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Obituary for Jimmy Holder
Jimmy Nat Holder was born on October, 1 1942 in Sparta, GA to Charlie Patrick Holder and Josephine Royal Holder. He passed away at his residence on October 23, 2012. His family moved to Eatonton in 1945 so that Mrs. Josie could work at the Aluminum Plant. He grew up on the “Aluminum Plant Hill” where he walked to school and worked several part time jobs as a boy. His first job was carrying blocks of ice to the old hotel. As a Putnam County Blue Devil in high school, he played football and basketball. After graduation, he went to work for the Department of Transportation and learned to survey land with Henry Watterson. Jimmy joined the National Guard in 1964 and served for around 12 years. In 1963, as fate would have it, one of his friends, “Little” Carol Gregory, set him up on a blind date with a Counselor at Rock Eagle. She, Caroline Ware, would become his wife of 46 years. Though she was from Cuthbert, way down in gnat country, they made their home in Eatonton. Jimmy worked with the D.O.T. for 34 years, eventually becoming an Assistant Area Engineer in Construction. Together they had one daughter, Dana Leigh and a grandson, Jake (Bean). In 1970, Jimmy and Caroline were among the families who founded and built Gatewood School. He devoted many hours to the school and the kids. He was the Defensive Line coach for the Gators for seven years and helped lead the Gators to a State Championship in 1977. During the 1980’s Jimmy Nat, C.V Alligood, and several of the other basketball Dads were the Lady Gator’s number one fans. Wearing sweat shirts with their daughter’s number on it and toting their “Gator Buckets” full of whatever snack they had decided to eat for the night, they would cheer the team on win or lose. In 1996 Jimmy and Caroline built a house in on Snowbird Creek in Robbinsville, NC. where the Holder family began its roots and Cherokee heritage. Every year, Jimmy and Caroline attended the Denton-Holder reunion in the Snowbird Mountains. His Great, Grandfather Jess, is buried behind the Lone Oak Baptist Church in Robbinsville. Jess Holder and his wife Minerva had seven children, one of which was James Posey (Jim) Holder (Daddy’s name sake). Eventually their grandson, Charlie Patrick moved to Georgia and met Josephine Royal in the 1920’s and they had four children of which Jimmy was the youngest. Jimmy was preceded in death by his sister Faye Bryant (Clinton), his brother Kenneth (Julia Belle), and is survived by his wife Caroline Holder, daughter Dana Holder Holloway, grandson Jake ‘Bean’ Holloway, also a brother Talmadge (Mozelle) and many Nieces and Nephews. Visitation is set for Thursday, October 25, 2012 at Vining Ivy Hill Chapel from 4 to 6 pm; a memorial service will follow at 6 pm, also at Vining Ivy Hill Chapel. Vining Ivy Hill Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
