In the deaths of Helmer HOLMES, Wm. E. KELLER and Henry HASLER, during the past few weeks, Washington Township lost three of its oldest farmer citizens and three of its most upright and honorable men, who were neighbors and leaders in community affairs for a half-century. Each one had a large family and each man came from sturdy pioneer parentage, representative of the citizenship that made this country one of the greatest and safest places to live in the world. Mr. HOLMES began to fail in health nearly a year ago, but his condition did not grow serious until a couple of months ago, when it became apparent that he could not recover from an arterial ailment, although every aid known to medical profession was used as a relief to his suffering. The funeral and interment, at Prairie Chapel on Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock was attended by a large concourse of relatives, friends and neighbors. The music at the Chapel was vocal selections by a quartet from the Popcorn neighborhood composed of Mr. and Mrs. Rolla HOLMES, Joseph PARKER and Everett WILSON. A vocal duet, "In the Garden," was sung by Mrs. Thelma WRIGHT and Mrs. Helen GREGORY, of Lyons. The floral offerings were many and beautiful, including a blanket of pink roses. The obituary (written by H. L. DONEY) was read by Rev. J. L. HATFIELD, of Owensburg, and the prayer was offered by Rev. Russell N. TAYLOR, of Lyons. The funeral sermon was delivered by Evangelist Loren PECAUT.
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Helmer HOLMES, son of Jacob and Clementine (RIDDLE) HOLMES, was born April 22, 1851, in Lawrence County, Indiana, and died at his home in Washington Township, May 9, 1931, at the age of eighty years and seventeen days. On October 12, 1876, he was married to Abigail LAMB, of near Owensburg, Indiana, to which union eleven children were born, nine sons and two daughters, as follows: Thaddeus, of Sandborn, Indiana; Walter, of Switz City; Lewie, near home; Dugger, of Chicago, Illinois; Logan, at home; Roscoe, of Lyons; Harvey, at home, Lenore, of Fairplay Township; Victoria, of Bloomfield; Dewey and Max, at home. Early in life he united with the Methodist church, to which his parents belonged, but about thirty-five years ago, he and his wife joined the Christian Church at Bethany, in which faith he lived to the end. At the age of nineteen years, he went to Kansas and then to Colorado, but only spent about three years there, returning in 1873. In 1879 he moved from the old home in Lawrence County, to Bloomfield, and the following year, 1880, moved to the farm on which he spent the remaining fifty-one years of his life. He was a man of untiring energy and ambition as is clearly shown by the appearance of the beautiful home and the high state of cultivation in which his farm has always been kept. He ranks as one of Greene County's most successful farmers, and has been able at all times by close application and efficient management to prosper, even under adverse conditions. He was a splendid citizen and has set an example of thrift and a spirit of enterprise that has no doubt inspired many others to greater endeavor and higher attainments. But his achievements have not all been in the sense of financial success. For one who has lived a clean, upright, honorable life, and has given to his community eleven children, all of whom have reached their maturity, and have also lived clean, upright and honorable lives, has contributed vastly more to society that he who only has succeeded in a business sense. But it can be said of him that he succeeded in both. He has enjoyed good health all his life, and it has only been the past year that he has been unable to work and only the past few months, that his condition became alarming. He was a true and loving husband, a kind and devoted father, an obliging neighbor, a worthy citizen, and a Christian gentleman. He leaves to mourn their loss his devoted wife, eleven children, seven grandchildren, a half-brother, Oliver HOLMES, of Mill Creek, Illinois; two half-sisters, Mrs. Everett WILSON, of Hobbieville, Indiana, and Mrs. Isabell PROCTOR, of Wantland, Kentucky, and a host of other relatives and friends. The funeral and interment occurred Monday afternoon at Prairie Chapel, the service being conducted by Rev. Russell N. TAYLOR and Rev. Logan HATFIELD.


Among the hard-working and genial farmers of Washington
township, is Helmer Holmes, who was born in Lawrence
county, Indiana, April 22, 1851, son of Jacob and
Clemintine (Riddle) Holmes. The former was born in Floyd
county, Indiana, July 24, 1813, being a son of Martin
Holmes, who moved to Lawrence county in an early day.
Jacob's wife was born in Center township, Greene county,
in 1822, and died March 25, 1862. Martin Holmes, who was
killed by a tree falling on him, was a native of Maryland.
Jacob, who was grown when the family moved to Lawrence
county, married there and spent the remainder of his
life in that community, dying June 7, 1896. Both he and
his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
They had the following children: Paris, who died in the
army while a member of the Fifteenth Indiana Volunteer
Infantry; Mary was born September 15, 1844, and died
November 24, 1867; Almira married Levy Butcher and died
in Kansas. Frances, the wife of John Richardson, who
lives in Missouri; Helmer, the subject of this sketch;
Ellen is living in Lawrence county; Milford also lives
in that county; Josephine died in infancy, as did also
Sigel. Jacob Holmes married the second time, his last
wife being Elizabeth Dicks. They had five children,
namely: Olive, living in Illinois; Thomas and Howard
both deceased; Laura married Everett Wilson and resides
in Center township, and Isabelle married a Mr. Proctor
and resides in Terre Haute. Helmer Holmes remained at home until he was nineteen years old, when he went to Kansas, later to Colorado, where he remained three years, farming and teaming. He returned to Indiana in 1873 and remained at home three years, when he married and came to Greene county, locating on the farm he now owns, which he first rented and bought later. It consists of two hundred and thirty acres. The subject's wife was Abby Lamb, who was born in 1845 in Jackson township, Greene county, Indiana. She was the daughter of Hiram and Nancy (Hatfield) Lamb, natives of North Carolina, who were early settlers in Greene county. The subject and wife had eleven children, as
follows: Thaddeus, who married Tessie Sexson, living
in Smith township, Greene county. They have three
children, Kenneth, Hester and Ralph. Walter, the subject's
second child, lives at home, as do also the following
children: Lew Wallace, Dugger, Logan, Roscoe, Harvey,
Lenore, Victoria, Dewey and Max. Mr. Holmes follows mixed husbandry and stock raising, favoring high-grade Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He is a Republican. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church at Bethany, Indiana. Mr. Holmes ranks among the better class of farmers. He has good buildings, his soil is well tilled and everything about him shows evidence of taste and success.

Source: "Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, Ind.
with Reminiscences of Pioneer Days", B.F. Bowen & Co.,
Indianapolis, IN, 1908.