Wendell Holland

Marcia Holland is the sister of Wendell Allen Holland, part of the Camphill Village Kimberton Hills community since 1979. Marcia and her husband Alan Wiegand live in Vero Beach, Florida. They remember well when they brought Wendell to Camphill Kimberton for a trial visit that Marcia recalls as “horrific” - Wendell wanted to be at home in Vermont. There were multiple trial visits before Wendell settled into life at Camphill Kimberton – Marcia credits the love and skill of Diedra Heitzman and Michael Babitch, and Martha Napolitano and Ben Cownap with “turning the tide.” Wendell did indeed find a home and new life at Camphill Kimberton; Marcia reminisces, “He became kind of the mayor of Camphill.”

Wendell Allen Holland was born in 1950 in Lexington, Massachusetts, the fourth child of Kenneth and Mary Kimball Holland. Wendell’s mother was a graduate in music composition from Smith College and an active musician throughout her life; Wendell’s father, Kenneth Holland, was U.S. representative to UNESCO in Paris and then president of the Institute of International Education in New York City. Wendell had been living for a few years at Elwyn in Pennsylvania at the time of his father’s sudden death in 1977. He was brought home then so the family could be together. Two years later, the family learned about Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, which became his new home.

Wendell was known as a hard worker, handsome, stubborn, independent, and humorous. He was a gardener, becoming quite adept at turning compost piles. He is a regular at Sunday service, where he knows and quietly speaks nearly all the words; he sings the songs with gusto - enjoying switching octaves and ending on a deep bass note.

The Holland family has remained actively involved with Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. Marcia remembers that her mother, Mary Holland, made brownies to bring to Wendell and his friends in her frequent visits. In 2004 Mary contributed toward the construction of the new Casper Hauser Center on the estate, and Marcia and Alan have continued to contribute annually. The family has arranged for continuing support for Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. The community has been part of the life of the Holland family, and the Holland family is part of the life of CVKH.