William Holleman Biography

	This biography appears on pages 1021-1022 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	WILLIAM HOLLEMAN, one of the enterprising citizens of Bon Homme 
county, was born in Holland on May 12, 1832, being the son of Peter and 
Gertrude (Donkersloot) Holleman, both parents natives of the 
Netherlands. Peter Holleman and family came to America in 1855 and 
settled in Ottawa county, Michigan, where he purchased land and cleared 
a farm, upon which he and his good wife spent the remainder of their 
lives. Mr. Holleman was twice married, the subject of this review being 
the only child of the first union. His second wife, whose maiden name 
was Mary Pruisen, bore him four children, namely: Johanna, Leentje, Anna 
and Arie, all of whom live in Ottawa county, Michigan, where the family 
originally settled. 

	William Holleman was reared and educated in the land of his birth 
and at the age of twenty-three accompanied his parents to America, 
locating with them in the state of Michigan. He began farming for 
himself in Ottawa county and in due time became the possessor of one 
hundred and ninety acres of land, which he improved and on which he 
lived and prospered until the year 1885, when he sold out and moved to 
Bon Homme county, South Dakota. On coming west, Mr. Holleman purchased 
three hundred and twenty acres of land, which he has since converted 
into one of the finest finest in that part of the county, and he has 
also added to his realty from time to time until he now owns, with his 
sons, one thousand four hundred acres five hundred and seventy of which 
are under cultivation and otherwise well improved. 

	As a farmer Mr. Holleman stands in the front rank, as prosperity 
has continuously attended him, and he is today one of the leading 
agriculturists in his part of the state. In addition to the large crops 
of corn wheat, oats and hay which his place produces. he is quite 
extensively interested in live stock, devoting his attention to fine 
shorthorn and Durham cattle, Poland-China hogs and several breeds of 
horses, in the raising of which he has achieved a reputation much more 
than local. He is a great admirer of his adopted country and its free 
institutions, manifests a lively interest in national and state 
questions as well as local affairs and in politics votes the Republican 
ticket. In matters religious he has strong faith and well-defined 
opinions, being a worthy and consistent member of the Dutch Reformed 
church, in the faith of which he was born and reared and with which the 
majority of his family are also identified. 

	Mr. Holleman was married November 22, 1859, to Miss Clara Ulburg, 
a native of Holland, who bore him thirteen children and departed this 
life on April 21, 1902. Mrs. Holleman was a zealous member of the church 
to which her husband belongs, and a lady of beautiful Christian 
character and of many excellent qualities. She reared her children to 
industrious habits, early instilled into their minds and hearts a love 
of truth and right and by example as well as precept, taught them to 
live lives of usefulness and honor. The following are the names of the 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Holleman: Peter, a graduate of a literary 
institution in Holland and of the University of Michigan, now a 
physician, practicing his profession at Roseland, Iowa; John, a 
prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Bon Homme county; Garrett, who is 
engaged in agricultural pursuits near Jamestown, Michigan; Edward, of 
Bon Homme county and a farmer by occupation, as is also Leonard, the 
fifth in order of birth; James, Timothy, Henry, David, William, 
Clarence, Ida and Gertrude are still with their father on the homestead.