"Shear" determination

Paris resident Debby Jo Holmquist publishes moving memoir

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Debby Jo Holmquist is a professional shepherdess and entrepreneur. She holds four national certifications in the medical field, a multitude of “Top Shepherd” awards and has been nominated for the Dorset Sheep Hall of Fame.

Her newest title, however, has less to do with certifications or her world record for the third highest-selling Dorset ram in the history of the breed and more to do with her astounding resilience. As of Jan. 16, the Paris resident is now a published author.

"A Shepherdess Beaten But Never Broken" is  Holmquist’s captivating new memoir. A riveting story of perseverance and determination, despite the afflictions of life.

“My whole theme for my whole life has been about never giving up,” Holmquist said in an interview just days before her book was released. “I'm living proof that you should keep your faith and keep your face up. If you have a passion, you should go after it.”

Holmquist’s prolific new book was released on Jan. 17 on Amazon, debuting as a best seller in four different categories and claiming the number one spot in two categories (Dysfunctional Relationships and Animal Care & Pets). Copies of Holmquist’s book sold in five different countries during her 48-hour launch.

The book details her inspirational life story as a determined young child, often left to her own devices and chastised by everyone around her, including her ruthless, abusive father and vindictive mother.

Despite a childhood many would consider criminal, Holmquist’s spirit soared to life and her passion for livestock, especially sheep, was evident at an early age. Raised on a sheep farm, Holmquist began caring for newborn sheep and orphaned lambs at a young age, often tending to 10 or 15 at a time.

“(Sheparding) was a passion and a dream I always had, ever since I was little, ever since I could walk. My playground was my sheep barn,” she said. “I just always knew from the time I was little that I wanted to be a professional shepherd. Sheep were my life and I was going to make that happen no matter what.”

A natural-born leader with a compassionate heart, Holmquist represented shepherds and shepherdesses while collecting international recognition as a teenager. Eventually, after the death of her grandma, Momma Jo, she made her way into the professional world of shepherding, defying the odds stacked against her.

“My father spit in my face, literally spit in my face, and said ‘You will never be anything.’ I really want (people) to know that if someone does that to them or tells them they're worthless or that they can't go after their dream, they need to believe in themselves,” the author explained. “It may be hard,  but it'll be worth it in the end.”

According to Holmquist, her story is meant to be a testament to those who have experienced heartache and heartbreak or face obstacles that feel immovable.

“When I left home, I had half a bag of clothes and $8 in the penny jar. I slept in a cow barn for three nights … I had nothing, but I had a dream and a will to live,” Holmquist said. “All I had was that dream and that will to live.”

The same will to live carried the shepherdess through several additional trials, including the heart-wrenching decision to sell her beloved sheep to care for her husband of 33 years.

“He was really sick and I had to sell all my sheep because he couldn't work anymore and I had to take care of him,” she said. “I lost all my sheep, then, I lost him.”

“Sometimes being in the trenches is the best place to be … I am glad that I was in the trenches. I would not wish that on anyone else, but it made me who I am,” Holmquist said. “You can always find light in the darkness, even in the trenches.”

Holmquist relocated to the Midwest 12 years ago to be closer to family. As a self-proclaimed “farmer at heart,” her move to sheep country has been a positive change, allowing her to continue chasing the light and resume chasing her shepherd dreams.

“I had to start all over again from the ground up,” Holmquist said. “And I did. I did it again.”

Shortly after settling in Edgar County, Holmquist said she found herself turning to the idea of a book, especially after finding a new love and getting married to her now husband, Bruce Houle.

“The very few people who knew my story always told me ‘You need to write a book’ and I had thought about it,” she said. “When I got remarried and I told (my husband) about my story, he told me ‘You really need to write your story.’”

In 2020, she started writing, and what began as a lifetime of pain and fierce determination transitioned into a healing process.

“I discovered that writing is therapeutic,” Holmquist said. “It’s not easy to sit down and write 55 years worth of your life … I had control taken from me when I was little, and I was made to feel powerless. Now, I have my control back. By writing, I have my control back. ”

The process of recounting her childhood memories was never easy,  especially when it came to reliving the loss of her beloved sheep Porgy, or suffering under the physical, emotional and mental disparagement of her parents, but with the encouragement of her family, Holmquist pursued her newest dream.

“It's difficult sometimes, you know, some of the memories,  I sobbed at some of the stories, especially when it came to my lambs, but writing it gives you a voice,” Holmquist said. “A lot of those memories are so deep and you carry them inside of you your whole life. I’ve never forgotten anything that happened to me.”

“After doing some research, I know that 50 percent of people who experience abuse never speak about it,” Holmquist added. “Children that go through abuse don't speak about it for normally 24 to 25 years, not until they feel safe enough to do so.”

 The first draft of her manuscript took Holmquist a year. During that time, she reconnected with a childhood friend who connected her with a publisher and taught her everything she needed to know about writing.

“I had the first few pages and I gave it to my husband. I remember he wrote on it, ‘This is going to be a phenomenal story.’ He pushed me really hard last year especially,” she said.

Holmquist’s message of perseverance is on full display in her memoir. Her tenacity and determination fill every page. With every chapter pointing to her focus, a reminder is written to people from all walks of life that “if you're in the darkness, search for the light and never give up.”

“You know, I have had people laugh behind my back and whisper behind my back. ‘She'll never make it.’ So, I think, if you have a dream, you have to go after it. Find the light and believe in yourself,” she said. “Never give up.”

Now that she has released her memoir,  Holmquist spends a good portion of her time traveling and judging contests as a nationally certified Dorest Sheep judge. She has traveled from coast to coast judging at some of the largest livestock shows in the world, including the North American International Livestock Exhibition in Louisville, Kent.

Regardless of where she goes, the shepherdess said she is always keeping an eye out for the downtrodden.

“I’ll take any chance I can to help someone learn that they can do whatever it is they want,” she said. “I just want to provide that encouragement and reassurance that (they) are worth pursuing their dreams.”

‘A Shepherdess Beaten’ is available for purchase on Amazon and Holmquists’ website, www.debholmquist.com. The author is also available for speaking engagements; she will be at the Clinton Library on Jan. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m., and at the Paris Rotary Club’s meeting on Feb. 10.