Axel J. Holmes Sr.

Axel James Holmes Sr., 93 of Nett Lake passed away peacefully at home on Friday, March 17, 2017 at Nett Lake.

Axel was born on March 19, 1923 the son of Rachel (Chase) Baker Holmes and Henry Holmes, of the St. Croix Band of Chippewa, in Trade River, Wisconsin. He attended Tomah Indian School and graduated from Grantsburg. He served in World War II in the Southwest Pacific in the U.S. Army Air Forces in  March of 1943. He was assigned to the 880 ^th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion and to the 871st Engineer Battalion. He served in Lae, Nadzab, Hollandia, and Biak in Papua New Guinea and in Luzon, the Philippines, and  also in Japan. He was discharged in January 1946 – attaining the  rank of Technician 5 ^th Grade. He was decorated with the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Luzon Campaign Medal, and one Battle Star. He moved to Nett Lake in 1953 and remained there ever since. He was a life member of the Cook VFW,  an avid ham radio operator, and a "die hard Packer fan". He was proud to go on the "Honor Flight" for the  WWII Veterans.

Axel was instrumental in getting the Volunteer Ambulance Service started, he has the record so far for the longest serving member of the Nett Lake School Board. He worked in the Chemical Dependency field for many years. Axel was the editor of the Bois Forte News for 16 years which received an " award or two". His column "Facts by Ax" was enjoyed by many who read the paper.

He is preceded in death by: 2 daughters,  Patricia who died in infancy and Sharon Lee; his parents, Rachel and Henry Holmes;  brothers, George Baker, Arthur, Frank, and Russell Holmes; one sister,  Janet Kirby aka Virginia Holmes, and by the mother of his children Marge Holmes.

He is survived by his wife Loretta E. Holmes; 3 sons: Dwight Holmes of Superior, WI, Axel Holmes Jr., and Charles "Charlie" Holmes; 4 daughters: Mildred  "Millie" Holmes, Marian Holmes, Victoria "Wick-o" (Raymond Sr.) Villebrun  all of Nett Lake and Vera (James) Branstrom of Virginia, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and nieces, nephews and friends.

SERVICES: Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at the Government Services and Community Center in Nett Lake. Visitation will start after 5:00 PM on Monday at the center. Rev. Kevin Land will be the officiant. Military honors will be accorded by the Bois Forte Honor Guard and the honor guards of the Cook VFW and Orr American Legion. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Nolan Littlewolf, Cole Potter, Aaron "Supe" Villebrun, John Day, Israel Staine, Andrew Branstrom, and great-grandson-Dillan Adams. Honorary Pallbearers are the Bois Forte Veterans, Cook VFW Veterans and the members of the Orr American Legion and Raymond Villebrun Jr.  Burial will be in the Nett Lake Cemetery.