Isabel Wood Holt (1899–1996) was the wife of former
Governor of West Virginia
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
Homer A. Holt and served as that state's
First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
, 1937-1941. She was born January 23, 1899, at
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...
. In 1924, she married
Homer A. Holt. As first lady, she dedicated most of her time to raising their three young children ((Julia Kinsley Holt (Coyle), Isabel Drury Holt (Dannenberg) and Robert Byrne Holt)). After leaving office, the Holts remained in
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...
, where the former governor practiced law. Following his death in 1975, Isabel remained in Charleston in her home on Bridge Road. She kept a garden on the place and grew the World's best tomatoes and canteloupes according to her grandson, Claiborne Holt Coyle. Isabel Wood Holt died on September 5, 1996, and was buried in
Lewisburg, West Virginia
Lewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,930 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Greenbrier County.
Geography
Lewisburg is located approximately one mile north of the Greenbrier River. ...
.
["West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Isabel Wood
1899 births
1996 deaths
People from Charlottesville, Virginia
First ladies and gentlemen of West Virginia
People from Charleston, West Virginia
20th-century American women
20th-century American people