Spencer L. Holland – April 7, 2021

Spencer L. Holland, a current and 57 year resident of Colorado Springs, passed away on 7 April 2021.  A depression kid born on 6 December 1929 in a farmhouse near Anita, Iowa, to Danish immigrants, Jens and Anna Holland, he was the 4^th of five children.  Spencer was raised on a farm, attended a one-room country school, graduated from Anita, Iowa High School in 1947.  In 1952, Spencer graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa, with an ROTC commission in the U.S. Army.  A short work period with Black and Veatch Engineering in Kansas City and then reported for Army active duty on 3 August 1952 at the Engineering School, Ft. Belvoir, VA.  In December 1952 embarked for Japan with three-month duty at the Army Amphibian Unit at Camp McGill, Japan.  Then in early April 1953 embarked to Korea, serving in the Korean War from 4 April 1953 returning to the U.S. April 1954 and discharged at Ft. Carson, CO 3 May 1954.  While in Korea, Spencer served as a Commander in the 44^th Engineering Construction Battalion.  This unit constructed a replacement depot, motor pool and signal corps compounds and performed road maintenance using POWs for labor. 

Initial employment in 1954 was with an engineering firm in Omaha, Nebraska, where he met and married Patricia Turner of Hastings, Nebraska.  They had three children.  In 1957 he took Federal Service employment in Colorado Springs as a civil engineer.  He worked at the U.S Air Force, Air Defense Command HQ in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  This work involved building air bases throughout North America.  In 1966 he took a two-year tour with family in Germany to build up air bases there.  This time permitted visits to numerous relatives in Denmark.  On returning to Colorado Springs in 1968, he worked as chief design engineer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Peterson Field and in 1980 at the Air Force Academy, retiring in December 1985.

Spencer enjoyed outdoor activities in Colorado, particularly big game hunting, fishing, and camping and visited places such as Alaska and Northern Manitoba Canada plus pleasure travels with his family in the Americas, Panama Canal, Northern tip of Norway, Denmark, St. Petersburg, Russia, Asia and numerous trips to Hawaii.

He was a long-time member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and a member of the Iowa State University Alumni Association, Korean War Veterans Association, VFW, Retired ADCOM Engineers, V.Z. Reed Fireman Group, Danish American Club of Aalborg, Denmark, 44^th Engineer Bn Retirees, Sons of Norway, and the NRA.

Separated from his wife (Patricia, now deceased) in 1978, and married Betty W. Timmons in August 1985 in Colorado Springs.

Survivors include his wife, Betty; daughters, Cherisse Croll (Jeffrey), Therese Masters (Tom); son, James Holland (Karol); seven wonderful grandchildren, Michael, Thomas, Alex., Amy (Brandon) Taryn, Alycia (Jim), and Chelsea (Paul), and 4 great grandchildren.  Also, stepchildren, Tom Timmons, Susan Blessman, Tina Ruben, and their ten children and nine great grandchildren.

Also surviving, one brother, Chet Holland, of Atlantic, Iowa, numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews, and a host of relatives in Denmark that were visited several times.

A celebration of life will be held for Spencer on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 2PM at Shrine of Remembrance Funeral Home located at 1730 E. Fountain Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80910 with a private inurnment to follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be to St. Paul’s UMC, Colorado Springs, CO or Danish Immigrant Museum, 2212 Washington Street, Elk Horn, Iowa 51531.