Person Page 31

I am Donald Raymond Coy, born 31 January, 1927, at Seattle, King County,Washington, married to Evelyn Louise Nilson, born 5 Sep 1927 in Seattle, WA. and am the sixth child born to Roy David Coy, Sr. and Hazel Ruth Snyder. They had seven children by this marriage, all born in Seattle.One child, we don’t know whether male or female died the summer of 1923 in infancy, a sister, Barbara, born abt 1928, died in 1928, leaving, Jewel Ruth 'Ruth', Helen Louise, Roy 'Dave' David, Jr., Grace Elizabethand me. The family lived in a houseboat on south side of Portage Bay just east of the University Bridge for some years before moving the houseboat farthereast to 3008 ½ Fuhrman Ave. N., which my parents paid rent to Mr. andMrs. Clark, who had two children , one name Earl that was about my sameage. There was a row of different businesses up on the street above usand across from the Clarks, to get there, we had to go up about three orfour flights of wooden stairs and then walk about 90 feet to the street.There was Bill Wolfered’s barber shop, Gregg’s grocery store, a cleanersand Dick’s Delicatessen. During the spring and summer months my brotherand sisters and me would pick dandelion greens until our hands were blackfrom the juice. Our mom would boil the greens at least twice to get theoil off and this was substitute for spinach. We had a 32 foot pleasure boat called the, Malola, that my dad hadpurchased the hull from a man named Jake K. Farrow that built boats in alarge building on the shore of Portage Bay at the foot of Shelby Street.The boat was just the hull without any cabins on it. Dad completed theboat, complete with a fore deck (seen in the picture in his scrapbook)and wheelhouse, after cabin and after deck over the stern. I attended Seward Grade School located at 2515 Boylston Ave. E., Seattle,and graduated in January, 1939. I attended Broadway High School locatedat Broadway Ave E. & E. Pine St., in Seattle from 1939 to 1942 when Iwent into the Merchant Marine in August, 1942 during World War II, goingthrough boot and advanced training at Santa Catalina Island, located offthe coast off California (Los Angeles area). After completing thistraining, I came home on leave just before Christmas. My brother, Davewas already in the Merchant Marine as an officer, having gone throughboot training in California and had completed Officer Training at PortHueneme near Oxnard, California. He was also home on leave at the sametime. So it was nice that our folks had both their sons home forChristmas. The Lord moves in mysterious ways. The Merchant Marine was not part of the Armed Forces at that time, butwas a very important part of the over all reason that our great countrycame out on top at the end of that war. The ships were used the carryover 89 % of the supplies, ammunition, fuel, and all sorts of equipmentand food for the troops overseas. During the very first few months ofthe war, there were more men lost or missing or killed, than any part ofthe armed forces put together. That is because of the convoys of 400 to500 ships were being sent from the east coast ports full of Aviationgasoline, ammunition and etc. were being intercepted by the GermanU-boats that were paroling off the East coast. Many of the convoysheading for Murmansk, Russia and England were attacked with out anywarning, because at that time sub detectors were very primitive so ourships and their guardians were at risk. This, you might think, would not be the type of service for a young manto get into to help his country, but again, being raised on the water, Iwas right were I wanted to be. I sail on six different ships over the period between October 18, 1943and October 16, 1946, & went to many ports during World War II, fromSeattle to the Islands of Hawaii, Enewetak, Guam, Okinawa in thePacific. From Seattle to Long Beach, California, through the PanamaCanal to Baltimore, Maryland, New York City to Genoa, Italy toPhiladelphia and then flew back to Seattle in a chartered DC 3 airplane,the first airplane I was ever on. The ships were: SS Kekoskee, Official #220686, Steam, Ocean CoastwiseTanker Date of shipment 10-18-44, Place of Shipment, Los Angeles,Calif., Date of Discharge 1-21-45, Place of Discharge,Seattle,Washington. SS Bering, Official #217255, Steam, Ocean Coastwise, Date of Shipment3-23-45, Place of Shipment, Seattle, Washington, Date of Discharge May01, 1945, Place of Discharge Seattle, Washington. Liberty Ship, James McNeil Whistler, Official #242397, Steam, Foreign,Date of Shipment, 10 May 1945, Place of Shipment, Seattle, Washington,Date of Discharge 08 Oct., 1945, Place of Discharge, San Francisco. Victory Ship, Terre Haute Victory, Official #247370, Steam, Foreign, Dateof Shipment 09 Sept 1945, Place of Shipment, Seattle, Washington, Date ofDischarge 28 Nov 1945, Place of Discharge, Los Angeles, Calif., St. Cloud Victory, Official #247220, Steam, Foreign, Date of Shipment 27Dec 1945 Place of Shipment, Seattle, Washington, Date of Discharge 20May 1946, Place of Discharge, New York City. I came home after signing off the St. Cloud, and spent some time helpingDad get the Malola ready for their annual cruise to Canada. Dad said heneeded to replace the exhaust pipe, so we were down on the boat doingjust that. The pipe was 3' in diameter and there were two sectionscoupled together with a 3' pipe union. This union had to be unscrewed todismantle the old pipe. Dad had two large pipe wrenches to do the work.He put the wrenches on and we tried to undo the fitting, it didn't wantto come loose so he crank down hard, that's when he felt an awful pain inhis right shoulder. He sat for a minute, but the pain would not go away. I told him that we should go up to the house so he could lay down, hesaid OK. I had to help him, as the pain was excruciating. We got up tothe house and he went in and laid down on their bed. He laid there for ashort time and said the pain was still there. We called Dr. Guyer, a good friend and a fellow Queen City Yacht Clubmember and his sent an ambulance right away. They took him to theDoctors Hospital where he died of Coronary Thrombosis, a blocking of acoronary artery by a thrombus. (Thrombus- a clot of blood formed within ablood vessel and remains attached to its place of origin) at DoctorsHospital in Seattle, Washington, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery,in West Seattle. After I that sad time, I signed on the: Simmons Victory, Official #247689, Steam, Intercostal,Date of Shipment 01 Aug., 1946, Place of Shipment, Seattle, Washington,Date of Discharge 16 Oct 1946, Place of Discharge, Philadelphia, PA. I was in the Merchant Marine for a little over four years. Finally, thewar was over and I quit going to sea. After relaxing at home for awhile,I had some money from my last trip at sea and went over to EastlakeAvenue and look at some used cars at a lot called 'Honest Johns.' Saw anold 1933 two-door Chevie that was in pretty good shape. John wanted$133.00 for it, so I walked back home and asked my sister, Grace, if shewould sign for me on the Title, she said she would, so, back to the lot.At that time, I was still too young, not yet 21 years old by a month. Ipaid for the car and not knowing how to drive, Grace and I got in and Idrove away a little shaky from trying to get used to the stick shift, butwe got home okay. After practicing on our block, I went with Grace totake my Drivers Test. To Graces' surprise and mine, I passed the firsttime. I then worked for The Boeing Airplane Co. from mid January, 1947, in theParts Department at Plant 2. There was a labor strike that lasted forthree months, so I quit that job, as I needed money. In April, 1947 I wasa messenger for Pacific Telephone Company downtown Seattle. This lastedfor a few months & so not making very much money at that job, I quit. I applied at Sears, Roebuck & Co. in October, 1947 and was hired to workin the Catalog Order Will Call Department and worked sorting andwrapping packages for a $1.00 an hour. This was during the Christmasrush time and my fellow workers and me were very busy. While workingthere, I met my lovely wife, Evelyn Louise Nilson. We dated quite oftenand then the Christmas rush was over I got laid off because there was noneed for many people to work. After 4 months of dating Evelyn and me took our marriage vows in an oldchurch in Port Townsend, Washington. Boy what a nice honeymoon. We wentto Vancouver, British Columbia and drove to Harrison Hot Springs inBritish Columbia and had a ball. When we came home, we lived at the family home at 2607 12th Ave., N.(which is now Boyer Ave. E.). Evelyn went back to her job at Sears, and I started looking for a job. On July 3rd, 1948, I had an opportunity to skipper a 42 foot pleasureboat that was owned by a trucking company named West Coast Fast Freight.They had just bought it in Bellingham & it was to be used to entertainsales customers. They changed the name from Haleddie to West Coast.I skippered the boat on many trips to the San Juan Islands, sometimes upinto British Columbia, taking trips that would last for just week-ends ortwo weeks at a time. This was very enjoyable, it reminded me of thetimes being raised in a house boat and went we had the pleasure boatMALOLA in the family when we were young. Also after going to sea on largecargo ships to many different places on this earth. After two years ofworking and having fun doing it, the West Coast was sold and I was out ofa job. Within a week, an opportunity to skipper another boat came along. Theowner and president of a large real estate company in Seattle hadpurchased a brand new 48 foot Chris Craft yacht from the factory inMichigan which he and his wife called the Duchess and needed someone toskipper it. I applied for the job, and was hired. This yacht was shippedby flat car from the factory. This was a first class yacht, it had justabout everything a person would want, refrigerator, furnace, flyingbridge, dual controls, twin 165 horse power motors, slept 6 peoplecomfortably and etc. This boat was also used to entertain prospectivecustomers. I skippered this boat on many trips and to many of the sameplaces. Again, after having fun and enjoying it, the Duchess was sold,as the owner had passed away. This was the 31st of August, 1950. So Iwas unemployed again. Evelyn s' dad worked for Seattle Sears Mail Order at 1st So. and Landersince 1920 and mentioned that I should go down to the Sears employmentoffice and see if they would hire me. So, I went and applied for a job.They hired me and I was to report to the Seattle Mail Order Annex at 41051st. Ave., S on Monday morning on the 20th of September, 1950 at 8:00AM. The wages at time were not very high, but if you consider thosetimes, it was a living at $1.10 per hour! During that time, people wererecovering from the war and things started to boom. I remember working 8hours a day at regular time from 8 to 5 and then working overtime at timeand a half until nine at night, five days a week and then all daySaturday at time and a half from 8 in the morning until 5 PM. This wenton for maybe 8 or 9 years, by then, the wages were higher and thestandard of living went up. Our family grew as the children were bornabout every two years until the fourth one, Karl was born in 1961 andthat was it. I had cataract surgery in 1959 in my left eye and a year later, had myright eye done. It seems that cataracts are hereditary in our family asmany of my ancestors had them. My mother had them, and all five of uschildren had had them. The doctor that did mine, Dr. Feris Ketchum, toldme that cataracts were cause by eye injury, diabetes or hereditary. Iwear hard lenses as at time implants were only being done Europe. Thismeans taking them out at night and putting them in in the morning. I had a 1939 Ford two door, flat head six with a stick shift on thesteering wheel that I drove to work. In those days, the high rise WestSeattle bridge wasn't even though of then. So traffic was very heavyacross the two Spokane street low level bridges, one for the east boundand the other for west bound. These bridges crossed the Duwamish Riverand attached West Seattle to Harbor Island and then there were two fixedwooden bridges back to the main land again. Many times, I would get stuckin traffic either going to work or coming home by either a train crossingSpokane street on the island or either one or the other or both bridgewould be up because of a ship or tug going up or down the DuwamishRiver. This created a problem in getting to work on time until I startedleaving the house at 7 AM, then there was no more problem. Later, westarted work at 6:30 in the morning, then I left at 5 AM, getting to workwith time to spare and read the morning paper and have a cup of coffee. Our three sons were in Cubbing Scouting when they were young. When theyreach the age to join Boy Scouts, I volunteered to be Scoutmaster oftheir Scout Troop. The boys like Scouting real well. Lots of backpacking in the Olympic Mountains west of Seattle. Eventually all threesons earned the Eagle Scout rank which made both Evelyn and I very proud. I received The Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to boyhoodon the 18th of January, 1975. I worked for Sears for 37½ years then on the30th of January, 1987, Searsclosed the Seattle Catalog Order plant for good. I appreciate all that Sears has done for me and my family in those 37½years. You might say they paid for my children, my nice home, most allthe the furnishings, my cars and all the items it takes to live and raisefour lovely children and all the medical bills acquired with a family. Iam also thankful that my lovely wife, Evelyn, who has stood by me allduring that time. I turned 60 the day after the Sears Catalog Orderclosed, and took an early retirement. I cashed in all my Sears sharesand rolled it over into an IRA.. As of this day, 29th of August, 1998, I have no regrets and have so farhad a very relaxed retirement, and having fun besides. For a hobby, Ihave a family tree program on our computer and an constantly editing itand searching for my ancestors. It has been very rewarding in that I havefound a very rich source about our history. I have E-mail capabilitiesso I can communicate with others that have information about the bigfamily. As example, I found an ancestor named: Unknown Coye the was bornin England in 1555. From there the descendants go on up to this day, 1stNovember, 1999. A note about my heart condition: 1 November, 1999. My name is Donald Raymond Coy, I am now 71 years old, and very humblethat my God has given me three lives to live. First, in the summer of 1974, I was backpacking in the Olympic Mountainswith 10 Boy Scouts, including three other adults. We were on a fiftymile hike for nine days, traversing the Olympics. On the eighth day,while hiking out, I started getting very tired, my pack weighedforty-five pounds, and it was hard to keep up the pace of the otherhikers. My youngest son, Karl stayed back with me while I lagged behind.We did get out the next day and met the rest of the party at the cars. After arriving home I felt ok. The following Sunday, my wife and I wentto church. We arrived a little early that morning and went in thesanctuary and sat. Suddenly, I felt a strange feeling in my chest, likea tightness. Going out to the lounge, one of the members of our church,who just happened to be my barber, Larry Daulame, asked if I was alright.I said I had a tightness in my chest. Larry had heart troubles himself,so he gave me a little white pill out of a small brown bottle and said toput it under my tongue and let it dissolve. This I did, and shortly wasfeeling very relaxed. The next day I called my doctor and related what had happened. He had mecome in to see him, and after checking me over, referred me to aCardiologist by the name of Kenneth Eire (Dr. Eire has since stepped outof the profession). Through a series of tests and a tread-mill test,which I failed at 2 miles an hour, he said I probably have some blockagesin some arteries in my heart. He referred me to Dr. Tom Jones at the West Seattle Hospital in September of 1974. Dr. Jones said I should have surgery to open the blockages. Over a periodof time I put off having anything done. But after going through thewinter, cold weather really bothered me. Finally, I set up an appointmentto entered the Providence Heart Center on April 1st 1975, April Fools Dayfor the surgery. Dr. Tom Jones was my Surgeon. (it so happened, I was notthe fool). After the surgery, which was on the 3rd of April, I was eventually movedto ICU, and after a day, I was moved to recovery. The nurses were thegreatest, puffing up my pillow, changing the water, an etc. I was up walking the second day I was in recovery, (which, by the way,was a makeshift place in a hallway, because of the many remodelingefforts going on at that time at Providence) and was feeling as well ascan be expected. I remember my first walk was with my nurse to amakeshift nurses station, here was a big fat doctor sitting at a deskwith a big smelly cigar in his mouth. (I’m sure glad that Providence Hospital no longer allows smoking on their premises). I was back home inthree days. My family was very receptive and my lovely wife, encouragedme back to getting on with my life. I went back to work at Sears,Roebuck, and Co. about a month later. The amazing thing is that SearsMedical paid for just about everything, what Sears didn't pay, KingCounty Medical did. So much for group hospital programs. After a year ofa very active live, working eight hours a day at Sears, I was outback-packing in the Olympic Mountains with the Scouts again. My lifewas full and I was able to do anything and everything, with no sign ofany pain. I had regular check-ups with my doctors and things were great. For fourteen years everything was going my way. Then it happened, I was sitting watching TV one evening, when I startedgetting angina pains going from my left shoulder down across my chest tomy right side. I knew in an instant what it was, my old nemesis, I saidto myself, there’s your old enemy. I told my wife, what had happenedafter taking a couple of nitro pills. The next morning, Dr. Jones was called. We set up an appointment. Afterconsulting with Dr. Jones, an Angiogram was set up for the latter part ofNovember 1990. Dr. Peter Demopulos did the honors. Guess what? Fourblockages this time. I was up to about 189 pounds, and I had not watchedmy weight or my diet. Too many burgers, and fries and too much fattyfood. Some people seem to take longer to get the message, right? The surgery was scheduled for the middle of December 1990. By the time Icame out of surgery, the doctors had done a quadruple by-pass. This timeit took a little longer for me to leave the hospital, but again thenurses, and doctors, internists and all the help were just great. I laidthere in that hospital bed and though to myself, you dummy, did you thinkall this stuff about cholesterol was just bunk? Home again, one day before Christmas, what a joyous and thankfulChristmas present to be home with my wonderful family. To be alive andagain recovering from a very tough surgery. It took a little longer, butas usual, I came back to my full health. By this time I was retired fromSears, so I had lots of time to recuperate. I walked my two and a halfmiles each day if it wasn't’t raining too hard. Then I saw my Cardiologist, Dr. Peter Demopulos in January of 1991, amonth after the surgery. The week before the appointment, I had my blooddrawn so he would have the read out when I came in. My triglyceridecount was good, but he noticed that the glucose was quite high. Oh no, Ithought not diabetes! I was right (my mother, two of my three sisters,(Helen died of it} had diabetes, it goes back to my grandparents and great uncles and aunts). Peter said that there wereclasses at Swedish Hospital to learn more about diabetes. My wife, Evelynand I attended the series of three classes of two hours for three days. I learned a lot in those classes about looking for food with out or verylow ingredients of sugar. I now have that disease under control withmedication and injections of 9 units of insulin each night. In May of 1996 I had another Angiogram to check on a possibility of aslight blockage. Dr. Peter Demopulos said he could repair that with anAngioplasty procedure. It worked for a while until the fall of 1996, while my little ShetlandSheep dog named Ginger, was taking me on my two mile walk at a fast pace,I noticed some tightness in my chest again. Oh no, I though, not again.Sure enough, after seeing Dr. Demopulos, he set up another Angiogram forthe 16th of December, 1996. While having that procedure done it showedthat I again had blockages. Surgery was inevitable. On the 17th ofDecember, 1996 my wife and I went to see Dr. Dev R. Manhas to see if hewould do the surgery. After consulting with him, he said yes, he woulddo the surgery. On the20th of December, 1997, I checked in to ProvidenceHospital at 6;30 am for pre-op. Then my time had come to go down tosurgery. I vaguely remember how the room was painted a soft blue, myfavorite color. A triple by-pass was performed. This time I was a lotslower in recovering. But, by the Grace of my Lord, Jesus Christ mySavior, I still came home in less than a week. As with the othersurgeries, the people at Providence Hospital are the best. The summer of 1998 Dr. Peter Capel had discovered through a routineexamination that he couldn't find a pulse beat in my Carotid Artery on myleft side of my neck and suggested I have a Doppler Scan and made anappointment at the Spencer Vascular Vascular Lab at the out patient ofProvidence Hospital for a cerebrovascular Doppler ultrasound exam. I wasfound to have a percentage of 50-79% stenosis. Since then I have had theprocedure every six months and the results come back - no change. I thankmy Lord for letting me live a happy and healthy life even under thisthreatening things. My next Doppler scan is scheduled for January 2001.I am very fortunate to have what is called 'Circle of Willis', whichallows the blood to go up the right side of the brain and then go the theleft side of my head and return back to the right and return to the heart. At this time, August 21, 1998, I am taking 7 pills in the morning and 3at night, and am down to 159 pounds, and I am still taken for my daily 2½ mile brisk walk by my Shetland Sheep dog, Ginger. I have appointments to see my diabetic doctor, Dr. Peter Capel and myCardiologist, Dr. Peter Demopulos in the middle of September 1998. Ihope everything will be ok. From what I understand, that during my three by-pass surgeries, my heartwas stopped and I was put on a heart-lung machine. That means to me thatlogically, I was dead three different times. (Of course not brain dead).To this day, I thank my Heavenly Father that He guided those doctors tokeep me alive and am able to enjoy this wonderful world that our Lord andGod has created for us. December 5, 1998, I had my Gall Bladder removed at Providence Hospital,Seattle, Washington. I believe that our Father and Mother were the best parents we childrencould have had. They made sure we were clothed and nourished and madesure that we were brought up as Christians and accepted Jesus Christ asour personal Savior and Redeemer. We went to the Tabernacle Baptistchurch, which was located on the corner of 15th avenue and HarrisonStreet, Seattle, WA. It was a large wooden structure with a tallsteeple. I have my Cradle Roll Certificate, signed by theSuperintendent, Georgie Gault, and signed by Dwight Waton, Sunday SchoolSuperintendent and the Pastor, George L. Lorimer. The certificate isdated June 15, 1930. I also have my Primary Department PromotionCertificate from the Primary Department to the Junior Department on the27th of June, 1937, signed by Mrs. H. Ragge, Superintendent of thePrimary Department and signed by Broadus Haynes, Sunday SchoolSuperintendent and Pastor, George L. Lormer. And last, I have myCertificate of Promotion from the Junior Department dated the 1st ofOctober, 1939, signed by Cecile M. Oelschlagel, Supt. of the JuniorDepartment and signed by J. Ray Swanson, Supt. of Sunday School andGeorge L. Lormer, Pastor. I will always thank my Lord Jesus Christ mypersonal Savior for being given the opportunity to live my life for thisvery short length of time on His precious Earth. I accepted Jesus Christas my personal Savior while I was in the Junior Department on October 1st1939 and was baptized in Christ on that day. Evelyn, my wife, and me and our four children, our daughter, Karin, (notmarried) and the three boys, Steve, Gary and Karl and their families areall members of The First Lutheran Church of West Seattle, 4105 CaliforniaAve. SW, 98116 Seattle, Washington. 'We are the children of many sires, and every drop of blood in us in it'sturn betrays its ancestor.' Ralph Waldo Emerson Compiled by Donald Raymond Coy, 3806 51 Ave., SW, Seattle, Washington98116-3615 Phone: 1-206-938-4493 E-mail: <don3127wa@@juno.com> Up dated - 13 May, 2001 More updates to come later, 12 December 2001. National Maritime Day Proclamations by President George W. Bush honorAmerican Merchant Marine National Maritime Day Proclamation 2001 by the President of the UnitedStates of America A Proclamation Throughout our history, America's economic prosperity has been closelytied to its maritime geography. From indigenous peoples navigating ourmajestic rivers to colonists settling along the New World's easternshores, natives and immigrants alike have relied on the sea and ourbountiful inland waterways for commerce and security. In colonial days and in the 19th century, America's maritime industriesfacilitated the exchange of goods and the migration of pioneers. DuringWorld War II, some 6,000 American seafarers and more than 700 U.S.merchant ships fell to enemy action, many in the infamous Run toMurmansk. No branch of our Armed Forces, save the Marine Corps, suffereda higher casualty rate. Today, our Merchant Marine continues this proudtradition. As recently as the Persian Gulf War and during humanitarian and militaryoperations since, a unique partnership of Government, industry, and laborhas continued its vital maritime service to our Nation. Many civilianmerchant mariners crew the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force,which is observing its 25th anniversary. Today, the U.S. maritime fleet has decreased in the number of vessels inthe international trades, but it transports goods more efficiently andeconomically than ever before. These U.S. ships deliver a billion tons ofimports and exports each year in our foreign trade and another billiontons of waterborne domestic trade. Many merchant seafarers are trained atoutstanding institutions such as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy atKings Point, New York, the six State maritime academies, and severalunion and industry training facilities. To help ensure continued competitiveness, we must tailor our maritimepolicy to the challenges of the 21st century. America's MarineTransportation System will help determine our long-term economic healthand improve our ability to respond quickly and effectively in crisis.Within the next 2 decades, cargo will double. Accordingly, myAdministration is working with Government agencies, the maritimeindustry, shippers, labor unions, and environmental groups to ensure thatour waterways continue to serve as a sound transportation option in theface of ever-growing congestion on highways and rail lines. In recognition of the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine, theCongress, by joint resolution approved on May 20, 1933, has designatedMay 22 of each year as 'National Maritime Day' and has authorized andrequested that the President issue an annual proclamation calling for itsappropriate observance. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States ofAmerica, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution andlaws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2001, as NationalMaritime Day. I call upon the people of the United States to celebratethis observance and to display the flag of the United States at theirhomes and in their communities. I also request that all ships sailingunder the American flag dress ship on that day. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day ofMay, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence ofthe United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. George W. Bush.