Coakley, John

COAKLEY, WOLF, SHEEHY, VAN FLEET, MARRINAN, AUTRY, SCHAUB, FORD, ROUSH, OROAK, KANE, RILEY, MULCAHY, FITZPATRICK

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/27/2009 at 18:16:04

Coakley, John

The biographies of successful men are instructive as guides and incentives to those whose careers are yet to be achieved. The examples they furnish of patient purpose and consecutive endeavor strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, if he is willing to press forward in the face of all opposition, refusing to be downed by untoward circumstances, thus making stepping stones of what some would find to be insurmountable stumbling blocks. The gentleman whose life history herewith is, we hope, accurately and succinctly set forth, is a conspicuous example of one who has lived to good purpose and achieved a definite degree of success in the special sphere to which his talents and energies have been devoted. As the name indicates, John Coakley is of Irish origin, although born and reared on American soil and a loyal and representative citizen of the state in which he lives. Mr. Coakley was born in Cook County, Illinois, in 1845, the son of Cornelius and Mary (Wolf) Coakley, the father born in County Cork, Ireland, and the mother in Denmark. The father was reared and educated in Ireland, and when twenty-two years of age he immigrated to America, unaccompanied. He at once came to Indiana, when that state was comparatively undeveloped, and there he secured employment on a canal as boss. Mary Wolf came with her parents from far Germany and settled near Ft. Wayne in the Hoosier state, where the father worked at his trade of saddler, and the parents of the subject were married in Logansport, Indiana. Subsequently the elder Coakley turned his attention to farming, owning eighty acres near Ft. Wayne, that state, then moved to Terre Haute, and in 1851 he came to Iowa, driving overland to Mahaska County, the trip requiring six weeks, their little caravan consisting of two wagons, two carts, a buggy and seven horses. On the trip, John, of this review, then six years old, had an attack of the whooping cough. Upon their arrival in the wild Hawkeye State, the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres, and entered some other, and, being a hard worker and a man of natural business endowments, he prospered in the new country, becoming influential and among the largest land owners, his estate comprising thirteen hundred acres at the time of his death, forty acres of which was in Elk Creek Township, Jasper County. His death occurred near Pella, at the advanced age of eighty-one years, his wife reaching the age of seventy-six when her summons came. Their family consisted of six children, namely: Anna, who is deceased, was the wife of James Sheehy and lived on a farm in Mahaska County; John, of this review; J. J. lives in Altoona, Iowa; Thomas is deceased; Catherine, wife of George Sheehy, of Los Angeles, California, where Mr. Sheehy is engaged in business; Mary is the wife of Henry Van Fleet, an automobile dealer in Pella, Iowa.

John Coakley received what educational training he could in Marion County, under the most primitive and adverse conditions, for it will be remembered that he grew up in pioneer times, when there were few schools in this country and what there were lacked proper management and equipment. When twenty-four years of age he began farming for himself on a portion of his father's farmstead, the latter giving him two hundred acres when he reached the age of twenty-seven. This land was in Mahaska County and he still owns it, having added to his holdings there until he is now the owner of four hundred and sixty-five acres in that County, and he also owns one hundred and twenty-one acres in Palo Alto Township, Jasper County. He became one of the leading general agriculturists and stockmen of his community and laid by an ample competency, so that in 1901 he left the farm, moved to Newton, where he has a modern and attractive home, and here he has lived practically retired, although he spends considerable time on his farms.

On June 24, 1869, Mr. Coakley was united in marriage with Catherine Marrinan, of Ottumwa; she was the daughter of Patrick Marrinan. Her death occurred five years later, leaving the following children: Mary Jane, wife of R. A. Autry, died ten years ago, leaving one child, Harry; Catherine T. married Louis Schaub, of Ottumwa, and they have one child, Mart T.

Two years after the death of his first wife Mr. Coakley remarried, his second wife being Anna Ford, whose death occurred eleven months later without issue. In 1881 he was again married, his third and present wife being Johanna C. Mulcahy, who was born in Marion County, Iowa, in 1855, and she is the daughter of P. L. and Margaret (Fitzpatrick) Mulcahy. The father was born in County Limerick, Ireland, and there was reared and attended school, when twenty-five years of age locating at Saratoga, New York. Mrs. Coakley's mother was born in Spring Valley, New York, her parents being natives of Ireland, who came to America and lived a number of years, but finally returned to Ireland, spending the remainder of their days in their native land. When a child of fourteen, Mrs. Coakley's mother paid a visit to the Emerald Isle. These parents came to Iowa in the spring of 1855 and entered and purchased land and followed farming for some time, owning two hundred acres in Fairview Township, where the mother still resides, being now seventy-five years of age, the father having died six years ago, at the advanced age of ninety-six years. He was a remarkable man in many respects. They reared ten children, nine of their own, named as follows: Johanna C., wife of Mr. Coakley; Martin, who owns a rice plantation in Arkansas; Mary is the wife of Fernando Roush and lives in Lamar, Colorado; Margaret is the wife of Dan O'Roak, of Newton; Clementine lives with her mother; Catherine is the wife of Bernard Kane and lives near Percy, Iowa; Jennie, Thomas, James and Richard are all at home. Mary Riley, the adopted child, is now the wife of J. J. Coakley, brother of the subject. She was the child of Mrs. Coakley's aunt (father's sister), her father having lost his life in the army, as a result of which her mother died of grief.

To Mr. and Mrs. Coakley three children have been born, all of whom are at home, constituting an intelligent, happy and interesting group: Margaret Anna; Myrtle Agnes, who is teaching in the country schools, and the son. John P. They are all members of the Roman Catholic Church, and Mr. Coakley has been a life-long Democrat.

It is interesting to note that Mr. Coakley helped haul much of the stone and lime that was used in the construction of the old court house, which was torn down to give place to the new structure recently erected. There is now in the family a much beloved and handsome horse, "Bob," a descendant of one of the horses which helped bring the family to Iowa. The Coakley's are most pleasant and hospitable people and they number their friends only by the limits of their acquaintance. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 567