Person:Genevieve Coughlin (1)

GENEVIEVE COUGHLIN NEWQUIST ( 1860-1943)

She was born "Hannah J. Coughlin". Her middle name was probably Jennifer, or Jane.

There is some confusion about her actual birth name, and we do not have a birth certificate, as Iowa births were not recorded until 1880. The Catholic Church archives would be the best source for her birth and baptism. Most likely church would be the Cathedral of St. Raphael in the First Ward: 231 Bluff St., 52001-6918. Ph. 563-582-7646; FAX 563-556-6796. The family lived on 610 Southern Avenue, which is a little over a mile away.

The 1860 US Census for Dubuque, IA lists her family as Michael Coughlin (35y), Bridget (30y), Mary (4y) b. in NY, Margaret (2y) b. IA. The census was taken in June, and Jennie was born in October.

Between 1866 and 1877 she attended the BVM Motherhouse boarding school, St. Mary's Academy, in Garryowen, IA. It was about twenty miles southwest of Dubuque and served by a narrow-gage railroad.

The 1870 US Census for Dubuque, IA lists her as "Hannah J. Coughlin" at age 10. The family resided at 610 Southern Avenue in the First Ward on the south end, known as "Dublin" because it had so many Irish. The 1875 city directory lists Michael "Conklin", as the family name had undergone a spelling change. (It is interesting to note that Bridget's first husband was " Thomas Conklin"). The 1880 US Census for Dubuque, IA lists her as "Jennie Conklin" at age 19. The index for the IL marriage certificate lists her as "Jannie Conkling".

The 1886 Andreas book with John's bio lists her as "Jennie Conklin". Jerry Newquist possible has a notarized document that also has her last name as "Conklin".

The 1932 newspaper article on their 50th wedding anniversary refers to her as Genevieve Coughlin. The 1943 newspaper article on her death also uses that name, and refers to her as "Aunt Jennie".

The IL Death Record lists her as: : NEWQUIST, GENEVIEVE F/W UNK 0000144 1943-07-22 COOK CHICAGO HEIGHTS

The grave marker for her next to John in the Steger cemetery is named "Anna Jane". While there is no information on how that name was chosen, it may have been provided by one of her surviving sisters, although none are mentioned in her obituary. (HPN 10/02) Evergreen Hills Memorial Gardens, 3901 Park Ave, Steger, IL 60475, Phone: (708) 756-5995

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"Possessed of an unusually energetic and congenial personality, Mrs. Newquist won the love and respect of her own large family and hundreds of persons with whom she came in contact. Although she was kept busy rearing the family, she found time to be active in all the societies of the church and St. James hospital, and participated in virtually all of the activities in the (Steger) village.

'Aunt Jennie' Newquist, as she was most familiarly known in her community, was the leading matriarchal character of the Steger community. She organized the Steger unit of the Red Cross during World War I, was one of the organizers of several church societies, and an active member of St. Liborious Catholic Church.

At the time of her death at St. James Hospital, she had five sons and a daughter, and sixteen grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted by Father John J. Rengel, and internment was at Evergreen Hill Cemetery in Steger." (-excerpts from 7/22/43 obituary}

She attended the BVM mother house school in Dubuque. She enjoyed her stay in Chicago, but admitted to living extravagantly, and was very active in social circles ( the mayor, Potter Palmers, etc.) She was a patron of Hull House, which was about four blocks from their home on Polk St. She was the same age as Ellen Gates Starr (a relative of Pat Starr Newquist), who helped Jane Addams start Hull House.

When her Mother was sick, she went to Dubuque to help out for a period of time. When she returned to Chicago, John had a surprise - he had built a brand new home for her to live in! A good friend, Mrs. Sarah Brown of the Chicago Music College, was Mabel Newquist's music teacher.

Their home was adorned by a beautiful oil painting of John, but it was destroyed when the house burned. Jennie and John lived with their son, Elmer in later years. She related how all her boys were born five years apart. ( by Mabel Newquist)

"Grandma Newquist (Aunt Jenny) came to Chicago from Dubuque. She had been interviewed and accepted as a nanny for the Charles Comiskey family.

(Note: Charles Comiskey II was born in Chicago on August 15, 1859, and was a year older than Jennie. He was the son of a famous long-time Chicago alderman who represented the Irish ghettos of the near West Side. The boy rebelled against his father's plans to apprentice him to a plumber. Instead, he played semi-pro ball on the Chicago sandlots. He was a pitcher and later a first baseman for the Dubuque, IA Rabbits, playing for $50 per month for several summers starting in 1878. It is quite likely that he met Jennie when he played baseball in Dubuque and was instrumental in her being interviewed for the family job in Chicago. Jenny would have worked for them during the time between the June 1880 Census until April 1882 when she married John.

(Note: The WPA laid the groundwork for an art center at 3831 S. Michigan in a vacant brownstone mansion donated by the Charles Comiskey family. The center was founded in 1939 and much of 1940 was spent establishing an extensive arts education program. On May 7, 1941, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt came to Chicago for the official dedication.)

Shortly afterward, she met and married John. The marriage did not have the approval of her family, and I don't believe they ever met Granpa Newk. Grandpa was not a Catholic at the time of their marriage. He became a Catholic when he was 75 years old on Christmas Day.

(Note: It is very probable that they were not married in a Catholic church, and may have been married in Chicago in 1882. The Chicago, Cook County Marriage Records show a marriage on April 14, 1883: M730751 1883 1030131. The nearest Catholic Church to their residence at Van Buren & Morgan would have been Old St. Patricks.)

My Dad (Walter) took Grandma back to Dubuque one year and I went along. We visited the family home and the convent where she went to school. She did meet Sister Mary Theckla BVM. a nun who was there when Grandma was, and this nun was very old and bent over. Grandma always spoke of the Bluff of Dubuque.

Grandma, to me, was my mother, as she took me when I was 13 months old and raised me until I was 17 years old. She was my teacher by instilling in me to respect my elders and be polite to all people. She had a strong belief in her religion. She never missed Mass, and walked there in all kinds of weather, including knee-deep snow. She loved to bake bread and breakfast rolls in the coal stove. On Saturdays I would deliver them to friends and the priest. Things were not plentiful!

During the Depression years, Grandma always had a garden of tomatoes, beans, radishes and onions. She would can the tomatoes or make catsup. She also canned the beans. We had apple and cherry trees. She always made apple butter and applesauce. We would go into the woods West of Steger and pick blackberries from which she made jam. If we didn't have shoe polish, and if my shoes needed to be polished, she would take a wet rag and rub the bottom of the cooking pan and then rub the black substance (soot) onto my shoes.

Grandma loved her family and was in her prime when they were all together. I never heard her say an unkind word about anyone. She was very kind and helpful to all. She was known about town as "Aunt Jennie". (by Bud Newquist '98))

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Jennie's Family Research:

Talked with my Dad about the McLains. It seems one of the daughters was named Barbara, she was a little older than my Dad. They lived in Germantown, Pa. Their visit happened in the summer.

It seems a relative of Jennie lived in Steger. Her last name was Gansen (husband was Jewish), son named Joey about Tommy and Jimmy age. It seems the family had a falling out and were not talking. My Dad recalls Mrs. Gansen passing by every Sunday morning a not a word was spoken between the two parties. (Mike Newquist 2003)

A quick check of the 1910 & 1920 Steger Census and IL marriage records has John (b. 1867 Germany) and Margrethe (Berchen) Gansen (b. 1867 Luxemborg) and their family living on 34th St. He came to the US in 1878 and was naturalized in 1885. They were married in 1889. Their daughter, Laura (b. 1894) and her husband were living with them in 1920. He and his three sons were employed at Steger & Sons Piano Company.

A son, Peter (b. 19 JUL 1890 in IL) and his wife, Marie (b. 7 Nov 1891 in IA) were living on McKinley Avenue. The possible relative of Jennie could be Peter's wife, Marie. They were married in 1912. We don't have her maiden name, but the census lists her mother's birthplace as IA and her father's birthplace as MA. I believe Marie Sweeney was Jennie's niece who came to Steger and married into the Gansen family. Her presence could have been one reason Genevieve was widely known as "Aunt Jennie" in the Steger community. The 1930 Steger Census lists a son, Joseph (Joey) born in 1921. At this time, Peter is a cabinet maker in a radio factory.

Peter died in Steger in September, 1977. Marie died in April 1987 in Park Forest, IL. A 2003 Internet people search found Gansen residents of Park Forest are: JOSEPH D, (no age recorded), KATHLEEN M (46yrs), and MARIE E (No age), This could be "Joey", ( age 82) or his son and wife, and a daughter named after her grandmother. Contact with them may reveal his mother's maiden name. There is a Joseph D. and Marie E. (79 yrs) Gansen living in CA.

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On 10/03 Dick Newquist told me he had met a woman named Eleanor Coughlin. She had heard of the name Newquist as associated with the Newquist Foundry and her family's relationship with Stephen-Adamson, a foundry client. She said she lived in Elgin, IL and spent winters in her home in Phoenix, AZ. She said her grandmother Coughlin had been raised in Dubuque, had been a seamstress and attended the convent school. Dick gave Howard the info, and also gave her my mailing address. Harvey Newquist

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1. ↑ Newquist.FBC.FTW.

   Date of Import: Oct 6, 2000

2. ↑ Newquist.FBC.FTW.

   Date of Import: Oct 6, 2000

3. ↑ Newquist.FBC.FTW.

   Date of Import: Oct 6, 2000