Hennie Amelia Buchholz

Hennie Amelia Kuntson Buchholz was born in Skien, Norway on March 5, 1928 to Halvor and Anna Knutson. She crossed the ocean with her parents at 5 months and the family settled on a farm near Meckling, South Dakota. Tragically, her mother died when she was only 4 years old, leaving Hennie and her two younger sisters, Esther and Violet. Responsibility came early as Hennie began running the household at just 11 years of age.

Hennie graduated from University High School in Vermillion, SD in 1946 and continued her edu-cation at the University of South Dakota. She earned her teaching certificate and worked as a teacher for one year. During her year at USD, Hennie caught the eye of a boy named Jim in her college English class and on July 25, 1948 she and Jim Buchholz were married. After Jim graduated from the School of Mines in South Dakota, he took an electrical engineering job at CF&I Steel, which brought Jim and Hennie to Pueblo in 1952.

Jim and his assistant builder, Hennie, built their house with their own two hands. Hennie was a devoted wife and loving mother to two daughters, Tanya and Renee. She spent countless hours teaching Sunday School, VBS, and leading ladies Bible studies and she was involved with her local TOPS club. She loved painting beautiful landscapes, sewing cute outfits for her daughters, baking and craft-ing. Jim and Hennie enjoyed camping trips in their RV with the Good Sam Camping Club and went for getaways to their cabin in San Isabel. After Jim’s retirement from CF&I Steel, Jim and Hennie traveled to far away lands including Norway, Mexico and every corner of the United States. After 60 years in their home in Pueblo, Jim and Hennie relocated to the peaceful community of Rye, CO with their daughter, Renee and her husband Fred. Hennie moved to the Veterans Home in Walsenburg in 2016.