Lee Joseph Holden, 79, of Estelline, died Friday, June 23, 2017, at his son’s home under hospice care.  
Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m., Thursday at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, in Estelline.  Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Geise Funeral Chapel in Estelline.
Lee was born on Nov. 11, 1937, in Colome, the youngest son of Joseph and Margaret (Pettit) Holden.
 Lee graduated from Winner High School in 1956.  Lee was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1962 as a corpsman (medic) stationed in North Africa, Europe and Korea.  He primarily drove ambulances and enjoyed playing football (middle linebacker) for the Air Force. Through the GI Bill, Lee continued his education at South Dakota State University in Brookings, where he graduated with dual bachelor of science degrees in range management and in agronomy (focused in soil Sciences).  He was the first in his family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.  All four of Lee’s children also graduated from SDSU with bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
 He married Arla Carol Brown (of Estelline) on Jan. 29, 1966, in Brookings.  
 From 1966 through 1980 he was employed by the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM), living in Malta, Mont., and Elko, Nev.  Towards the end of his BLM career, during the summer, Lee would fight forest fires all over the West.  Lee moved his young family to Estelline in 1980 to raise his children on the family farm. At that time, his father-in-law (Clarence Brown) elected to semi-retire from farming allowing Lee the opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream of raising cattle.  Lee continued to farm and run cattle until his death. His youngest son, Grant, shares Lee’s dream of farming and will continue working the family farm.
 Lee was a devout Catholic, father, and husband.
 Lee is survived by his wife Arla of Brookings; two daughters, Carrie Holden of Watertown and Beth Lanier of Las Vegas, Nev.; two sons, Nathan (Heidi) Holden of Webberville, Mich., and Grant (Bethany) Holden of Estelline; six grandchildren; a sister Rita; and several nieces and nephews.
 He was preceded in death by both brothers, Allan Holden and Earl Holden.
  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org, 410 3rd Ave South, Clear Lake,  57226) in Lee’s name.
 Condolences may be sent to the family through www.geisefuneralhome.com.