Harvey Soderholm

A memorial service for Harvey Soderholm will be conducted at the Capitol City Christian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska at 10:00 am on Thursday, June 20, 2019, with the Soderholm family officiating. A private interment will be held in the Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege, Nebraska prior to the memorial service. Military honors will be conducted by the Martin-Horn American Legion Post #66 in conjunction with the United States Navy Funeral Honors Team.

Harvey Soderholm, age 89, of Lincoln (formerly of Holdrege), died on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at the Nebraska Heart Hospital in Lincoln.  He was born on October 29, 1929, the fifth child of Arthur and Minnie (Sauer) Soderholm.  He was born on the Soderholm farm, northwest of Funk, Nebraska and the doctor didn't charge for the delivery since he arrived after Harvey had been delivered by his father.

He attended District #26 County School and once his oldest sister was in high school, the family lived in Holdrege during the school year. His Latin text was inscribed "In Case of Fire, Throw in!" as an expression of how dry he considered that material! Before he could even get a driver's license, he purchased his first vehicle for $14. He drove that 1912 Model T in the pasture until his 16th birthday. To earn money, he served as a bell hop at the Hotel Dale. He graduated from Holdrege High School in 1947.

While attending Kearney State Teacher's College, he ran a roller skating rink in Minden, Nebraska. The case for his roller skates is currently on display at the International Roller Skating Museum in Lincoln. He set pins by hand in a bowling alley where he would set multiple lanes at a time while studying from a book for his classes.  Decades later he teamed with his brother to win the senior doubles bowling title at the Nebraska State Games. He also worked in the campus biology lab and maintained a life-time interest in growing things. He graduated in 1950 with Majors in Math, Chemistry, Physics and Biology.

While attending college he met Joyce Juelfs who was teaching school in Kearney. He would pick her up for a date and say "Joyce, I have 10 cents today. Let's go for a Coke."

He served for five years in the United States Navy (6/1951-6/1956) and as a First Class Fire Control Technician he learned to fix anything on a ship from the weapons guidance system to the kitchen sink.  He served on the USS Kermit Roosevelt and the USS Aludra. He was a member of the Navy table tennis team that won a national championship and he was later the Nebraska State Games senior table tennis champion and qualified for Nationals.

While in the Navy he recognized that he did not have the strength to live the life that he wanted to live. He sought answers in the Bible, and then prayed to acknowledge his sin and commit his life to following Jesus. Harvey then relied on God for strength to make good choices day by day. Harvey would later quote Romans 10:9-11 to communicate what he had done. It says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

He farmed, taught school and coached in Axtell, Nebraska, for a year before joining the Navigators for whom he worked until his homegoing to heaven. His work with the Navigators took him to Long Beach and Lafayette, California; Colorado; Maryland; Germany; Australia and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Harvey was an enthusiastic optimist who loved people and the Word of God. Things you might have heard him say include "It's clearing!" (during a downpour), "I am a victim of prayer!", "If your output exceeds your input, your upkeep will be your downfall.", "What does the Bible say?", "Everyone should memorize scripture!" and "You are a winner!"

Besides his parents, Harvey was preceded in death by two sisters: Marjorie Soderholm and Dorothy Soderholm; one brother, Arthur Soderholm, Jr. and his wife, Barbara; and one nephew, Jerry Soderholm.

Survivors include his wife, Joyce of Lincoln, to whom he had been married for 66 years; his daughter Jayne Gardner and her husband, David, and their children: Jonathan and Joanna of Los Lunas, New Mexico; his daughter, Marian Thomsen and her husband, Kirk, and their daughters: Melanie, Kristen and Melissa of Hudson, Ohio; his daughter, Pamela Soderholm of Lincoln; his sister, Beverly Soderholm of Lincoln; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial has been established in Harvey's honor and kindly suggest to The Navigators Missionary Care Fund; donations can be made payable to The Navigators.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of arrangements.