Michael Holm in his upstairs room over the garage at work on his printing press in 1954..I was twelve years old in 1954 and I used to go over next door on Alvarado Street in Pomona, Calif. and help Mike with his printing business..The Holms were once our next door neighbors from 1954 to 1957, and then our family decided to move into a much worse neighborhood right next to the San Bernardino Freeway on the other side of town in April of 1957...From around 1970 I used to see Michael Holm around town at different restaurants and he just didn`t seem to be the same ole Mike..Not even friendly-like anymore..And as time went on and I still would see Mike around town in Pomona and he grew worse and worse like he was having serious mental problems..His appearance grew worse and worse and he became heavier and heavier..I even saw him on Hollywood Boulevard in 1974, just standing on the sidewalk like he didn`t have a purpose for even being there and didn`t even know why he was there...You couldn`t even carry on a conversation with him anymore because he was no longer rational...All this time until his death in 2005 he was living in the same house that used to be next door to our family on Alvarado in Pomona and living with his mom who was probably taking care of him for the last 35 years of his life...His two younger brothers and his younger sister had moved out and were living on their own all that time..Erik Holm, who I really liked and got along well with, was the second youngest and Michael was the oldest of the brothers...Erik has also passed on only just two months ago with lung cancer..I haven`t been in contact with the Holm Family since we moved from the area in 1957...
I found the following forum on the internet by Karla Holm, Mike Holm`s younger sister who would be in her early 50s now and graduated from Ganesha High School in 1973, as follows:
As for the 2 Michaels...my brother was Mike L. Holm (unless the other one's middle name starts with an L also.) He wouldn't have made it to any of the reunions but thanks for checking. So...he was in the Latin Club and Key Club. That is good to know. He had his own printing business when he was still in school. Gave the other printers around town a run for their money :) That even made the newspaper, with a photo of him by his printing press. I think I have the article and one of his old business cards in with my "Michael" stuff. He was very good at math too. He is responsible for making me understand and enjoy numbers at an early age.
Mike had his own printing business which he ran out of our garage when he was 16 years old. This is the photo that appeared in the Progress Bulletin when they ran an article entitled something like, 'Michael Holm doesn't need allowance'.
In Memory of my Brother, Michael Holm, GHS Class of '59
Today (12/6/05) I received a call letting me know that my oldest brother Mike had passed away during the night. Mike had a very kind & gentle spirit which took a lot of abuse. I am glad he isn't suffering any more, but I miss him terribly.
Karla Holm
Michael L. Holm, Class of '59, 1940-2005
If you can believe this, I am actually going to be brief(er). I wanted to let anyone that may be interested know that my brother Mike died yesterday. He had been hospitalized since late last week in Pasadena. He had emphysema. He could breathe in but was having trouble breathing out. He had been hospitalized with lung problems a few times over the last few years and always got better so I think we all didn't take it as seriously.
My middle brother Erik just had the lower lobe of one of his lungs removed due to cancer on Monday (12/5/05) so when my mom called me, I thought the news was regarding him. I never thought it could be about Michael. I am not sure what he died of as of yet (heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure), but I will post it when I find out.
Michael's last 35 years were very lonely ones. I think he was ready to pass on and had come to terms with it quite a few years ago. So those of us that loved him know he is in a better place and that there is now an end to his suffering, but it still is sad for those of us left behind.
The Holm brothers probably around 1951, from left to right: Michael, Chris and Erik
The four Holm kids in the mid-1950`s, from left to right: Erik, Michael, Chris and then Karla on the bottom..
Again, here are some GHS forum messages I found on the internet which were posted by Karla Holm, Michael`s younger sister, following Michael`s death in 2005, as follows:
Re: Michael L. Holm, Class of '59, 1940-2005
It was very moving to see my brother's photo on the front page this morning. And what an honor! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I thought I was doing pretty well today. But when I saw his graduation photo, I just started to bawl. They weren't only tears of sadness though. As I mentioned in my other post, he lead a very isolated and lonely life for the past 30-35 years. The Mike I remember had a gentle kindness about him and he was always considerate of others feelings, putting theirs above his own, even when their actions were less than kind towards him. His illness kind of snuck up on him in his early 30's, but by the time he was 40 he was imprisoned in a body that didn't leave much room for any real quality of life. As sad as it is for those of us that miss him, he is finally free from the ties that bound him for so many years and for that, how can one NOT be happy for him.
Thank you again for honoring my brother Mike. And thank you ALL for your kind words, your prayers and for your friendship. You will never know just how much it all means to me. I will pass them along to the rest of my family as well.
Last edited by Karla Holm : December,7th,2005 at 11:47 AM.
Re: Michael L. Holm, Class of '59, 1940-2005
I talked to my mom tonight. She is really doing pretty well. We had a nice talk. We laughed at some "Mike" stories and got weepy over others. I asked her if she found out what exactly was the cause of Mike's death and she said she wouldn't know till she got the death certificate. I don't understand why the hospital couldn't give her the information, but maybe it is because of it being done over the phone. You know, privacy act and all. That is just a guess. So until the certificate arrives, we just don't know what the cause was.
My other brother seems to be doing OK, other than being in a lot of pain. They are hoping to move him out of ICU tomorrow or the next day and then he will remain there for about 4-5 more days.
I was going to PM you all to thank you personally, but thought I would do it publically instead. John, Jackie, Jen, Sandie, Debbie, Robin and Jan, I would like to thank you all for your kind words of sympathy. It sure is nice to have friends especially at a time like this, and I do consider you all my friends.
Tonight I read your comments to my mom, and let her know about Mike's photo being on the home page. She just kept saying that she couldn't believe how sweet you all were. She asked me to please tell you all thank you. She wondered if she could get copies of what you had said, and I told her I would send them to her for her memory book.
It has been very comforting to me the past few days to see my brother's face staring back each time I visit here, and to read each one of your heartfelt messages. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and for caring. It truly means so much to me.
Thank you John. I don't feel strong though. I put up a good front most of the time until I am alone and have time to reflect, like right now. A wave of sadness has hit me and I am crying. I can't help wishing that someone who loved him had been there by his side, to hold his hand or kiss his forehead and tell him everything would be OK. I feel like he died alone thinking no one cared.
Michael Holm standing next to his date for the Ganesha High School Senior Prom, 1959, in front of the big palm tree in front of our former residence at Wisconsin and Alvarado Streets in Pomona, Calif. two years after we had already moved to another location in Pomona..
Here is what was posted about this photo by Michael`s younger sister, Karla, in the Ganesha High School Forum on the Internet, as follows:
Details on photo of mike holm with date for senior prom, 1959, in front of big palm tree on corner of our former house at wisconsin and alvarado, pomona..
My mom just told me about this photo. I may have it a bit mixed up because my mom is 85 and she kept changing details while telling me. But here goes anyway.
We didn't have much money, but they went down to John P. Evans and bought that suit for Mike. He was so proud to have a fancy outfit for the senior prom. (There is something about his date's presence that says she really didn't want to be there. Mike looks happy though). At the dance, she said she had a splitting headache and wanted to go home. So he drove her home and later he went over to see if she was OK, but she wasn't there cuz she ended up going back to the dance with someone else. His feelings were really hurt. All dressed up and nowhere to go...
Michael Holm in Los Alamitos escorting Miss Norway..Photo was taken at the base in Los Alamitos, Calif...Mike was a fire control tech in the Navy...
