James Edmund Holden, son of Thomas and Mary Stuttard. Holden, was born October 22, 1861 at "Fullege " Burnley, Lancashire, England and passed away a t his home at 802 Lake Ave., Storm Lake, September 6, 1927 a t the age of 65 years, 10 month s and 15 days. He was married to Elizabeth Metcalf in Burnley, England, October 15, 1887 an d to this union two daughters were born, the youngest child dying in infancy. The other daughter is Mrs. E. R. Norton of Newell. Mr. Holden came to America with his wife and family the summer of 1893, locating in Wisconsin. Always a great student, this move to America was made to further aid him toward university work. He entered as a student at Madison in the University of Wisconsin. During student days he held various pastorates in Congregational and Methodist churchs in and about Madison. He was ordained as a minister by the M. E. church of Wisconsin in September, 1894, and for a number of years was a member of the West Wisconsin Conference. He came to Iowa in the fall of 1909 and helped found and organized the Federated Church of Castana, Iowa. From there he went to Stillwater, Minnesota, where he was pastor of the Congregational church for two years and in the spring of 1911 he moved to Newell where he was called as pastor of the First Congregational church. This church he served for seven years, going from Newell to Sioux Rapids where he was pastor of the Congregational church for three years. At the time of his death he was Pastor Emeritus of the Sioux Rapids church. During his work in Sioux Rapids Mr. Holden suffered a nervous breakdown resulting in the loss of his voice. This necessitated his giving up public speaking. During the spring of 1920 he campaigned for the office of County Clerk an d after his election moved to Storm Lak e and took up his duties as the Clerk of Courts of Buena Vista county on January 1st, 1921 which same office he retained until the time of his death, having been elected for four consecutive terms. Mr. Holden was known by all throughout the county. He was a friend to everyone and gave his help to anyone who called upon him. He was intensely interested in the work of naturalization for the county and has compiled many charts and outlines to help in this work. For years he had journalistic ambitions and has done much writing, both of prose and poetry, much of which work has been published by t h e best magazines. His activities were many and varied, in church, political, civic and fraternal life and his loss will be keenly felt by many. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Newell of which he was a Past Master, a member of the Royal Arch Masons, of the Eastern Star and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Muscovites, a member of the library board of Storm Lake , a director of the Congregational Churches of Iowa and one of t h e board of directors at large of Grinnell College. He leaves to mourn his passing besides his wife and daughter, Mrs. Norton, four grandchildren, Betty, James, Reynolds and John Norton, one brother, Sam Holden of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and one sister, Mrs.Jesse Barnes of Varina , Iowa.

Source: The Newell Mirror, September 18, 1927