Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
December 18, 2025
“Tinsel Talk”
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”[i]
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
FAMILY ALBUM
The photo from the family album is the
Petitcodiac Baptist Church Cemetery where Daniel and Charlotte Holmes rest
under the grass and snow. This is the former church building, but probably not
the building that they knew.
And I Quote:
From
Julia: “Another terrific Chronicle, Peg . . . I finally went back to read your November 20th
Chronicle. So neat to be learning more of Fenwick and seeing the depot
from when he and Maud lived there (and fun to think he may be in the picture),
and the maps! I love maps (thank you to your acquaintance
Janet!)! And thank you for highlighting their properties. Interesting to
learn that an attorney does not always mean lawyer; Fenwick seemed to be a
dabbler in this and in that. I look forward to your future discoveries.”
From Kristin: “I just reviewed your latest chronicles
and was surprised to see the picture of the family near the house in the
paragraph that starts with Abner. I have that picture in my random collection
of photos and always assumed it was family members from my mother’s Indiana
clan. I was trying to surmise who they were and now I have clarity! Wrong
family association. Good to know! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Kristin”
1924
to 1928
Those are the
years that our Holmes ancestors spent renewing relationships that had somehow
fallen by the wayside but with organization, letter writing, and challenging
travel – by hook or by crook – they managed to come together again. They
reacquainted and rediscovered their family ties. And then, one by one, they
died, and many of those ties died with them.
2024 to 2028
Here is a photo
of Uncle Fenwick, so you don’t forget about him and Aunt Maud after a
month-long break. There is no snow in the picture, but he’s wearing a winter
hat, and I’ve seen photos of other Rat Portage people wearing a similar hat. I
wonder if it was a muskrat in its former life. I have no photos of Aunt Maud,
or at least none with metadata identifying her as such.
News from Holmes
Our sympathy to the Batchelor family on
the passing of Nicholas Batchelor on December 6, 2025. Nicholas was the husband of my first cousin,
Brenda Holmes, and the father of the late Nigel Holmes and Sarah Holmes. He and
his parents, Peter and Margaret (Spooner) Batchelor, were born in England. His
parents are buried in Woodstock, Ontario. He is in the Charles R Holmes line.
Our condolences to the McKillop family
on the passing of their father, husband, and grandchildren Bishop Dana H
McKillop, who died on December 10, 2025, in Grand Falls, New Brunswick,
where he served in the ministry for many years. He was married to Linda C
(Shaw) McKillop and they have two sons, Daniel and Darren. He was in the
Charles R Holmes line.
Congratulations to Derek and Allison
(Bell) Sherman on the arrival of their first child, a daughter, Clara
Emerson Sherman, on December 10, 2025, with blonde, newborn long, curly
hair. Clara is the first grandchild of Jon and Jennifer (Lutes) Bell. She is in
the Charles R Holmes line.
Clara
– Derek Sherman and Allison Bell – Jon Bell and Jennifer Lutes – Ralph Lutes
and Nancy Holmes – Floyd Holmes and Minnie Colpitts – Charles R Holmes and
Phoebe McMonagle – Daniel Holmes and Charlotte Hoyt – Samuel Holmes Jr and
Phoebe Holstead – Samuel Holmes Sr and Elizabeth Fountain.
YOUR STORIES, PHOTOS, AND CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
To see photos in this section, ask for an email.
“Merry
Christmas from the Clifford portion of the Bryce Holmes line!”
Greetings
from Margie (Holmes) Clifford of the Charles R line.
Mary Jane
(Holmes) Hamilton’s 2025 family photo update.
Nia, Shawn,
Stephanie & Evie; Chelsea, Nic & Sylvia; Averie, Oliver, Randi
& Danny (in the back); Me, Randy; Bradley (Randy’s oldest - it was
his birthday. His partner Alli took the picture); Morgan, Oaklynn and
Brandon. I highlighted Randy and Mary Jane’s children, as well as Randy’s son. Mary Jane’s family is in the Charles R Holmes
line.
Kevin’s name may be new to most of you.
He’s an avid genealogist and adds another Ho! Ho! Ho! surname to our family
tree. He’s an 8th generation Holmes, likewise descending from our
immigrant ancestor, Francis Holmes. His 9th great grandparents,
David Mills and Rebecca Holmes, were born in Westchester County, New York, and
like our Holmes, Holstead, and Fountain ancestors, died in Cumberland County.
Not much doubt in my mind that, although David Mills and Rebecca Holmes were
the youngest of the three couples, they were probably acquainted or knew each
other well.
Kevin
Hoeg – Trueman Hoeg – Martin Hoeg – Joseph Hoeg, Nathan Hoeg and Abigail Mills
– David Mills and Rebecca Holmes – John Holmes III and Jemima Beecher – John
Holmes and Sarah Clark – John Holmes and Rachel Waterbury – Francis Holmes and
Mother Holmes (identity unknown), our immigrant ancestors. We meet at John and
Rachel. Not close cousins, but kindred
spirits for sure.
Cynthia
Brignone sent an update on her family. I edited it slightly. Cynthia is in the
Louisa Ballantyne line. “We are all well. With the Christmas season, we are
grateful for the year and look forward to 2026! Both of us are healthy and
continually working on better health practices, since age comes quickly and so
do surprises. We both have been working on our genealogy lines trying to clean
up dates, etc.
The
Maryland Russo family are doing well making it thru the government shutdown. He
worked but without pay for 43 days. We are taught to save for emergencies and I
am glad they had that to fall back on . . . the two boys are getting a baby
sister in April, 2026. We are praying for a healthy and successful delivery.
Joey,
our son, is graduating with his Masters in mechanical engineering with an
emphasis in Health Robotics from the University of Utah. He has been working on
shoulder attachments for ALS patients. We will see how 2026 future job plans
go!
My
mother, Elsa Noemà Loayza Ballantyne, passed 1/21/25. At age 96, she fell and
broke and shattered her other hip & femur and due to her prolonged decades
of osteoarthritis she died a week later. Very sad physical separation, however,
we believe she is with family and ancestors that have passed before her. Why
would we deny her that joy that she has missed for decades.
We wish
everyone well for the Christmas season and a happy new year to all.
Our well
wishes to Peggy, who always strives for good as she continues keeping us
updated with genealogical efforts.
Merry
Christmas,
Love,
Cindy
and Joseph Brignone”
Brian
and Jolynda (Tresner) Holmes at their San José State University luncheon
celebration. Family photo, with Monterey in the background: Brian, Jolynda, JF,
Angela Avila, and Jerry.
They are
in the William N Holmes line.
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
Greetings
from Christmas past come from Donald and Iris Holmes
of the
Charles R and Phoebe J Holmes line.
Left to right Murray
and Mabel (Derby) Holmes, and Donald and Iris (Patterson) Holmes.
Metadata: Murray
& Mabel & Don & I; the day before Xmas in Vancouver. 1965.
Della
Julia (Holmes) Atkinson - Donald and Iris (Patterson) Holmes – George H and
Julia (MacNaughton) Holmes – Charles R and Phoebe Holmes – Daniel and Charlotte
Holmes.
The next
chronicle will be in the Year of our Lord 2026.
(I see
that phrase so often that it is imprinted on my brain.)
I wish
you all a calm, peaceful Christmas, Hanukkah, or holiday time with your family,
friends,
and kindred spirits.
This ends
week fifty -one and is the last of our centennial virtual
celebration of 1925 – 2025.
