Music part of life for Holtzapfel

Mike Holtzapfel was recently honored as Citizen of the Year 2016, at the Colonel Crawford graduation ceremonies. He isn’t sure how he received it, but one thing for sure, he is humble in acceptance. When you don’t expect an award it’s a surprise when it happens.

Mike, a native of German Village, in Columbus, is a son of Albert and Anne. His siblings are Frank, Judy, Donna, Kathy and Steve. Mike attended Capital University graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. He met his wife Dennise Kennedy on a blind date arranged by her sister, also a ‘Capital girl’ from Chatfield.

After their marriage they moved back to this area where Mike began his teaching career. He taught music for two years at St. Peter’s in Mansfield and started their first band. He also owned a music business in Bucyrus a short time named Holtzapfel’s Music Center.

The majority of his career was spent at Galion where he taught elementary music 36 years. He wasn’t involved as much with band but helped the fifth and sixth grade beginning band students. He was a high school assistant director for a short time, when the well known Jack Arlen was there.

Holtzapfel did a lot of musical plays like Wizard of Oz and wrote several of his own plays which was rather fun. Two special plays he wrote honored Dr. Seuss and Jim Henson when they passed away. Mike also wrote music for historical people and patriotic plays.

Music has always been a part of Mike’s life, at about five; he was entertaining the next door neighbors. His dad played the accordion and he imitated what he saw and heard. He said the accordion is not as difficult as people may think; all of the buttons are organized in a way that makes sense. Mike was a member of Capital University’s men’s glee club and toured with them, while in college. Do you recall his band, the “Sounds of Luv?”

They played at the former Brown Derby about five years and for wedding receptions. The Bratwurst Festival features two street musicians, under the name of “Mike and Larry” walking along the parade route. Mike on the accordion and Larry Weaver on the stumpf fiddle.

They are in the German tent in the north end too, and Mike was on the Carle’s float in the parade for a few years. Mike and Larry worked together almost 36 years while teaching in Galion.

Mike has a balancing act between music, swimming and his coaching career. He said it’s a long story, and his wife Dennise had something to do with it. Galion High School needed a head coach in 1981; he had some background, and applied, thinking he didn’t have a chance at the job.

The rest is history; he was there four seasons and hasn’t stopped coaching for thirty plus years. He went to swim clinics, read a lot of books to get better in coaching. He served as assistant at Bucyrus and Galion Y and as head coach of the Mansfield Y “Waves Program five years. At that time he had a lot success as many kids went to Nationals and State champs.

The biggest experience was the excitement of taking a boy to the 2000 Olympic trials. Mike has ‘racked up’ 28 years as summer swim team head coach at Colonel Crawford and 17 years as high school head coach.

Holtzafel’s kids were Colonel Crawford students, and he became a swim team parent for other coaches, such as Neil Jarvis. He was president of the swim club for one year and years later when the job opened he applied as coach. Behind the scenes, Mike and his wife, Dennise, are a team, and they look over lineups and work together on many aspects of the team. She is very much involved as assistant coach and creating the website.

He attributes a lot of the success to them working together as a team. The only time they weren’t school swim champions was his 1st year of coaching, his 2nd year they took first place, and haven’t looked back. They work ‘very hard’ at this, and if they win the championship this year it will be 27 in a row!

Reflecting just a bit over the many years, and all those students, he is happy to see them again. It’s hard to recognize a lot of the students once they have grown up, and they ask “do you remember me?” Watching them grow up, see what they’ve become and sharing is very special. One of the highlights of coaching the summer swim team is watching the kids grow in the sport. Swimmers that have gone to the “High School State Meet” may have started with Mike when they were eight.

Teaching runs in most of his family. Dennise taught kindergarten and special education, retiring from Galion City Schools; daughter Shelli lives in Bucyrus, and teaches in Mt. Gilead; Brian works at Loyola Marymont University in California and Andy is employed in the Atlanta area.

If you are interested in genealogy or sharing a story email or write Crawford County Genealogy Society, 931 Marion Road, Bucyrus, OH 44820 Mary Fox email Littlefoxfactory@columbus.rr.com