“These were their
settlements. And they kept good family records.”[1]
Don’t forget to
look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
“Lightning Struck the House”
FAMILY ALBUM
Five living children of Daniel and
Charlotte Holmes in 1924:
Charles, Peter, Carrie, William and
James
Most of you have seen this photo. Did you know that
Carrie is the only daughter of Daniel and Charlotte whose photograph I’ve seen,
that I know of? Of the sons, baby George is the only one I haven’t seen. Mind
you, there are some unidentified photos waiting for answers. Those who know are
gone, unless we find a labeled photo some day.
GRATITUDE
Thank you for your message, Janet. Glad you were able to visit Brett, and enjoy the rest of your journey.
SUMMER BREAK
I think I am
going to cut back my chronicles over the summer months. Hope you don’t mind,
but I need to concentrate on Daniel Holmes to get my article ready for
“Generations.” Also, I was just elected as the Social Media Manager for NBGS,
Inc. I have some heavy reading to do (legal stuff) and a few changes to make.
And, I think I’d just like a break. Wouldn’t you?
I hope you
will take some time to visit with family this summer. Nowadays, you can visit
in person or you can Zoom or Facebook chat with each other. You could plan a
reunion in your area. You could even write a letter or send a card or email to
someone you haven’t touched base with for a while. If you do, and if you take some photos,
please remember to add them to our little group. Remember, it’s a century since
our family members had their 1920s reunions, and I’d really be happy to see
some of us renewing acquaintances or getting to know new “cousins.”
I’ll chronicle
sporadically and maybe share a photo in our group after I’m out and about in my
favourite and new family haunts. God-willing and the crick don’t rise, I’ll be
back and faithfully writing to you in the fall.
MY GENEALOGY GOALS
- Chronicle
several times, and publish on Thursday morning.
- Keep
writing my next article for Generations, which is about the will of
Daniel Holmes.
- Spend a bit of time on Moore family research: “Three Peas in a Moore
Pod.”
- In
the evening, after chores are done, edit the Charles and Phoebe family
genealogy.
- Index
old newspapers for NBGS. On hold.
- Index
Riverbank Visitors for NBGS. Put old newspapers on hold while I do this.
- Take
over the management of the NBGS Social Media Facebook page and do some
initial study of legal stuff by which we must abide. Review and revise the
group rules.
The rules, which I prefer to call guidelines but Facebook
calls “rules,” will all start with the letter P, and there will be six. I have
completed the first and easiest rule:
“POSITIVE: All members of this group will be
considerate, kind, and respectful. We will not argue, intimidate, or be profane,
snarky, or vulgar. Instead of continuing rude conversations, please message an
administrator. Inappropriate comments, and those who repeatedly post them, will
be removed. If you dislike a post, but it does not violate these or
conventional rules, please scroll on by.”
1924 to 1928
Those are the years that
our great or great-great grandparents 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.
Some of the 1924 Holmes
Family Reunion Attendees in Maine
2024 to 2028
I think this is nearly everyone who
attended the 2016 Reunion.
I think most people enjoyed this long
weekend gathering. If you weren’t there, we ate, sat around campfires, went in
a boat and on a hike, chatted until late at night, ate, had a banquet with a
great program featuring several attendees, went into South China to explore the
James and Augusta Holmes’ neighbourhood and cemetery, listened to a
presentation by the mayor (figure) of the town, and ate some more. I haven’t planned another
reunion. I thought I would, but there was a pandemic, and even though it is
over, life in general changed. I got older. Perhaps some of you did as well.
But I do hope you will keep in touch with family, either in person or
virtually.
MUM’S MEMOIRS
Back at the farm – the summer I was 14. Mum was sick
so the relatives decided to take her to U.S. with them. She took Nancy (4 years
old) and she was lonesome all the time. Bryce, Jim & I stayed home. I was
to keep house. I remember cooking creamed cod fish of course we didn’t have
meat in the summer, couldn’t keep it. It was a long 3 weeks for us & for
Mum. I do remember washing & ironing and cleaning. I don’t know how much I
baked. Lightning struck the house & burned wires under the floor in Dad
& Mum’s bedroom – that was quite a mess to clean up. I remember feeling a
bit put upon when the kids were down swimming & I had to stay home &
work. Jim was lonesome too. Bryce was his usual self.
Mum didn’t say who the relatives were, but they were
probably Underhills and Minellas of the Boston area. I’m so glad we
reacquainted and met them.
I remember Mum telling me that Gram, Minnie Colpitts
Holmes, had what they called ‘pernicious anemia.’ One of the remedies was
eating raw liver, ground to a liquid state. She was sometimes very sick with
this for lengthy periods of time. (I don’t remember how long, but I do know
that Mum often took over the cooking and housework, if not in school.) I
found this website, The Pernicious Anaemia Society, which had an article by
Katrina Burchell, titled “One History of Pernicious Anaemia.” Using raw liver
in liquid form was recommended in the 1920s. Interesting article if you are
interested in this kind of thing. It does run in families, although I don’t
know of anyone else in my grandmother’s family or descendants that have it. Of
course, now it is treatable. Ellwood
Zell Ballantyne, son of Robert R and S Louise (Holmes) Ballantyne, died of
pernicious anaemia in Lincoln, Maine, in 1899, at the age of 20.
https://pernicious-anaemia-society.org/pernicious-anaemia/one-history-of-pernicious-anaemia/
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
I’m
not usually short on words, but I don’t have a lesson for you this week, although
I do have an assignment. I’ve
already mentioned it. And if you don’t do it, I’ll never know. Ask a parent,
grandparent, or older relative some questions, and record their answers. Start
a journal, a diary, or a chronicle. When you are old and grey like I am, You Will
Might Be Sorry you didn’t. Write that letter or email, or
send a card. Visit someone, or plan a gathering. Go to a museum, archive, or
cemetery. Tell that young grandchild stories about your “olden days.” If you
can, take them to that place and show them. On a rainy day, take out an album
and label the people (and maybe the story). Find
the curiousity and imagination you once had, and do something with it.
This ends week twenty-two of our centennial
virtual celebration.
