Celebrating NFL Great Ernie Holmes
Commemorative Event
Jamestown, Texas – On Saturday, August 10, 2019, an event commemorating Ernie Holmes, a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers original Steel Curtain that helped the franchise win Super Bowl IX and X, will be held at Pine Hill Church located at CR 1019 Jamestown, Texas 75966. The program kicks off at 5 pm and culminates by unveiling two different commemorative signs.
Special guest speakers include Texas State Representative The Honorable James White, The Honorable Kenneth Weeks, Newton County Judge, and a Newton County Sheriff’s representative. Representative White will make a presentation to the Holmes family. Family photographs and professional sports memorabilia from Holmes’ life will be displayed.
The event was organized by ArLena Richardson, who continues to serve as Holmes’ publicist, and his eldest sister Margaret Tukes. “Our family has wanted to remember Ernie with a special event for a very long time,” Adding, “We are so grateful that ArLena helped us to make it happen.”
Holmes graduated from Wiergate High School and helped the team win two championships. He was a student-athlete at Texas Southern University, before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 1971, where he played from 1972 to 1977 winning two Super Bowls and became a member of the team’s original “Steel Curtain Front Four.” Holmes was also named All-Pro. He played for one season, in 1978, with the New England Patriots.
During the early 90s, Holmes returned to Newton County. He became a rancher and active in the community. Later he became an ordained minister.
My father was Dr. Arthur A. Miller who grew up in Newton and was a veterinarian in Newton and Jasper Counties. Mr. Holmes was a client and friend of Doc’s. Doc loved Newton County, and when we were driving around, he would just stop by someone’s home to talk. I remember him doing that at the Holmes home. Also, Doc, Mr. Holmes, Robert, Fat, and I went coon hunting one night not far from their home. There was also an elderly man that was a friend/relative of the Holmes that went with us. He walked slowly and could not keep up with the dog and us. He had his own flashlight and trailed us by probably 30-40 yards. Sometimes we would lose sight of his flashlight, and I was concerned that he would get lost. But his light would appear again, and he made it out of the woods about 5-10 minutes after we did. Pretty slow night; got only one possum. I can’t remember who shot the possum, but he fell out after one shot. And it did not bleed much, if any at all. When we got back to the truck, we just put the possum in the back of the truck. We talked a little while and walked a distance down the road from the trucks. When we came back, the possum was gone. The possum had “played possum” on us. But walking in the woods of East Texas was always some sort of therapy for Doc and me. Probably for the Holmes family also.