Lassie Green Holleman Sr., a Beloved Community Leader

The following accounts are written by Whitney Campbell Christensen, the great-granddaughter of Lassie Green Holleman Sr., and edited by Grace Holliman, May 2025.

Lassie Green Holleman Sr. was born August 30, 1884 in Wake, NC and died on September 19, 1956 in Durham, NC. In the early part of his life, Lassie Sr. was a farmer in the southwestern part of Wake County. His marriage announcement states he was from New Hill, where his ancestor Jordan Holleman settled many years earlier. His father was Henry W. Holleman (1855-1907), who married Quinetta Seagraves (1857-1940) in 1877. Lassie Sr. was the third of nine children born to Henry and Quinetta.

Lassie Sr. married Cornie Utley (1883-1974) in 1907, just three days after his father's death. The couple had two children, Vivian Alice Holleman (1909-1998) and Lassie Green Holleman Jr. (1926-2002). In December 1921, the family moved to Durham and opened a grocery store in the Braggtown area. The 1930 Census lists Lassie Sr.’s occupation as "merchant" in the “retail grocery” industry. This Census also indicates that he owned a home valued at $6,000. According to Whitney, her great-grandfather’s store thrived until the Great Depression, when Lassie Sr. gave away so much food from the grocery store that it nearly went out of business.

 Image: Lassie Sr. and Cornie Utley Holleman, date unknown. 

Whitney states that Lassie Sr. never let a family go hungry and frequently forgave unpaid grocery bills. He took pride in caring for his community, as his store was the food source for many families in Durham. Lassie Sr. always had insight into which families struggled financially based on their grocery purchasing patterns and ability to pay.

 Another story Whitney recalls about Lassie Sr. involves a WWII widow living in North Durham who struggled to buy food after losing her husband. She worked as a seamstress and resided in a large, beautiful colonial home built in 1775, located at Roxboro Road and Mason Road. Lassie Sr. convinced her to turn the property into a bed and breakfast inn. According to the story, just before the property was foreclosed, he paid her unpaid taxes and other debts to give her a fresh start. Although the inn may have fallen out of use for several years, it is now a top-ranked venue in Durham known as the Arrowhead Inn Bed and Breakfast. Whitney mentions that Durhamites love to claim that the Inn is haunted, but she doubts that it has anything to do with Lassie Sr. 

Images: The Arrowhead Inn, Durham, NC, in the 1950s and today.

Lassie Sr. gave away most of his wealth during his lifetime. When the Braggtown Baptist Church was being constructed, the congregation ran out of funds before the roof was completed. Lassie Sr. donated the money to finish the church's construction. A stained glass window in the church is dedicated to him, along with a plaque commemorating his generous gift. The church still stands in Braggtown, where Lassie Sr. was a deacon and charter member. 

 Image: Braggtown Baptist Church