 On The Line -- Issue 602 -- September 29, 2006  Online News and Views of Life in San Benito County with Herman Wrede Published by HollisterOnline.com -- Copyright 1995-2008 HollisterOnline.com
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On The Line -- Issue 602 -- September 29, 2006 Online News and Views of Life in San Benito County with Herman Wrede Published by HollisterOnline.com -- Copyright 1995-2008 HollisterOnline.com
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Friendship is a valuable asset and can be measured by many standards. Some are friends one inherits by living in the same neighborhood or attending the same schools. Other friends are acquired in the workplace, in organizations and through military service.
Some friendships begin over common interests and many seem to grow from qualities perceived in the other that are solidified by further acquaintance. There is no single standard, and perhaps a good friendship is one that just feels right. When Marland Holte died at 80 earlier this month, many county residents realized that they had lost a friend unlike any other. He was eulogized in the local press and Mark Paxton, who had known him since Paxton was a schoolboy, and Nants Foley, who did not meet him until much later, wrote glowing tributes to him. Even people who knew Marley only slightly realized that a valuable member of the community had died. The Presbyterian Church service for his memorial was packed and many people tried to put into words the way they felt about him in their hearts. It was a celebration of joy for the good he had done, something he would have appreciated My own friendship with him was a good one on many levels although there are many people who had known him longer and better, and had a stronger claim to his friendship. Even so, we always enjoyed seeing each other and often were able to help the other out. Since 1968 when I came to Hollister, where he had preceded me by 2 --1/2 years, I learned a few things about him. He never quite got over being unable to serve in the military forces during World War II because of an injury to his leg suffered at birth. That also kept him from actively participating in many sports, and Marley loved sports with a passion. However, the great tragedy of his life was the loss of his and wife Dee's son, Mark, in a motor accident in 1980. Their other son, Dan, became even dearer to them. Marley grew up in Minnesota and had many experiences before he settled on education as his career. He had been a bandleader, a radio announcer and a restaurant owner/manager with his parents before coming to California. He settled upon education as his career and knew from his first day in a classroom that he had made the right choice. Youngsters admired him because although he accepted no excuses for substandard work, he was encouraging and made students want to excel. He was already a teacher when he arrived in Hollister on the last day of 1965, and began his local career on Jan. 2, 1966 at R.O. Hardin School. Through the years he advanced there, becoming counselor, vice principal and principal. In 1973 Marley became principal of Rancho San Justo School and remained there for 10 years before returning to Hardin as principal. He ended his educational career there as the 1986-87 school year closed. But he did not recognize the concept of retirement. He had worked for about eight months as a real estate agent in southern California many years earlier, and went to work for Henry Peterson. After a time, he and David Baumgartner, already a good friend, started Associated Realtors together. Marley operated Crown Realty since then until earlier this year. One would have thought that the business would have been enough to keep him busy after a long career in education unless they knew him. He had so many interests and activities that it was a rare evening when he just sat back and read a book or kept up with one of his favorite teams on television. Marley was so involved in mankind that his many interests often conflicted. He was a big sports fan, and was coach, manager, Little League president and its state representative, in addition to working in Babe Ruth. As an ardent Democrat he became involved in local politics. Ran unsuccessfully for the county Board of Supervisors and became mayor of San Juan Bautista. He struck up a friendship with Leon Panetta that began when the latter was campaigning for a seat in the House of Representatives and grew even stronger by the time Panetta became President Bill Clinton's chief of staff. Marley also campaigned for Sam Farr when he ran the first time for the House of representatives and worked for him in other campaigns as a member of the county Democratic Central Committee. In his eight years on the county Fair Board, Marley served as its president twice. He was also active on the county Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission and won the respect of fellow members and of the youngsters whom he counseled. And all of his involvement was more than attending meetings or making motions. He ardently believed in the good of what the organizations stood for, and his ardor inspired many others. In the last years of his life, Marley was a tireless worker for the Homeless Shelter Program and was overjoyed to see it begin last fall, not the full-blown program he someday hoped to see but a start, when homeless men and women were assured of a decent place to live during the winter months, and have meals they could count on, clothing, and what he saw as vital -- dignity. But without any of the preceding, Marley Holte would have won a place in Heaven for the Community Dinner program that he and his second wife, Linda Ross Holte, and he began at Christmas 1985, the same year they were married. I was among the first to learn of it that fall when he called The Free Lance to announce that rather than giving each other presets that year they would use the money to prepare a Christmas dinner for anyone who wanted it. When he said that other contributions and volunteers would be needed, I told him that I knew how to wash dishes and peel potatoes "Good," he said, "you're the first volunteer." It was held at the Hollister Community center and about 40 to 50 persons attended, including many who could use the meal and others who did not want to spend the holiday alone. Marley and Linda were overwhelmed by the reaction of the diners and he mused half-aloud, "Maybe we should make it an annual affair." I seized upon that statement and the resulting article said it would be held yearly. "Thanks a lot," Marley said upon reading the story in the next edition, "now I'll have to do it every year." But behind his mock-chiding tone was a resolution he had already reached before he read the article. The Christmas dinner, followed a few years later by an annual Thanksgiving dinner, has continued every year since. It soon grew out of the Community Center to the O'Reilley Gym of Sacred Heart Church, through the aid of Father Gary Byrne. The community has adopted it whole-heartedly and at both those holidays contributions of good and money have poured in. and thousands upon thousands of people have for a few hours twice a year shared the spirit of the holiday with joy and love. Richard Guzman and I have been volunteers since the beginning, and each has missed only one of the dinners since because of family obligations. But many other volunteers have been regulars for years, people like Mandy Rose, John Gregg and Gayle Hendricks who serve on its board and plan the dinners weeks ahead. Others like Larry Brown, Ruben Lopez, Orlando Rostran, Carole Willette, Kirk Tognazzini, Ron Rodrigues and many others staff stations to do the necessary work, except by the joy they demonstrate in performing it one would think they had paid their way in. Jon and Juanita Mansmith, Joe Paul Gonzalez and other business people have been regular contributors over the years in both goods and work. Marley and Linda Holte started something that even they could not foresee. Marley will not be there in November and December for the annual feasts of love but his presence will be felt. To him the dinners were a manifestation of how he considered Mankind: "We're all brothers and sisters." |
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