Vernice A. DeForest Harper Holmes, 88, of Spearfish SD passed away on Thursday, April 16, 2015.

Vernice was born on January 11, 1927 in Athelstan Wisconsin to Earl and Emma DeForest. She grew up in Silver Cliff, Wisconsin, where she attended a small one room school that she referred to often. On February 22, 1945 she married Thomas Franklin Harper of Peshtigo, WI. He unfortunately passed away in a hunting accident on April 4, 1947. Their son Thomas Franklin was born shortly after his death.
In April of 1951, she met and wed Walter Holmes of Mountain WI. In 1959, they moved to Spearfish where she happily made her home and worked at the David M. Dorsett Healthcare Center as a Certified Nurse's Assistant for over thirty years.

She had a zest for life and had several hobbies, ceramics, camping, gold panning, and most of all telling her stories of the old days. One of her favorites was when she met Al Capone.

Survivors include her daughter-in-law Kathy Harper, of Lead S.D; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Bradley Thomas (Nora) Harper and their children, Ronny, Kelly, Jessica, Kevin, and Wylie Belle of New Mexico; Tammy Harper and her children, Amity, Alisa (Zadie), Haden, Kennedy and Kali of Astoria OR; Tanya (Preston) Schroeder and their children, Tyler, Tanner, Trevor, and Parker, of LeMars IA and
Tara Harper of Lead. She was preceded in death by her siblings, both husbands, beloved and only son Thomas F. Harper, and great-granddaughter Bailee Harper.

She will be dearly missed.

The family is having a small private service, and Vernice will be laid to rest at the Cemetery in Mountain Wisconsin, next to her husband Walt.