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Alfred Holmes was born June 8, l895 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He was always called Alfie. The family sailed from Liverpool, England April 16, 1903 aboard the R.M.S. Corinthian bound for Canada and a new life for the whole family. The made their way to Manitoba and by December 1904, they were living at 329 William Avenue, Winnipeg.
Alfie would have taken some of his schooling in Winnipeg, but in 1906 his parents decided to move to Cut Knife, Sask. to try farming. John William Holmes, Alfie's father took out a homestead just north of Cut Knife, on the S.W. quarter of Section 18, Township 44, Range 21, West of 3rd Meridian. Cut Knife school opened it's doors on September 14, 1908. Two of the first students attending the school were Alfred and Harold Holmes. It is not known how long they attended because the records for the next few years have been destroyed. It is known that Alfie only had a grade 4 education. By 1911, at age 16, Alfie was out working for different people in the Cut Knife area.
On January 15, 1914 Alfie took out homestead rights for the N.W. quarter of Section 14, Township 46, Range 23, West of 3rd Meridian. This was quite a ways north of Cut Knife. By June 1916, he had built a house on the land. He states this when he joined the Military and signed papers to turn the homestead over to his dad while he is away.
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On June 20th, 1918, Alfie married Violet Evelyn Jago in Liverpool England. She had a son - name unknown. They lived in Toronto after returning to Canada in 1919. A daughter Doris Evelyn was born on December 15, 1919 in Toronto. Alfie brought his family west, but Violet did not like the west. It was in 1920 that Alfie and Violet separated. Violet took her son with her and left Doris with Alfie. She was never heard of again. Alfie divorced Violet on October 15 1927. Left with the farm to run and his baby daughter, he decided to give her up for adoption. Sid and Ette Brinkhurst (friends from England) soon adopted Doris. Alfie farmed the homestead north of Cut Knife till about 1920. It was very light soil and very hard to make a living off it. He sold it and moved to the Gallivan area working for different people. In 1922, he bought his dad's farm and stayed there until about 1925. It was then he bought a piece of land in the Riding Hill area, and farmed it until he enlisted in W.W.ll.
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On October 2, 1929 He married Flora Alberta Bower. They had one son, Arthur Sydney and one daughter Elsie Lorna.
Alfie and Florrie played for dances at Riding Hill School and Gallivan Hall for many years. Alfie was a Sunday School Superintendent for several years, and Florrie a member of the Ladies Aid. Alfie was a member of the Cut Knife Royal Canadian Legion and Florrie an Auxiliary member.
In January 1943, Alfie joined the Veterans Guard of Canada and was stationed at Kamloops, B.C., also short spells at Moose Jaw and Medicing Hat. When he enlisted the family went east to stay with Flora's parents in Ottawa. They stayed there until he was in Medicine Hat, then they went west again. He got posted to Lethbridge, Alberta where he was a guard in the Internment Camp. He was the lead drummer in the military Bagpipe Band. He was guarding prisoners of war from Germany who were working in the sugar beet fields. Later he was transferred to the kitchen in the Officer's Mess. He was washing down the walls of the kitchen when he stretched too far and ruptured a hernia. He was sent to Calgary's Colonel Belcher Hospital for surgery. On March 30, 1946 while recuperating in hospital he was joking with the nurse and when she left the room she was called right back as a blood clot had hit one of his vital organs and he had died instantly.
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He is buried in the Field of Honor, Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.
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Thanks to Elsie Evjen (nee Holmes), Alfred and Flora's Daughter, for providing the information on this page.
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WebMaster: Scott Holmes Brampton, Ontario |
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