Lars N. Holm – A Carpenter’s Son

Lars N. Holm was born in Unneland, Norway in 1865. Using his writings about his life, his poems and songs with historical facts of the time, Lars takes you from his childhood in Norway to his life in the United States, eventually settling in South Dakota. You are seeing his world and his life through his eyes. The book also takes you through his wife, Bertha P. Arne's life. She too was born in Norway, taking a bit more circuitous route to get to South Dakota and to meeting Lars. You will read from the time Lars met Bertha the story becomes their love story. The book does not end with their deaths but includes information on their lives of their siblings, and their children. This book includes years of research, travels, photographs, stories, all put together to tell the story in chronological order and with the feeling that Lars and Bertha would want to convey of their lives.

I grew up hearing stories about my grandparents (my mother s parents) from my mother, her siblings, and various relatives. My grandparents passed away many years before I was born so I was only able to experience their legacy (aside from how I was raised) through those stories. Those stories could have been fairytales if it were not for the writings and letters of my great-grandfather, my grandfather, and my grandmother. Based on their words I started asking questions in letters and conversations with relatives and I took notes on what they told me about my grandparents and about their own childhoods and the lives of their parents and families. I currently live in Los Angeles, CA. I have 2 children in their 20's. I am a figure person, a business executive buried in figures yet I have an artistic side too. I have written a photography book with 2 photographer's showing the suns and moons in Santa Barbara and Montecito (under Lori M. Geraghty) and have 3 CD's out under Lori Johnson and Lori M. Johnson. I am currently working on a fictional trilogy that will come out as e-books and I have many more outlines of stories to tell in the future. This book was a labor of love for me as I wanted my family to know about Lars and Bertha Holm as I have come to know them.