Holmes Alford Semken, Jr.

Holmes Alford Semken, Jr.

Iowa City

Holmes Alford Semken, Jr. passed away peacefully on Jan. 2, 2024.

Born in Maryville, Tenn., Jan. 28, 1935, he was brought up in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas, before finishing his college education with a PhD from the University of Michigan. He was employed at the University of Iowa in the Department of Geology from 1965 to 1999. He retired as a Professor Emeritus still busy excavating a trio of giant ground sloths in SW Iowa. He was dedicated to teaching and research; had an insatiable passion for history and found great joy in traveling and exploring the world. A loyal friend of many, he loved his parents, Edith and Holmes Semken, Sr. He adored and married Elaine Friedrichs, his University of Texas sweetheart and wife of over sixty years.

He is survived by a devoted family.

A time of visitation for family and friends will be held from 4 to 7pm Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service.

Private family graveside services will be held at Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in his memory to either University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, mnh.uiowa.edu/support/make-donation, 11 Macbride Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 or American Battlefield Trust, battlefields.org/give, 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005. For a complete obituary or to share a condolence please visit Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website at www.gayandciha.com.