The Holstroms

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This is but one of the many Holstrom families located around the world. This one is located just west of Washington, D.C., on the circa 1700s Franklin Farm in Oak Hill, near Herndon, Virginia. There are four of them: Don, Kathy, Danielle, and Donnie. Actually, there is a fifth member, Sir Geoffrey, the family's chocolate-flavored Labrador Retriever. Oh, and assorted fish...

Click here for a couple of pictures of Danielle's Reston singing debut, as part of a duo with Asli Durak. They knocked the audince dead, and we're not just saying that...

The summer before this one, many of the Holstroms gathered on the deck of Don's house (above) for an extended family picture. Don's parents are kinda in the middle, Jim's hand is on Mary Sue's shoulder. Kathy is at the right, Don is at the back, chins held high; Danielle & Donnie are near left and near right. Also here is brother Steve, far right (his wife, Madonna & daughter Sarah were in San Diego); brother Patrick, specs, toward left, with hand on his girlfriend, Avi; sister Susie, center, with her hubby Dale. Don't know where Sir Geoffrey is, maybe he took the picture...

It is with a great sadness in our hearts that we lost our Mother on Sunday, May 11, 2008. Mary Sue Holstrom passed away on Mother's Day evening. It was unexpected. She did not suffer. She had spent time with each of her four children during the day and had a nice evening out for dinner with her husband, our father, James Russell Holstrom. She was interred at Arlington National Cemetary. She is truly missed. She gave us life and touched countless other lives. We are all having a tough time adapting to our loss...

How this particular Holstrom family began...

33 years ago, Kathy helped organize a reunion of students who attended an Orleans (France) high school. A friend of Don's father, who knew he'd spent a couple of years there, heard about it on the radio, mentioned the event to Don's father. Pop told Don. Don called the radio station for the particulars. Don went. He remembers there being about 15 or 16 emminently available fellows (Don included) and just this one girl who had not come with a date or a husband: Kathy. She couldn't stop grinning. Some of these guys had come from other parts of the world (ineligible), or other parts of the country (ineligible), or married (ineligible), or had a boyfriend (ineligible), or had a girlfriend (somewhat ineligible). It was winnowing down to just a couple of the guys, with Don still in the running. He found out she preferred a certain liquor (white Creme de Menthe) not available at the party. He walked to another hotel and found some. Then they walked together. They talked...

Flash forward over three decades past a couple of failed businesses, many varied careers, two kids, many motorcycles and cars, three dogs, 8,000 record albums (still has them), 600 45's, 300 78's, 1,000 reel-to-reel 7 & 10-inch tapes (still has them), 600 cassettes (want some?), 6,000 CDs (too many), 700,000 MP3s (way too many), a dozen homes, to now: Living in the 'burbs, owning a van & a hybrid & a motorcycle, watching both kids row on the Occoquan and the Potomac.
- crew Mom, crew Dad, crew kids...

Don's Story You could click on his name above, or you could just read the highlights: Born near Chicago, also lived in Japan, Germany, France, California, North Carolina, and Virginia. Played football, basketball, and baseball at three different high schools, read too much, enrolled in and dropped out of five colleges and universities, foolishly joined a fraternity, constantly listened/still listens to all sorts of music, worked at an incredibly wide assortment of jobs, wrote a lot of "stuff," took a lot of pictures, owned two newspapers, and ended up working happily with what was originally his hobby of technology/computers at a museum in D.C. Life is good for Big Baby Boomer.

Kathy's Story You could click on her name above, or you could just read the highlights: Born in Cherbourg, France, also lived in Germany and the Eastern and Midwestern United States, second runner-up to Miss Vienna, attended Marymount College in Arlington, received her degree from the University of Maryland, personal secretary to the president of Amtrak, meeting planner for an oil and gas daily newspaper, owned two newspapers, gave birth to two wonderful children, spawned the business that makes life a lot easier for the entire family - Dani's Duds, takes beautiful care of her husband and children, and also works as a realtor with ERA Teachers in Northern Virginia.

Danielle's Story You could click on her name above, or you could just read the highlights: Born in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.; attended kindergarten through eighth grade at Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon, Virginia; played all star level softball, basketball, soccer, and piano; now a senior at Oakton High School, co-editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, Honor Society member, happily rowing on the crew team.

Donnie's Story You could click on his name above, or you could just read the highlights: Born in Fairfax, Virginia; attended pre-school through the eighth grade at Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon, Virginia; played all star level soccer, baseball, basketball, piano, drums, every computer game he can get his hands on; and is now a sophomore on the crew team at Oakton High School.

Sir Geoffrey's Story You could click on his name above, or you could just read the highlights: Born on a farm in Northern Virginia and attended Dog Obedience School (incredibly rambunctious as a pup - tore up a window sill, messed up a couple of very expensive kitchen cabinets). Now he's a good dog, a welcome member of the family, all is forgiven, and he stays slim with a lot of exercise (unlike his master) and his evening meal of green beans (also unlike his master).

Your Story Are you a Holstrom (or Holmstrom as the name was before coming from Sweden to Illinois)? Or Gregg (Kathy's maiden name, her father is from Pennsylvania)? Maybe a Stack (Don's Mom's maiden name, her grandparents came from Ireland)? Or maybe a Liot (Kathy's Mom's maiden name, from France)? We'll be glad to put you on the Other Holstroms/Greggs/Stacks/Liots page if you are and you'd like to be included. Just send an e-mail to Don@Holstrom.com.

©2007 The Four (Five) Holstroms of Northern Virginia