Profile of a Valley Leader

Our interview of Helmut Holzheu winds up recounting how he made his living when he first arrived on the Central Coast, his early employment experiences, how he and Doris founded El Rancho Market,  how they became citizens, Helmut’s opinion about today’s immigrants and, finally, his and Doris’ active retirement.

 

(Q) How did you earn your living when you first came to America? What is your career now or, if you are retired, what was your career after you became established in America?

(A) I found a job at Safeway stores, first as apprentice meat cutter. I could not speak English, and my English was not good enough to be journeyman, but I was hungry. I got ahead relatively fast, my English improved, and in no time I was a  meat cutter, meat manager and meat supervisor, in Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo Atascadero, Paso Robles.

When we first came to Santa Barbara  in 1954, and later in San Luis Obispo, we went to night school, took night classes to learn to speak English. We found that if we worked hard and applied yourself it was not hard to get ahead.

(Q) When did you become a citizen (if you are), age and how difficult was it? What requirements did you have to meet: education, speaking English, learning about American history, etc?  How long did it take?

(A) By 1962, six years after we came to California, we decided to become US citizens, went to night school, learned all about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and in 1963, we officially became US Citizen(s).

So, in 1966, on our 12th wedding anniversary, February 15, we went to Solvang, to the Danish Inn for their famous smorgasbord.

I always had a dream to have my own grocery store to serve my costumers with the best I could purchase, and treat my fellow associates the way I want to be treated. The opportunity came when one of my customers offered to help me financially.

We found a closed grocery store and four weeks later, in March 1966, we moved to Solvang and, with the help of a former customer, bought this bankrupt store.

We started small, just Doris and I, and an older lady as checker. It was a slow start. The store had a really bad reputation from the former owner. It was dirty and unfriendly we borrowed all the $ we could and bought the business from the bankruptcy court.

We did well, we worked hard, we watched our pennies, invested in real estate, and did not know that it was the right time to invest.
 

(Q) What about your family? Your spouse (background)?  Career, etc.?  Children (boys, girls, ages), your age when they were born?  What are their ages now and what is their family situation, that is, are they married, children of their own?  What do they do for a living?

(A) Doris and I have two children. Alfred, my son, went to Solvang high school, to Cal Poly, and graduated from San Francisco State, is now the owner of El Rancho Marketplace.

Barbara, our daughter, also went to Santa Ynez High, went to college, got sick in college, and is an artist, lives in Santa Barbara.

We have two grandchildren, Elizabeth Holzheu, who is 17 now, a grandson Christopher, 14, goes to Dunn High.

How the years went by.  I am involved in the community, first as president of the Lions Club, Elks Club, Mission Men’s Club, Fiesta Chair, 20 years Mission Choir, founding member of the morning  Rotary Club, former board member of Friendship House, on the board of Santa Inez Historical society.

We were blessed to be able to donate five acres of land to the YMCA, and were instrumental in raising the funds to help the YMCA to find a new home.

And all the fun we had participating in all the community affairs, it feels good to be a Rotarian, to be part of a community, a place you call home.

I belong to a hiking club in the Valley, and three times a week we hike five kilometers in the hills and vineyards behind Janin Acres, and two days a week, pool exercises at the YMCA.  I must say, every time I thank God for the privilege to live in such a wonderful place.

What does a fellow do with his time in retirement? To be honest I do not have enough time to think about it. I have a nice rose garden.  Every year I raise more tomatoes than I can use, so I give them to my friends. I am on the computer, do some Internet surfing, play bridge with my friends, and when I have some time left over, read a book to keep myself abreast of today’s world. And, I just stay busy traveling with our fifth wheel and going places. In May, June and July, we went to Lake Louise, and every year a trip to Germany. What a blessing.

 

(Q) How has America changed since you first arrived (for better or worse)?

(A) I am asked how has this country changed. I am bullish for America. Yes, we are going through tough times abroad, yes we are not what we where 40 years ago, but what is the same? But look at Solvang. What a nice quaint and beautiful valley we have become. Everywhere people build new houses, new churches improve their lives. We need to be more positive and see the glass half full, not half empty.

(Q) What is your opinion of the current situation in America regarding immigration and immigrants?

 (A) Yes, we need immigration, yes we need our Mexican friends, but please in an orderly fashion. Imagine what this part of California would look like without our Mexican friends. Yes we need to change some laws.