Jasper: He was the funniest member of the family. This says a lot since I think all of the Holmes’ family have a great sense of humor. I guess we know where we get some of it from. He was a very heavy drinker (mostly beer) but always a hard worker. He made .35 cents an hour. Carl can’t remember bill collectors coming around so Jasper did provide for the minimal needs of his family. He remembers him as being all work and no play. I find this interesting since he was so funny. I wonder if he used his humor to mask some pain in his life.
Jasper found work wherever he could. He would make side tables or “stands” and sell them. These were made out of willow trees and wood from an apple crate. He got .50 – $1.00 for the tables and stands. Even though he was a hard worker he was also “loose” with his money. Carl made reference that he spent a lot of money. I’m assuming he was talking about his alcohol abuse.
Ruth: She would kneel at a kitchen chair with a Bible and pray although, Carl can’t remember her reading the Bible to him. She would also bake soft sugar cookies and filled a big flour sack with them. He loved her cookies! He remembers her always wearing a dress and not slacks. She never worked outside the home but sold produce to neighbors occasionally.
Kenny: He was the oldest, he took the responsibility of the family when their father wasn’t able to.
Everette: He loved to eat sweets and was sneaky. Everette tried to bully him but Carl could always beat him up. He remembers always fighting with Everette. Carl admits that he himself was the naughtiest of all of his brothers.
Jack: He was a very hard worker. He had bought a team of horses from Jasper and was making more money than Jasper was. It aggravated Jasper. Jack and him got into a fight and Jack said while he was crying “I might as well buy a suit and leave”. I’m not sure what he meant by that but I know he was very frustrated where his life was at that time. Jack seemed determined to make more out of his life than the way he had been raised. Carl looked up to Jack more than anyone else because of his kindness and example of being a hard worker.
Time with his brothers involved playing baseball. They used cow patties as bases. All of them were very competitive.
2FaithfulSisters 