More on Flora & Harry Cooley

Here is the obituary I found on my father's grandmother Flora Cooley.


My grandfather the architect was the sole survivor and heir to the estate and land.
It's sad because I realize he was really was alone.

Just like the obituary article says his body was thrown 70 - and "he was alone".
He truly was alone in this world. Apart from his wife, and his children he had no other surviving relatives. :(
Sad :(

It clearly states that my great grandfather Harry B Cooley was the vice president for Allen and Garcia mining engineer company



Here are just a few snippets I have found off the web about his company.

he new tipple at Reliance was built to handle the increased output from the new No. 7 mine as well as from No. 1 and No. 4 mines. By 1942, more than 1.2 million tons of coal were being produced at Reliance. This rose to 1.4 million tons in 1943. This increased production occurred during World War II, but it was made possible by improvements put in place during the depression. Tracing the economic and construction history of the Reliance Tipple is enlightening in showing the nature of corporate investments during the Depression.

The Reliance Tipple was completed in September of 1936. Prior to that time, the mines at Reliance were served by a smaller wooden tipple. The construction of the steel tipple was a sizeable project and generated employment for both Reliance and Rock Springs. Allen and Garcia Company of Chicago, Illinois, was awarded the engineering contract for $12,000. A & G, as they were called, estimated their actual costs at $13,400. Naturally, A & G wanted to be compensated for the cost overruns. This would not be the only cost overrun Union Pacific encountered. Union Pacific attempted to utilize local contractors. For example, Kellogg Lumber in Rock Springs helped with the concrete work in the construction of this "ultra-modern" facility. Ultimately, thousands of dollars would be pumped into the local economy. The total cost of the tipple came to $232,700.83. The structural steel alone cost $32,789.07 which included the purchase price and installation. Yet, the biggest single expenditure was $90,854.83 spent for 350 mine cars.

On September 30, 1935, Burkhardt and Sons of Denver were awarded the contract for the steel work. By the spring of 1936, Burkhardt was accused by Allen and Garcia of being too slow in shipping steel to Reliance. Burkhardt countered by claiming due to weather delays and the alleged slowness of A & G to provide engineer drawings, the steel shipments were delayed. Allen and Garcia lost patience with the Burkhardt's, calling them "a bunch of stubborn Germans." Steel would not be in place at Reliance until May 1, 1936.

From the beginning, Allen and Garcia Company did not like the Union Pacific's choice of Burkhardt and Sons to do the steel work. In a somewhat condescending tone, a representative from the A & G Company wrote the home office reporting: "I feel that they are doing everything possible to get this job out for you. There is this drawback, however - you must remember that steel fabrication in Denver has followed rather simple lines, such as buildings and bridges, and steel organizations in Denver are not fully familiar with tipple fabrication." S. Tescher, who wrote the letter, goes on to write: "The drawings are rather complicated for men that have been accustomed to fabricating framing for steel buildings and bridges. The numerous bends, angles, and other intricate details have slowed up this work considerably." Of course, you cannot read blueprints that have not been drawn, and Burkhardt commonly countered with the response, he had no blueprints. Burkhardt always contended the steel would be ready by May 1, 1936, a promise he fulfilled. Amazingly, in spite of the delays, by September 1, 1936, the tipple was essentially completed.

The Rock Springs Daily Rocket for October 1, 1936, described the tipple in detail. The newspaper reported, "The new ultra-modern tipple which the Union Pacific Coal company has had erected for its two mines at Reliance has been completed and this week is being operated by the company . . . ." The reporter also pointed out, "From the efficiency angle the plant is a marvel. It has been designed so that men and machines will make no waste motions, so that both may accomplish the most in output with the least energy, and so that the maximum of productive and repair work may be done without danger to the men or to the machinery." The newspaper captured the essence of the effort by the Union Pacific. The facility had been built to increase efficiency and ultimately reduce the number of people needed to operate the equipment.

*he town of Dragerton was started in the fall of 1942 when the W. E. Ryberg-Strong and Grant Company received a contract from the Defense Plant Corporation to construct it. The purpose for this new town was to house the coal miners employed at the new Geneva Mine that was to furnish coal for the Geneva Steel plant located at Provo, Utah. The Geneva Mine was started by the Allen and Garcia Company in 1942.

The Geneva Mine is located about ten miles south east of its townsite. In fact, part of the mine itself is in Emery County.

*The Geneva Mine is the largest producing coal mine west of the Mississippi, and its coal is produced mostly to make coke for steel production at the Geneva Steel Plant. The best and safest methods are employed at this ultra-modern mine. All safety regulations and suggestions are followed carefully, and inspections are made regularly.

* In 1929, Morton Salt Company engaged Allen and Garcia Company of Chicago, consulting and construction engineers, to open a mine in the salt dome, to mine salt much in the same manner as coal is mined. This is done by blasting large chunks and crushing it into various grades for sundry uses. The salt discoveed there was 99.9% pure. purer than any salt found theretofore.
In fact, some chunks of salt brought from the mine appear much as large pieces of glass - crystal clear

. .

The Inquest on the Body of William M. Cooley - Foul Play or Car Accident ?

Here it is for anyone interested to read. . .

You be the judge...

Here is the inquest by the Lake County Coroner with a jury to decide on how my grandfather died.

It is just plain strange. The Coroner of the name of the police officer who singed on the temporary death certificate as if he were the coroner shows up no where on here.

Read it for yourself. . . Click play and them click on the triangle to bring the document slide show into full screen . . . was it accidental or is there something more there?

No autopsy, no witnesses, no track marks from the tire, he's cremated, and then 50 years later - no remains are found anywhere.

Any opinions highly appreciated

Man on my grandfather's "temporary" death certificate is an ex convict!

OK here's yet another "hmmmmm" in my discovery process.

My grandfather was issued two death certificates -

The temporary one right after he died - and one after the jury inquest.

The circumstances in the jury inquest don't add up either.

Don't forget my grandfather's ashes are missing too!

Anyhow the deputy and county coroner who did not do an autopsy nor did he take pictures or give my grandfather toxicology test - has been in jail before.

And Mr Pat Clavey was the one in charge of my grandfather's autopsy.

Yep - turns out in the late 60's and 70's Lake County was a hot bed for the Chicago Mob.

By the 1970s and '80s, mob influence peaked in Lake County, in particular, according to investigators like Bob Schrader, who became head of the Lake County Sheriff's first organized crime unit.

Mob watchers attribute the rise in crime to expansion and corruption.

The stage was set in 1975, when then-Sheriff Orville "Pat" Clavey and former Lake County Board Chairman Ronald Coles were charged with taking payments from nude dance clubs.

Clavey went to prison, and Coles got probation.

In ensuing years, the J****ph F*****a mob crew expanded to take over all vice in Lake County.

One of the crew's more colorful characters was S******re D*****is of Inverness - known as "Solly D" - a stylish businessman who ran a liquor store, bowling alley and pizza parlor in Island Lake.

According to court documents, Inf***ise said he bribed someone in the Lake County Sheriff's Department to notify him in advance of raids.

Under his oversight, card and dice games were played in bars, and juice loans charged 10 percent per month or week.

Investigators estimated that the F****a crew ran gambling in Lake County from 1974 through 1988, with profits of more than $10 million.

Much of the money was hidden in real estate, including condominiums in Addison, investigators say.

Now my grandfather also designed things other than churches...I read an article about a hotel - I'll put it up later on this afternoon...

For now here is the "first" death certificate.

Note that it has the day of birth ( once again) of my father ( the sole heir to my grandfather's estate) who would died at the exact same age in 1992.Also note the name of Orville Pat Clavey. Now if my grandfather died while driving a car - I'm assuming he'd have his drivers license on him - or at least the vehicle registration papers. My grandmother was not at the scene.

So whoever filled these death certificates out - really had my dad's date of birth on their minds...

I'm not accusing Pat Clavey of anything in this post. I'd hate for it to appear that way. From what I have read online it seems that he has redeemed himself ...

"Pat Clavey is a man who made a mistake, paid his debt to society and has retaken his position in society," Fagan said."It is well-known that he contributes to his community and his church."

Del Re said Fagan was running afoul of a sheriff's office policy that forbids employees to associate with people they know have criminal records.

"A felon is a felon is a felon," Del Re said."I consider it an insult to the people of Lake County for someone who wants to be sheriff to be involved with someone who brought shame upon this office."

Yet once again it's just another odd element to this case. . .

While searching for the remains of my grandfather - I called Elm Lawn cemetery in Elmhurst Illinois. They said they cremated him and then sent him to Bethany Church - I called Bethany Church and they don't even have a cemetery! Much less a columbarium wall to keep ashes in wall...

Then I called 149 West Main street which is now the Davenport Funeral Home. They told me they have a receipt which says "store in vault".

So two different funeral homes have different recites as to where they sent the remains of my grandfather....

Interesting. . .

Found my grandfather's will

Waukegan County Clerk sent me my grandfather's will. I also have the coroner's report and a jury inquiry as to how he died. I'll write another post about that - but nothing adds up. It's all very sad and morose.
For now though I will put up a copy of my grandfather's will...

This will specifically gives everything to my father ( his first son) - the siblings are left out of the main part of the inhertiance - the life insurance/trust of William M Cooley Sr... ( my aunt and uncles)...


There is also a clause that states that after the grandchildren's 21st birthdays everything in the trust would go to the grandchildren *( my sister and I)

Yet nothing went to us...not even our father glasses or wedding ring...

Here is what my grandmother and her lawyer reported to the Washington D.C. probate court ( these are the actual papers)



My grandmother's reason as to why she could not find my father's bank records after his death Gee didn't she know her first husband left all of his trust and land deeds to her eldest son?How could she "forget" something like that?

Also I highly doubt that my grandmother's wealthy Washingtonian lawyers aren't aware of whose estate they have in their hands - and I also doubt that Judge B*rg*ss in unaware of who my father and grandfather were.

Also if one is to google the address of my father's last place of residence on his death certificate . .
T*S Television Production Service comes up...

I know this for a fact - my father was living at that address and I have spoken to the couple he was living with at the time he died.

They are not thieves, nor it is a boarding house. They are news producers! S*mantha Ch*ng was actually working for ABC news at the time...

These are some web snippets about her...

We’re happy to be working with RTNDA to make this happen.” E. S*m*ntha Ch*ng and Charles Crawford of Television Production Services, Inc. of Washington, D.C. edited and compiled this project.

TPS also procured the services of art director Jerry Cappa of CC Design Group, DVD author Ari Zagnit and composers Willie Chu and Grayson Dantzic of Willie Chu Studios. ABC News and NBC News provided additional support.

Shoot the Industrial today about Diabetes. It was to train health care providers on how they talk with and handle patients. I had about 5 or 6 pages of dialogue all with a prompter. Yeah! The director S*mantha Ch*ng, who is co-owner of the DC company Television Production Services, Inc. (TPS), was a trip. When I got there they were 45 minutes behind schedule, so there wasn't any time for pleasantries. When she came out and saw me she basically Freaked! You Shaved, she yelled. I told her I didn't have a chose, I had to because of the commercial I shot the day prior. She said yes I know, but you weren't to shave - AHHHHH - then looked at the make-up lady and said, make him look bad – which she did. When I was finally up, they had a set ready to go that looked like a basic doctors office and the lady who was playing the health care provider was there waiting for me. When I stepped on set S*m*ntha walked over to me and said, you're going to get this in one take right, and of-course I said yes. (In spite of the ...
http://www.keith-gregory.com/index.php

I went to visit S*m*ntha and showed her the court papers claiming that my father was living at a boarding house ( her house) ...and that his body and personal items had been ransacked there...
She just could not believe it....she told me how my grandmother flew into D.C. immediately cremated my father, sold his items, and did not let her mourn him . . .

Two men die at the same age, with the same name, errors on both death certificates, both men cremated two days after their deaths, both were inheritors land deeds rich in oil and coal, grandmother hides all the assets from the grandchildren, man living at the home of my grandfather ex navy pilot/ American Airlines pilot and metallurgical engineer like my grandfather...who works for a large oil company- This man is the head of the Columbaruim Committee and is CHARGE of THEIR ASHES at the church where they should both be at...and there is only one William Cooley there... some one's remains are missing.....hmmmm
Something is just not right - that does not mean I am being a "conspiracy theorist"

I'm not saying there is foul play involved..just that things do not add up!

Also nobody will talk to me about it. My grandmother ( like she's done since my father died )hangs up the phone on me.

The man in charge of the ashes, does the same, AND turns of his answering machine...

The Barrington church won't tell me anything either - telling me that I need to "talk to their lawyer" - yet they won't give me the name of their lawyer???

At times I feel so sad for my dad and grandfather... and can't help but wonder - What happened to them :(?