John W. Holmes

BEEM, HAINES, HARRELL, HOLMES

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/7/2004 at 11:36:25

John W. Holmes is now living practically retired in Winterset after many years of active and successful connection with agricultural interests. He is one of the county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Scott township on the 1st of February, 1861, his parents being John S. and Elizabeth (Beem) Holmes. The father was born in Jackson county, Indiana, and was reared to farm life. He wedded Elizabeth Beem, also a native of the same county and in the year 1855 they made their way westward to Iowa, casting in their lot with the pioneer settlers of Madison county. Mr. Holmes purchased land in Scott township which he developed and improved, remaining upon the farm. until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-three years of age. In his political views he was an earnest republican and filled various township offices and was also county supervisor for a short time, when he resigned. He met with a fair measure of success in his business interests and left considerable land, the home farm comprising three hundred and ten acres, in addition to which he owned another farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He had also given one hundred and twenty acres to his children. He engaged in raising cattle and other stock and his business affairs were wisely directed. He deserved much credit for what he accomplished, for he was a self-made man, winning his prosperity entirely through his own well directed efforts. He was thoroughly reliable in all of his dealings and his entire life was in consistent harmony with his professions as a member of the Baptist church. His wife was one of the well known pioneer women of the county and shared with her husband in the trials and hardships of the early days. She, too, was a loyal member of the Baptist church. Surviving her husband, she died at the age of seventy years after rearing a family of ten children to man and womanhood, while one child of their marriage passed away in early life.

John W Holmes spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He was educated in the public schools, which he attended to the age of eighteen years. His father being in poor health, John W. Holmes and his younger brother then took charge of the farm which they operated for a long period. Later they purchased the property and John W. Holmes still owns seventy acres of that tract He was born, lived and was married in the same house, one of the pioneer log houses of the county. In 1910 he sold a part of his farm and in the spring of 1913 he rented the remainder of the farm and came to Winterset, where he is now living retired, enjoying a well earned rest. His life up to that time had been a very active and busy one, for he was continuously engaged in farm work, beginning the cultivation of his fields in the early spring and continuing the work of crop development until the harvests were gathered in the late autumn. The winter, too, was not without its duties and his farm work was continued uninterruptedly until he retired.

On the 24th of September, 1885, Mr. Holmes was united in marriage to Miss Elvira Harrell, a native of this county and a sister of Edgar Harrell, in whose record on another page of this work a sketch of the family is give. To Mr. and Mrs. Holmes has been born a daughter, Mabel, now the wife of Ora E. Haines. They occupy her father's farm. Mr. Holmes is a republican in his political views and has held various township offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity. He holds membership in the Christian church, while his wife is a member of the Methodist church. They are well known and have a large circle of warm friends in Winterset and throughout the county, where they
have both lived from pioneer times.

Taken from the book, "The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915"