Billy Holder

     In 1958, Billy Holder built his earthly rock home with his wife, Nina in Stecoah, NC. After a tornado destroyed it in 1974, he rebuilt it on the same firm foundation, and he left it for the final time on Monday, April 10, 2023, to be reunited with loved ones in his forever home. He was 89 years old.

     Billy was a native of Graham County and the son of the late Carl and Winnie Aldridge Holder. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Nina Jenkins Holder; daughter, Donna Holder and Infant daughter, Neena Marie Holder.

     Work was Billy’s passion – from the cradle to the grave. He hunted and trapped as a kid to help his parents, and never missed a day of school in twelve years. After marrying Nina, he worked road construction for multiple companies including Asheville Contracting, Baxter Taylor, Phillips & Jordan, and Weiss Brothers, before becoming self-employed in 1985. Just days before he died, he was plowing and preparing gardens for family and neighbors and already had his “taters” in the ground.

     This page will never describe his life fully, nor convey the love the community felt for him. He was a skilled builder of highways and homesites, a reluctant but vocal Graham County Commissioner (and could really throw a mean gavel). He was a cattle farmer, slayer of trees, a sawmill man, a Mason, a craftsman, a rescuer – of grandkids stuck in the mud or motorcycles in ditches, and a master with earth moving equipment. He was always willing to help, and we especially remember his community service during the blizzard of ‘93’ as he used a D8 bulldozer to clear Highway 28 from Stecoah to Fontana, helping the National Guard along the way. His life was one of service to others and is his living testimony as a Christian.

     He is survived by his sons, Michael Holder (Delores), and David Holder both of Stecoah, NC; daughters, Jeannie Stewart (Mike) of Whittier, NC, Anita Holder (Danny) of Greensboro, NC, and his “baby girl” Hannah Anderson (Cameron) and Bristol Rae who is on the way, of Stecoah, NC; brother, Tony Holder; sisters, Christine Holder and Jerri Zimmer. He was blessed with 11 grandchildren, and a boat load of great grandchildren thus far, and countless friends. His legacy lives on through others.

     Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 pm Friday, April 14, 2023, at Stecoah Baptist Church. Family and friends will officiate. Burial will follow the services at the Holder Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:00 till 2:00 pm Friday at the church prior to the service.

     The family is grateful to Townson-Smith Funeral Home for serving the Holder family faithfully for generations, and especially grateful to Calvin Shuler for his friendship and guidance with the cattle.

     In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a tribute in Billy’s memory, please consider a gift to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital at LoveShriners.org or https://donate.lovetotherescue.org. Or he would really like it if you would just get to work, with no excuses, not even rain or snow. In his words, “Boys, you’ll miss a lot of work studying about that weather.”