Cecelia Elizabeth (Rassier) Holen was born August 16, 1925 to Herman and Mary (Tchida) Rassier in Lake Twp., Marshal County South Dakota. She died at the age of 95 years on Friday, November 20, 2020 at her home in rural Bantry, North Dakota. Cecelia grew up on her parents farm and received her education in a one room school house that she would walk to early in the mornings to light the wood stove, so that the school would be warm when the teacher and other students would arrive. After graduating, she worked at the Clear Lake Resort where she waited tables and would launch the rental boats into the water and pull them up on shore in the evenings, all by herself. She was her father’s right-hand helper on the farm, working in the fields, haying, pitching grain shocks into the threshing machine and driving a team of horses on the overshot stacker. On November 28, 1950, she was united in marriage to Morris Holen Sr. at Lidgerwood, North Dakota. The couple moved to Seattle, Washington in 1951, to Tioga, North Dakota in the spring of 1952 and then returned to the Holen family farm in Bantry Twp., Mc Henry County and began farming in 1959. They had a small dairy herd milking all by hand. Meanwhile, the couple started the Morris Holen Construction Company. Cecelia continued the milking operation while Morris built the construction company. As the company grew, the cows were sold, and she became the full-time bookkeeper and payroll officer. Morris died in 2001 and she continued operating the business until the end of 2002. She remained on the farm until her death. Cecelia was an amazing, kind, independent and fun-loving woman, who loved to play bingo with one of her best friends, Shirley O’Brien. She had a passion for baking, embroidery, canning for the family, doing word find books, mowing her huge lawn, and come Halloween, she was famous for her popcorn balls, She was a woman of strong faith, a member of St. Cecilia’ Catholic Church of Towner, and a member of the VFW Auxiliary. There are no words to describe how much she loved her grandkids. Her eyes would light up and twinkle when any of them came by. She made them feel very special whether it was playing cards, joking around with them, sitting visiting or taking their horse and riding around the yard at the young age of 90, just to let them know that Granny would do anything with them. Letting them all know that she was there to listen, so they could tell her what was going on in their lives and she so cherished holding the little ones. We will always cherish you Mom, Grandma, great-grandma, and great-great-grandma. We love you. Survivors are her two sons and their wives, Morris Jr. and Colleen, Bottineau and Roger and Jackie of Upham; her two daughters, Mary Holen of Towner and Brenda Kuhnhenn and husband, Jim of Bantry; 6 grandchildren, Kristi, Sarah, Nicole, Laura, Travis & Dustin; 15 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Mayola Holen, McClusky; Dorothy Holen, Minot & Marlene Holen, Upham; brother-in-law, Alvin Holen, Minot; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, friends and her faithful dog, Jake. She was preceded in death by her husband, Morris Sr.; 6 brothers, John, Henry, Steven, Anthony, Frank & Edward Rassier; 3 sisters, Gertrude Rassier; Irene (Frank) Wegleitner & Rosie (Raymond) Thorsness; a very special niece, Ardys Rassier Lorensberg; Mary’s companion, Curt Broe; and her parents. A Private Family Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Mon., Nov. 30th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, Towner with burial in the church cemetery. Father Michael Schommer, Celebrant. Visitation from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29th with a rosary & vigil service starting at 6 p.m., at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, Towner. The Honorary Bearers: Mary Holen, Brenda Kuhnhenn, Collen Holen, Jackie Holen; all the grandchildren and friends. The Casket Bearers: Morris Holen Jr., Roger Holen, Jim Kuhnhenn, Travis Kuhnhenn, Dustin Kuhnhenn & Karly Nelson To view the livestream, please click on the link to our YouTube page. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHS6R8jPKE-ZUrbZt8OVOcA? Please be respectful of the COVID restrictions and mandates, social distancing, good hand hygiene, staying at home if not feeling well and facial masking is mandatory.