John William holmes

In a careful consideration of the truly representative citizens of Van Buren Township, Grant Co., the biographer must pay particular attention to the gentleman whose name introduces this article, being as he is one of those self-made and substantial agriculturist whose efforts have redounded in the making of the present prosperity enjoyed by the people of this section of the state. No citizen of Van Buren township is more favorably know and more truly liked than is he whose hosts of warm friends point to him as a model farmer, citizen and gentleman. His desirable home, some three miles from the village, is in every respect a model one, share the most cordial hospitality is one extended to all. In many respects, he is truly considered a man whose life is well worth study by the coming generation, for the valuable pints that may readily be gleaned therefrom. He was born in Green County, Ohio on the 9^th day of July 1825, and is now in consequences merging upon his seventy-sixth year; though with mind unclouded and body well preserved, bids fair for a full decade more.

His father was John Holmes, who was a native of New Jersey, as was his father, Jonathan though his mother Mary was of Irish ancestry. Patience Pugh, the mother of John W. was the daughter of Benjamin Pugh of Virginia, where she was born, coming to New Jersey when a small child.

About the year 1835, the Holmes family removed to Clinton County, Ohio, migrating five years later to Delaware County this state. The parents were highly respected pioneers of that county contributing to no small degree to Delaware County improvement. Each attained advanced years, the father dying at eighty-three, while the mother survived to the extreme age of ninety-one, her demise occurring at Hartford City. Longevity was rather a characteristic of her family, a brother attaining the same age.

Of nine children born to them, seven reached maturity, though John is the only resident of this county. His boyhood and youth were not dissimilar to those periods in the live of most young men reared in the new country, remaining with the family until he reached his majority, when he returned to the old home of the family in Ohio. After working for a time, he returned to the Delaware county home, soon after purchasing a tract of new land upon which he assumed an indebtedness of three hundred dollars, the entire purchase price being $450.00. During the succeeding five years he managed to place about twenty acres in a state of cultivation as to obtain a comfortable living therefrom. Meantime, on the 16^th of September, 1852, he was united in marriage with Miss Barbara Yohe, then age nineteen, who was born in Pennsylvania, removing to Ohio when a child. Five years after his marriage, Mr. Holmes secured his present home farm of one hundred and fifty acres, which was but partially cleared, but although in a flat section, had not as yet been drained to this essential feature of improvement he set efforts, as at the time only the higher places were capable of cultivation. After securing a suitable outlet, he began laying the old style timber ditches, by which he managed to add greatly to the value of the farm. In a few years these were replaced with the more modern and more desirable tile drains, at great expenses thus insuring a farm in first class condition, enabling him to produce crops superior to others. Nearly two thousand rods this drainage has been laid , reclaiming many places that were before absolutely worthless, and converting such into the most fertile spots on the entire farm. Good barns were erected, and in 1881 the present commodious residence was built, thus completing a line of improvements that makes this one of the most valuable farms in the entire township. Two other farms have been added, one lying a half-mile distance in Huntington County, and the other some four miles from the home place. To the conduct of these farms he has been wholly devoted, but by this devotion to the one enterprise of this life, he became master of the science of agriculture, having taken advantage of the recognized best plan weather in the tillage of the soil, the planting and tending of crops, or tint he rotation of crops or handling them after production. It has been a constant practice for him to keep high-grade stock, though he ahs not posed as a breeder of purebreds. The crops produced are invariably fed on the farm, from forty to eighty heads being sold from the place each season. Lying in the great oil field of Indiana, the farm has been fairly well developed in that respect. There being now seventeen active wells in operation on the two farms, nine of the home place and eight in Huntington County. The output from these wells has far exceeded the fondest expectation, the royalty received by Mr. Holmes running from five to eight hundred dollars a month. After traveling life's pathway together for forty seven years, this worthy couple were separated by the first death that had occurred in the family, that of the estimable wife, which was on the 27^th of December, 1899, after being a sufferer for about two year. Hers was a noble character, whose whole existence seemed for the benefit of those who loved. She lived to see her eleven children reared to honored man and womanhood, the family circle being broken only by her demise. Herself and husband have been for many years respected members of the Otterbein United Brethren Church in Jefferson Twp., Huntington County, and had so lived that the noble teachings of the master shone forth in the most resplendent lights in her character. Few families reflect to greater degree the teachings by word and example of the mother, and none hold the universal esteem of all more fully than do the offspring of this salted woman. The children are, Wellington Homes, who for many years has been identified as a teacher with the educational growth of the county, and who at present is the efficient express agent and popular justice of the peace of Van Buren; William R. is a successful farmer of Huntington County; Julia Ann is Mrs. Lewis Johnson, who operate one of her father's farms; Charles F. and Evan T. are farming near the old home; Mary Margaret is the wife of George Lowry; Flora is the wife of John F. Martin, and Belle is that of Ezra Porter of Huntington County; Nellie married Charles Griffin, who is identified with the oil industry, Henry W. and George R. are at the old home, the former operating it. Forty-three grand and two great-grandchildren already claim Mr. Holmes as their common ancestor. This venerable and venerated gentleman has ever so lived that he could at least feel entitled to the reward of having done as he would that others should do, and while never loud in his protestation of social unctuousness has tried that the world should be better by his having lived. He has held tenaciously to the views he espoused, but has ever accorded to others the privilege he himself wished to enjoy. While ready on all occasions to give a reason for the faith that was in him, he has not distinguished himself by his efforts to bring others to his way of thinking.

His youth being passed during the formative period of the nation, he early became much interested in the questions of public policy of the time, identifying himself with the great party of human liberty and freedom - the democratic. When the leaders of the party allowed other questions to blind them to personal worth and liberty, and that idea became the sole basis of a new party, he threw his allegiance with then new organization. He was ever active in party councils, though not what is often termed a politician, having no aspiration to the emoluments of office. When the question of prohibition became uppermost in men's minds, and he felt that a decided stand was necessary, he began the advocacy of the principles of the Prohibition Party, identifying himself with the organization in 1886. Now that the efforts of life having been so fully blest, the demands of family, of church, of the community have been creditably met and the weight of years begins to press with afflictions, he ahs turned form the cared of the world to more constant considerations of the great beyond; and, while he finds ample enjoyment in the society of the old friends and of his children, he would not defer the coming of the summons the answer to which should again unite him to her with whom so many years were passed.