Dr. Javen Holm has recently retired and the building his business, Family Eye Care, was in has been put up for sale.

FAIRMONT– Dr. Javen Holm, a long-time optometrist in Fairmont, recently retired and the building his practice, Family Eye Care, was in has been put up for sale.

Holm, who is originally from North Dakota, studied at North Dakota State University and then went on to Pacific University in Oregon. There he obtained a degree in optometry.

When asked why he chose the profession he did, Holm said, “I knew I wanted to do something in biology. It was one of my better classes. Helping people has always been of interest to me.”

As for how he ended up in Fairmont, Holm said coming out of school, the jobs were in the midwest, specifically rural areas. He moved to Fairmont in 1988 and began working at Midwest Vision, which was located in the Five Lakes Centre Mall.

“I spent a couple years there and from there I went to Neist Eye Clinic and spent 12 years there. I learned a lot there,” Holm said of working with Dr. Roger Neist, who retired from optometry himself a few years ago.

After that, Holm went out on his own. Family Eye Care opened in 2005 and was initially inside the strip mall near HyVee. When HyVee decided to expand, his practice moved in 2011 to its current location at 1210 E. Blue Earth Ave.

Holm said one of the most significant changes he’s seen over 34 years in optometry has been the emergence of electronic records, which has continued to change over time.

“I’ve had great staff people. Lives change and they come and go and right now it’s hard to hire,” Holm said.

He’s also enjoyed seeing and helping patients and said that’s one of the things he’ll miss the most in retirement.

“I love the patient side of it, but I did not care for the business side of it. That’s the kicker, that’s what caused the kind of early retirement,” Holm said.

Holm has recently retired from seeing patients; however, he’s still closing up the business loops and has been working minimal hours in the morning.

Initially, he put up his business for sale, but wasn’t having luck finding someone to take over.

“I tried that for several months. New students coming out have no money. Younger people tend to favor the urban areas, so I basically closed the doors,” Holm said.

His patient’s records have been transferred to Associate Optometry for safekeeping, and the building has been put up for sale. Holm said he’s had a few people express interest but nothing has been solidified.

In retirement, Holm is looking forward to spending time outdoors golfing, fishing and hunting. He also plans to spend time with his five grandchildren.

Holm and his wife, Anne, plan to stay in the area. Fairmont is “home base” for their family. His three children are located in Des Moines, Sioux Falls and the Twin Cities.

“The Fairmont community has been very supportive of me and kind to my family and we’ve appreciated that,” Holm said.