Eisenhour Funeral Home
Blanchard, McClain Co, OK
(permission granted)

Long time Blanchard Oklahoma resident, Joseph Leonard Holmes passed away at his home in Blanchard after an extended illness on October 4th, 2015. He was 84 years old.

Leonard, to his early family, and Joe to everyone else, was born in Idabel, Oklahoma on November 13, 1930. Joe was educated in Idabel, graduating from high school in 1949. Money was tight, so he left home to work, harvesting wheat, working as a ranch hand in Wyoming and finally working as a welder’s helper laying pipe lines.

When the Korean War began, Joe answered his country’s call. Joe entered the United States Army in March 1951 and completed his basic training at Fort Chaffee. In November 1951, Joe was assigned to Battery B, 987th Field Artillery Battalion in Korea. He served honorably, seeing combat, and rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal (with two Bronze Service Stars) and the United Nations Service Medal. After serving one year in Korea, he returned to the United States and separated from the Army in December 1952.

Joe returned to Oklahoma City where he met Barbara Ann Taylor. It didn’t take him long; he and “Barb” were married on October 17, 1953.

Joe worked for 25 years for Western Electric, installing switching equipment for the telephone company throughout Oklahoma. After retiring from Western Electric, Joe returned to the outdoors life that he had always loved and began farming and raising livestock.
Joe always found time to be involved in community affairs. He became a member of the American Legion and served one term on the Blanchard School Board in the middle 1970’s.

In 1963 Joe and Barb bought twenty acres of land “in the country” near Blanchard. The land was unimproved and largely overgrown with brush and scrub trees. Joe and Barb cleared that land and built the house in which they raised their family and in which he lived until his death.

Joe has been described as “the best neighbor ever” who was always willing “to do anything for you”. Joe loved to hunt and fish with his grandsons, and was a profound and defining influence on their lives, teaching each of them, “How to live in the country” and to love the outdoors, as he did.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, his parents George H. Holmes & Effie J. Splawn, his sisters Flora Uffner and Marilyn Brooker and his brother George Henry Holmes.

He is survived by his children, Leonard Wayne Holmes of Tyler, Texas and Brenda Kay Hill of Lafayette, Louisiana, grandsons Corey Holmes and fiancée Mikala Stephens of Blanchard, Kevin Holmes of Rockwall, Texas & Kyle Holmes of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, great grandchildren, Austin Holmes-Wilkerson, Katelyn Holmes, Karlie Holmes and Brooklyn Holmes, brother Robert Holmes, sister Betty Ann Bromley, and nephew Coy Gene Glass.

The family wishes to express their sincere thanks to the personnel of Loving Care Hospice, especially Erin, Kelly and Darcy for their patience, kindness, care and consideration during Joe’s long illness.

The family will receive friends for visitation at Eisenhour Funeral Home in Blanchard, Oklahoma on Thursday, October 8, 2015 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m.,Friday, October 9, 2015 at the Blanchard Cemetery, Blanchard, Oklahoma. Interment will immediately follow.

The family request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Disabled American Veterans at dav.org or by mail to PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250.

Arrangements are under the direction of Eisenhour Funeral Home of Blanchard. Online obituary and guestbook are available at www.eisenhourfh.com.