Charles R. Holmes

Charles R. Holmes, 86, of Dows passed away Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Mercy Medical Center –North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services for Charles Holmes will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 10:30 AM at Sovereign Grace Church, 109 North Eskridge Street in Dows with Pastor Doug Holmes officiating.   Burial will take place at Graceland Cemetery in Rowan.

Visitation for Charles Holmes will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at Sovereign Grace Church in Dows and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.

Charles Roger (Chuck) Holmes was born to Oscar and Ruth (Emerson) Holmes on August 21st 1927 on the family farm a few miles south of Rowan. He grew up a typical farm boy of the early 20th century and developed a passionate love for horses. In later years he made an effort to raise Arabian horses with his son Dennis until the whole reality of it being a “rich man's hobby” hit home. Thus it transformed from a business to a simple means of providing pleasure to family members unto the present day.

Charles attended Blaine #1 Country School through the eighth grade and then transferred to Rowan High School for two years and finished his high school career in graduating from Dows High School in the spring of 1944.  At that time he joined the US Navy and served in the south Pacific with the Seabees during World War II.  He served most of that time on Guam.  In later years he was able to take an Honor Flight to Washington D. C. with his grandson Logan to visit some of the war memorials.  After the war ended he was released from service and spent a couple of years at Iowa State College in Ames.  On June 27th 1948 he married Leola Hackbarth and began farming, at first with his dad (Oscar) and then on his own.  During this time he and Leola raised five children and then helped them raise their children and then their children's children until the time of his demise. His retirement was gradual & he maintained a semi-active involvement wherever needed until his health began to fail in his early 80's.

He was baptized into the Christian faith on June 23, 1930 at the First Congregational Church of Rowan where he was a member and regular attender for many years.  He was confirmed and made public profession of Jesus Christ as His Savior and Lord a few years later. He served in various church offices and, for a time, taught Sunday School to a group of rowdy young teen-agers. Toward the end of his life he transferred his membership to Sovereign Grace Church in Dows where he and Leola were known by the plethora of young children as “Grandpa and Grandma Holmes.” He held without equivocation to the truth and authority of the Bible as the Word of God and its necessary application to all of life.

He didn't go to many movies and had no time for “fantasy.”  He enjoyed westerns, country & western music, gospel hymns and unpretentious people. He was known for his dry wit, disarming charm and quiet wisdom.  Over the years he served on the local school board, elevator board, Rowan Lions Club, Rowan American Legion and later with the Gideons.

Upon retirement from farming he began to read more and became more politically active.  He was proud to be an American but became increasingly concerned that she was being steered down the wrong path.  He was a strong Constitutionalist and believed the document was being increasingly abused by the Federal courts.  He was passionately pro-life from conception, He was a strong proponent of real marriage (the kind that naturally begets children); didn't much cater to having his hard earned money taken from him by taxes (especially when used to fund perhaps well-intentioned but misguided socialistic efforts which always seemed to cost more than they paid); and shared Clint Eastwood's assessment of the current occupant of the White House (on back table). He was not a racist. In spite of his strong views he was always ready to be of service to others no matter their political persuasion.  He handled criticism better than his  family ….. perhaps because his hearing was so bad.

When his retirement reached greater completion he and Leola moved from the family farm to Dows and continued to host many family functions.  He loved his family deeply and was very proud of their accomplishments, patient of their failures & was always ready to assist whenever needed. He suffered from numerous ailments, some serious & others chronically irritating.  A couple of weeks ago while getting out of his car at the local Dows Clinic he took a hard fall on the curb and broke his neck. He struggled for almost two weeks but never completely woke up from surgery.  That, along with complications from pneumonia and a general weakened state proved to be his final demise and his soul relinquished his body at 4:54 a. m. on Saturday morning, March 29th 2014 in the presence of his youngest surviving son.  He is presently joyously reconnecting with those many friends and family who have gone before & is marveling at the glorious perfections & wondrous grace of the Savior to whom he belonged and who provided him with such an undeserved & complete redemption.  Now,   it all make sense!

He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Ruth Holmes, a brother, John Holmes, one son, Terry Lee Holmes, a son-in-law, William Clayton, and a great-grand-daughter, Emma Muriel Olson.  He is survived by his wife Leola, one sister, Mary Eliason of Clarion, one daughter, Sherry Clayton of Dows, three sons, Doug (Carla) Holmes of rural Coulter, Dennis and Tony (Renee) Holmes both of rural Dows.  He is also survived by 12 grandchildren: Cydney (Alan) Lovell of Cedar Rapids; Hayley (Kevin) Olson of rural Clarion; Lindey Clayton of Cedar Rapids; Logan Holmes of rural Rowan; Justin Arteman of Cedar Falls; Nathan Holmes of Clarion; Caleb Holmes of Dows; Marianela,  Alithiea, Liberty, Joshua and Henry Holmes of rural Coulter. His survivors also include 8 great-grandchildren:  Jayden, Brody & Charley Lovell of Cedar Rapids; Gracey, Coady, Olyvia & Decker Olson of rural Clarion and Addey Clayton of Cedar Rapids.