He "was born at Desbororough, Leicester Shire, England, October 30, 1847. Came to Canada in 1869 then on to Kansas in the same year. Before coming to this country, he worked as a porter in a fashionable hotel at Scarborough, England. In Canada he worked in a logging camp.
Before he came to America he was a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge in England. In 1880, he returned to England to attend his sister's wedding. It was there he met the sister of the gentlemen his sister was marrying, Miss Emily Walker, born in Goadby, Leicester Shire, England, October 20, 1856. The daughter of John Walker and Maria (Popple) Walker. They were married Feb. 10, 1880 and came to Dover, Kansas, the same year to make this their permanent home. Mr. Holmes bought 120 acres on Haskell Creek. Their first child was born in the old Haskell Creek School House located on the farm where the farm yard now is. He and his wife lived in the school house while building his first home, 14 x 20, a one and one-half story house with four rooms. Later more rooms were added and it was one of the nicer homes in the community. He also built two large barns and other outbuildings. His son, Clyde, owns the farm and has since re-modeled the house, but the old original house is still there. Mr. Holmes, besides general farming, raised cattle, hogs and horses.
Mr. Holmes crossed the Atlantic Ocean five times. Mrs. Holmes crossed three times. They both lived to see their children grown to manhood and womanhood, were both kind and loving parents. They had eight children" in 1964 at Dover, Shawnee, Kansas
