Everett L. Hollis - GRANDPA'S FARM

Today we look back from the harvest, at the growing season that was the life of Everett Lloyd Hollis of Meta, Missouri. Over his lifetime, Grandpa was a hardworking farmer, and tended to his many crops of which we now reap the bounty of his labor. The farm in which Grandpa planted, tended, and harvested so many crops both tangible and intangible was extensive, spread over the lives of all of us gathered today.

The first crop was planted on August 26, 1917, when Everett was born to William and Matilda Hollis in Maries County. He was the eighth seedling of the ten in the Hollis clan which included: Benjamin Hollis, Martha Gray, Gertrude Jones, Leslie Hollis, Ray Hollis, Margaret Brumble, Clyde Hollis, Eugene Hollis and Willard Hollis.

On September 2, 1939, Everett established his homestead tract when he married Inez Blankenship in Vienna. They first met when Inez was staying with Margaret Brumble (Everett's sister) and Everett stopped to visit Marge. On this homestead they built their home of over 60 years near Vienna. This homestead was the ground he most faithfully cultivated, spending years demonstrating the best that marriage can be. He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Inez Hollis on June 25th, 2011; also preceding him in death were his parents, and all six of his brothers and all three sisters.

The homestead began as a log home and then grew to the house they lived in for the rest of their lives. With the expansion of the house, was the expansion of the family with the births of their three children, and their spouses, Katherine and Harold Patterson, Vienna; Kenneth and Sandra Hollis, Meta; and Donna and Ronnie Thompson, Vienna.

After some time the size of the farm grew again, adding a variety of colorful fields and crops which were his grandchildren: Lindell and Lori Patterson, Vienna; Beverly and Paul Honse, Vienna; Cindy and Randy Wansing, Dixon; Kevin and Lisa Patterson, Ankeny, Iowa; Andrea Sharp, Meta; Becky and Tom Kleffner, Vienna; and Keith and Angie Thompson, Argyle; filling in around these significant fields were the babbling brooks of his fourteen great-grandchildren: Cody, Justin, Jessica, Katie, William, Joshua, Cailey, Taylor, Tanner, Haley, Madison, Megan, Emily and Brooke.

For approximately 40 years, Grandpa served as the Sunday School Superintendent and song leader at Lambeth Church. He had many years when he never missed a Sunday other than possibly being sick. He and Grandma attended Mason Ridge Community Church for the past few years. Everett was a hard worker who many years ago began working first at a dairy farm milking cows and at a government TNT plant near St. Louis during World War II. He and Grandma moved back to Maries County around 1942. In Maries County, he also drove a milk truck which he used to haul milk cans from local farmers to Lebanon each day. Grandpa also worked for the Maries County ASCS office checking farms.

Grandpa was also the most loving person around… He loved those around him and wanted to take care of them. What he loved most was Grandma. The most notable example of Grandpa's love for Grandma was over the last several years of his life. During that time, the farmer returned to the homestead, which was his marriage to Inez, where he faithfully tended to her as she battled Alzheimer's disease. On November 28, 2011, Everett worked for his final time on this earth. He didn't tire of his labors, or succumb to the weight of years of toil. With Grandma safely home in Heaven, Everett simply knew that the harvest was complete. Now he and Grandma are resting in Heaven, reaping the joys that come from knowing they were faithful workers in the harvest.
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