In honor of my Irish heritage............

I’d like to wish everyone

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

My great, great, great grandparents, on my mother’s side, were Irish immigrants.

After traveling from Ireland to America in the early 1800s, my GGGgrandfather, John Holmes, made his home in Philadelphia. He made his living as a carpet weaver. He married GGGgrandmother, Rachel D., a daughter of Irish immigrants. In January of 1856, my GGgrandfather John Dinsmore Holmes was born.

After growing up in Philadelphia, John Dinsmore Holmes, became a retail grocer and married my GGgrandmother, Sarah Blair. Sarah was born in Feb. 1858 to Irish immigrant parents. 

They raised five children in Philadelphia, living many years on Fifth. St.  There was one son, Edward, born in 1884, and four daughters:

      Rachel, (Retta), b. 1883

      Elva, b. 1889, d. Oct 8, 1918 of pneumonia.

      Margaret, (Maggie), b. 1889

      Edith, b. 1894

Edith is my great grandmother. 

Edith grew up in Philadelphia and eventually married John William Hussung, a pharmacist. They raised three daughter:

     Edith May Hussung (1914-1987). Born in Pa
     Elva Marie Hussung (1919-1980).  Born in Pa
     Doris Eliza. Hussung (1923-1989)  Born in De

Edith is my grandmother.

Grandma Edith eventually moved to Los Angeles and married Grandpa John Joseph Lopez. My beloved grandparents lived their lives and raised their family in Venice, Ca.. Their only daughter is my mother.

My mother has lots of family photos, and several poems handwritten by my great, great grandfather, John Dinsmore Holmes. That GGgrandfather has become my favorite “never met” relative.

I’ve read so much written by him, I feel like I know him. He holds a special place in my heart.

Poem written by John Dinsmore Holmes in 1929, to his daughter, my Great grandmother, Edith Buchanan Holmes Hussung.

Poem written by John Dinsmore Holmes in 1929, for his grandaughter, my grandmother, Edith May Hussung.

The back of Grandma's poem.