Elizabeth “Liz” Holmquist

Liz was born on Sept. 29, 1953, to John and Mary Jane Creed in Iron Mountain, Michigan. She was the eighth out of nine children, and the first to be born in Michigan. After the Creeds moved in, 25 location was never the same!

Liz graduated from Iron Mountain High School in 1971. She went on to get her LPN at Northern Michigan University and from that time forward was the family’s go-to for healthcare questions/concerns. Liz met Jerry Holmquist in 1975. Their first date was at the ski jumps and seven months later they were married at St. Mary St. Jo’s on Sept. 27, 1975.

Together, Liz and Jerry raised two beautiful children in Kingsford, Erin born in November 1977 and Sven in February 1979. Liz worked for local doctor’s offices throughout her entire career. She had many close friends (The YaYas and the Ethel to her Lucy just to name a few) and was special to so many people. She was their caregiver and comedian. She had a beautiful voice and boy could she whistle!

Her sisters say she was their angel. In 2004 she became a grandma and she was never happier than she was to be a “Gram.” She loved her family, friends, music, classic cars, flowers, the moon, the casino, floating the Fox River north of Seney while fishing for brook trout, watching the sunsets over Lake Superior at the mouth of the Hurricane River near Grand Marais, swimming at Six Mile and in Lake Michigan, and trips to Florida.

Liz fought a four-year battle with NASH and thought she had a way to beat it but things turned. Jerry was right by her side for the long stays at UW-Madison Healthcare and their entire 44-year (almost 45) journey.

Liz will be missed by her husband, Jerry Holmquist of Iron Mountain; two children, Erin (Craig) Recla of Iron Mountain and Sven (Melissa) Holmquist of Marquette; five grandchildren, Mason, Myles, and Georgia Mundy, Timmy Recla, and Rorik Holmquist; her brother, Joe Creed; sisters, Theresa McNiff, Kathleen (Dan) Harsch, Jeanne Francis (Mark) Berdinner; sister-in-laws Ellen (Ron) Krieg, Melanie Froling, and Suzanne Creed. She was Auntie Red-O to many nieces and nephews.

Liz was preceded in death by her parents, Jerry’s parents Bertha and Harold Holmquist, her brothers John, Jerry, and Tom Creed and brother-in-law Dick Froling.

The family would like to thank Dr. Terrance Ryan, the nurses at Bellin, Bellin GI, and the wonderful caring team at UW-Madison Healthcare for taking such great care of Liz.

There will be a celebration of life on Saturday Aug. 1, 2020, at the farm. Details will be announced on Facebook in the days to come.