Resident Spotlight: Wendell Oliver Holmes

Where did you grow up?  Wendell was born on January 10, 1940 in Birmingham Alabama and he grew up the same area that he was born in.  He grew up the youngest child with 6 brothers and 1 sister.  He completed high school and attended the University of Alabama but stopped going to school to join the Marines with the intention of going back to school later, but was not able to do that.

What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood?  Wendell’s family was involved in southern gospel music and he was in several different quartets over the years.  He was named Vocalist of the Year in high school and was MVP of his high school basketball team his senior year of high school. 

What are some of your favorite memories from your adulthood?  Wendell continued to enjoy singing as an adult and he was a singer in nightclubs for many years and continued with gospel music and did solos in church and at weddings and funerals.  Wendell has been married two times.  His first wife was Bette Ann Brown.  They were married for 37-40 years and they did not have children but Bette Ann had 3 kids 2 girls and 1 boy from a previous marriage.  Wendell has been married to Leila Holmes since May 25, 2008.

Did you have a profession?  Wendell’s main occupation in life was working for Ford Motor Company as the supervisor of the paint department for 37 years and then he worked for Dupont as a color coordinator for 5 years.  Earlier in life he worked for Lockheed for many years and he also was a welder, painter and drove tractor trailers.

Which accomplishments in life do you feel most proud?  Wendell was most proud of his involvement in music mostly southern gospel singing in quartets and singing in nightclubs and solo work in church and at weddings and funerals that he did for a lot of his life.  

Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just graduating college?  Wendell was always a devout Christian man and believed that a faith in Jesus Christ and following him should be the basis of your life.

Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just starting a family?  Wendell believed in a strong family life with God as the basis of the family.
What brought you to Dogwood Forest?  Wendell’s wife Leila stated that he started showing signs of memory loss in 2010-2012. He went to several different doctors, including a Neurologist, who indicated that Wendell has Alzheimer’s  and then a doctor later felt that he had vascular dementia related to mini strokes.  Leila had him at home until she could no longer manage his care at home, so Wendell came to Dogwood Forest in October 2015.