Ed retired about 1974 and sold his owner/operator Carpet/Floor Covering business "Barb-Lin" in Cross Keys, just outside of Doylestown. They had had their summer home on the Delaware since the early 1960's, "Byram" (between Stockton and Frenchtown, NJ.) for swimming in the River, and a Jet-Boat for water-skiing . . . ah ! 5 children to keep busy, they spent summers there :) …….as well as a 31 ft. Airstream and had been checking out the country, most often landing in Florida where they found an "Ourdoor Sports" Park near Ft Pierce, Fla to leave the Airstream. After selling the Doylestown home we were all raised in…. at 334 E Ashland St, a "Lou Nash" built brick large Colonial home, they lived at the River house and wintered at Florida. . . . SOoooo much "Fun in the Sun and Sand in the Shorts" playng golf and boating, they built a stunning home on Hutchenson Island, a barrier Island across the Inland water-way from Ft. Pierce and bought a much bigger boat for fishing. Their home faced the 3 miles of inland waterway across to the mainland of Florida.**

After a few years and loosing interest in fishing, they moved to SunTree Golf and Country Club in Melbourne….a smaller home, but were restless (also during this time, Ed has 2 years of bladder cancer treatment before surgery) so they bought a lovely large home on the Golf Course at SUN TREE, Fla. just a few blocks away. . . . this was also a grand home and the family made many "Reunions" there. Ed turned "80" there !

In the very late 1980's, Ed had an unsuccessful cataract surgery that left him with very little sight, and less than a year later, he had a TIA and fell, breaking the globe of the other eye and was permanently blinded. Alta had been through Chemo for Lymphoma and was in remission, and both had other odd things going on, so were talking about returning to Bucks County (MY DAD "Always the Kidder" said "To be near our cemetery plots !") Ed mentioned this to Alison, their youngest who lives in Perkasie still and the very next day her husband Rocky (Has his own extremely successful carpet business , "Wright Flooring") had found the "exact" home !

Perfect ! And it WAS :) They had to say yes or no, sight unseen and they said yes ! This just before Ed was blinded, or who knows what kind of decision they felt they COULD have made ? So, Barbi and Paul drove from AZ to help move, the Moving Van took their "considerable" amount of Treasures while Alta drove Ed in their Van, Barbi and Paul hauled Alta's new car (on a car hauler) and thus they made it back to Bucks County PA. This was to be the perfect home, youngest Alison living only a few miles/minutes away in one direction (Perkasie also) while 3rd daughter, Patty lived a few more miles/minutes away in the other direction, Sellersvile !

We had Many-MANY wild and wooly moments there, it being very near the "Hometown" Alta was born in, (and her parents Harris and Nora Holmes, Harris (and his father, Crossley) had the major employment Co in the town, "Clear Creek" Worsted Mill behind thier home on Main street in Doylestown) …..and Perkasie was the hometown that Alta's Mother Nora Pflieger-Homes and her family were also from Perkasie, all being in the local cemetery. HOIME. . . Home-Sweet-Home! Barbi

Alta Holmes