Fred Holst for the past ten years has lived retired in Treynor, but for a long period was closely associated with agricultural interests. His residence in the county dates from 1869, in which year he arrived in Council Bluffs. Born in the northern part of Germany, January 29, 1849, his parents were Fred and Margaretta Holst. The father died in Germany and the mother afterward married a Mr. Kiel, with whom she came to this country, settling in Council Bluffs in 1866. Mr. Kiel is now located at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and while in this city was engaged in the wholesale liquor business as a member of the firm of Linder & Kiel. His wife died at Sioux Falls in 1904 at the advanced age of eighty-three or eighty-four years. She had four children, one son, Jacob Kiel, of Sioux Falls, being born of her second marriage. The three children of her first marriage were: Fred, of this review; Dick Holst, who is proprietor of the Kiel Hotel at Council Bluffs; and Henry, deceased.

At the usual age Fred Holst entered school and pursed his studies in Germany until he became a youth of fifteen years. He then hired as a cabin boy on board a sailing vessel for a voyage to the west coast of South America by way of Cape Horn. The captain of the vessel was his uncle and the trip consumed one year. Later he made three round trips, thus passing Cape Horn six times. He spent five years on the ocean and one year--1868--studying navigation at the suggestion of his uncle. He passed examinations and was captain before he was twenty years of age. Leaving Germany in order to avoid military service, he made his way to Boston, Massachusetts, in the spring of 1869, sailing from Liverpool in March. Following his arrival at the American port he sailed again to the Mediterranean, to France and along the Atlantic coast of America. In the fall of 1869 he rejoined his mother and the family in Council Bluffs and since that time has never been connected with the sea. His experiences were in many respects novel and interesting, bringing him a knowledge of many ports and of the people of various countries.

At Council Bluffs Mr. Holst hired out at common labor and in this county worked as a farm hand, being entirely inexperienced when he took his place in the fields. He found the pursuit congenial, however, and has made it his life work. As an agriculturist he has been very successful, the years bringing to him a desirable prosperity as a reward for his persistence, his energy and capable management. In 1876 he located in Washington Township, where he rented a farm from Mr. Casady, after which he engaged in the cattle business. His operations in livestock have been extensive and profitable and as his financial resources have increased he has made judicious investments in real estate, until he is now one of the large landowners of the county, his possessions aggregating over twelve hundred acres lying in Washington, Silver Creek, Keg Creek and Belknap Townships. He continued actively in business until about ten years ago, when he retired to enjoy in well earned rest the fruits of his former toil.

Mr. Holst was married in Council Bluffs, March 21, 1874, to Miss Eliese Kiel, a native of Germany and a daughter of Christian Kiel. She came to this country in 1872 and was married two years later. Three children have been born of this union: Harry, now a farmer and stockman of Washington Township; Maggie, the wife of Henry Schnapel, of the same township; and Mary, the wife of Adolph Goos, who is residing in Silver Creek Township.

Mr. Holst is the founder of Treynor, which was laid out upon his land. Here he and his wife have made their home for the past thirteen years and have many friends in the town and throughout the surrounding country. When he became a naturalized American citizen he cast his lot with the Republican Party and has never seen occasion to change his political allegiance. Upon it's ticket he has been elected trustee of Keg Creek Township and he is now a member of the council of Treynor, exercising his official prerogative in support of various progressive measures which are introduced for the benefit of the village. He is likewise treasurer of the German Lutheran Church in which he holds membership. His life history if written in detail would furnish many an interesting chapter, especially in regard to his early experiences as a sailor, when upon the high seas he made his way to various European and American ports. In later years his life has been more quietly passed but at all times it has been characterized by a diligence and care in the control of business affairs that have made him one of the prosperous residents of the county.