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This text was graciously transcribed by:
Jay (
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Please direct all questions and comments to:
Carissa (
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BEGIN
TEXT
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Bay City
Tribune
Saturday April 20 1918
"FORMER JUDGE L P COUMANS PASSES AWAY AT HIS HOME DISSOLUTION OCCURRED AT
12:40 OCLOCK This Morning Very Peacefully
Had Been Ill for Upwards of Two Years From Leakage
of the Heart
Lewis P Coumans, Sr of the well known law firm of Coumans & Gaffney and
formerly circuit judge died this morning at 12:40 o'clock at his residence
104 (?) Marquette Avenue, after a lingering illness from leakage fo (sic)
the heart. He had been gradually sinking for several days and it was known
that the end was rapidly drawing near and yet dissolution came so suddenly
that the family was taken by surprise.
Mr. Coumans was able to be out of his bed two or three times yesterday and
his strength seemed remarkable considering the intense suffering that he
had endured for so many months. Twenty minutes before his death he sat up
on the side of his bed and talked with Mrs. Coumans and his brother Thomas
Coumans of Detroit, who were with him. He finally lay back on his pillow,
raised his hands over his head in an apparently comfortable position and
calmly remarked that he was slipping away. Mrs. Coumans went to the
telephone to summon their son Lewis Jr, living on the east side, who had
gone to his home only
a short time before, and before she got back into the room her
husband had passed away, death being perfectly peaceful.
The surviving members of the family are, Mrs Coumans, the widow, and six
children - William, Lewis, Jr, Mrs. A G Sherman of Detroit, and Frances
and Edward, living at home. His mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Coumans two
brothers Thomas and Richard and two sisters, Mrs Patrick Sullivan and Mrs
John Foley of this city, also survive him. The funeral will take place
Monday morning at 9 o'clock from St Mary's church, and it is requested by
the family that flowers be omitted.
Mr Coumans was a man of sterling qualities and able lawyer, and all who
knew him held him in the highest esteem. He came of good Irish stock and
was the second of a typical family of seven children, four boys and three
girls, It was on a farm in Bruce County Ont. in the year 1859 when he
first saw the light of day. Schooling in those days was not given the
paramount consideration that it is in these times but while there were
sessions Lewis' parents saw to it that he attended the classes. he had a
few years of this for about six months in the year. At any rate he
secured enough of learning to make him see the value of an education and
yearn for it. In March 1873, the Coumans family moved to Michigan and
settled on some wild (?) land in Lapier county where Lewis remained until
he was 19. He did farm work in the summer time and worked in the lumber
woods during the winter seasons. In (1878?) he came to Bay City and
remained
here to the time of his death. The winters would find him on the
log drives, doing the exciting and fascinating work of the boom-man. When
he ceased working in the woods he was employed as a scaler. Following
this work he became a clerk in the old Rochester (?) shoe house on Water
street and became the manager for two years. In 1890 he was elected a
justice of the peace for the west side and served four years, he read law
during those years and on Sept 13 (?) 1894 he was admitted to the bar and
practiced his profession successfully to the time he was taken ill, with
the exception of the period when he was serving on the circuit court
bench. In 1898 he was appointed assistant prosecuting attorney by E E (Aarieke??)
and held that position
for six years with signal credit to himself as well as to the county
being one of the most vigorous prosecutors in this section of the
state, When Mr. Coumans completed this service he retired to private
practice and built up a large business. He was a candidate for the
legislature against the late Alex, Zaigelineyear and was defeated by 12
vtoes (sic). He was a candidate for congress in the Tenth district in 1898
and again in 1912 and each time polled a fine vote, cutting well into the
impregnable opposition majority. In the spring of 1913 he was elected
city attorney and served in that capacity for two years. He was appointed
to the circuit judgeship by Governor Farris to fill a vacancy (caused?) by
the death of the late C L Collins.
Mr. Coumans was married to Mina Ready of Monroe, Mich in June 1889.
Before the present Law firm of Coumans & Gaffney was organized, Mr.
Coumans was associated with th late H M? Shepard in the practice of law
until the latter's death when H J Gaffney and Lewis Coumans, Jr,
constituted the firm.
In every official position held by Mr. Coumans it was generally conceded
that he was absolutely honest and just. His honesty was never questioned
and his friendship sincere, His rise from lowly positions to one of honor
and dignity was due to his unswerving persistence."
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Notes:
Though Lewis' wife is noted here as Mina Ready, all record show her
first name as "Elizabeth" perhaps this was a nickname, or a middle name
that she went by.
Joseph Coumans (one of Lewis' sons) is not listed in this obituary.
Either his son was accidentally omitted from the obituary, or he passed
away before his father's death.
Lewis Philip's name may have been "Philip Lewis"
Lewis' sister Mary Coumans is listed in the obituary as "Mrs.
Patrick Sullivan"
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Carissa Thomas ~
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