John L Coakley, Structural Engineer

John Leonard Coakley became a respected structural engineer despite having to drop out of school in the 7th grade to help support the family when his father was killed.

After being injured in World War I he returned to Kansas City and began studying on his own and prepared to enroll in the Missouri School of Mines and Metalurgy (now Univeristy of Missouri, Rolla). He was admitted as a special student 3 November 1919. John attended classes from 1919 to 1921. He eventually took the exam and became a Professional Engineer.

John was listed as an Apprentice Structural Engineer on the 1920 Federal Census.  By 1924 he was working for Kansas City Railroad and from 1925 to 1927 as a Draftsman for Missouri Valley Bridge Company. In 1927 John moved his family to a homestead in Tule Lake, Siskyou County, California. He returned to Kansas City in 1946.

In the 1950's, John was working for Missouri Valley Steel Company, they had a contract to build 14 passenger cargo boats and 28 65-foot harbor tug boats for the US Navy. He designed a jig so they could build the boats upside down and then turn them over.

The following pictures show a boat being turned over after construction.

Once the boats were completed they would be taken to New Orleans. In order to do this John designed a tow boat that was named "Delivery".  It was actually two half boats that were bolted together. Each half boat had it's own flotation and power plant. When the tow boat reached New Orleans it was split in two and placed on flatbed railroad cars and returned to Leavenworth, Kansas where it was re-assembled and took the next shipment of boats down the Mississippi.

Article from the Leavenworth Times, 19 July 1953

According to the Leavenworth Times the last two cargo boats left the shipyard 30 October 1953 headed for New Orleans. From there they would go on to the small boat basin at Charlestown, South Carolina. 

Sources

The Leavenworth Times, 19 July 1953 page 1 column 7. www.newspapers.com

The Leavenworth Times, 06 Aug 1953 page 1 column 1. www.newspapers.com

The Leavenworth Times, 30 Oct 1953 page 1 column 1. www.newspapers.com

Photograph collection of John L Coakley now in collection of the author. 

Official Transcript of John L Coakley from School of Mines and Metallurgy, University of Missouri, Rolla issued January 15, 1945. 

Kansas City, Kansas City Directories 1924-1927

1920 US Federal Census, microfilm T625, roll 556, supervisor district 2, enumeration district 180, sheet 5 B. Family of Rose Coakley.  

The Spelling of the Clay Family Surname

For many years I suspected that William and his brother Henry had been dropped off by an alien space ship in Cumberland, MD just before William married Elizabeth Mallon in 1864. Eventually as more records became easier to access and connecting with other researchers through the internet was possible, records of their parents and early lives were discovered. There is still more to uncover, but here is what has been found so far. 

We had two clues left by Helen Struck Coakley, the first was a paper with information about the Clay family from Helen's cousin that said the family was from Somerset County, Stoney Creek Township, Pennsylvania that listed all of the children of William and Elizabeth (Mallon) Clay.  William's death certificate listed his father as Martin Clay. Research in Somerset County did not turn up a family with the surname Clay that had a father Martin and a son William.

The second clue was that Helen left was in her Missal. She kept many prayer cards, most of them seemed to be family friends but one held critical information, Mrs. Margaret Smith. The surname Smith was among the relatives listed who were attending the 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration of William and Elizabeth. Margaret was from Washington, Franklin County, Missouri and passed away at the age of 77 years, 9 months and 18 days on 18 December 1905. Research in Franklin County turned up one possibility for Margaret - Mrs. Margaret Schmitt. Thanks to the burial record of her husband John at St. Francis Borgia catholic church, we know that Margaret's maiden name was Klee, which would have been pronounced Clay.

Armed with a new spelling of the family surname, research in the records of Somerset County was more successful. There was a Martin Klee family.

Martin Klee and Frederica Lauer were married, probably in Germany. Sources differ on where they were from. They had at least four children - Margarethe, William, Henry, and Susan. The records of St. John the Baptist Catholic church included the baptism of Martin, an adult convert from the Lutheran Church who was baptized 03 December 1843; William, son of Martin and Frederica Lauer, baptized 07 November 1841; Henry, son of Martin and Frederica baptized 10 March 1845; Susanna, daughter of Martin and Frederica, baptized, 28 August 1847 (she wasn't baptizes as an infant, she was born in 183?); and Maria Catharine born 1 March 1849. There was also a marriage record for Margaret Klee who married Martin Laurence Smith dated 4 June 1845.

The census records included an entry for Martin Kle in 1840 in Stoney Creek Township. He was between 40 and 49 years of age and there were three females in his household - one between 30 and 39 (Frederica) and two under 5 years of age. If Margaret was born in 1828 then she would have been 12 in 1840. The only other daughter that we have records for was Susanna who was born in 1833, she would have been 7. Either the Census was incorrect or there was another daughter that hasn't been identified and Margaret was living somewhere else.

The tax records for Somerset County, Pennsylvania included records for the Klee family. Martin did not own land but paid personal property taxes on one cow valued between $6 and $10 from 1841 through 1845. He was not listed on the tax rolls in 1846 and 1847 but was again listed in 1848 which was the last record found for Martin.

No record was found of the family in 1850. A newspaper article about the Golden Wedding Anniversary of William and Elizabeth says that Martin moved the family to Cumberland, Allegheny County, Maryland when William was a boy of 5 to 6 years old, this could explain the gap in the records for the family between 1848 and 1860.  Cumberland is right across the state line from Somerset County, Pennsylvania. No records of the family have been located in Cumberland until William married Elizabeth Mallon.

By 1860 Martin had probably passed away; Frederica was listed with William and Henry on the census in Allegheny Township, Somerset County, PA. Laurence and Margaret and their six children were listed nearby on the census.

There are tax records in Allegheny Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania from 1861 through 1864 for William Clay. He owned 10 acres valued at $30.00.

The family moved west shortly after William and Elizabeth Mallon were married in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland 11 April 1864. The 1865 Illinois State Census for William Clay in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois includes two women, one age 20-30 and one age 60-70. Elizabeth, William's wife would have been 17 and Frederica would have been about 60 years old.

Frederica was listed with Henry and his family on the 1870 Census; they were living in the 4th Ward of the City of Quincy.

By 1876 Frederica had moved to Washington, Franklin County, Missouri and was living near her daughter Margaret and her family. In 1880 Frederica was enumerated with Margaret's family on the Census in Washington.

The final record found for Frederica was at St. Gertrude's Catholic Church in Krakow, Franklin County, Missouri - a small town about 10 miles from Washington. Frederica Klee, widow of Martin age 82, died 22 March 1886 and was buried on 24 March 1886 in the church cemetery.

Here is a map showing the places where the family lived in the United States.

We still need to determine where in Germany the family came from.

• The 1860 census says that Frederica was from Hanover and her daughter Margaret is listed as coming from Hesse Darmstadt. 
• The 1870 census that Frederica was from Prussia. 
• The 1880 census says that Frederica and Margaretha were from Hessen. 
• There is a ship's passenger list for a Martin and Frederica Klee along with a daughter from Holzheim but the facts don't all match the family so we aren't sure this is the correct immigration record. 

Thanks to records becoming more available some of the mysteries about the Clay family have been solved. 

Sources

US Federal Census Records, 1840 Somerset County, PA; 1860 Somerset County, PA; 1870 Quincy, Adams County, 1870; 1880 Washington, Franklin County, MO - all on Ancestry.com.

Missouri State Census - 1876 Washington, Franklin County, MO. Ancestry.com

Illinois State Census - 1865 Quincy, Adams County, IL. FamilySearch.org

Ledoux, Rev Albert H, Catholic Vital Records of Central Pennsylvania; St John the Baptist Catholic Church, New Baltimore, PA.

Assessment Rolls, 1795-1879; Somerset County, PA; Familysearch.org. 

Catholic Church, St. Gertrude's (Krakow, Missouri); Familysearch.org

Catholic Church, St. Francis Borgia's (Washington, Missouri); Familysearch.org

Find A Grave

Journey to America

The ship Samuel Fox arrived in New York City on 25 July 1851. Among the passengers were three couples from Baden - Gottlieb Ziebold, his brother, Joseph Ziebold, Maria Magdelna Schnaiter, her sister Caroline Schnaiter, Jacob Steinhauer, and Caroline Ringwald.

The group started their journey in Baden. Gottlieb, Joseph, and Caroline Ringwald lived in Wagenstadt, Herbolzheim, Baden and Maria Magdalena and Caroline Schnaiter were from Broggingen, Herbolzheim, Baden.

Maria Magdalena applied for a passport in Broggingen and it was issued on 10 May 1851. The passport says that she is going to America to visit relatives. It includes a physical description of Maria and her signature at the bottom. 

The passage in the Samuel M Fox was advertised in the Freiburger Zeitung a newspaper in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden on May 17, 1851.  

The three couples traveled to Le Havre, France. Among the belongings they took with them was a trunk that was passed down from Gottlieb through the family to Mina Sennott, his great-grandaughter. 

The ship Samuel M Fox sailed with 622 passengers from Le Havre on 10 June 1851 and the passengers disembarked in New York City 45 days later on 25 July 1851. There was a family story that there was a fire on board the ship and it almost sunk. There was no mention of the fire in the newspapers of the time but according to the New York Herald "The SMF has had a succession of light westerly winds and calms with continual fogs and rain."

On the day the group arrived the weather was very different from the area they came from in Baden, it was "one of the sultriest and most oppressively hot days of the present season. The heavy rain which fell on Thursday night tended in some degree to cool and rarify the atmosphere during the forenoon, but from about three o'clock pm until sunset the suffocating heat was almost beyond endurance. About six o'clock strong symptoms of heavy rain appeared; but the armament soon became cleared of it masses of black clouds and at night the neared blue sky was bespangled with brilliantly shining stars. The highest degree of head indicated by the thermometer yesterday was 85 at 3 o'clock pm yet we have seen the mercury rise above 90 degrees at times when the heat was more endurable and less stifling."

The group found rooms at 103 Liberty Street. Two of the couples married shortly after they arrived at a St. Matthew a German Evangelical Lutheran church in New York City. Gottlieb married Maria Magdalena 5 August 1851. Their marriage certificate survives.  Joseph married Carolina Schnaiter a week later on 12 August 1851.

Shortly after their marriages, the two couples set off for Ross County, Ohio where there cousin, Daniel Ziebold and his wife Maria Katharine Ringwald lived along with other relatives. 

Sources

1. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957; Samuel M Fox Passenger List, 1851 Arrival; Microfilm M237 roll 102, line 43; List 1002. Ancestry.com <www.ancestry.com>. 
2. Passport of Maria Magdalena Schnaiter. Original is part of the Joseph Rickert family papers in the manuscript collection at Southern Illinois University Special Collections Research Center. 
3. Freiburger Zeitung, vom 17 Mai 1851, digital Freiburger historische Bestande - digital Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat Freiburg <https://fz.ub.uni-freiburg.de/show/fz.cgi?cmd=showpic&ausgabe=02&day=17x&year=1851&month=05&project=3&anzahl=2>
4. New York Herald; "Maritime Intelligence", Morning Edition Friday July 25, 1851 and "City Intellicence", Saturday, July 26, 1851 page 4 col 4. 
5. Marriage Certificate of Gottlieb Ziebold and Maria Magdalena Ziebold, original in the collection of the author. 
6. New York City, Lutheran Church Records, 1834-1854; Ancestry.com <www.ancestry.com>.

Clay Family Tragedy

Henry Clay's son William Henry Clay and his wife Agnes Tucker Clay lost four of their seven children all in the month of November, 1907. The newspapers from Salt Lake City, Utah tell the sad story of the family's tragedy.

Elizabeth, 9 years old, was taken ill. The next day, her brother, Martin, age 12, was stricken. At that time Dr. Gibson believed it to be Scarlet Fever. The home was quarantined by the Board of Health. In the next few days, William F, age 14, became ill followed by the other four children -  Lola, age 16; Josephine, age 13; Rose Ellen, age 10; and John H, age 5.

On November 13, Elizabeth passed away followed by Martin the next day. Both were buried in  Mount Calvary Cemetery on Thursday, November 14. William's illness progressed rapidly and he was totally blind soon afterward and John was losing his eyesight. William died on November 17 and was buried on November 20 in the same cemetery.

The doctors didn't agree on the nature of the illness that the four children succumbed to. Dr. T. C. Gibson brought in three other doctors to consult. It was either Scarlet Fever of a combination of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria.

The other children were all dangerously ill. "With remarkable heroism the father and mother, almost crazed with grief, are endeavoring to save the lives of the other four children by their tender care."
Death visited the house one last time on November 29th when Lola expired.

The family's situation was compounded by the lack of financial resources. William Henry was a carpenter day laborer. "It has taken all that he could earn to support the large family of small children when all went well. Now that sickness has come, there is none left to provide food and medical assistance. As soon as the place was quarantined, the father, too, was kept at home, and the only revenue of the family was cut off, leaving them dependent on charity." Once the situation was brought to the attention of charitable organizations, they brought relief including nourishment and nursing care.

Fortunately, death didn't visit the remaining children for a long time, Josephine, Rose Ellen and John H all lived to adulthood. William, Agnes and their family suffered terribly during the month of November, 1907. The family remained in the Salt Lake City area for a number of years and eventually relocated to California. 

Sources

1. The Inter-Mountain Republican, "Visited by Death For Fourth Time," Salt Lake City, UT, 30 November 1907, page 8. Newspapers.com.
2. The Salt Lake Herald, "Scarlet Fever Desolates Home," Salt Lake City, UT, 21 November 1907, page 9. Newspapers.com.
3. The Salt Lake City Tribune, "Three Deaths in the Family of W. H. Clay," Salt Lake City, UT, 22 November 1907, page 9. Newspapers.com.
4. Salt Lake Telegram,  "Death Makes 3 Visits to Home," Salt Lake City, UT, 21 November 1907, page 3. Newspapers.com.
5. The Salt Lake Herald-Republican, "Physicians Differ on Deadly Malady," Salt Lake City, UT, 23 November 1907, page 8. Newspapers.com
6. Salt Lake Telegram, "All Around Town," Salt Lake City, UT, 12 November 1907, page 6. Newspapers.com. 
7. The Salt Lake Herald, "Two In One Day," Salt Lake City, UT, 21 November, 1907. Transcribed on memorial of Elizabeth Clay on Find A Grave, 182866590. 
8. Utah Death Registers, 1847-1966, State Files 1907003917, 1907003765, 1907003708, and 1907003690. Ancestry.com. 

William Clay and Elizabeth Mallon Clay Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversary

Relatives of William Clay and Elizabeth Mallon Clay gathered in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois to help the couple celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Clay Golden Wedding

William and Elizabeth were married 9 April 1864 at Cumberland, Allegany County, MD at St. Patrick's catholic church by Fr. Brennan. Fifty years later another Fr. Brennan officiated at the mass celebrating their Golden Anniversary at St. Rose of Lima parish in Quincy. 

The couple celebrated on Sunday and Monday, April 12-13th, 1914 surrounded by friends and relatives. Among the relatives that attended were six of the couple's eleven children. John Clay of Chicago, Mrs. Steven Struck (Susan) of Quincy, Mrs. John G Kroner (Mary) of Kansas City, Kansas, Frank Clay of Kansas City, Missouri, and Misses Margaret and Anna Clay of Quincy. Their son Joseph of Chicago was unable to attend. The other four children, John, William, Martin and Annory passed away before they reached adulthood. 

The couple had seven grandchildren who all attended - Helen Elizabeth Struck; W. Lloyd Kroner; John W. Clay (son of John G Clay); Lilian, Margaret, Joseph and Mary Clay (children of Joseph Clay).    

Other relatives that attended were Henry Clay, William's brother from Baring, Missouri; Mr. and Mrs. William Smith and Mollie Smith of St. Louis; Mrs. Kate Foster; and Mary Binsbacher of St. Louis. 

The celebrations were covered in the Quincy newspapers of the day. There was a dinner at 4 o'clock on Sunday followed by mass on Monday morning.  William was 75 and Elizabeth was 73. The couple traveled west from Cumberland, Maryland over forty-five years before and settled in Quincy, which was the end of the railroad at the time. 

Sources

1. Quincy Daily Journal, "Marital Happiness Is Lasting." 11 April 1914 page 8; "Mass Celebrated in Honor of Their Golden Wedding", 13 April, 1914; . Digitized on Newspaper Archive of the Quincy Public Library <http://quincylibrary.org/newspaper-archive/>

2.  The Quincy Whig, "To Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversary," 12 April 1914, page 2. Digitized on Newspaper Archive of the Quincy Public Library <http://quincylibrary.org/newspaper-archive/>

3. Invitation to Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration, copy of original given to the author by James Coakley, great-grandson of William and Elizabeth Mallon Clay.

4. Quincy Daily Herald, "Golden Wedding Mr. and Mrs. Clay." 11 April 1914, page 10.  

5. Clerk of Circuit Court, Allegany County, Maryland; Marriage Register Vol 2, page 22 line 8, Marriage of Willliam Clay and Elizabeth Mallon. Visit to courthouse, September 1991. 

Ruthanna

This blog was created to capture stories about the Sennott and Coakley families. This time I'd like to share the story of one of the family pets, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ruthanna.

Ruthanna crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. She would have been 16 on April 15th.

In 2008, two good friends, Lesa and Tim worked with Lucky Star Rescue. They were fostering a rescue named Karmen. I had been thinking about getting a dog since I no longer had to travel for work and they introduced us. Karmen was precious and she came to live with me. I started fostering for Lucky Star. A few Cavalier's stayed with Karmen and I and then moved on to their furever homes.

In March, 2009 I got a call asking if I could foster a rescue. Lucky Star had raised money and were going to an auction where hundreds of dogs were being sold. That weekend when I went to pick up my foster, I met Ruthanna.

She had spent the first  almost 7 years of her life as breeding stock in a puppy mill and had been treated very badly.  I don't think she had been out of a cage for any period of time and had health problems including a knee that required surgery. When we got home, Ruthanna stood in a submissive position and didn't move. I would pick her up periodically and carry her outside. Then we'd come back in the house and she would be still again.

After a few days, she started to come out of her shell. Ruthanna was a joy to have around. It didn't take long before I knew she would be a failed foster and was going to stay as part of our family.  I was told that I'd be lucky if she lived a couple of years, she was in such bad shape.

It is amazing what a little love can do, she soaked it up like a sponge. Soon she was exploring the house. She would sit in the chair with me in the evenings while we watched TV or read.

It took her months before she barked the first time. She only barked when she wanted to go out or was hungry. She had an internal clock that was amazing. It went off at 6:30 am and 5:00 pm. She could be very persistent when she was hungry. She relished her food, I think she must have gone hungry many times while she was in the puppy mill.

Neither of the girls knew what to do with toys, but Ruthanna found a little stuffed animal that she used to carry around. She didn't play with it, but carried it around like she would a puppy. It was her constant companion until Bentley came to live with us in 2011. Then her maternal instinct switched to him and I don't think she ever picked up the stuffed toy again. She loved him and mothered him until the day she died. Part of her daily morning ritual was washing his face. 

Bentley taught Ruthanna how to play. He would throw his toys up in the air and carry them around. He was a bundle of energy and she would sit and watch him play. One day after she had been watching him, she went over to a toy he had tired of and started pushing it with her nose and barked at it. It was such fun to watch her blossom into the dog she became.

When we would go for walks, Karmen would take off after a squirrel or a lizard, Ruthanna just sat and watched her. The look on Ruthanna's face said, "Karmen you are never going to catch that squirrel, why do you expend so much energy trying?"

I went home for lunch every day and the three of us would go for a walk. About half way to the corner, Ruthanna would sit down and wait for Karmen and I to walk to the corner and back. Then she would re-join us and we would head home. Later when Rick moved into the neighborhood, she would stop at his house when we walked. After a walk, the girls each got a carrot. Ruthanna would stand with her bottom in the air and munch on her carrot.

Thanks to Dr. Krug at Campbell Village Vet, Ruthanna had her knee surgery. Her health problems persisted through the years but Dr. Krug found a way to overcome them.

Ruthanna found a special place in my Dad's heart. She would get up in the chair with him and sit for hours. She could look so pitiful at times. When I was a little girl I had a doll named Pitiful Pearl, that soon became Ruthanna's nickname.

Ruthanna brought so much love into our house. Both of our world's changed the day she came to live with us. I'm not sure who was rescued, Ruthanna or me. She was so full of unconditional love. Every day when I came home, she was at the door to greet me. When I worked at home she was at my feet under my desk. I love all three of the dogs, each has a different personality and brings so much to our lives. Ruthanna will always have a special place in my heart, she was so gentle and sweet.

 

1912 Oakland

An article in the Waterloo Republican on Wednesday, July 3 1912 read

"George W. Ziebold has received his new car, one of the finest Oaklands, which he purchased from Jobb & Ruch. It is equipped with the latest improvements, electric light, etc."

Edward M. Murphy incorporated the Oakland Motor Car Company in 1904, an offshoot of his Pontiac Buggy Company. In 1908, the Oakland Motor Car Company and the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works merged together under the Oakland Motor Car Company. "Later in 1908, the first Oaklands went to market. The first Oaklands used an unusual Alanson Brush designed two cylinder vertical engine, which rotated clockwise. The type of engine was common in French cars but not popular with American engineers. The engines worked fine, but the cars did not sell well."

In 1909, Murphy sold 50% interest in the Oakland Motor Car Company to William Durant of General Motors. Oakland also introduced new engines, new body styles and new models that year. In the Summer of 1909 Murphy died and the remaining 50% of the company was sold to General Motors.

In 1932 the Oakland name was dropped and it became the Pontiac Motor Car Company.

Oakland made a number of different models in 1912, there isn't enough information in the newspaper article to know which one George purchased. Here are some examples of adds and pictures of the 1912 cars.

Model "40" Sociable Roadster

Oakland 30 Runabout

1912 Oakland Model 40 Touring - "The Oakland was a quality-built car that offered excellent and reliable transportation, but it came at a price. The Model 40 for 1912 sold for $1,450 in 1912 when one of Henry Ford's Model Ts sold for $690."

Oakland Model 40 1912

1912 Oakland 45

President Taft in 1912 Oakland 45

Sources
1. Waterloo Republican, July 3, 1912.
2. Dragone website https://www.dragoneauctions.com/1912-oakland-model-40-touring
3. American Automobiles http://www.american-automobiles.com/Oakland-1909-1919.html
4. Brass Auto http://www.brassauto.com/brass-pages/oakland-photos.html
5. Detroit Public Library Digital Collection https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/search/catch_all_fields_mt%3A%28oakland%2045%29%20OR%20catch_all_fields_et%3A%28oakland%2045%29
6. Heritage Center - Generations of GM History https://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/Oakland_Motor_Car_Company