Joseph Andrew Holmes was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1862. His father, Andrew Holmes was born in Tyrone County, Ireland. His mother Sarah Strong, was born in Scotland. Joseph and his first spouse Liza Tilson moved to the Brimley, Michigan area. They had four children, William, Isabel, Margaret, and Robert. Liza died shortly after Robert was born. Emma Pittman was born in Newfoundland in 1869. Her father, George Pittman and her mother, Mariah Merchant were born in Newfoundland. Emma's husband George Ballum was born in Labrador in 1862. Emma and her first husband, George Ballum first moved to Chelsea, Massachusetts. They had five girls, Anna, Mary, Susie, Elizabeth, and Victoria. They eventually moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Shortly after, George left for the Yukon and the "Gold Rush" in Alaska. The adventure took two years of traveling. Just a few weeks away from arriving George died. Joseph Holmes married Emma Pittman in 1899. Shortly after the marriage, they moved to the Kinross area with his four children and her five children. They brought their worldly goods on a covered wagon with cattle tied behind it. Joseph was a lumber man and bought 320 acres in Kinross, where he cut and sold timber. He had two work horses, Daisy and Be. Joseph and Emma had nine more children, Helen, Kate (Catherine), Frances, Emma, George, James, Edith, Florence, and Albert. They were a happy and loving family with a total of eighteen children. Kinross Township had a school built just for the Holmes children at the Spile Dam. Sam Ketrick built the school. The two oldest Holmes boys, William and Robert Holmes helped. Emma died in 1935. Joseph died in 1938, at the age of 75. James Holmes married Constance Stearns. They had two children, George and Patricia. George died in 1978. His mother, Constance (Connie) died in 1984.  James is age 90 and living in New York. Contributed by: Carol Holmes, from interview with my grandfather James Holmes.