I am the daughter of Myrtle Freda Fall and William Hartwell Hollis. I am the eldest of the family Joan (myself) my brother Dudley, and three sisters Marianne, Linda and Judy. The Hollis family were farmers. We are descendants of John Hollis, who arrived in Bermuda in the 1760’s. He married Jane Mason, who had 3 sons. Our family is a descendant of their second son named John, who married Adria (Adrianna) Wilkinson. We are the 6th generation of Hollis’.
Right after I graduated in 1959, I was taken up with bowling and played for many years. In 1962, I started bowling at Lily Bowl in Shelly Bay it used to be the Piggly Wiggly market. That’s where I joined the first bowling league, and the game I loved. After the Lily Bowl closed, I joined many bowling leagues at the Warwick Bowl lanes. I dreamt of being a professional bowler.
In 1964, after a 24 qualifying game roll-off, I was chosen, captain of the first bowling team to ever leave Bermuda to bowl in the United States. The team members, Ann Mitchell, Rosesheene Samuels, Hattie-Ann Morrisette, Vivian Vickers, and Marion Flood as substitute. We met the President of the Women’s International Bowling Congress Mrs. Alberta Crowe, she welcomed our Bermuda team and I presented her with the Bermuda Flag.
Meanwhile, I had been at Holy Trinity Church for many years- I sing Alto in the choir. I was confirmed at Holy Trinity. My mother, Myrtle Hollis, was the organist at Holy Trinity Church. She was a pianist who loved to sing, taught choir music and learned to play the organ at the Hamilton Cathedral so that she could play the organ at Holy Trinity Church, staying for 50 years, never missing a Sunday. I came back to Holy Trinity after singing at a few other churches, and I’ve been here ever since (1999).
In 2012, Rev. Steven Bailey and his wife Gill, left Bermuda to return to England. I joined the Vestry. – I was asked about being in charge of the graveyard, I agreed and have loved doing ever since.
