Pioneer Sketches

The John Leach Cook Kinnick Family

Compiled by William L. (Bill) Smith
in cooperation with The KinnickProject

John Leach Cook Kinnick

John Leach Cook Kinnick was born March 22, 1868, near Buda, in Bureau County, Illinois, and was fourth in order of birth of the children of Joseph and Rachel Ann Kinnick. He came to Park City, Montana, at the age of eighteen, about 1886, to join an older brother, Walter William Kinnick, who had come to the area two years earlier.

The John Leach Cook Kinnick Family

On 25 Sep 1890, at age 22, John Leach Cook Kinnick, married Ida Elizabeth (Lizzie) McAferty, in Billings, MT. She was born near Winterset, Madison Co, IA. It is probably safe to assume they knew each other as young people in Iowa. The McAferty family had moved to Kansas, in the meantime, and she came up from Kansas to Billings for the wedding. At the time of their marriage, John was a meat market operator in Red Lodge, Carbon Co, MT. In 1891, they moved to a ranch west of Park City. On 29 Jul 1891, their first daughter, Myrtle, was born.

From "Laurel's Story, A Montana Heritage," by Elsie P. Johnson, 1979: (Joseph and his wife, Rachel) ...they came to Yellowstone Co, MT, to be near their two sons, William Walter and John Leach Cook Kinnick, who had earlier come to Montana. They lived at the corner of Highway No. 310 and the road leading to the south Clark Fork bridge. The children crossed the Yellowstone River by walking over the railroad bridge on their way to school. During their years in the area, the Kinnicks engaged in stock raising.

Reported in Red Lodge Picket (newspaper) of 4 Mar 1893: "Hank Williams and John Kinnick left Wednesday for Nevada where they will begin the sheep-shearing season. They will work back this way and be home for the local season about June 1."

Ernest, the first son of John and Lizzie, was born 27 May 1893, followed by second son, John, on 1 Oct 1895 and second daughter, Jessie Margaret, on 24 Nov 1897. Another daughter, Elma Mae (Babe), was born 1 Feb 1901, in Laurel, Yellowstone Co, MT. In 1903, John started farming south of the river out of Laurel and shortly after the railroad shops were opened in Laurel he went to work there, where he was employed until going to the Valley ranch, in the Garvin basin, near Cody, WY, in 1905. Youngest daughter, Rachel Ann, was born in Laurel, Yellowstone Co, MT, 13 Jul 1906. He returned to Laurel and homesteaded across the river in 1907.

Family records show that oldest son, Ernest, died 7 Apr 1908, at the age of fifteen, and was buried in the Kinnick family plot at Park City.

Oldest daughter, Myrtle, married Joseph Howard Lochridge on 5 Dec 1908, at Red Lodge.

The rest of the family moved into Laurel in 1914. Their son, John, married Alice Morreles on 21 Jan 1922, at Missoula.

Youngest daughter, Rachel Ann, married Arthur A. Scheidecker on 27 May 1924.

Jessie Margaret married William B. Altimus, January 17, 1924. No children were born to this marriage, but Jessie reared two stepsons, Harold and William B. Altimus, Jr., sons of "Bill" as he was better known, by a previous marriage.

Elma Mae (Babe) married Leo B. Moore on 3 May 1910. John and Lizzie lived in Laurel until 1929. That year they again went to WY, and until they returned in 1934, John was a foreman at the Valley ranch. (...they returned to Montana and made their home with their daughter, Jessie M. Altimus. From E.P. Johnson, 1979) John died in Laurel in 1935. At the time of the death of his brother, John, in 1935, William Walter Kinnick was listed as a "rancher south of Livingston." William was at his brother's side when he died. After John died, Lizzie made her home with her daughter, Jessie Margaret, Mrs. Altimus. Lizzie died there 14 Jul 1943.

From Laurel Outlook, Laurel, MT, Wednesday, May, 15, 1935, p. 8:

Last rites were held Thursday afternoon for John Kinnick, Montana Pioneer, who died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W.B. Altimus, early Wednesday morning. Betty and Wayne Scheidecker, grandchildren of Mr. Kinnick, sang, "In The Garden." Pall bearers were, N.E. Nicholas, John Berkheimer, J.A. Hartley, Arnold Boyd, Finch Brown and Nels Vordal. Mr. Kinnick has been closely identified with the civic progress of the community, having come to Park City at age 18. At the time of his death he was 67 years of age. He is survived by his widow, son John, Jr. of Missoula, four daughters, Mrs. W. B. Altimus, Laurel, Mrs. L.B. Moore, Oakland, CA, Mrs. Don Shipton, Marysville, CA and Mrs. A. F. Scheeler (sic) of Laurel, two brothers and two sisters. The burial was in Park City.

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Joseph Howard and Myrtle (Kinnick) Lochridge Family

Myrtle, oldest daughter of John and Ida Kinnick, married Joseph Howard Lochridge, 5 Dec 1908, at Red Lodge.

They had four children:

Lawrence Ellsworth, b. 16 Jan 1910, Carbon Co, MT;

Elsie Pearl, b. 17 Nov 17, 1911, Carbon Co, MT;

Marcella Catherine, b. 9 Feb 1914, Laurel, MT; and,

Dorothy Marie, b. 5 Feb 1919, Missoula, MT [3].


From a sketch, p. 523-4, Laurel's Story, A Montana Heritage:

Joseph Howard Lochridge was the third son in the family of Andrew G. and Sarah Catherine (Mullin) Lochridge, and was one of their ten children that lived in the Byam area south of Laurel for several years. He taught school at Silesia, MT, in 1908-1909. He graduated from Hedrick School at Hedrick, Iowa, on May 22, 1896. He was 21 when he came to the Laurel area and was a school board member of the Byam School District in 1904. In 1910-1911 he farmed near Red Lodge and from 1913 to 1918 he was postmaster and storekeeper at Roberts, MT. He resigned as postmaster in 1918 and moved to Missoula with his wife, Myrtle, and three children. He married Myrtle Kinnick in the Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge on December 5, 1908. She was a daughter of John Leach Cook Kinnick adn was born July 29, 1891, on a ranch on the Clark's Fork about ten miles south of Red Lodge. She died January 17, 1967, at Spokane, Washington, and was buried in the Pines Cemetery at Opportunity, Washington.
The children of Joseph and Myrtle Lochridge were: Lawrence Ellsworth, born February 26, 1910, Carbon Co, MT; Elsie Pearl, born September 17, 1911, in Carbon Co, and died February 26, 1964, at Spokane, Washington; Marcella Catherine, born February 9, 1914, at Laurel; a fourth child, Dorothy Marie was born February 5, 1919, at Missoula, MT, after the family left Roberts to make their home in Missoula in 1918, and where Joseph Lochridge worked in a sawmill at Bonner. Dorothy Marie died May 15, 1959. Her father later remarried and went to Yuba City, CA, where he worked at the Ashley Fruit Farm. Still later, he and his second wife Dorothea of Wyoming, purchased a store and telephone exchange in Roseville, CA. No children were born to the second marriage. Joseph Lochridge was visiting his daughter, Dorothy Marie in Bremerton, Washington, when he died February 2, 1949.

Complier Note: The family history work of Marcella (Lochridge) Mickel during the 1960s and 1970s came into my hands in the 1990s and greatly renewed my interest in the Kinnick heritage. I thank her immensely for her contribution and her sharing. I came across her information 2nd or 3rd hand, because she had shared her work with others. How wonderful!!! Bill
Marcella was married to D. Leroy (Roy) Mickel. They had two children, Noreen (Mickel) Ward and Thomas. Roy died in Oct 1981. Marcella died Jan 1991, in California.

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John Kinnick Families

Much to be added on this family.

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Jessie Margaret (Kinnick) Altimus

Jessie Margaret married William B. Altimus, January 17, 1924. No children were born to this marriage, but Jessie reared two stepsons, Harold and William B. Altimus, Jr., sons of "Bill" as he was better known, by a previous marriage. Bill was engaged in the plumbing business in Laurel until his death in 1969. Jessie Altimus operated a lunchroom for railroad employees, south of the old yard office for many years. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and was Worthy Matron of Zidonian Chapter No. 50 of the Order in 1933. She died April 14, 1947.

Compiler Note: A gentleman named Lyle Jones, in Laurel, is responsible for much the detailed information I have received and compiled about the family in and around Laurel during 1997. His assistance has been invaluable. All totally voluntary, for the love of sharing in collecting family history - even for others. How wonderful! In a letter dated 8 May 1997 he said: "...Bill Altimus, Jr., lived a block from us until his death. Knew him well. He was a plumber." Later in the letter, he said: "Jessie Kinnick graduation in 1916 (in a high school annual he had found)... How about the high school course of study? Pretty conservative by today's standards with a good dose of Latin."

From the Laurel Outlook, Laurel, MT, Wed, 6 Apr 1947:

Mrs. Altimun, 49, is Claimed by Death: Laurel Woman Dies in Hospital in Livingson Monday, Funeral Here Thursday:

Mrs. Jessie K. Altimus, 49, wife of William B. Altimus, died Monday at the Lott Hospital in Livingston where she had been a patient a short time.
Mrs. Altimus had operated Jessie's Cafe in the Railroad yards here for several years and was formerly a railroad clerk. She recently retired from the management of her business by leasing the cafe. ...
Burial will be in the Park City Cemetery in the plot of the Kinnick Family, of which Mrs. Altimus was a member.
She was born Nov 24, 1897, near Park City. She was a member of the Eastern Star, American Legion Auxiliary and the Methodist Church.
Surviving besides her husband, are two step-sons, Harold and William B. Altimus, Jr.; three sisters, Mrs. Myrtle Shipton of Missoula, Mrs. May Moore of Oakland and Mrs. Rachel Goodenbour of Seattle, and one brother, John Kinnick of Missoula.

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Elma Mae (Babe) Kinnick Moore

Leo and Elma Mae Moore moved to Oakland, CA, in 1922. Their son, Jack Eugene Moore, was born 23 Oct 1920. Jack married Joyce Aazd McNabb 19 Jul 1942. They had three sons, Greg, Kent and Tim. In 1968, they all moved to Placerville, El Dorado Co, California. Leo died in 1986. Joyce died 1 Jul 1986. Elma Mae died at Placerville, 11 May 1987. Four great-grandchildren survived her.

Items from the Laurel, MT, high school annual, for the class of 1919:

Elma Kinnick was listed as Class Vice-President.
In the class will: I, Elma Kinnick, feeling that I have outgrown the cork screw curl age, do will my nickname "Cork," origniating from the aforesaid curls to Alma Cloyd in hopes that the nickname may apply to her when she is a senior.
Elma Kinnick is listed as a member of Le cercle Francais, the French club.
In a table of Information about the L.H.S. Students:
Nickname: Cork
Hobby: Studying
Favorite Expression: Never uses anything but proper English
Ambition: To be a hairdresser
Fifty years from now: Wearing a solitare

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Arthur A. and Rachel Ann (Kinnick) Scheidecker family

Rachel Ann (Kinnick) Goodenbour, born July 13, 1906, at Laurel, was the sixth and the youngest of the children of John L.C. and Ida Elizabeth Kinnick. She received her education in the Laurel schools and was married to Arthur A. Scheidecker on May 22, 1924. He was in the grocery business in Laurel. Two children, Betty and Wayne, were born to them - Betty Jean, born, born April 3, 1926, at Laurel, married Keplar Stankey, and Wayne Scheidecker, born August 26, 1927, at Laurel, is not married. Rachel Scheidecker later married E.C. "Dick" Goodenbour and they reside in Seattle, Washington. Dick Goodenbour was, at one time, manager of the J.C. Penney store in Laurel. {In a story about the J.C.Penney store in Laurel, p. 168, it says: "E.C. Goodenbaur was named the new manager in 1930. In 1937, B.V. Freidman became manager..."}

More information is now available on the family of Keplar and Betty Stankey.

Comments and questions welcome.

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Sources

Laurel's Story, A Montana Heritage by Elsie P. Johnston (1979), Laurel Montana.



Comments and questions welcome.

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