William Holmes
William Holmes was born in Liberty Township, in Adams County, on April 29, 1802. and resided there all his life. When he was a boy and a young man he learned the carpenter's trade and worked at it in the vicinity of West Union up till 1870. He built many of the residences of West Union. He was married at the age of twenty, to Nancy N. Chaney, of Highland County. They located west of West Union on the hill overlookine the Eagle Creek valley, where they resided during their joint lives. Their children were James, Mary J., John. Cyrena, William, George, Margaret and Nathan. Three died in infancy. There are two sons, William and Nathan, three daughters, Mary J., Cyrena and Margaret, still surviving, all of whom reside in Adams County except Cyrena, who resides in Highland County. William Holmes was a man of powerful physique and nerve. The following instance is related of him:
He was suffering from a felon on the index figer of the right hand. Dr. Wilson, who was attending him, advised amputation and the patient consented. The Doctor was nervous and could not saw the bone steadilv. William Holmes took the same and separated the bone himself.
He followed his occupation of carpenter until two years before his death, September 19, 1872, when he died suddenly of apoplexy. He was a law abiding, useful citizen, who commanded the respect of everyone. His wife, who was born October 15, 1886, died February 14, 1890. His daughter Nancy married Alex. McGovney and Cyrena married John Willit; Margaret married George W. Crawford and resides at Wrightsville, Adams County.
William Holmes, son of our subject, married three times: first, to Isabelle Satterfield, daughter of Wesley Satterfield; second, to Miss Trefts, by whom there are two children, Mrs. E. E. Crawford, of Ashland, Ky., and George Holmes, of Shear Fork, South Dakota. His last wife was a Miss Piatt. There are six living children of this marriage.
From "A history of Adams County, Ohio: from its earliest settlement to the present time" By Nelson Wiley Evans, Emmons B. Stivers, 1900