Jessica M Holmes

I remember your Mom and Dad being so excited for Halloween as they rigged their doorbell to trigger a friendly but scary message at their door. She was always very very nice to me when Druan and I would get together or have projects together. I am sorry you have to feel the loss of someone so sweet and kind. Mandy Ahrens Meier

My last memory of Jess was her smile after hearing a piano solo by Joe's teacher on her lovely living room piano! I have too many memories to write them all, but could never forgot meeting Jess on my first day of teaching at Gompers and seeing her interactions with middle school students; my observations of her interactions formed a basis for my own growth as a teacher. For those of us on the staff at Gompers, who can forget the Christmas parties given by Andrew and Jess in their Nakoma home. What fun was had by all! My most personal memory is having Christmas with Jess and Andrew's family one year when I was alone in Madison without my family. She was truly my Mom away from my own Mother, who is still living at 95 in Florida and who often had conversations by phone with Jess. We all send our hope that your fond memories will help you in this sad time. Sue and Bob, Fran Trout and my brother Bud Trout

Thank you Jess for teaching us how to live life to the fullest. We so enjoyed our dinners with you and Judie at Smokey’s, the old Avenue, the Laurel, and even a speakeasy with a secret bookshelf entrance! You were an inspiration to us and will always hold a bright spot in our hearts. Sending condolences to all of the family. Suzy and Mindy

I was, along with Dennis Strand, one of the student AV assistants under Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. Roble, at Gompers Junior High IMC in its first year, 1966-67. Mrs. Holmes was gracious, of good heart and what we would call "inclusive" today. I had intended to contact her, at some point, after I met Mr. Smith, the former Lowell School Librarian, at an ALA convention in Chicago. He credited her with mentoring him and "just about every librarian" of the next generation in Madison. I believe that Mrs Holmes would be surprised to find that I made a career out of librarianship, as did another fellow from our first Gompers class, Don Johnson. I hope that I have returned the encouragement to the many others who were students in my classes, and who heard my stories about AV equipment in the era of Wollensak 3M tape recorders, Bell & Howell projectors, and AB Dick mimeograph. Somewhere in my home I still have a small scissor engraved "IMC" as a memento. I will see Dennis this year in June and we will remember Mrs. Holmes and the days of AV.