Howard and Rose (Opskar) Holty in Cummins, North Dakota. The family moved to Albert Lea in 1950. He was confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, MN. In 1958, Harold joined the United States Airforce and was stationed in French Morocco, Africa. He was discharged in 1960 and went to work on the Rock Island Railroad and later made his career in masonry and as a brick layer. 

December of 1972 in Sioux Falls, SD, Harold and Rosanne (Baas) were united in marriage. To this union, the couple had one daughter: Michelle. They would later divorce. Harold would recall when he was in high school gym class, boys on one side and girls on the other side of the room and the teacher would teach dancing, this class he excelled in, he would go on to win local dance contests with Rosanne in his later years. In September of 2005, Harold married his wife Eileen on their small acreage outside Albert Lea. Harold was a member of Salem Lutheran Church as well as the Albert Lea American Legion Post 56. 

As a young man you would find him Bronc Riding at Rodeos and going on trail rides with the local saddle club. Harold moved out west for several years before returning to Albert Lea. He enjoyed raising and training horses and was always there if anyone needed help. Harold was a hard worker and a perfectionist in his own way. He was a “give you the shirt off his back” kind of man. You could always catch him watching old westerns, rodeo finals and spoiling his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Harold is survived by his wife Eileen; daughter, Michelle (Tim) Stollard; grandchildren, Derek (Emma Sullivan) Rothmeier, Alexis Rothmeier, Trevin Stollard; Great-grandchildren Milena, Maci, Millie, Maddox, Baby Emma and a baby girl coming in May; brothers, Roger (Sue) Holty, Jerry (Linda) Holty, Richard (Maxine) Holty, Glen Holty; in-Laws, Kathleen Sherlock, Mona Springborg, Donna (Harry) Anderson, Dale (Gloria)Schroeder, DeAnne (Larry) Vogt; step-daughters, Mary (Kris) Zetterlund, Ann Thompson, Jeanne (Mike) Strange, Nichole (Tim) Weems; step-grandchildren, Erik Zetterlund, Kyle Zetterlund, Callie Keeney, Zoey Keeney, Cody Strange, Austin Baker, Kaleb Weems, Samantha Weems; 

He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Rose Holty; stepson Jason Baas; nephews, Josh Wagner, Randy Holty; niece Holly Carron and brother-in-law Robert Springborg. 

 Harold was known as a “Levi” man. Please feel free to dress casually when attending the service.

Memorials are preferred to Wounded Warriors, Paralyzed Veterans or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.