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Note: Doug says he is buried in Inglewood Cemetery, Los Angeles, CA. 10 years after the death of his first wife during childbirth in 1914, he married Alta, a girl he had held on his knee when he was a teenager and she was a toddler. William John and Alta Olson were married by Jesse Kaufman in the parsonage of the Christian church on Mar. 20, 1921. He was 15 years older than Alta and 45 years older than his son Arnold. Minnie and Alta were cousins. At two years of age William came to Iowa from Indiana with his family in a covered wagon drawn by oxen. William and Alta Coleman came to Los Angeles, CA. from Iowa in 1948. William was in poor health and did not work in L.A. Alta work in a neighborhood restaurant (Whitey's on Florence and 74th Ave. as a dishwasher, working a split shift so she could return home and check on William. He was in a nursing home for a year or so before his death - his mind was bad. He finally died of old age - Circulatory problems from many coal mine injuries. He started working in coal mines at the age of 8. 24 years after his death, Black Lung insurance paid off to Alta a lump sum and monthly payments. William was a member of Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints, as well as Odd Fellows Lodge. As a coal miner he was a Shot Fireman and did the blasting in the coal mines in Iowa. It was south of Madrid. He had access to dynamite. One year, on Halloween evening, in this small town, he set a charge of dynamite in the crotch of a tree and set it off. It blew out all the windows in the town and they never found out who did it. William finally confessed to his own family what he had done. William had very little formal schooling. Probably only about 3 years, but he was smart. He got his smarts selling newspapers. Later in life it was said of him that because of lack of formal education, he often got taken advantage of. He was smart but not quit smart enough. By age 8, he was already working in the mines. Once, as a youngster, he saved his dad and other miners. He saw the tools leaning up against the side of the mine tunnel, and noticed that the ground was pushing them up. He then warned his dad and the others and they were able to get out before the mine flooded. Because of his astute observation and quick thinking, they were able to get out. In 1939, he injured his back in the mine. Then in 1940 slate Fell on him. He then worked in a munitions plant in Ankeny, during World War II. His son, Arnold, also worked there one summer while in high school -- janitorial work. His wife, Alta, also worked at the munitions plant for a while. Alta also worked at the Lutheran Home and in a corn factory -- a cannery. After the corn factory, Alta canned tomatoes for a while. She never again bought canned tomatoes. In spite of his lack of formal education, William managed to make some prudent investments. he invested in real estate and had some rental property in Madrid. he owned a Creamery Building that was later destroyed so a railroad bridge over the river could be built. William and his family lived in the upper floor of the Creamery Building and the lower floor was rented out as apartments. Arnold spent the first 5 years of his life in this "home." William bought land somewhere and kept the mineral rights when he sold it. Leonard knows about it, but does not ever expect to realize anything from it, because it is now a federal or state park. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1910 Census has William and Minnie Bell living 2 doors down from Charles & Alice J. Currie , his sister. On the other side of the Curries, Minnie Bell's parents are living; Frank J. Lawson and Angeline (Chesnut). ages 56 and 57 and married for 20 years. They have had only 1 child who is still living. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1930 Census in Madrid, Iowa, indicates that he does not live on a farm, he does not own a radio, value of his home is 3500, and that he is not a veteran. Family lives on Division Street. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the 1920 Census taken in Boone, Iowa, William Coleman, age 34, is listed as the head of the household. His father's birthplace as Louisianna (Pretty sure this is wrong), his mother's birthplace as England. In the household are Nancy and Thomas Chestnut, his aunt and uncle (ages 49 & 47), and John Lawson, age 66, and Angeline Lawson, age 60, 8 assorted people whose names I don't recognize of assorted ages 49-19, and Amos Strange age 60. It must be a boarding house. Name: William Coleman Residence: , Boone, Iowa Estimated Birth Year: 1886 Age: 34 Birthplace: Illinois Relationship to Head of Household: Self Gender: Male Race: White Marital Status: Single Father's Birthplace: Louisiana Mother's Birthplace: England Film Number: 1820479 Digital Folder Number: 4300681 Image Number: 00391 Sheet Number: 1 Household Gender Age William Coleman M 34y Nancy Chestnut F 49y Thomas Chestnut M 47y John Lawson M 66y Angeline Lawson F 60y Jens Hansen M 31y Edward Nelson M 36y Charley Johnson M 46y Ed W Nelson M 49y Hugo Alm M 22y Oscar Nelson M 25y Walter Summers M 30y Theadore Sandberg M 19y Amos Strange M 60y
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