The 62nd annual Easter Parade will continue as planned at 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday, April 4, from Cherokee High School to Hickory Log Baptist Church north of Canton. The parade ends with a free community Easter egg hunt at the church on Belletta Drive.
It will be conducted in honor of its longtime organizer, the late Mildred Earlene Holmes, who died on Feb. 23 at the age of 71.
Mrs. Holmes was one of the Pearidge community's most beloved residents. She will be remembered for her kind spirit and big heart, her friends and family said.
Ernestine Tanner of Canton, Mrs. Holmes' cousin, said she always saw "the beauty in everything and everyone."
"If you had a need, before you could even ask Mildred would have been there to address that need," Mrs. Tanner said.
Mrs. Holmes was survived by her husband, the Rev. Robert D. Holmes of Canton; children, Charles and Regina Holmes of Canton, Vickie and Danny Lay of Woodstock, Travis Holmes of Canton, Marcie Holmes of Canton and Shannon Holmes of Buckhead; sisters, Betty A. Holmes of Woodstock, Peggy and Harold Gardner of Detroit, Mich., June and James Poole of Kennesaw and Katie and Lee Jennings of Woodstock; brothers, George Keith of Woodstock, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Keith of Atlanta; grandchildren, Marlana Holmes, Lashanda Miller, Eric Strickland, Summon Lay and Shawn-Tel Lay; great-grandchildren, Kelsey, Dealynne, Anthony and Emory; two sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law. She was preceded in death by her son, Robert Lashawn Holmes.
North Canton Volunteer Fire Chief James Morris Sr. said Mrs. Holmes "was already missed." Morris, who coordinated the annual parade with Mrs. Holmes, said the parade became a hit because of its focus on celebrating "what you learned at church that morning."
Mrs. Holmes was born in Canton to Charlie and Nellie Rogers-Keith.
While she was the "first lady" of Hickory Log Baptist Church where her husband preached, she remained a member of Zion Baptist Church in Canton, Mrs. Tanner said.
She owned her own catering service, was named queen of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia and was Scout leader for now defunct Troop 361.
Mrs. Holmes also sat on the board of directors for the Cherokee County Department of Family and Children Services and had worked in the North Canton Elementary School lunchroom.
She was involved in a host of community organizations, including the Business and Professional Women's Organization, the Cherokee County Community Action Agency and the Empty Stocking Fund.
Frankie Shepherd of Canton knew Mrs. Holmes all her life as she was best friends with one of Mrs. Holmes's sisters.
Mrs. Shepherd said she and Mrs. Holmes would talk for hours while Mrs. Holmes tended to her garden.
Mrs. Holmes, she said, will be best remembered for her elegance and personality.
"She was just bubbly," she said. "She never met a stranger. She was what every lady wanted to be."
Canton City Councilwoman Pat Tanner also was a life-long friend of Mrs. Holmes.
Mrs. Holmes was a "strong, independent, caring and compassionate" woman, who was dedicated to her family, church and friends, Ms. Tanner said.
"She was a Christian woman, and you could see it in her walk and her talk," she added.
Ms. Tanner said she and Mrs. Holmes had a friendship in which both women would crack jokes on an ongoing basis.
While she served as the choir director at Zion Baptist Church, Ms. Tanner said Mrs. Holmes provided encouragement and support, but would not hold back her tongue if she thought Ms. Tanner was right or wrong in a given situation.
Ms. Tanner said Mrs. Holmes's presence will be missed throughout the community.
"She was jolly and jovial, and I'm going to miss her smile," she said. "I'm going to miss the camaraderie we had."
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