SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – Harriet and Bill Holtz were sweethearts at age 15 and remained loving partners into their 90s.
When he turned 18, Bill joined the Navy during WW2. He attended radio school, learned Morse code, and was stationed in Greenland as a radio operator, sending and intercepting transmissions during the war. Bill continued the close bond he had with the men he served with for the rest of his life.
When he returned from service, Bill and Harriet were married. They moved to Bennington, Vt. on a whim, opened a tourist home, and started a family. Harriet was a gifted homemaker. She loved to cook, was a talented seamstress, an avid quilter, and you were never at a loss for a hand knit sweater or braided rug. Bill worked as a glazer while attending night school in the evenings for eight years, earning a teaching certificate. He proudly graduated and became a dedicated science teacher for many years. Upon his retirement, he fulfilled his dream of building their own home closer to family and settled in Saxtons River, Vt. They had much love for this new property, creating a beautiful organic vegetable garden, a small one man maple sugar house, a well stocked “hidden pond” and skating rink in winter, and were blessed with wonderful neighbors. With a smile on his face Bill would often say, “I feel like I died and went to heaven, this is all I need.”
Bill reached his 90s and passed away in April 2019. Harriet reached her 90s and passed away in Jan. 2022. They are sorely missed by their family.