Jonathan Holmgren carrying on family 4-H tradition

(Jonathan Holmgren, Swanville, pictured with his 4-H Key Award certificate. (11-04-01 4-H key) Staff photo by Keith O. Axvig)

Jonathan’s father won the 4-H Key Award in 1977. His aunt Susan (Holmgren) Dukes, now living in Texas, also was a winner of the 4-H Key Award and his uncle, Bruce Holmgren, was the last winner of the 4-H Key Award in Morrison County.

Jonathan’s parents, Michael and Natalie Holmgren, also have some potential future 4-H Key Award winners because they have five younger children, four more boys, all involved in 4-H, and a two-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.

Jonathan and his four younger brothers, David 14, Jesse 12, Micah 10 and Matthew 8, are members of the Culdrum Comets 4-H Club.

Jonathan’s grandparents are Terri and the late Paul Holmgren of Swanville and Claus and Patricia Miedema of Pierz. Grandma Terri is still involved in the 4-H programs in Morrison County.

Jonathan has been a 4-Her for nine years. His dad was also a member of the Culdrum Comets and is one of the adult leaders today. Jonathan’s mother is also one of the adult leaders.

Jonathan belongs to three 4-H clubs in Morrison County. Besides the Culdrum Comets, he belongs to the Morrison County 4-H dog project and to the Morrison County Shooting Sports/Wildlife Club. He has been a member of the Culdrum Comets since 1992, the dog club since 1993 and the shooting sports club since 1986.

Jonathan showed his dog, Moshe, an Australian Blue Heeler, in state competition the last six or seven years.

State Fair competition is not new to Holmgren because he had qualified something since he was 12 years old.

Several times he has gone to the State Fair in the food preparation division. In recent years he has gone to the State Fair in the computer division.

The new 4-H Key Award winner is the outgoing president of the Culdrum Comets; vice president of the Morrison County Federation; and is a Minnesota State Ambassador.

Only 28 4-Hers are State Ambassadors in Minnesota.

A 4-H State Ambassador is an educational resource for the 4-H youth development programs. The ambassadors are trained to teach youth and adults about such topics as communication, diversity issues and ethical leadership.
“We are available to every 4-H club to help with training and other things. We plan and run the district retreats and leadership conferences. We do a lot of other things also,” explained Holmgren.

Holmgren had to meet eight different requirements before he could receive the 4-H Key Award. He has met eight of the nine requirements. The ninth requirement is not offered in Morrison County.

Jonathan is also an active member in his school and in his church, St. Peter’s Lutheran in Swanville.
In church he is a junior counselor; in 4-H he is a full counselor.

In school he is involved with theatre production, operating the lights and sound for several productions. He is the stage manager for the upcoming play, Harvey.

Holmgren is also involved in the Swanville speech program, Knowledge Bowl and is a member of the jazz and pep bands.

After graduation from Swanville High School in 2003, he plans to attend a four-year college, majoring in the computer field.

In the next 18 months, while still at home, he plans to work with his four brothers, encouraging them to keep track of their 4-H work and work towards earning a 4-H Key Award and joining the ranks of their brother, their dad, their aunt and their uncle.