Payette County ID Archives News.....Albert Coates’ Retraces Family Lives November 29, 1967 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/id/idfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Patty Theurer seymour784@yahoo.com August 4, 2005, 1:20 am Independent Enterprise November 29, 1967 Independent Enterprise Payette, Idaho Nov. 29, 1967 Albert Coates’ Retraces Family Lives By Dottie Edwards In the story in which we told of the founding and the life of the French post office in the dry hills in the eastern part of the Payette county, and of it’s last postmaster, Hazel Coates, (Mrs. Albert Coates), we promised to conclude the story with a few notes on the Albert Coates family and their generations. “Like other farm wives on Little Willow,” Mrs. Coates says, “turkeys were raised by more than one of us to make extra money. I began raising sheep on the advice of Don McPherson, a sheepman, who gave me 12 bummer lambs. They paid off very well. “Janie Currin and I also boarded the school teachers. There is no school there now, since consolidation, but the building is still in use as a community center. It was named the Robert Currin Memorial hall after the Currins’ son they lost in the war. “The place now owned by Rollis Anderson was the soldier homestead-that was the name for it-of Mrs. Dan Coates’ father, Jacob Windle, a Civil War veteran. It was down the creek about two miles from the Dan Coates’ place.” The elder Coates, who were married in Boise in 1882 and made their home in Washoe until moving up on Little Willow in 1893, moved into Payette in 1907 to give their children the advantage of the town schools. Albert, who had been born at Washoe, October 8, 1891, was married to Miss Hazel Fox in Vale in 1912 and moved up to a homestead in October. The Dan Coates’ home, long since remodeled, was the site of the French post office during the last nine years of its life, from 1926 to 1935, when Hazel Coates was postmaster. The building is now owned by their son, Ralph and his family, who bought the property that in 1893 his grandfather had bought from a man named Nichols. “My husband took up a homestead in October, 1912, between the places owned by his parents and his uncle Tom Windle, and we still own it. We bought this present ranch the day the armistice was signed in 1918. Went to Payette to sign the papers and found lots of excitement at the war being over. “We once raised hogs but now our ranching is confined to cattle and hay.” In addition to the son Ralph above, the couple have two other children, Mrs. Dick Coriell (Izola), Payette, and Douglas, who lives just across the road from them in the Little Willow community. There are 10 grandchildren and 6 great- grandchildren. “We celebrated our golden wedding at the Portia club in Payette,” Mrs. Coates adds, “and our 55th recently at the Coriell home, also in Payette.” Of the children of pioneer Daniel B. Coates and his wife, Bertha and George, died earlier this year, she in Alberta, Canada, and he at New Plymouth. Rose and Lucy (Mrs. Milan Davis of near Fruitland) are also gone. Then there’s Albert, and Earl of Payette, Clarence at Evergreen, Howard of rural Payette, and Lee of Newburg, Ore. The four youngest were all born on Little Willow. Albert Coates has served one term as noble grand for the Payette Odd Fellows’ lodge, and three years as master of the Orchard Avenue Grange. While the school operated in District 4, he served on the school board for 30 years, and is a director in the Little Willow Irrigation district. Mrs. Coates has taken an active part in various organizations, starting with the community club, the HOA, organized on Little Willow in 1922. “The letters stand for ‘Help One Another’ and that’s what we tried to make it do.” she explains. “It was the chance for us women on the Creek to have a little social life of our own, visiting with one another, having community projects.” The club continues today, with a few of the older still active but for the most part, the work falls on the shoulders of the next generation. In addition, Mrs. Coates belongs to the Eastern Star, Rebekah’s, Grange, and the Ceramic club. As a member of the latter she takes regular instruction and fashions a variety of beautiful pieces at the Coates home on the creek. She has also found time to serve three years as the Grey Lady in the Payette Nursing home and is active in Home Extension work. You can’t say life gets tedious where Little Willow settlers are concerned! *A large family photo is included with this story. Here are the names below it. **THIS BIG GATHERING of Coates and Windle relatives (the latter being Mrs. Daniel B. Coates’ family) was held at the Milan Davis home near Fruitland in 1933. A few, mostly of the younger generation of that day, were not immediately identified but the others are listed. Seated , left to right are Bob Coates, Homer and Dick Coates; Donald, Eddie, Janet and Jimmy David; Dan Coates, Phillip Coates, Dorothy and Ellen Windle, and Etta and Vernon Coates. The adults seated are Mrs. Milan (Lucy) Davis, Bertha Clark and small Lloyd Clark, from Canada; Will Eberly, Tom Windle, George Windle, Mrs. Eberly, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Coates, Rose Chatfield, Mrs. Albert Coates with Douglas, Mrs. George Windle and Mrs. Burrel Windle. Standing are Milan Davis, Ralph Coates, Clarence Coates, Mrs. Clarence Coates, Margaret Davis, unnamed, Esther Davis, an unnamed young man, Ruby Lue Davis, a young man thought to be Elmer Dorathy, George Coates, Mr. Clark, Mrs. George Coates, Mr. and Mrs. Howard, Addie Windle, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Coates, another unnamed young man, Pearl Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Lee Coates. The reunion gathering included all nine children of the pioneer couple, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Coates, and their families, and two brothers and a sister. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/idfiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb