Any chance of pictures?

It is very difficult to help with no idea of your location, but here goes: A certsin percentage of holly leaves naturally turn yellow prior to dropping. These are replaced by new green leaves. If you live in an area that had deep snow and unusually cold temperatures this past winter, that might explain the green leaves at the bottom and yellow ones nearer the top. The yellowing could also be a result of cold and high winds burning the leaves to the point of desiccation. If this were the case, though, the damage would be worse on the most exposed sides. Z6a is close to the zone limit for the Meserve hollies and newly planted ones are less hardy than those which have become established. Serious iron deficiency can cause yellowing leaves, but that should have appeared earlier and presumably you knew the soil was suitable for hollies before planting. It is highly doubtful that any disease is involved. More likely winter damage is to blame. Be patient. They may well recover in time.

I agree. Need pics and more specific location. Mere speculation would be winter cold damage. Was it an open windy location?

My guess is also winter burn. Some of my blue prince and princesses also have yellowing/browning leaves at the top. If you scratch the branches you will likely notice green under the bark. Just give them a couple months to recover.

ok, I finally got pictures. So all my Blue Maids did this and some of the Blue Princesses have started to turn just recently. Actually, this picture I have (I have a crappy flip phone so this is all I got), shows the leaf part greenish and a good part black. the blue princess' only have maybe one or two leaves like this.

The Blue Maids are completely brown except maybe one row on the bottom that is still green.

Lowes is actually replacing them but I want to know if it's a disease I should be concerned about or not.

It is very difficult to get marginal (near the edge of their zone) broad-leafed evergreens established in winters like the last two without some protection from winds and heavy mulching. My guess is cold damage. And it sometimes doesn't really show up until April.

thanks! Would you recommend cutting off the branches or just the leaves that have gone brown?

I would wait until mid-to-late June to see if the branches recover before snipping them off. My blue princess/prince hollies, rhodies, and azaleas all have this, not to mention my yews and dwarf Alberta Spruce. It's merely winter burn, and the branches will likely recover. "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

great, thanks!