The following was written by a friend of the blacksmith, George Miller and it appeared in the Washington Missourian:

For the town of Augusta a door to a great era was closed Wednesday, May 18, when Mr. Wilbert Holt passed away. Mr. Holt was the town blacksmith for the past 60 years. Wilbert Conrad Holt was born January 2, 1993, in Cappeln, Mo. to Fritz and Anna Holt. He was baptized at St. John's United Church of Christ in Cappeln.

Mr. Holt learned his blacksmith trade from his Uncle Louis Holt of Femme Osage and as a young man married Francis Duebbert September 14, 1916, who preceeded him in death in 1950. Shortly thereafter the Holts came to Augusta where Mr. Holt blacksmithed until October of 1976.

The Holts were blessed with five children, Mrs. Enid Struckhoff and her family of Washington, Mrs. Estelle Buxell and her family of Minneapolis, Minn., Mr. Layton Holt and his family of Augusta, Mr. Victor Holt and his family of Fort Worth, Tex. and Leslie Holt who died in in. fancy. Also surviving Mr. Holt are eight grandchildren, one brother, Mr. Luke Holt of New Melle, four great grandchildren, nieces nephew, sons-in law, daughters-in-law and many other relatives and friends.

Although the door to the blacksmith shop closed in October, 1976 the thoughts of town people, I'm sure, were that the doors would reopen again in spring. The shop served not only as a place of business for Mr. Holt, but as a gathering place for many of Augusta's town people. The doors to the shop now remain closed but as the town's people pass by the shop the vision of Mr. Holt walking to work, lunch box in hand, will appear before them and the familiar clang, clang, clang from the shop will ring in their ears to say another day has begun.