The Beginning

Carl Eugene Holmes was born in Huntington, Indiana, July 10, 1933 in very humble surroundings.

He started out his life in their family home on Walnut St. that once had been an old wooden box car that had been disassembled and rebuilt. The box car was given to them from the railroad since they were switching to metal cars. He said that you could see daylight through the walls.

When he was a baby he couldn’t keep down his mother’s milk so he was raised on goats milk. His mother Ruth was very ill with childbed fever. She was in bed for quite awhile after Carl was born.

The land that their home sat on were 3 lots given to the family by William Holmes (Jasper’s father). Carl’s father, Jasper just needed to keep the taxes paid. The other lots around their land were called The Commons. Carl wasn’t sure who actually owned this land but this is where Jasper planted their large garden. Their home was the only one in the neighborhood. At the time it was more out in the country than being in town. These lots were still in the family as I was growing up.

He was the youngest child in the family of 6. His father was William Jasper Holmes I had always thought his first name was Jasper. His mother’s name was Ruth Audrey (Wintroad) Holmes. He had 3 brothers: Kenneth Jasper born 7-5-17 deceased 4-6-2010. Jack Emerson born 10-15-1928. deceaced 6-9-1946. Everett Jay Holmes born 6-26-31 deceased 2003