FEATURED RESIDENT-OCTOBER- 2008
An interesting and charming person lives out here in Cloverton at the intersection of Hay Creek and McDermott Creek roads.
Alan Holter was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 19th, 1941. He was the only son out of 4 children born to Edna and Les Holter. At the age of 3 Alan moved with his family to Genoa, Wisconsin. Al remembers Genoa as a “lovely little town ” and he can still remember the smells and sounds of fishing life on the Mississippi River from his few years of living there.
The family moved to Sandstone when Al was not quite finished with the first grade. His dad worked at a printer in Minneapolis, where he stayed during the week, and came home to Al and the rest of the family on weekends. At that time, gas cost 12 cents/gallon.
Al went to school in Sandstone through the 7th grade. Like so many young boys at that time, he dropped out of school. He got his first job working at the Forum Cafeteria in Minneapolis. He experienced a few years of “off and on” unemployment during which time he had moved to Montana.
Returning to Minnesota, he worked in the machine shop trade for over 20 years and eventually moved from Minneapolis to Princeton, then spent 30 years as a beaver fur trapper for the Log Cabin Store in Danbury. While living in Princeton, his wife at that time had a sister Shirley who lived in Markville. She told him about a home for sale in Cloverton and Al ended up buying the home that Esther and Earl Vink wanted to sell. It was while in Cloverton that he began his career as a fur trapper. He had trapped his first beaver on the Kettle River in Sandstone when he was 12 years old. After all of those years as a trapper and hunter, however, Al says he no longer hunts. He has killed enough animals and will do it no more. These days, he “shoots” his animals on digital. Photography is a passion of his.
Al met his wife Rose when he was playing in a Rock & Roll band in the area. He played a lot at the Cozy Corner Inn in Wisconsin. The last name of his band was Hundred Grand. Al was the guitarist. He and Rose were married in 1995.
Al has 3 children from previous marriages- Kendra lives is Bremerton, Washington, while Alan is in Prairie Farm, Wisconsin, and Shane lives in St. Paul. Altogether Al has 10 grandchildren.
Anyone who lives in New Dosey Township knows that Al is a computer expert. He is currently involved in the Wind Meter Project for the township. He spends a lot of time on the Internet- says he has become his Uncle Frank who was literally glued to the TV when it first came out. Al is also the beaver control specialist for both New Dosey Township and Pine County
In addition to his Internet and photography, Al and Rose enjoy just sitting on their lawn chairs and enjoying the beauty of the forest that surrounds their home.
He is a friendly, charming man whom we all like very much.