Old Lolo

On September 9, historian and great lady of Montana Ramona Holt, PhD, will share her story of Old Lolo. Although she was born and raised on a family ranch in southern Colorado in the 1930s, Ramona adopted Montana as home in 1948 after choosing to attend college in Bozeman.  

Ramona will share stories about the small community where she and her late husband Bill settled just after her graduation from Montana State College (now Montana State University). Co-founder of the Holt Heritage Museum of Lolo, which Ramona and Bill established in 1999, Ramona knows the Lolo community well.

The 2023 winner of the Montana Historical Society’s Heritage Keeper Award, Ramona has always had a keen interest in preserving history for generations to come. Due to their love of history, Ramona and Bill built the Holt Museum and Visitor’s Center at Travelers’ Rest State Park to house their Native American Collection, which they donated to the park. The couple then built the Holt Heritage Center on their Lolo property to house a 70-year collection of historical artifacts, which continues to grow with the recent addition of the old Lolo School building, which was moved earlier this year to the Holt Heritage Center site.

During college, Ramona competed in women’s events as part of the MSU Rodeo Team. She and her husband eventually became members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and traveled to rodeos throughout the western U.S. and Canada. Bill was an announcer and Ramona was secretary and a timer. Their last contract ended in 1999.

Ramona has been active in community affairs ever since she arrived in Montana. “I’ve always had an interest in community organizations and volunteering for events,” she says. 

Ramona’s love of her adopted State of Montana led her to be involved in many organizations. Her business and volunteer accomplishments would fill a book. A smattering of her achievements throughout her career include:

Business activities:

• First to export Longhorn cattle to Australia;
• Ranched and raised Longhorn cattle in Canada;
• Produced the Oral Zumwalt Memorial Rodeo and Cowboy Logger Days in Missoula;
• Built and operated the Longhorn Supper Club in Lolo;
• Built and operated the Wapiti Resort in Seeley Lake. 

Volunteer activities for Organizations and Boards:

• 4-H Clubs in Colorado and Montana;
• FFA (Future Farmers of America) - founded the John Bliss Memorial Scholarship; 
• Missoula County Fair; 
• Montana Tourism Advisory Council;
• Montana Glacier Country Tourism Board;
• Destination Missoula Special Events Board;
• Travelers’ Rest Preservation & Heritage Association;
• Community Medical Center;
• Community Medical Center Foundation;
• Soroptimist International of Missoula;
• Participated in the re-dedication of the Doughboy Statue at Missoula Courthouse.

“Volunteering has definitely enriched my life and made me appreciate the mission of each organization,” says Ramona. “My experiences with varied organizations and boards make me realize that our communities are the reflection of the people who take an interest in volunteering to make that community a better place in which to live.” 

Ramona and Bill raised four sons, two of whom were also MSU graduates. Her sons and their families are scattered around Montana and Australia. 

Speaker hosted by Victoria Emmons.