COURT HOUSE — An important piece of Cape May County history made its way back to its ancestral home when an octant once owned by John Holmes was presented to the Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Society.
Found in the rafters of a house 30 years ago by Court House resident Steven Wunder, the John Holmes octant was carefully kept inside a china cabinet in the Wunder home until Steven Wunder passed away in October 2016. His widow, Jeannie Wunder, wanted to make sure the octant would have a proper home where it would be shared with future generations.
Making the octant available to The Museum was something she wanted to do to honor the memory of her late husband. Married for almost five decades, as friends of history, the couple’s relationship with The Museum is long. More than 40 years ago Steven Wunder made his first donation, a lock, to The Museum’s collections.
“The acquisition of the John Holmes octant brings home yet another piece of the amazing patchwork known as Cape May County history,” said Museum Director Donna Matalucci. “The society, along with its museum, takes its obligation to preserve and protect our county history very seriously. We continuously strive to realize our mission of keeping Cape May County history alive for generations to come. Being able to bring this octant back to its ancestral homestead and to make it available for viewing is a gift to the people of Cape May County.”
