Emily ‘Carlene’ Kerzee Holt
Emily “Carlene” Kerzee Holt, of Point Enterprise, passed away at her home on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, at the age of 107. Visitation with the family will be at 1 p.m. at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home followed by her funeral at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8, with Pastor Michael Kerzee officiating. Interment will follow in the Point Enterprise Cemetery. Vince Keys, Walt Harrison, Christopher Holt, Michael Dunn, Tommy Kerzee, and Walt Holt will serve as pallbearers.
Carlene was born Dec. 10, 1915, to Will and Lucy Kate Kerzee in Point Enterprise. She was number five of nine children. She grew up in Point Enterprise on the family farm off of FM Road 1365, where Lightsey’s Farm is currently located. Carlene attended school in Point Enterprise with just three teachers and then graduated from Mexia where there were only 11 grades.
At the age of 22, Carlene married Robert Holt on July 18, 1938, and they here blessed with 60 years of marriage at the time of his death in 1998. In 1940, Carlene and Robert rode a train to Arizona and stayed the night in a hotel at the rim of the Grand Canyon. They spent the next day riding mules, in a single file line, down into the Grand Canyon where they lived for 8 months on the Phantom Ranch. Robert and two other men worked outdoors tending to the cabins while Carlene and another lady cooked and tended to the visitors on the ranch. They earned $800 and paid off their land. Spending time in the canyon was a joyful time in Carlene’s life. She always wanted to return, as she said the colors of the earth were breathtaking on the way down into the canyon.
Carlene and Robert began having children in 1943 with Carol, then Betty, Neil, and Warren. They were very proud of their hard-working children, raising them to be good, honest people, and they are all four a testament to how Carlene and Robert lived and raised them. As a result, Carlene received the best care from her children and they never had a disagreement, when it came to her care.
Carlene’s jobs, outside of the home, included working at Karner-Phillips and the Mexia State School for short times but her most rewarding job was at home where she was a wife, a mother, housekeeper, cook, seamstress, grandmother, giver, and an advisor to many.
Later in Carlene’s life while in her 80’s, she loved to travel with her sister, Flodell, who was in her 70s. They traveled on tour buses to nine different states and flew to Canada and Nova Scotia. They even went white water rafting while in Canada when Carlene was in her early 90s.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Holt; her parents; and seven siblings, Lloyd Kerzee, Lorena Kerzee, Elliot Kerzee Lyons, Willie D. Kerzee Holt. Wayne Kerzee, David E. “Billy” Kerzee, and Virginia Kerzee Buttery.
Carlene is survived by her children, Carol Keys and friend RB Johnson, Betty McGaughey and husband Gregg, Neil Holt and wife Joann, and Warren Holt and wife, Melissa; grandchildren, Vince, Karla, Walt, Crystal, Angela, Christopher, Kimberly and Alana; 11 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and sister, Flodell Gunn.
The family is very grateful for the loving care given by all of her caretakers over the last eight years. A very special thank you to Mary Anderson for her loving care and devotion.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Point Enterprise Cemetery, 300 FCR 976, Mexia, TX 76667.
Please visit www.blairstubbs. com to leave the family a message of condolence or sign the guestbook.
