Homer Hapgood HOLMES

Veröffentlicht 12 März 2012 von PatriciaBrown76: Homer Holmes, age 96, of Miles City passed away on Aug. 26, 2007. Mr. Holmes was born in Day County in Lily, South Dakota on Jan. 20, 1911, the oldest child of Joel Adolphus (J.A.) and Evaline Annis Holmes. His five younger siblings, Juanita Gage, Clinton Holmes, Mildred Parsons, Vivian Wiley, and Jasper Holmes have preceded him in death. On his twelfth birthday, he and Clint rode the train to Westport, South Dakota where the Gage family took them in. They joined Jasper to live with Bessie Gage Harrington. Later Mr. Holmes moved in with the Vine Gage family. He went to school through the eighth grade at five different rural schools in northeastern South Dakota. He worked for Clark Gage saving enough money to lease his own place. In July 1938 he and Clint traveled to western South Dakota in a 1930 Model A Ford. After spending the 4th of July at the Belle Fourche Roundup they headed into Wyoming. At Alva they met a fellow in a team and wagon. They stopped and asked him if any ranches were for lease in the area. He did not know of any, but referred them to Edwin Rounds in Sundance. Mr. Rounds and his partner owned the Lake Ranch at the Little Missouri Buttes. Homer and Clint drove out to look at the ranch and the next day they went back into Sundance and leased the ranch. There they purchased a team, harness and mowing machine and went to putting up hay. In the fall of 1938 they applied for an F.H.A. loan and in the spring of 1939 bought some cows and calves at the Moorcroft Sale Barn. They purchased their first Hereford Bull from Lew Robinson at Moorcroft. In August 1938 Mr. Holmes traveled back to Westport, South Dakota and on Sept. 1, 1938 married Leora Rosabelle “Rosie” Spangler in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He had $10, per paid three dollars for the marriage license, five dollars to the minister, and then bought ice cream for he and Rosie and Everett and Juanita Holmes Gage, who had stood up for them at the wedding. The couple loaded the 1930 Ford and a two-wheeled trailer with household goods and started for Wyoming. They stopped in Belle Fourche, South Dakota and purchased a wood burning cook stove for thirty dollars. They lived at the Lake Ranch where they made their own table, stools and wash bench. Water was drawn from a spring 100 yards above the house in a draw. The first of their children, Joyce, was born May 1939 at Sundance. The second, Sarah, was born at the Lake Ranch in December 1940. Darlene was born in Sundance in April 1944. In 1944 the Lake Ranch sold and they leased a ranch at Oshoto, Wyoming until February of 1946 when Mr. Holmes and Clint purchased a ranch north of Hulett, Wyoming. A fourth daughter, Betty, was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota in April 1951, and in March 1959 the much-awaited son, Chester was born, also in Belle Fourche. In October 1963 Clint bought the ranch and the family moved to Powderville, Montana where Homer continued to ranch until his retirement in 1985. Homer was known for his dry sense of humor, and his wonderful stories. He loved to fiddle and said he knew two songs, “One of them is Little Brown Jug and the other one ain’t!” or “one is Yankee Doodle Dandy and the other one ain’t!” He loved to read, but only non-fiction. He wanted to know the truth about the characters of the past, not what some author thought might have happened, even though he was not above embellishing his stories a little. While in Wyoming, Mr. Holmes was a member of the Hulett School Board, Sundance Hospital Board and the Hulett Co-op Board. Even after leaving Wyoming he continued his membership with the Masonic Lodge and Hulett Rodeo Club and for many years traveled to Hulett the second weekend in June each year to help with the Hulett Rodeo. At Powderville he served as School District Clerk. During his retirement he was active in the Range Riders, helping Bob Barthelmess build various things, such as the windmills on the LO Ranch scene at the museum. He participated in many Wagon Trains. Many eastern Montanans have spurs handcrafted by Mr. Holmes, along with the many spur key chains he made. His wife, of 64 years, preceded him in death on June 28, 2002. He is survived by daughters Joyce and her husband Alvin Raschkow of Billings, Sarah McGill of Broadus, Darlene and her husband Richard Gage of College Place, Wash., Betty Vail of Miles City, and one son Chester Holmes of Miles City; his grandchildren Larry Earl McGill, Les McGill, Lewis McGill, Kristie Trimble, Lori Ann Lutz, Myrenda Laurie, Rhonda Raschkow, Kaylene Danielson, Gerri Lynn Cutshaw, Tammie McGill, Shane McGill, Jim McGill, Chad Vail, and Shep Vail, 20 great-grandchildren and one great great grandchild. His brothers-in-law Tom Parsons of Seattle, Washington, Arlie (LaVerne) Spangler of Faulkton, South Dakota, and sister-in-law Cora Cozart of Aberdeen, South Dakota and numerous nieces and nephews also survive him. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held on Friday, Aug. 31, 2007 at 10 :00 a.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will follow in the family lot of the Custer County Cemetery in Miles City. Condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.stevensonandsons.com. If desired memorial may be made to the Range Riders Museum.

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