George Washington Coles Jr. (1858 - 1924)

Born 28 May 1858 in Wilson, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Lettie Leigh (Brizendine) Coles — married about 1886 in United States

Died 25 Jul 1924 at age 66 in Weiser, Washington, Idaho, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Olin Coles [send private message]

Biography

George Washington Coles Jr. was born on 28 May 1858 in Wilson, Tennessee, United States. He was the son of George Coles and Nancy Coles. George married Lettie Leigh Brizendine on about 1886, likely in Wilson County, Tennessee, and together they raised a family.

After his marriage to Lettie Brizendine, the family lived in Mayfield, Graves, Kentucky. In 1901 they picked up and headed west, locating in Weiser, Washington, Idaho, where they remained for the next six years. What prompted their return east is unknown, but in August 1907 the moved back to Mayfield, Kentucky, declaring their intention to settle there. Good intentions or not, Mayfield evidently no longer appealed to them, or the lure of the west proved too great.

In November 1907, after a stay of only three short months, they were on the move again. An article in a Graves County newspaper indicated that they were going to relocate in Evington (sic), Wyoming. (Note: There is, nor apparently never was, a town named Evington, Wyoming. The closest name possible is Evanston, Uinta County, Wyoming. Perhaps this is what the writer meant.) However, things evidently didn't work out in Wyoming either, as the family was soon living in Weiser, Idaho again.

George and Lettie remained in Weiser, where George died by his own hand on 25 Jul 1924 in Weiser, Washington, Idaho, United States. About 1936, Lettie, then an invalid, left Weiser and went to live with her son in Pocatello, Idaho where she died in 1938.

Obituary of George Washington Coles The Weiser Signal; Weiser, Idaho; July 28, 1924. WEISER CITIZEN ENDS LIFE; ILL HEALTH IS CAUSE George W. Cole, a resident of Weiser for 22 years, ended his life Friday morning at 11 o'clock by shooting himself through the heart. Mr. Cole had been suffering for some time from ill health and it is thought that this affected his mind. The act was committed in the presence of his son Leslie, Dr. W. R. Hamilton who had been summoned, and Attorney E. R. Coulter a friend of his boyhood. The man had secured a pistol and was flourishing the weapon around and said that he was going to kill himself and that no one could prevent it. Mr. Coulter tried to talk the man out of the idea of killing himself and started toward him when Cole turned the gun toward him and told him to stop. Before an effort could be made to get the gun Mr. Cole had turned it upon himself and fired with the above stated result. Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the family home where a large crowd assembled to pay their respects to the deceased and the family.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TR-J4Y : 12 December 2017), Pumpry Coles in entry for Francis Coles, 1860.
• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD86-WB6 : 15 June 2019), G W Coles in entry for G W Coles, 1870.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDWL-FQ2 : 15 July 2017), G W Coles in household of N L Coles, District 4, Wilson, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district ED 250, sheet 353A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,286.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M944-ZT9 : accessed 6 November 2019), George W Coles, Magisterial District 5 Mayfield city Ward 2-3, Graves, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 96, sheet 3A, family 43, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,522.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLHT-VY6 : accessed 6 November 2019), George Coles, Weiser, Washington, Idaho, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 283, sheet 13B, family 430, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 228; FHL microfilm 1,374,241.
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZM-GCN : accessed 6 November 2019), George Cole, Weiser, Washington, Idaho, United States; citing ED 190, sheet 6A, line 1, family 120, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 294; FHL microfilm 1,820,294.
• "Idaho Death Certificates, 1911-1937," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLTJ-78J : 21 May 2019), George Washington Coles, 25 Jul 1924; citing Weiser, Washington, Idaho, reference cn 46911, Department of Health and Welfare, Boise; FHL microfilm 1,530,842.
• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVV-Z1MG : 27 July 2019), George Washingon Coles, 1924; Burial, Weiser, Washington, Idaho, United States of America, Hillcrest Cemetery; citing record ID 23534750, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 06 November 2019), memorial page for Lettie L. Brizendine Coles (7 Sep 1867–16 Oct 1938), Find A Grave Memorial no. 23534730, citing Hillcrest Cemetery, Weiser, Washington County, Idaho, USA ; Maintained by Cheryl Hanson (contributor 46836345) .