HOLMES, John

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ Oct. 27, 1961 John Holmes, A Frequent Visitor Here, Died Sunday John Holmes, 71, former president and chairman of Swift & Co. who spent numerous winter vacations in Wickenburg, died of a heart attack Sunday in Tucson where he was vacationing. Mr. Holmes had resided in Naperville, Ill. Mr. & Mrs. Don Kerr tell us that Mr. Holmes was their first guest when they opened the Slash Bar K Ranch in 1947. A native of Belfast, Ireland, Mr. Holmes came to the United States when he was t years old and joined the Swift meat packing firms as a messenger boy at age 15. he was president from 1927 to 1955 when he became chairman of the board. He relinquished the chairmanship in 1959 and resigned as a director in January of this year.