Augusta Cohen Coontz (May 3, 1867—April 7, 1940) was an American former First Lady of Guam.
Early life
On May 3, 1867, Coontz was born as Augusta Cohen in California. Coontz's father was Abraham Cohen (1828–1892), a brewer. Coontz's mother was Bertha (née Daniels) Cohen (1830–1893). Coontz had eight siblings, including Louis, Rebecca, Paulina, Jacob, Aaron, Henrietta, Esther, and Marcus. Coontz grew up in Sitka, Alaska.[1][2][3][4]
Career
In 1912, when her husband Robert Coontz was appointed the Naval Governor of Guam, Coontz became the First Lady of Guam on January 30, 1912, until September 23, 1913.[5]
By July 1925, Coontz had traveled around the world on her husband's ship, including China and Japan, and had arrived in Melbourne, Australia. She was personally greeted by Mr. Allan, the Premier of Victoria, Mr. E.J. Mackrell, the Secretary to the Premier, and Mr. N.L. Anderson, representative of the American Consulate. In Coontz's interview with a local newspaper, she mentioned that she and two other Naval officers' wives were staying at Menzie Hotel, one of the first grand Victorian-era hotels in Melbourne, Australia.[1]
In 1925, During the visit of the United States Fleet to Australian waters, Norman L. Anderson, American Consul in charge of the Consulate General in Australia, entertained at a reception in honor of Coontz and her husband, Admiral Robert Coontz.[6]
On August 5, 1925, Coontz was a hostess of a farewell ball in Melbourne, Australia's water for about 6,000 guests on USS Oklahoma, USS Nevada, and USS Pennsylvania.[7]
Personal life
In February 1885, Coontz's sister Henrietta Cohen became a Postmaster in Sitka, Alaska.[8]
Coontz's sister Paulina Cohen became a schoolteacher and ran the Baranoff Hotel, then in August 1890, she became a Postmaster in Sitka, Alaska.[8][9]
Coontz met Robert Coontz while he was on USS Pinta, that was stationed in Sitka, Alaska.[8]
On October 31, 1890, in Sitka, Alaska, Coontz married Robert Coontz, who later became a Naval officer and Governor of Guam. They had three children: Benton, Kenneth, and Bertha. Coontz and her family lived in places including Sitka, Alaska, Guam, and Bremerton, Washington.[10][11][2]
On January 26, 1935, Coontz's husband died at the Puget Sound Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington.[12]
In 1940, Coontz lived with her daughter Bertha Coontz and a maid in Bremerton, Washington. On April 7, 1940, Coontz died in Bremerton, Washington.[13][3]
References
- ^ a b "MRS. ROBERT COONTZ - Arrival in Melbourne". The Argus. July 15, 1925. p. 21. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "American Indian & Ethnographic Art - Lot #212 Tlingit Chilkat Shaman's Dance Apron (Blanket Waist Robe)". skinnerinc.com. May 6, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "Augusta Cohen". geni.com. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ De Armond, Robert N. "The Army Takes The Sitka Census". alaskaweb.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "Guam Naval Governors 30 August 1899 – 10 December 1941". guampedia.com. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ The American Foreign Service Journal (PDF). November 1925. p. 382. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "Farewell Ball". Army and Navy Register. August 1925. p. 227. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Curtis William Howard, Lieutenant Junior Grade, United States Navy, Navy Cross (via Daily Sitka Sentinel, page 8, March 14, 1986)". militaryhallofhonor.com. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Griffin, Kristy Kay (November 29, 2017). "Sitka's first postmistress forged her own path". juneauempire.com. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Missouri Biographical Dictionary. Somerset Publishers, Inc. 2001. p. 164. ISBN 9780403095988. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ Who's who in America, Volume 11. A.N. Marquis. 1920. p. 624. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ "DEATH TAKES ADM. COONTZ". San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 7, Number 281. January 26, 1935. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "Augusta Coontz in the 1940 Census". ancestry.com. Retrieved November 24, 2021.