Death of Mrs. Holmes

Her Sudden Death on Sunday at the Age of Seventy Years

Mrs. Margaret Holmes, widow of John C. Holmes of the bay shore, between Belford and Atlantic Highlands, died on Sunday from a general collapse, aged seventy years. She had been a hard-working woman all her life and for several weeks she had been caring for a sick grandchild who lived with her. Saturday night her strength suddenly seemed to give out and early Sunday morning she died.

Mrs. Holmes was born in England. When she was eleven years old her father brought her to New York and left her, telling her that he would come back again with the rest of his family in a year. She never saw her parents or heard from them afterward. When she was a young girl she got employment in the family of Jacob McClane of Middletown. Two years after coming to Mr. McClane’s she married John C. Holmes. That was 52 years ago. For several years after their marriage Mr. Holmes worked at farming, being employed by George Hance of Shrewsbury and George Tilton of Headden’s Corner. Thirty-nine years ago Mr. Holmes moved to the bay shore to engage in the catching and peddling of clams. He built a one-room house along the shore and a houseboat has since been built to it. Mrs. Holmes continued to live there until her death. Her husband died ten years ago.

Eleven children were born to Mrs. Holmes, but only two survive her. They are John C. and Rhiney Holmes, both of whom lived with their mother. They peddle clams throughout the county. Rhiney Holmes’s wife is a daughter of Jane Brower of Red Bank. One of Mrs. Holmes’s daughters, Kittie, was the first wife of Henry Schenck of Belford and the mother of Eugene Schenck, who was killed by a train last Thursday at Red Bank.

Mrs. Holmes had two policies on her life in the Prudential insurance company. One was for $63 and was made payable to Charles T. Leonard. This was to pay for her funeral expenses. The other policy was for $33 and was made payable to the wife of her son, Rhiney Holmes. This money was to pay for her doctor’s bill and whatever other expenses she might incur during her last sickness.

The funeral was held yesterday afternoon at the First Baptist church of Atlantic Highlands, of which she had been a member for many years. Rev. W. B. Harris conducted the service. The body was buried alongside the body of her husband in Applegate burying ground at Leonardville.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Mar 28, 1900

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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