Seven Months and No News

It's hard to believe that 7 months has passed and we have no additional information regarding Anthony's whereabouts. We don't know if he is alive and well or in great need of help or if he has passed either due to foul play or accident.

Every day, he is in our thoughts and prayers. He is missed by so many of us. It is especially hard for his parents and his siblings. We all hope for some tip or closure. We are currently hoping to get Anthony included in a book about the missing and we are reaching out to the "Disappeared" TV show and America's Most Wanted. We are hoping to get Anthony's name in the media as much as possible. We really feel that he has received very little coverage.

Due to deer hunting season, his wife did not allow us to search the land. So no searches have been conducted for 2 to 3 months. Deer season is over but the weather has not cooperated. As soon as the roads and weather clear up, we will be conducting more searches. We hope and pray to find some clue or something to help us.

In case you have not heard the remains of the missing Virginia Tech student, Morgan Harrington, were recently found. Such a tragic outcome but there is now closure. Here is a quote from her father in one article I read: "Morgan's mother, Gil, and I are overwhelmingly saddened by yesterday's discovery, but we are also relieved because our questions can now be answered and we can give our daughter a proper burial". I ask that you please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

All We Want For Christmas Is To Find Anthony

As you all know, yesterday was December 21 and 4 days before Christmas. And it marked another anniversary of Anthony's disappearance, 6 months now.

This is a difficult month for our family. December is Anthony's birthday, Christmas and the anniversary of his 1/2 year disappearnace date. Plus December is the month after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was tough for the family as we all get together on Saturday after Thanksgiving t0 have an early Christmas celebration.

This link is a puplication of Project Jason and a posting about Anthony in their Home For The Holidays series:
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2009/12/home-for-holidays-anthony-holland.html

A good friend passed this link to me and if you get time please take a look at it and consider signing it:

http://www.change.org/actions/view/silver_alert_kristens_act

We continue to hope and pray that he is out there alive and well. But we continue to fear that he has been injured or killed. We just need answers. We have not done many searches lately due to deer hunting season and other commitments (graduations, Thanksgiving with our families, Christmas functions, etc). But we plan to start searching land again soon.

On a happier and lighter note, we all wish you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May you get all your Christmas wishes and dreams.

Also know that we still feel so thankful for all your help, prayers and well wishes. We appreciate all of you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is Anthony's 52nd birthday!!! The picture is from his birthday back in 1982. He has been missing for 25 weeks - well actually it is 25 weeks tomorrow. And we all still miss him desperately!

Everyday is hard for all of us. Today on his birthday it is exceptionally hard. He is never far from our thoughts. We think of him everyday and have to strive to not let this situation control all our thoughts. It is just so puzzling. We go through thought patterns of thinking and hoping is alive and well. Then you ask yourself "Why didn't he take money with him or what is he living on? And why hasn't anyone heard from him?". Then you have moments where you consider the worse. Did someone do something to him and if so where did they put his body. Then you think, did he accidentally die or do harm to himself? But then you think, how come we cannot find his body. It's hard to hide yourself that well.

If you know Anthony, you know how generous he is. He is one of the most generous people I have ever known. And you would know how kind and sweet he is. He also loves to just sit and talk. That is one of the reasons I have a hard time thinking he is okay because I feel like he would have called someone by now. He would have a hard time not reaching out to family and friends just to see how things are going. He would have to know what all has changed since he left.

And if you know Anthony you know he did have some problems. But don't we all? The one thing about Anthony is that he is a fighter. He would always find a way to overcome. Maybe this disappearance is part of that plan for him. I hope so.

Anthony is so missed by his mom, dad and his sister and brother. I know they shed tears almost daily. They spend hours just reminiscing about him. It does them good to talk about him. It is so hard not to have closure. And of course Anthony is so missed by my family as well. He lived with us back in the 70's and is very much part of our family. We all love him and miss him dearly.

We all wish he was here so that we could have a birthday party for him and we look forward to having one with him in the future.

Please pray for Anthony's safety and his safe return. He is so important to all of us and we can't wait to have him with us again. And if having him with us is not to be, then we all need closure so please include this in your prayers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY wherever you are. And may God be with you!

Christmas with the Hollands

The last time any family members heard from Anthony Holland was on Fathers Day this year. He was last seen at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, June 21, 2009 at his home in Cordell, Oklahoma. About one hour earlier, he had returned home from a gun show held at Elk City, Oklahoma. He visited with his wife, stated he had errands to run, and he has not been seen since. On the following day, his abandoned farm truck was found and later his cell phone was found approximately 8 miles from his home on farm land he owns. All his personal items, such as wallet, check book, driver’s license, large amount of cash, and pocket knife were discovered at his home. Numerous air and ground searches with tracking dogs, cadaver dogs, spelunkers, divers, horseback riders and hikers have been conducted but no evidence has been found.

Anthony had made Cordell, Oklahoma his home. He has lived there for over 30 years. His wife and he were blessed with two sons. Anthony owned a Snap-On franchise and several farms and other ventures. His pastimes included hunting, fishing, reading western novels and just talking to family and friends.

Traditional family Christmases for our family always starts the Saturday after Thanksgiving in western Oklahoma, near Anthony’s home. Approximately 30 loved ones consisting of aunts, uncles, niece, nephews, and cousins gather for a late lunch and a hilarious, gift grabbing, finger pointing Santa gift exchange game. Then the Christmas holiday is spent in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the home of his parents. All the family is there which includes sister, brothers, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and any and all extras that need or want to share in eating his mom’s homemade dinner rolls.

In the Holland’s home you will find children gathering in the game room, with girls playing dress up with frilly dresses and make-up, boys on electronic games, accumulating points and points and more points, all just to see who will be the virtual winner. Adults are spread out through the living areas and kitchen, talking, sharing, rejoicing, cooking, cleaning, loving, and laughing. Throughout the evening the Holland clan is entertained with fashion shows, show and tell, and gradually become referees for the youngsters, all the while immensely enjoying the love and companionship shared by the family.

Anthony has always been a very giving person. He truly enjoys finding the perfect gift for family members and for friends. He frequently surprised numerous of us with a gift when it was not Christmas, birthday or any special occasion. He always made notes of what people liked and then would find that item and truly enjoyed giving them that gift. One Christmas, his sister fondly remembers that when he found out she was taking a trip to New York City, he quickly supplemented her gift with several hundred dollars to make her trip more enjoyable. She is a single mom so this helped her a lot. All of us remember how excited Anthony was to help with any difficult tape that was on the presents. He always carried his pocket knife and would jump up to dash across the room to help the children, grandparents, parents or his siblings open a present by cutting through the tape. So you can imagine how much Anthony liked Christmas. It was a holiday made for him. It was always fun to see what Anthony had in store for everyone.

This will be our first Christmas since Anthony disappeared. It will be very hard as it is also the month of his birth and the half year anniversary of his disappearance. His mom and sister are planning to put together a memory board of photos of Anthony and other memorabilia. In this way we hope to feel his closeness and remember him for the awesome individual he is. Another reminder will be the many Snap-On Christmas collectibles that Anthony has given us over the years. As we decorate our homes this year these collectibles will be so special to all of us.

Each day that goes by is another day without Anthony. We hope and pray that he is safe. We also pray that we will learn of his whereabouts soon. The days have already turned into weeks and now they are becoming months. We all have faith that we will find Anthony one day and this faith keeps us all going. We are also fortunate to have such a close and loving family. We give each other strength, courage and a shoulder to cry on as needed. We all love Anthony and hope to be blessed with his presence for future holidays.

Written with considerable help from Anthony’s sister, Candice and his mom, Rena

Anthony Holland - 21 Weeks Missing

Well, today is 21 weeks and still no news.

Anthony is the featured missing person for the 18 WHEEL ANGELS in a national truckers magazine. Story is posted in a blog from October 3rd. We so desperately hope this will get his story and picture looked at by thousands of truckers all over this great nation.

We all went out searching this weekend. A very nice family allowed us to search their property. Their land and home is just north of Anthony's land where his pick-up and cell phone were found. We appreciate all the land owners that have been so gracious to us. My aunt sacrificed her Saturday and went out with us. We continue to be awed by everyone's kindness and help.

I got so lost on this search. I don't understand how but I would head out walking west of the my dad's truck, and continue to walk west and the next thing I knew I was east of his truck. Go figure. But you can tell that the thickets were thick (see pictures) even though the leaves were dead. I think I entered one and then another and just got turned around. We did see one snake (harmless) and a coyote. But that was all - no clues.

The Weeks Are Adding Up

Yesterday was 19 weeks. It is almost impossible to believe. I never in a million years thought that we would not have found him by now.

We had a family meeting yesterday. Unfortunately, we did not reach any decisions on what to do next. Some want to continue to search the farm land even though it is hunting season and others are scared one of us would get shot. I TRULY believe that if one of us was missing, Anthony would search right through deer season for us!!!

During the family meeting I was reminded of Anthony's generosity and thoughtfulness. I remember him buying my brother, my sister and me a brand new dirt bike with the money he earned on wheat harvest. Very considerate for a 18 year old boy. He also bought my parents a dining room table. That's Anthony!!

Our family hopes and prays that he is out there safe somewhere but we find it hard to believe that none of us have heard from him. Anthony never did anything alone. He always wants company. We continue to fear that he fell to his death out on the farms or died of heat stroke. We also worry that he was a victim of foul play. We desperately need answers.

Please print a poster (http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_AnthonyHolland.pdf) and post it at your school, work place or church. We would appreciate that so much! Also, we thank everyone for their encouragement, their help with the searches and their kind words and prayers. May God bless all of you.

Four Months and No Signs

Today is October 21. I know you all know that but did you know that today is the 4 month anniversary of Anthony's disappearance.... and we have no additional information. For this blog I am going to include comments and thoughts that have been expressed by different family members and friends.

Rena and William (parents) say with tears in their eyes that there isn't a day that goes by that they don't talk about Anthony and all the things that they did together. Every day they think of him and miss him so much. They did so many things with him and not having him here is so hard for them.

Candice (sister) says that she is determined to find Anthony. She will not give up. She misses him so much and desperately longs for answers. She thinks of him everyday and spends time planning the next search or event. She hopes that Anthony knows how desperate we are to find him and how much we care.

Kevin (brother) says he is hoping to cover as much of the surrounding farm land as possible. He wants to eliminate all the land near the farm where the abandoned pick up was found. He hopes that if anyone is aware of Anthony's whereabouts that they will inform the authorities. This would mean so much to our entire family. Today is the four month anniversary of Anthony's disappearance but at times it feels like yesterday that he was with us.

Teresa, that's me, says that each day, week and month that goes by with no additional clues, I find myself really fearful that we may never find him. I worry that if he was a victim of foul play that there will not be justice. I worry that if he was accidentally killed, that we may never find his body. And I worry that if he left on his own accord that we may never learn where he is.

Coletta (close friend) says she still comes home every day thinking that Anthony will just be sitting on the deck just like he used to do. She said Anthony loves to sit out there and just talk.

Joel and Laveta (Uncle and Aunt) says that when they first heard he was missing they never dreamed it would be 4 months later and the family would have no idea where he is. We think of Anthony as our son not just as a nephew. We miss him and just hope and pray we get answers soon.

Dana (cousin) says she feels isolated from the family searches and other activities since she is living in Colorado. She does what she can like keeping Anthony in her prayers and distributing posters. She says that she feels very anxious for every search and can't wait to hear the results of the searches. She hopes we learn something soon.

These are just some of our thoughts and feelings. WE ALL MISS ANTHONY and we all long for the day that we can embrace Anthony or that we get some answers.

This week a new poster was made available. It is through The National Center for Missing Adults. See this link to print it and we would love it if you could post it in a window or send the link to a friend.

www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200905760S

Thanks again for even just taking the time to read this. We appreciate all that everyone has done!