Domestic Violence

    As he ended what was suppose to be a rehearsed eulogy ,"she will be texting on her phone in heaven", the crowded church fell hush.  Some too emotional to notice the sentence, some in shock, while others confused as to why he made such emphasis on the use of a phone when her dear children sat teary eyed in front of him.  He couldnt say the words he had rehearsed or written in speech format before him because her mother without a doubt would take the podeum if he uttered any thing he had intended to say.  He hadnt planned for her appearance. In fact he had organized and connived her to be excluded so his now wife Kandi could make unrefutiated claim that Holley was her own.  This is what they had been telling the community of Dubuque, the news media, and what is written on Holley's head stone. Yet Holley's mother still recovering from a heart attack had managed  to make it to the funeral with her family members. And discovered the ruse and pretense that Jesse and Kandi had connocted to cover up their own dirty little secrets.  Since Holley's father had excluded arrangements for Holley's mother and her family there was nothing else for her to do but claim the prominent reserved seating they had dedicated for themselves.  All Kandi could do was glare at Holley's mother as she wouldnt dare challenge or attempt to reseat her without public confrontation of the lies she and Jesse had been telling everyone.



  Spread throughtout the mourning crowds of this Gothic church was Holley's real classmates and friends from Andrew, Maquoketa, and St Ambrose college. People who knew her, knew her life. All astounded by the pretense and ruse her father portrayed as Holley's life. A man so deceitful that he would lie to all about his own daughters chosen direction in life and how she got there, and the love she held for her two beautiful children, her mother, and the father of her children.The opportunity to tell her story that triumps her incredible determination and strength that would help so many misguided and abused teenagers that a will is all you need to change your life. But he will never be able to tell it because he has told the world a lie, and to keep the lie one must continue telling lies until even he must no longer know the truth.  A true story missed.







Every chance taken to speak meaningless words to an unsuspecting public seized and exploited by this deceitful man.    A true story missed.    Being a teenager is a trying time for both the parent and the teen. Some unfortunately more than others. Holley was one of the others. And the process of your parents divorcing only jolts the hysteria of teenage rebellion even more.  Holley had found out about her father's affair with Kandi and confronted him. That of course was not acceptable for this man to be shown his imperfection and it proceeded into a fight between them in Holley's room.  Her brother afraid for her safety when Jesse attempted to throw Holley out of the second story window called 911.  Holley fought back and his fear of being arrested became his fear and he begged for her not to report it and demanded I call them back and say it was a mistake. He actually ended up calling them and convincing them that no dispatch was needed and it was just a spat. Abusers are experts at getting out of such things. As time went on Holley decided she wanted to stay with Jesse. That lasted about four days and she was right back with me. They had gotten into a physical fight and he had tried to shove her down the stairs of his new apartment according to Holley.  This would be the last physical clash they had. He now had to use the emotional and physchological methods on her.   



Holley's first job was with a little sandwich type mom and pop operation for the summer. Her regular customers were usually local farmers. Not known for leaving tips, but the facility still only paid the $2.25 required wage.  Skeptic of her decision because of her general disposition was blount and sarcastic to most and that the waitress type was maybe not her forte'. Surprizingly she was quite good at waitressing and providing jovial and sarcastic humor to the clientel. 



Holley went off and began living with Steve. Soon baby Tre would come. She managed to complete  high school through an adult high school class in Maquoketa.  She worked a variety of jobs as Steve did trying to make their way. She decided to enter Nursing school and the reign of control with her father began again. In order to get tuition remission from the University of Dubuque she had to play to his demands.  That meant sneaking around to have contact with her mother and hiding it from him.  Still regular life continued and Things seemed to be working for both Holley and Steve.  They decided to have another baby and Kendall was born.  This did not set well with the catholic school of St Ambrose and it appeared they could overlook one baby out of wedlock but not two while enrolled in their school. Another up for the Dean of Admissions of Dubuque to show the power of his manipulation.  He manuevered it for her to remain enrolled and finish her degree. Early in 2007 Steve and Holley had started making wedding plans. She put a deposit on a wedding dress and they had chosen and placed a deposit on their rings. Both announced their plans for both of them to enlist in the military. Steve was at this time working  on his GED.  Holley on the other hand, was very over weight and had to lose a tsubstantial amount before she qualified to enlist in the Army. Both were proceeding with the avenues to their plans. And then something happened between Steve and Holley. After She lost the weight she moved out and into an apartment of her own. She without hesitation gave Steve custody of both children, Reviewing her Myspace it indicated she had felt a new awareness that she had lost her youth and the party life was part of her agenda.  After she graduated from Nursing school she enlisted into the Army most likely because of the tremdeous student debt she had accrued and the Army's offerings to pay it.  Her brother Beaux became friends with John Wimunc while serving in Iraq. He had introduced them and the whirl wind attraction began. Holley eloped with John Wimunc violence escaluated into her gruesome death.