# Mike Holm *Minnesota Secretary of State from 1921 until his death in 1952* Mike Holm (June 17, 1876 – July 6, 1952) was a Swedish-born American politician. He held the office of [[Minnesota Secretary of State]] from January 4, 1921, until he died on July 6, 1952. Wikipedia describes him as the office's longest-serving occupant.[^1] Holm lived in Roseau, Minnesota, and was a member of the Republican Party.[^1] After his death the office passed to his widow, [[Virginia Paul Holm]].[^1] A KSTP report citing the [[Minnesota Historical Society]] states that the merger of the Democratic and Farmer-Labor parties took effect when Holm, as Secretary of State, filed the papers on April 15, 1944.[^2] On that account, a Republican officeholder filed the papers that created the party later known as the DFL.[^2] ## Biography Holm was born Mikael Hansson in Sweden. His birthplace was Ringvattnet, a village in Alanäs parish in what is now Strömsund Municipality, Jämtland County. His parents were Hans Hansson Holm and Karin Persdotter.[^1] The family left Sweden in June 1883 and went to Trondheim, Norway. According to Norwegian police passport records, they boarded the S/S Tasso there on June 20, 1883, and sailed by way of Norwegian ports to Hull, England.[^1] They crossed England to Liverpool and left on July 5, 1883, aboard the Inman Line steamship RMS City of Chester. After a stop at Queenstown, Ireland, they reached New York on July 15, 1883.[^1] The family's first home in Minnesota was Nelson Park Township in [[Marshall County, Minnesota]], and the household is recorded there in the 1885 Minnesota State Census.[^1] In the 1895 state census Holm was 19 and no longer lived with his parents.[^1] He had moved to the city of Roseau by 1897. He married Maria Severson there on April 10, 1897.[^1] The couple had three children, all born in Roseau, and Maria died in 1909.[^1] On June 15, 1910, in Roseau, Holm married Bessie Sahra May Christenson. They had four children: three were born in Roseau and one was born in St. Paul in 1922.[^1] Bessie died in 1944. In 1946 Holm married his third wife, Virginia, whose birth name was Virginia Retta Shoop.[^1] ## Party merger of 1944 KSTP, citing the Minnesota Historical Society, reports that the Democratic and Farmer-Labor parties merged when Secretary of State Mike Holm filed the papers at 11:45 a.m. on April 15, 1944.[^2] The pack holds no filed document, state record or Historical Society source for the filing itself. The time and date therefore rest on the news report.[^2] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Mike Holm, a Republican, was Minnesota Secretary of State.[^1] ### What - KSTP reports that Holm filed the papers that merged the Democratic and Farmer-Labor parties.[^2] ### When - Holm held office from January 4, 1921, until his death on July 6, 1952.[^1] - KSTP gives the time of the merger filing as 11:45 a.m. on April 15, 1944.[^2] ### Where - Roseau, Minnesota: Holm lived there and married his first two wives there.[^1] ### How many - Holm had seven children from his first two marriages, three with Maria and four with Bessie.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Mike Holm* (revision 1373480690, retrieved 2026-10-25; CC BY-SA 4.0). Supports the article's account of his birth, emigration, residence, marriages, children, party, and the dates of his tenure as Secretary of State. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Holm [^2]: KSTP, *Flashback Friday: Minnesota Democrats, Farmer-Labor Party merge to form DFL, 76 years ago*. Citing the Minnesota Historical Society, it reports that the parties merged when Secretary of State Mike Holm filed the papers at 11:45 a.m. on April 15, 1944. https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/flashback-friday-minnesota-democrats-farmer-labor-party-merge-to-form-dfl-76-years-ago/