Jack L. Holt

Jack Larimore Holt, 97, of Lindale, Texas passed away peacefully in his sleep Sunday, October 23, 2022, in Tyler, Texas. He was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas (Jefferson County) the son of Charles Arthur Holt and Laura Gladys Faucett. Mr. Holt was a dedicated preacher of the gospel for Churches of Christ for 70 years. He was the minister of the Forest Lane Church of Christ in Dallas, TX, the 6th Street Church of Christ in Port Arthur, TX, the Judson Road Church of Christ in Longview, TX, the 4th Street Church of Christ in Cullman, Alabama, the Belmont Avenue Church of Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Bellaire Church of Christ in Bellaire, Texas, the Sinton Church of Christ in Sinton, Texas and his last church work was at the South Main Church of Christ in Lindale, Texas. He held many gospel meetings throughout the country from Tampa, Florida to Seattle, Washington. He was a prolific writer and debater and wrote many articles on religious issues, particularly pertaining to the Restoration Movement in the United States. Throughout his career he was lovingly and ably supported by his wife, Kathleen Beatrice Werst, who predeceased him. He was an alumnus of the University of Washington and Abilene Christian University. When he graduated from Watson Chapel High School in Pine Bluff in 1943, he and all ten of his classmates immediately went to the nearest recruiting office to sign up to serve their country in WWII. He joined the Navy and was quickly sent to San Diego and then San Francisco for training. After training he was assigned to a troop transport ship, the Klip Fontaine, which was a converted Dutch ocean liner designed to hold fewer than 500 passengers but when retrofitted held 3,800 service men. He was a gunner on the Klip Fontaine which sailed throughout the Pacific Ocean from Sydney, Australia to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. After running into the Great Barrier Reef while leaving Sydney Harbor, the ship headed to the Port of Seattle for repairs which lasted three months. There he met his wife of 65 years, Kathleen, a native of Seattle (King County), Washington. He was fond of saying that on their first date he told her, “Kathleen, your ship has come in!” Mr. Holt was a direct descendant of Lieutenant John Tarrant of Virginia, who gave active service to the cause of Independence in the Revolutionary War. He was also a direct descendant of Mathias Holt who immigrated from Germany in 1717 with the Second Germanna Colony to found, with others, Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Virginia, the oldest Lutheran Church in continuous use in the United States. Mr. Holt was a devoted and loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Mr. Holt will be remembered for his quick smile, clear blue eyes, kindness to his fellow man and ability to recite any biblical passage on demand by his grandchildren. They could read any verse in the Bible and he could name the chapter and verse. He is survived by his son, Stephen (Sharon), sister, Laura Frances Holt Farmin, his grandson, Matthew W. Holt, Esq., his wife, the Honorable Lauren N. Holt, Judge and great grandsons Truman and Quincy, his daughter-in-law, Dianne, and granddaughter Alicia Mills (Dave), great granddaughter Reagan and great grandson Grayson. He was preceded in death by his son, Mark Larimore in 2017. Family will receive friends from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at Caudle-Rutledge-Daugherty Funeral Home in Lindale, Texas. A private interment will be held at the DFW National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

Jack L. Holt

March 10, 1925 - October 23, 2022