Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
November 12, 2026
Masquerade
Masks
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
FAMILY ALBUM
To
date, Bobby Minella is the only person in our Daniel and Charlotte Holmes
family that I know of who died in the two world wars. From “A Homestead on the
Old Post Road:” Mac and Lil had three children: Charles Robert (Bobby), born
in 1925; Lilian Holmes (Sister), born in 1926, and Janet Cecile [living] .
. . Bobby married Miss Dorothy Mae Owens . . .before he entered the US Navy
as Aviation Ordnance Man Petty Officer 3rd Class . . . He was a tail
gunner in a B24. His plane fell apart over the North Sea on December 28, 1943.
He and his six fellow crew mates were buried together in Fort Scott, Kansas.
Bobby
was in the Charles R Holmes line. Full story on pages 168 to 172. Back row:
Angelo (Mac) Minella, Bobby, Lil, and Sister. Front row, Janet Minella Nolte,
our matriarch.
And I Quote:
Good
morning, Peg! Another delightful and informative Chronicle - albeit, I don't
really understand strands and will have to reread later (several times) . . .
Celia is currently in town (she came for her 50th year high school reunion); we
all laugh and struggle a bit that it can be so many years ago. DNA connections
are fascinating! . . . Brett is standing next to wind energy blades;
seeing them trucked from the ship channel used to be a common sight, but not so
much anymore . . . Thank you for sharing your love of genealogy with all
of us . . . Enjoy your day! - Julia
Just finished reading
the 10/29/2026 Chronicle. Fascinating! Thanks for your continued pursuit
of info on Lillian Holmes Minella (Grandma)'s paternity . . . Celia
Thanks
for the encouragement and the family updates, Julia and Celia.
1926
to 1928
1924 to 1928 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.
2026
to 2028
I welcome
Robert Schuster to our little group of Holmes family descendants. He is in the
Hattie Holmes Jones line, and he is the grandson of Nora Newcomb Ferguson. I
mentioned Nora in “A Homestead on the Old Post Road,” so in a new edition of
2026, I added her husband and daughters’ names. Nora and I – and everyone of
you cousins who is the same generation as me – is my third cousin. I updated
Nora’s descendants in our family tree. Nora is mentioned on page 99 of the
book. She married Frederick Donald Ferguson, and I believe she is still living.
News from Holmes
Congratulations
to Eric Logan and Katrina (Kat) Schultz on their marriage on October 31st,
2026, in Easton, Massachusetts. Eric is the son of Jonathan and Kathy Holmes,
and the grandson of Byron and Annmarie Holmes, of the William Holmes line. The
wedding was Halloween themed, and the guests wore masquerade masks. Annmarie is
waiting for some photos, but she took a quick one of the bride on the way to
the wedding.
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
I determined that on
November 1st, I would begin my research for my January 29, 2027
presentation in earnest. And, so I did. I believe I told you that the topic I
was given is “Tips for Writing a Family History Story.” I have decided upon
twelve tips. As examples to use throughout, I chose Brevet Brigadier General
Darius Bingham Warner, who visited Uncle Billy and Maggie’s guest house and
fishing lodge several times. As I compile my presentation, I am simultaneously
writing an article about Gen. Warner, who served in the Civil War and was
wounded at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia. Gen. Warner is not in
our family - so I don’t know if his story will interest you – but as I have to
write about whomever I am working on, he it will be for a while. He certainly
intrigued me.
I love seeing the
setting of a family. No. 4 Chipman Place, on Peel Street in Saint John, New
Brunswick, built c 1854, no longer exists, but Nos. 1, 5, and 9 are
historically protected. This is what they look like. The Warner family likely
lived in a house similar to these at the time of his death.
My tips include making
a timeline, which I generally do for all my articles, even though you don’t
usually see them. His obituary was helpful, and I can no longer locate it, so I
can’t lose this copy, whatever I do.
I found Darius B
Warner’s signature several times in Uncle Billy’ guest book. Only once did he
add a comment, and some of the comment is illegible. That was on his last
(known to me) visit, in 1915. He mentioned the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, and
I’ve been intrigued by his story ever since. He lost his arm, thus the poor
writing.
General Darius B. Warner, of this city, died at his residence in Peel Street early yesterday morning. He was 86 years old and was one of St. John’s most prominent citizens, both in business and social life, and also took a keen interest in the affairs of the city.
General Warner was one of New Brunswick’s prominent lumber men and was the head of the J. L. Warner Lumber company of this city. He was a native of London, Ohio, U.S.A., and at the time of the war between the North and South was one of the first to take up arms in the freeing of the slaves. When the war broke out he was practicing his profession as a lawyer in his home city. He joined the northern forces as a private, but soon his ability as a soldier was recognized and he was steadily promoted until he finally won the rank of general. He fought all through the wars and at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain he had the misfortune of having one of his arms blown off. After the war he was sent to St. John as American Consul, which position he held for more than twenty-two years.
He saw an opportunity in lumbering in New Brunswick, and resigning from his position as consul, he opened up a lumber business and continued until five years ago, when he retired. General Warner leaves, besides his wife, three daughters and two sons, the daughters are Mrs. C. J. Coster, Miss Mary and Miss Agnes, all of this city; the sons are John R. Warner of this city and James Warner of Detroit.
The funeral will take place from his
late residence, Peel Street, tomorrow afternoon. His death will be keenly
regretted in social, business and fraternal circles. He was a member of the
Masonic fraternity.
What I recently learned about was Warner’s
contribution to saving most of the Consulate records in the devastating Saint
John fire of 1877, and his contribution to the salvage and reconstruction
afterwards. I am learning how to ask AI a good question. (Never fear, I will
not be using AI to help me write my presentations or my books or stories.) The
numbers indicate sources.
AI Overview
During and immediately
after the Great Fire of Saint John on June 20, 1877, the United States
Consulate—led by U.S. Consul General Warner—played a critical role in
sounding the alarm to the international community and organizing long-term
disaster relief. [1]
His contributions can
be divided into two key phases:
1. Sounding the Alarm
and Mobilizing U.S. Aid (During the Crisis)
As the devastating
fire consumed over 200 acres and left 15,000 people homeless, communication and
immediate resources were desperately needed. On June 21, 1877, the morning
after the fire broke out, General Warner sent an urgent telegraph to the Mayor
of New York City: [1]
"St. John is
almost totally destroyed. All the public buildings are burned. Few business
houses are left. Fully one-half of the residences are in ashes. Send all the
aid you can. Fifteen thousand people are homeless." [1]
This immediate
diplomatic outreach helped mobilize massive relief efforts from across the
eastern seaboard of the United States. Major American cities like Boston and
Chicago quickly dispatched emergency management personnel, cash donations, and
massive shipments of food, clothing, and tents to New Brunswick. [1]
2. Organizing the
Relief Effort (After the Fire)
Initially, the
distribution of incoming international supplies at the Victoria Skating Rink
was highly disorganized and handled on a haphazard, first-come, first-served
basis. To streamline the operation, local authorities and international
volunteers met on June 27 to establish the Saint John Relief and Aid Society.
[1, 2]
On June 29, 1877, as a
mountain of global supplies poured into the city, General Warner was
appointed General Superintendent of the Relief and Aid Society. [1]
Under his leadership,
the consulate and the society:
- Systematized Distribution: Shifted the operation away from chaotic handouts
to a structured system where displaced residents were interviewed, their
needs assessed, and vouchers/tickets issued to claim targeted food,
medical supplies, and winter clothing. [1]
- Managed Infrastructure: Oversaw the transition of storage facilities
from the skating rink to local railway sheds, ensuring incoming goods were
properly warehoused and accounted for. [1]
- Transitioned to Long-Term Recovery: Guided
the city through the critical transition from immediate emergency food
relief in the summer to long-term reconstruction and housing aid heading
into the winter of 1877. [1, 2]
https://www.google.com/search?q=Describe+contribution+of+the+US+Consulte+in+Saint+John+during+and+after++the+fire+of+1877&sca_esv=70dad07ce11c6ec2&sxsrf=AKL5yDiTP0GZYCWXBSEk__SWjuPW-n4ecg%3A1793976684458&ei=bOntaui9G5ay0PEPybqG8QY&biw=1920&bih=945&uact=5&oq=Describe+contribution+of+the+US+Consulte+in+Saint+John+during+and+after++the+fire+of+1877&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiWURlc2NyaWJlIGNvbnRyaWJ1dGlvbiBvZiB0aGUgVVMgQ29uc3VsdGUgaW4gU2FpbnQgSm9obiBkdXJpbmcgYW5kIGFmdGVyICB0aGUgZmlyZSBvZiAxODc3SLJWUJgNWMxJcAF4AJABAJgBe6AB3BOqAQQ0LjIwuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIHoAKvBsICBBAhGAqYAwDiAwUSATEgQIgGAZIHAzAuN6AH5FWyBwMwLje4B68GwgcFMC41LjLIBxCACAE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
This ends
week forty - five of our centennial virtual celebration of 1926 – 2026.
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