Mainard C. Holtz, age 93 of Richard Center, passed away on Tuesday, November 28, 2017.

Mainard Clinton Holtz was born June 27, 1924, to Oscar Edward and Nellie Viola (Fenster) Holtz in the town of Washington, Sauk County, Wisconsin. After attending several one-room elementary schools, he graduated from Reedsburg High School in 1942. In 1943, at the age of 18, he entered World War II serving as a flight radio operator in the Army Air Corp. He graduated from Radio School at Scott Field, Illinois and Glider Pickup School in Baer Field, Indiana. He was a member of a crew that flew new C-47 planes from Indiana to Townsville, Australia. He was assigned to the 5th Air Force, 22d Group in the Southwest Pacific Theatre. He returned to the United States in December of 1945 from Japan. He also served as the civil defense coordinator during the Cold War.

In 1946, Mainard entered the University of Wisconsin - Madison and graduated with a BS in Agriculture in 1950. At this time, he accepted a position with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture as the first combination Dairy and Food Inspector. He served in that position in Ashland, WI until 1955, when he resigned to take a job in Richland County as a Farm Management Agent for University of Wisconsin Extension. During the ensuing 30 years, Mainard was promoted to County Agricultural Agent and served until retirement in 1983. He spent many years attending the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee as a chaperone for 4-H members of Richard County.

He was instrumental in the development of Camp Stetler for the Black Hawk Council of Girl Scouts. He originated the Richland County Wagon Train for the 1976 Sesquicentennial, which is still operating to the date. He started the Richland Center Senior Citizens Organization, served on the Richland Center Park Board for many years, and was instrumental in introducing slow pitch ball for local churches. He was Richland County delegate to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, serving on the Big Game Committee for many years.

Mainard was a faithful member of Town & Country Presbyterian Church for 50 years, where he served on the Building Committee for the new church, served as the financial secretary when it was built, and was a trustee and elder of the church, where he had the pleasure of burning the mortgage. Mainard served for 20 years as the "official" potato masher at the Martha Washington Dinners and volunteered for Meals on Wheels. He was a member of Masonic Lodge #066, American Legion, VFW and the Delta Theta Sigma fraternal organization of UW-Madison. Mainard was also past president of the Richland Center Lion's Club and received the Melvin Jones award medal. In 1981, Mainard was honored with the Outstanding County Agent at the National Convention at Cornell University in New York. In his free time, Mainard enjoyed deer hunting, fishing and playing euchre at the cabin in Drummond, WI which he built with the help of friends in the Richland Club.

In 1950, Mainard was united in marriage to Dorothe Darkow in Wausau, WI. To this union were born two daughters, Lynnel (Alec Parsons) Sharkey, of Beaver Dam, Marjean (Dean) Johnson of St. Maries, Idaho; and a son, Randall (Terri) Holtz of Baraboo. He was the loving and proud grandfather of Rachel Holtz, Benjamin Holtz, Kirk Johnson and Mark Johnson. He is also survived by other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Billie, and sister Juanita.

A memorial gathering for Mainard will be held at a later date and inurnment will take place at Westfield Cemetery in Loganville, WI.

If desired, memorials in Mainard's name can be directed to Hillside Hospice of Beaver Dam, Dementia Concerns Coalition of Beaver Dam or 4-H Youth Development of Richland County.

Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services in Beaver Dam is honored to be serving the family.