In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1902) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From A centennial biographical history of Seneca County, Ohio (1902), History of Seneca County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages ... portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of the Northwest territory; h (1886)
DAVID HOLMES, farmer and stock-raiser, P. O. Attica, was born in Venice Township, this county, in 1843, and is the youngest of eight children. He received his education in his native county, and was reared on the farm. He learned the blacksmith's trade, but has made agriculture the principal occupation of his life. He owns 250 acres of land in Huron County, Ohio, and has the controlling interest in the home farm of 226 acres, which he manager and on which he resides. Mr. Holmes is a Democrat. He has served as school director and trustee of Venice Township. He took an active interest in the Grange movement, and was Master of a lodge in that order. His father, John Holmes, who resides with him, was born October 30, 1807, in Jefferson County, Ohio, son of John and Sarah (Norris) Holmes, natives of Pennsylvania, the former of whom served all through the Revolutionary war. John Holmes, Jr.. who has been a farmer all his life, was married, in 1829, in Carroll County, Ohio, to Sabina, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Bunton) Hillis, and of'L'ish descent, and by her he had the following children: Elizabeth, wife of George D. Moore; Sarah, wife of B. F. Slough; Rebecca W., wife of L. Palmei-ter; Amos, a resident of Michigan; John Q., a resident of Putnam County, Ohio; Almeda; Emaline (deceased); and David the svibject of this sketch.
As printed in History of Seneca County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages ... portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of the Northwest territory; h (1886). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
DAVID HOLMES.
It is but in justice due that in this volume should be accorded a tribute to the memory of one who was identified with the civic and industrial life of Seneca county in so prominent a way as was Mr. Holmes, whose abilities and unswerving integrity in all the relations of life gained to him unlimited esteem from all with whom he came in contact. Superadded to this, the memoir is the more consistent from the fact that he was a native son of the county and here passed his entire life, attaining marked success and becoming one of the representative and influential men of this section of the state.
David Holmes was born on a farm in Venice township, Seneca county, Ohio, on the I2th of May, 1843, and here his death occurred on the 7th of February, 1898. His parents, John and Sabina (Hillis) Holmes, had a family of eight children, of whom four survive at the present time, namely: Amos, who is a resident of Michigan; Rebecca, the wife of Lafajxtte Palmeter, is a resident of the state of Missouri; Sarah, the wife of Benjamin Slough, of Michigan; and John, who resides in Attica. The subject of this memoir was reared on the old homestead farm and received a common-school education, and as a young man served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade, to which he devoted his attention for a time, though agricultural pursuits constituted his vocation during by far the greater part of his independent business career, and through the medium of the same he achieved a high degree of prosperity. Mr. Holmes became the owner of two hundred and fifty acres of land in Huron county, Ohio, and also acquired the controlling interest in the old parental homestead of two hundred and twenty-six acres, the latter having been divided among the heirs subsequently to his death. Mr. Holmes was a man of a high order of mentality, was especially progressive and discriminating in the management of his business affairs and was one who had a deep and abiding interest in all that made for the general prosperity and advancement of the community in which he lived and in which he was honored by all who knew him. In his political proclivities he was found stanchly arrayed in support of the principles and policies* of the Democratic party, and for nine years he was incumbent of the responsible office of trustee of Venice township, and he also gave the benefit of his influence and marked executive ability in promoting educational interests in the county, having been for a number of years a member of the board of school directors of his district. Mr. Holmes was one of those prominently concerned in the grange movement, and he gave his best efforts in the cause of this fraternal organization, through which he felt that much could be accomplished for the intellectual and material advancement of the agricultural community. He was called upon to serve as master of Venice Grange,
Patrons of Husbandry, in his township, and was one of the active and influential members of the order in the county and state.
On the 2 1 St of January, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of Mr, Holmes to Mrs. Isabella (Philhower) Sheely, the widow of Andrew Sheely. She was born in the state of New Jersey, as was also her father, Elias Philhower, who became a resident of Seneca county, Ohio, in the early '70s, and here passed the remainder of his life. Of the three children of Mrs. Holmes' first marriage two survive, namely: Mary, who is the wife of Jacob Heintz, of Crawford county; and Francis A., a successful agriculturist of Seneca county. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes became the parents of three children, — Esther Sabina, Sarah Almeda and Oliver Wendall. Since her husband's death Mrs. Holmes has continued to reside on the homestead, which is one of the best improved and most attractive in this section of the county, and she has shown marked judgment and executive ability in the management of the farm and other business interests, and as a woman of gracious presence and true refinement she has gained a wide circle of friends in the community, and her home is a center of cordial hospitality.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Seneca County, Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.