Michael Coit Decker

Born 24 March 1923 at Buffalo, Erie County, New York

Died 16 July 1960 at San Diego, San Diego County, California

Michael Coit Decker, most commonly known as Coit, was the youngest of three children born to William More Decker, Jr. and Annette Catherine Coit Decker. He was raised at Buffalo at 671 Lafayette where his father was the inventor of the Hygeia nursing bottle, and founder of Hygeia Nursing Bottle Company. In the early 1930s, the family resided briefly at Daytona Beach, Florida but returned to their home in Buffalo before 1935. Coit attended Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, New Hampsire and Lawrenceville School at Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Coit married to Marguerite Louise Schmidt on 10 October 1947, presumably at Buffalo. They made their home at that place at 20 New Amsterdam Avenue and where Coit was vice-president of Hygeia Nursing Bottle Company. Coit and Marguerite were the parents of two children; both daughters. The family relocated to La Jolla, California in 1954 where Coit was an agent with Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. About 1959, they relocated to San Diego where he was a salesman with Lever Brothers. He was found in his car at San Diego, an apparent suicide. A memorial service was held at his home town of Buffalo. I don’t know if he was actually buried in the family plot at Forest Lawn Cemetery but there is a grave marker at that place for him. He was my fourth cousin, once removed, and is John More Association Jonas line cousin #441323.

*Note-his wife relocated to Santa Barbara, California sometime after his death and died at that place in 1988. Her burial information is unknown.

©2017 Cindy Coffell

Ann Decker Bickford

Born 24 June 1920 at Buffalo, Erie County, New York

Died 12 August 2014 at Williamsville, Erie County, New York

Ann was the second of three children born to William More Decker, Jr. and Annette Catherine Coit Decker. Ann was raised at Buffalo where her father, a medical doctor, was the inventor and manufacturer of Hygeia Nursing Bottles. The family relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida about 1930 but returned to Buffalo before 1935. Ann attended Buffalo Seminary and, in 1939, graduated from Westover School at Middlebury, Connecticut. Ann married to Harold Davidson Bickford on 31 October 1944 at Christ Chapel of Trinity Episcopal Church at Buffalo. They made their home at 6 New Amsterdam Avenue at Buffalo where her husband was a salesman, and later the industrial department manager, at Union Paper and Twine, Inc. Ann was interred beside her husband, who had died in 2005, at Forest Lawn Cemetery at Buffalo. Ann and Harold were the parents of three children; two sons and one daughter. She was John More Association Jonas line cousin #441322 and my fourth cousin once removed.

©2017 Cindy Coffell

Kate Newkirk Maycumber VanWagenen

Born 13 January 1889 at Cortland, Cortland County, New York

Died 17 October 1974 at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York

Kate was the elder of two daughters born to George Jonathan Maycumber and Kate Newkirk Maycumber. She was raised at Cortland where her father was an insurance agent. Kate graduated from Cortland Central School and Cortland Normal School. She studied at Syracuse University at Syracuse, New York and graduated from Columbia University at New York City with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Kate married first to George Radcliffe Manning on 18 April 1909 at Baldwin, New York, a hamlet in the town of Hempstead. He appears to have been a traveling salesman who spent little time with his wife and child as they continued to reside without him in the household of Kate’s mother at Cortland. Kate and George were the parents of one child, William Newkirk Manning. Kate’s husband died in 1920. For many years, Kate worked as a stenographer and bookkeeper at Brockway Motor Company and Second National Bank, both at Cortland. About 1933, she was a school teacher at Cortland and later taught in Poughkeepsie. She also taught in schools at Baldwin, Long Island, and Prebel; all located in New York. Kate married next to Elmer Francis VanWagenen on 2 August 1941 at Oberlin, Louisiana. They made their home at Poughkeepsie, where her husband was a life-long resident and a salesman with Charles Satz Company, a company that primarily sold office copy machines. Kate and Elmer had no children. Kate died at Vassar Brothers Hospital and was buried at PoughkeepsieRural Cemetery. Kate is John More Association Edward line cousin #82421 and my fourth cousin twice removed.

©2017 Cindy Coffell