On Feb. 22, 2021, angels came to Room 6 at North-Care Hospice House in North Kansas City and carried Carol Dean “C.D.” Holtzen, 79, of Richmond to heaven. He had won his battle against cancer. C.D. was born on Nov. 1, 1941, in the Lake Creek

C.D. was born on Nov. 1, 1941, in the Lake Creek Community in Cole Camp, the son of Paul and Vera (Ehlers) Holtzen. He was united in marriage to Shirley Ann Reinert of Cole Camp on Sept. 14, 1963. She survives of the home.

Additional survivors include: his daughter, Becky (Curtis) Long of Paola, Kansas; son, Craig (Michelle) Holtzen of Louisburg, Kansas; five grandchildren; two sisters, Sandra (Rich) Saeger of Prairie Village, Kansas, and Vickey (Mark) Rath of Shreveport, Louisiana; and brother-in-law, Wayne (Mary) Reinert of Nevada.

He was preceded in death by his parents and in-laws, William and Lorena Reinert.

Faith, family and friends were the solid foundation upon which C.D. built his life. He was confirmed on April 3, 1955, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cole Camp.

He made his mark on the basketball court as a Cole Camp Bluebird, earning the nickname “Tiger.” He and his 1958 teammates were recently recognized for still holding the record for most wins after 50 years.

It was during high school that he also met the love of his life, Shirley. After graduating from high school in 1959, C.D. attended college in Warrensburg to pursue his degree in accounting. He would ask for Shirley’s hand in marriage on Christmas Eve in 1962.

The 1960s continued to bring many blessings to the young couple. Those blessings included a move to Richmond in 1964, when C.D. went to work for William C. Gronniger, a local certified public accountant.

Later that year, C.D. become a daddy with the arrival of a baby girl named Becky. In 1965, C.D. Holtzen’s Bookkeeping and Tax Service became a fixture in downtown Richmond. The decade wrapped with the birth of a son named Craig in 1969.

The years were filled with many milestones and memories. One of C.D.’s most meaningful accomplishments was being a charter member, along with his wife, of Faith Lutheran Church in Richmond.

In addition, C.D. was instrumental in starting both Ideal Industries and the Consolidated Public Water District No. 2. Through the years, C.D. held many offices and was involved with Kiwanis.

C.D. was an enthusiastic sports fan. He enjoyed being a Royals season ticket holder for many years and attending both the 1985 and 2015 World Series with his family. He was always in the stands to watch his daughter Becky cheer and was likely thankful that came with the dual benefit of getting to watch a little basketball and football, too. Some of his most cherished moments were created on little league ballfields, coaching his son Craig’s teams. The memories were many and included winning numerous season and tournament championships.

Most recently, C.D. found much joy in watching his grandkids excel in a myriad of sports. He was their biggest fan.

By God’s grace, C.D. added cancer survivor to his accomplishments in 2013, and he and his family continued to focus on living. With that came a 50th wedding anniversary celebration with his high school sweetheart and seven more to follow.

In December 2019, C.D. celebrated his retirement from the tax business after 55 years. With his special type of dedication, C.D. had the rare opportunity to serve four generations of clients and liked to share that he had one of the first computers in Richmond. He was recognized for his many years of service to the community with a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives.

C.D. loved Jesus, his family and friends; and in no particular order after that, he loved the Royals, the Chiefs, Mizzou basketball, ice cream, milkshakes, potato chips, hamburgers and more ice cream. He loved to catch people by surprise with his dry sense of humor. He was a man of few words, which is why his words mattered. He loved paper maps and stood firm that those were the best way to figure out where you were going. He used the Bible as his map on Earth and is finally home.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Faith Lutheran Church in Richmond. They can be left at or mailed to Thurman Funeral Home; 507 E. Main St.-P.O. Box 190; Richmond, MO 64085.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 8, at Faith Lutheran Church in Richmond, with Rev. Troy Slater to officiate. Services will be live streamed on Faith Lutheran Richmond’s Facebook page.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, at Thurman Funeral Home in Richmond. Masks are requested for all services. Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery, Richmond.

Please share your memories of C.D. with the family by visiting www.thurmanfuneralhome.com.