My Genealogy Hound

VICTOR HOLMES. In the great cause of temperance each locality has its advocate who stands out prominently as the champion gladiator of the forces arrayed against the Bacchanalian devotees. Prominently identified with the temperance cause through the third party movement is Victor Holmes, a son of Jens and Elizabeth M. (Ailing) Holmes, who was born in Denmark, February 18, 1850. His grandfather, Jens Holmes, was a native of Denmark, where he was born, reared and died, his life profession being school teaching. He was connected with the State church in the latter capacity, and was a man of extraordinary education. He married a daughter of Bishop Christian Trause, a renowned ecclesiastical scholar and a divine of great power. Mr. Holmes was well read upon law points, and was in demand by the people of his locality as a drawer of legal documents. He married and had eight children, one of the daughters, Angnethe, being the mother of Lucianus Kofod, who became renowned in Danish politics and the army. He served as a member of the Reichstag and is now an officer in the Danish Army. The maternal grandfather, Mongesp Ailing, also lived and died in Denmark. He was a farmer and shipper, and reared a family of eight children. Jens Holmes was born in Denmark, March 31, 1819, where he still resides. For many years he conducted a mercantile business, but some time since retired and is now living at Ronne, Denmark. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and has been twice married: first to Elizabeth M. Ailing, who died in 1878, aged sixty-two years. She was the mother of six children, three of whom are in Jamestown: a son, M. C., is an awning manufacturer in this city; and a daughter, Betty, was married to Christian Gronberg, who is deceased; and Victor. Two sons, Peter and Valdemar, are living in Denmark, engaged in the mercantile business.

Victor Holmes was educated in the schools of the Fatherland and came to America in 1873, locating at Jamestown, where he has since lived, engaged in the sign painting and lettering business. He carries a stock of paints and a fine line of artists’ materials, which is conducted in connection with his manual profession.

He married Fannie A. Crumb, of Union City, Pa., April 22, 1875, and they have had three children: Victoria F., V. Frank and V. Elucy, who died in infancy.

Victor Holmes is a member of the Presbyterian church, in which he is a deacon. He is a member of Samaritan Lodge, No. 376, I. Q. of G. T., of New York, and is an active supporter of the Prohibition party. His connection with the Temperance society is one of responsibility, and it is largely due to his energetic work that the cause has met with its success in this section. He attended the State convention held at Syracuse, and the Supreme Lodge on three different occasions at Saratoga and in 1889 at Chicago. Through Mr. Holmes’ efforts, a German Grand Lodge, in Germany, was organized. The society numbers over 700,000 in the world. In addition to these societies, Mr. Holmes belongs to Ellicott Lodge, I. O. O. F., in which he is secretary, and is a member of, director and vice-president in the Scandinavian Loan & Building Association, which was formed in Jamestown in 1890. The society is a strong one, numbering a large percentage of the 6000 Scandinavian population of Jamestown in its membership.