Bill Holm, a 1965 alumnus of Gustavus Adolphus College and the author of nine books of both poems and essays, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 25 at a hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Holm, 65, was a longtime English professor at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. His works include “Windows of Brimnes — An American in Iceland,” “Playing the Black Piano,” “The Heart Can Be Filled Anywhere on Earth,” “The Dead Get By with Anything,” “Coming Home Crazy: An Alphabet of China Essays,” and “Boxelder Bug Variations: A Meditation on an Idea in Language and Music.” Last May, Holm was named the 2008 McKnight Distinguished Artist of the Year, an honor that carried a $50,000 stipend.
In 1991, Gustavus awarded Holm a Distinguished Alumni Citation, which recognizes outstanding and exceptional professional achievement, such as to bring unusual honor to the individual in his or her field of endeavor. Holm had also served the College as an author for its annual Author Day events organized by the Gustavus Library Associates. While a student at Gustavus, Holm was active in choir and theater and also wrote for the student newspaper, The Gustavian Weekly.
Visitation is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at the Horvath Funeral Home in Minneota, Minn. Holm’s funeral will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Minneota.
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