Tribal Elder Loren Holmes walks on

Loren Francis Holmes

Dec. 15, 1936 - Sept. 17, 2011

Tribal Elder Loren Francis Holmes, 74, a resident of Happy Valley, Ore., died Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, in Milwaukie.

He was born on Dec. 15, 1936, in Grand Ronde, the son of David and Vida Smith Holmes. He graduated from high school and served his country in Korea. While in the military, he was a paratrooper and taught others how to assemble and disassemble their weapons. He later served in the National Guard.

Loren worked in the woods as a choker setter and then went to doing the thing he enjoyed the most, working on cars as a mechanic. He also worked moving houses for the Bunns. He was a champion pool player and enjoyed fishing, hunting, going to the casino, target practice with the bow and arrow and going to the horse and dog races. He was good at shuffleboard as well. He also loved to travel and visit friends. He was an Oregon Ducks and Florida Seminole fan. He was a member of the Catholic Church and loved eagles.

He is survived by his sons, Loren "Buckskin" Holmes of Keizer, Steven Holmes of Dallas and Dennis Holmes of McMinnville, and an enormous amount of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He also is survived by a sister, Priscilla Hofenbredl of Grand Ronde. He was preceded in death by daughters Kathy Holmes and Claudine Holmes, son Kenneth Holmes and 11 brothers and sisters.

Viewing will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, in the Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center with a Rosary service starting at 7 p.m. in the mortuary. A funeral mass will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22, in St. Michael's Catholic Church in Grand Ronde with burial to follow in the Holmes Family Cemetery.