Rex Levern Holland, age 93, of Stillwater, lost his courageous fight with Parkinson's disease on October 8, 2023. He truly fought the good fight. Funeral services will begin at 2:30 p.m. Friday, October 13, 2023 at the Strode Funeral Home Chapel, with burial following in Fairlawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends during visitation at the funeral home from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 12.

Here is just a thumbprint of his long, well-lived life: Rex was born at the beginning of "The Great Depression" on November 13, 1929, in Putnam Oklahoma. He was the seventh and last child of William Andrew and Emma Lula Holland. William and Emma were true pioneers. They got their start as homesteaders in the early 1900's in New Mexico. Upon arriving at their homestead, William would have to dig a water well by hand for there was no water source on the homestead. For income William drove a team of mules into the New Mexico mountains to cut timbers and create fence posts for the surrounding settlers to make a living.

Rex was taught a work ethic by his parents that could not be rivaled. His first job was when he was four years old riding his pony Star with a burlap bag tied to the horn of his saddle taking water to the men in the field harvesting wheat. He recalled later in life how proud he was to be an important part of the harvest.

Rex went to grade school in western Oklahoma at Putnam and played all sports offered at the time in country schools. During his junior year in high school his parents purchased a 360-acre farm in Blue Jacket, Oklahoma and moved. Rex finished High School in 1947 in eastern Oklahoma graduating from Blue Jacket in a class of 12 students.

In the fall of 1947 with $300 in his pocket made from the summer harvest, Rex and his best friend from Putnam, Tuffy, enrolled at Oklahoma State University. He enrolled for $36 for his first semester. His major was AG ED at OSU, it was then he joined the Army R.O.T.C. At OSU he would meet the first love of his life Shirley Jo Johnson whom he married shortly after their graduation. Rex graduated with a bachelor's degree in Ag Science in 1951.

He would spend the next 20 years in the United States Army. This Western Oklahoma boy found himself quickly deployed to Japan in March of 1952 after his officer training, and a month later he was walking the hills of Korea. He spent a tough 13 months seeing lots of action and completing difficult missions in Korea. He recalled sleeping close to the North Korean / South Korean border hearing the propaganda being spoken in Korean over megaphones all along the border 24 hours a day.

Rex would continue to serve during the cold war from 1960 to 1963 in Germany as an Intelligence Officer. He remembered watching a statue of Stalin being brought down by a bulldozer while on patrol during the construction of the Berlin Wall.

From 1966 to 1967 he continued serving his country during a tour in Vietnam. His post was as senior advisor to the Province Chief of Saigon. While in Vietnam his sister Vera lived with and took care of his three small children. You see, a year before in 1965 his college bride and mother of his three children had been tragically killed in a car accident.

He always felt indebted to Vera and all his family for their continued support toward his young family. They enabled him to serve his country and pursue his ambitions.

Rex's service awards were many, including the Combat Infantry Badge, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnamese Honor Medal with 4 bronze stars, and the National Defense Service Medal with Oak leaf cluster and Legion of Merit.

As a single father of three children in 1971 he would decide to retire as a Lieutenant Colonel and say goodbye to the Army. The military had taught him a strong civic responsibility which would follow him all the rest of his life.

In 1971 he and his family moved from Fort Hood, Texas as civilians back to his alma mater OSU and to the farms he had purchased while in the Army around Glencoe, Oklahoma.

One lifelong lesson taught to Rex by his parents was the value of land. Rex started buying farms in 1953 with the help of his parents. His first farm just north of Glencoe he called the "Curve Farm" was 130 acres for $4000.

In 1973, with the encouragement of the existing County Assessor, Rex ran for office to be the Payne County Assessor. He won the election and spent the next 12 years serving the citizens of Payne County as County Assessor, all the while building his cattle/ranching business in the evenings and on weekends. Rex built a reputation while Assessor as approachable, fair, and honest. Upon retirement Rex continued to serve the community as vice-chair for many years of the Payne County Election Board.

In 1980 Rex married the second love of his life Dora Sue, and together they enjoyed 43 years of farming and ranching as partners. They took on many projects, and one of their favorites was restoring an old farmhouse on the "Horner" farm. In that restored farmhouse they would host many large family meals and celebrations. Even with the demands of ranching, Rex and Dora would still find time to travel to Israel and Europe. The two shared a great love and respect for each other, and for the family they built up together.

The family is indebted to Dora for her impeccable care of Rex in his final years with Parkinson's. Her devotion and care were nothing less than extraordinary.

Rex was a scholar with an amazing ability to take in a lot of information and remember it.

Rex was a humble leader with a simple common sense and a courageous approach to life.

Rex was a rancher with a reputation of having gentle, fat, healthy cattle.

Rex was a soldier with a great love and sense of duty for his community and country.

Rex's legacy, lessons, advice and gifts to his family and friends are immeasurable.

Rex was preceded in death by his first wife Shirley Jo Johnson, his wife Billie Boyd Frazier and his daughter Rebecca Ann Holland.

Rex is survived by his wife Dora Sue; his children Timothy Paul Holland, Susan Christine Dearinger and husband Rick, Rhonda Sue Fanning and husband Vance, Ruth Kathleen Holland, and Steven Douglas Harwood and wife Shari. He is also survived by his grandchildren Autumn Lee Cagle, Mathew Lee Fanning, Camaron John Dearinger, Kelly Ryan Fanning, Brennon Holland Dearinger, Stephanie Kirsten Harwood, Michelle Jo Holland, Liam Rex Mitchell, and Austin Douglas Harwood; ten great-grandchildren, six nieces and nephews; and many other family members and friends.

The family would like to thank the Traditions Hospice and Primrose Retirement Community staffs for their tender care of Rex in his final days.