HOLMES, Preston D. “Barney”, 80, of Ashland and Portage Lake, September 25, 2012. Arrangements are in the care of Stimson-Ouellette Funeral Home, Ashland.
ASHLAND & PORTAGE LAKE – Preston D. “Barney” Holmes, 80, died Sept. 25, 2012, at Maine Veterans’ Home in Caribou. He was born at Portage Lake, June 3, 1932, the son of Preston N. and Mary (Lyons) Holmes.
Barney, as he was known to family and friends, was raised in the Buffalo section of Portage Lake, trapping, fishing, and hunting and will always be known as a quintessential Maine woodsman. As a young man he worked in the woods, and came down river in the spring on the last of the long log and pulp drives of the area. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War, serving as a machine gunner. He was wounded and spent many weeks in a hospital on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, receiving a Purple Heart for his wounds. Following the war, Barney worked for the Maine Forest Service manning forest fire watch towers in the Deboullie area during the summer. He scaled wood for the Pingree Heirs in the fall and winter months.
During mud season, he was not only the go-to man for having your snowshoes re-webbed, but also found time to hand-make many scale rules. In his spare time, fall found him on the trap line catching a variety of fur bearers, his specialties being beavers and pine martens. He went to work for Seven Islands Land Company in 1966 maintaining various tasks over the year, retiring as its Chief Scaler in 1996. He was a member of the VFW Post 9699 of Ashland.
Barney is survived by his wife, Lois (MacLean) Holmes of Ashland, one daughter, Dawn Holmes of Portage Lake, two sons, James A. Holmes and wife Kathy, and Preston Holmes and his wife Kimberly, all of Portage Lake; seven grandchildren, Erin Nielson, Misty, Donald, James, Haleigh, Brady, and Griffin Holmes; four great-granddaughters, Chelsea Holmes, Mykala Williams, Cynthia Holmes, and Aurella Santiago.
In addition to his parents, he was predceassed by two brothers, Colby and Herman Holmes.
A funeral service was held at the Advent Christian Church, Exchange St., Ashland on Saturday, Sept. 29 with Rev. George McLaughlin officiating. Committal services with military honors were at the Portage Lake Municipal Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are a service of Stimson-Ouellette Funeral Home, 114 Exchange St., Ashland.
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