Lake-Porter County IN Archives Biographies.....Holmes, Charles J. 1854 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 1, 2007, 8:48 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) CHARLES J. HOLMES. Among the good and worthy citizens of West Creek township is Mr. C. J. Holmes, who is held in high esteem by all who know him. His active career in northern Indiana has extended over a period of nearly thirty years, and has been one of absorbing industry and public-spirited citizenship, such as to eventuate in material prosperity and a position of honor among his fellow citizens. He hails from the little kingdom of Sweden, where he was born June 11, 1854, being the third in a family of eight children, two sons and six daughters, born to John and Anna (Swanson) Johnson. The reason that Mr. Holmes has a name so different from that of his parents is that, while he was serving as a soldier in the Swedish army, his number was 313, the corresponding name to which number was Charles J. Holmes, and by this name thus applied he has been known ever since. He has a sister and a brother yet living, his sister, Christine, older than himself, being the wife of Oscar Petersen, a carpenter and joiner residing in Sweden, and his brother Peter being on a ranch at Salina, Kansas. The father of this family passed his life in Sweden, and was a shoemaker by trade. He also served in the military of his country. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church, and they are now both deceased. Mr. Holmes was born in the province of Smolen, and received his education in the schools of his native land. He learned the trade of shoemaker from his father, and remained with his parents until he was twenty-one years old. At that age he concluded to come to America to better his fortune, and on April 28, 1875, he sailed from Gothenburg and landed in Philadelphia with just seven dollars in cash capital to support him while he gained a start in a foreign land. From Philadelphia he came to Chicago, and three weeks later went to an uncle of his in Porter county, Indiana, where a farmer procured his services at a wage of thirteen dollars a month. After three months he hired out to another farmer at seventy-five dollars a year, and worked for this employer for eighteen months. During the next eighteen months he received twenty-one dollars a month, and his prosperity was soon assured, for his diligence and intelligent management of all the interests intrusted to his charge soon won him the confidence of all with whom he had dealings, and he was before long on the independent road to success. On October 5, 1881, he wedded an estimable lady, Miss Emma Ryden, and eight children were born of this marriage, seven of them being living, as follows: Oliver, who received his diploma from the public schools on February 19, 1898, and was later graduated from the business college at North Park, Chicago, and the academy at the same locality, is now engaged as a clerk in one of the banks of Mr. Murray Turner at Hammond; Emily, who received her diploma of graduation from the public schools on May 9, 1902, at present has charge of her father s home; Grace is now in the first year of the high school; Harry graduated from the common schools on May 12, 1904, when only thirteen years of age; George is in the eighth grade of school work; Bertha is in the sixth grade; and Esther is in the third grade. Mrs. Holmes was born in Smolen, Sweden, March 27, 1863, being a daughter of Andrew and Lovisa (Johnson) Swanson, both of whom are now living in Porter county, Indiana, and one sister is also living. Her parents are both Lutherans, and her father had served in the Swedish army. She was eight years of age when she accompanied her parents to America, the home being established in Chesterton, Porter county. She was educated in both the Swedish and English languages. She was a woman of noble character and an able assistant to her husband in the rearing of her children and the caring for the home. Her disposition was all gentleness and kindliness toward all, and she made friends wherever she went. She was a member of the Lutheran church at Chesterton. This good woman passed away from the world and her sorrowing family on February 24, 1901, and her remains are interred in the Chesterton cemetery. She was a loving and affectionate wife and mother, and her admonitions and advice to her children have sunk deeply and permanently into their hearts and become part and parcel of their worthy characters. Mr. Holmes is now living in West Creek township with his children around him, and his noble daughter Emily assumes complete management of the home. Too much cannot be said of this good man and worthy citizen of West Creek township, and he has friends by the score. Ever since coming to this country and assuming the active duties of citizenship he has been a stanch upholder of Republican principles. He and the older children are members of the Lutheran church. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Genealogy and Biography OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834—1904 A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1904 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/holmes633gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb