Ira Couch

Notes:

Birth:
(also given as 22 Nov 1806)

Died:
IRA COUCH WILL

"First. I do hereby give, bequeath, and devise unto my beloved wife, Caroline Elizabeth Couch, and my brother, James Couch, and my brother-in-law, William H. Wood, whom I hereby constitute, make, and appoint to be my executrix, executors, and trustees of this my last will and testament, and the survivors of them, and, in the event of the death of either of them, the successor appointed by the surviving trustee or trustees, all my estate, both real and personal, of every nature and description, for the term of twenty years, in trust, and for the uses and objects and purposes hereinafter mentioned and expressed, and for the purpose of enabling them more fully to carry into effect the provisions of this will, and for no other use, purpose, or object, hereby giving and granting unto my said executors and trustees full power and lawful authority to lease my real estate at such time or times, and in such parcels, and in such way and manner, and upon such terms and conditions as to my said executors and trustees, or the survivors or successors of them, in their sound discretion, shall be deemed most advantageous and for the true interest of my estate, but no lease shall be granted of any building for a longer term than five years, and all leases shall expire at the end of twenty years from the time of my death. And I do also hereby authorize and empower my said executors and trustees, and the survivor or survivors of them, and their successors, from time to time, as they, in the exercise of a sound discretion, shall deem for the true interest of the estate, to purchase with the surplus funds belonging to my estate such real estate as they may deem proper and expedient, and take and hold the same, as such executors and trustees as aforesaid, upon the same trusts, and for the same uses and purposes, as the other real estate now owned by me, and more especially to purchase for the benefit and use of my estate, when they, my said executors and trustees, or the survivors and survivor of them, or successors, shall think it expedient so to do, any real estate which is or may be subject to any such judgment, decree, or mortgage as is or at any time hereafter may become a lien, charge, or encumbrance for my benefit, or for the benefit of my heirs or executors, upon the same, and, again, that my said executors and trustees have the like discretion to lease the same. And I do hereby authorize my said executors and trustees, if they shall think proper so to do, to loan on real estate situate in the City of Chicago any of the surplus moneys arising from my said estate, as aforesaid, on bond and mortgage: provided always that such real estate shall be worth double the amount so loaned thereon, over and above any other liens and encumbrances existing against the same, and that such moneys shall not be loaned for a longer period than twenty years from my decease." "And, generally, I do hereby fully authorize and empower my said executors and trustees, from time to time, to improve my real estate, and invest all surplus moneys belonging to my estate, arising from any source whatever, and not wanted immediately, or required to meet the payments and advances, legacies, annuities, and charges required to be made under this, my said will, in such way and manner as to them, my said executors and trustees, or the survivor or successors of them, in the exercise of a sound discretion, shall be deemed most safe and productive; but no moneys are to be invested except in improving my real estate, or in the purchase of other real estate, or on bond and mortgage as aforesaid. And I direct that my executors or trustees, or their successors, shall not purchase or improve by building upon any real estate after the expiration of sixteen years from my decease." "Relying on the fidelity and prudence of my said executors and trustees in executing the various trusts to them given and confided in and by this, my last will and testament, my executors are authorized to mortgage my real estate to improve by building on the same only in the event of the destruction of some of my buildings by the elements, and then only to supply other buildings in the place of those destroyed." "It is my will that all my just debts and the charges of funeral expenses be paid and discharged by my executors, as hereinafter named and appointed, out of my estate, as soon as conveniently may be after my decease, and the said debts become due, and I leave the charge of my funeral expenses to the discretion of my said executors." "Second. I give, devise, and bequeath to my beloved wife, Caroline Elizabeth Couch, after the expiration of the trust estate vested in my executors and trustees for the term of twenty years after my decease, one-fourth part of all my estate, both real and personal, after the payment of all my debts, funeral expenses and the legacies in this will mentioned, which are hereby made a charge on said real estate, which part is to be accepted by my said wife and received by her in lieu of dower." "Third. I give, devise, and bequeath unto my beloved daughter, Caroline Elizabeth Couch, after the expiration of the trust estate so vested as aforesaid, one-fourth part of all my estate, both real and personal, after the payment of all my debts, funeral expenses, and the legacies in this will mentioned." "Fourth. I give, devise, and bequeath unto my brother, James Couch, after the expiration of the trust estate so vested as aforesaid, one-fourth part of all my estate, both real and personal, after the payment of all my debts, funeral expenses, and the legacies in this will mentioned." "Fifth. I give, devise, and bequeath unto my nephew, Ira Couch, son of my brother, James, after the expiration of the trust estate so vested as aforesaid, the remaining one-fourth part of all my estate, both real and personal, after the payment of all my just debts, funeral expenses, and the legacies in this will mentioned." "Sixth. I hereby will and direct that the said legacies hereinafter mentioned shall be charged on my real estate, to be paid out of the rents and profits thereof as hereinafter directed." (from an 1891 Supreme Court document (141 U.S. 296), "By the seventh and eighth clauses, the testator gave annuities for life to his sister Rachel and to his mother-in-law; and by the ninth clause an annuity to a brother-in-law who died before him.") "Tenth. I give and bequeath to my wife, Caroline Elizabeth Couch, for the support of herself and daughter, from the rents of my real estate, the sum of ten thousand dollars a year until all the debts due by me are paid by my executors, and after my executors have paid such debts I give and bequeath to her for the same purpose fifteen thousand dollars a year, to be paid quarterly to her until my daughter becomes of age or is married, when my daughter may draw one-fourth of all the net rents and profits, after payment of all expenses, taxes, repairs, legacies, annuities, and other charges on my said estate, and my wife may draw ten thousand dollars a year until my nephew, Ira Couch, attains his majority, when she shall draw one-fourth of all the net rents and profits, after paying all expenses, taxes, repairs, legacies, annuities, and other charges as aforesaid." "Eleventh. I give and bequeath to my brother, James Couch, for the support of himself and family, from the rents of my real estate, the sum of ten thousand dollars a year, to be paid quarterly until all the debts due by me are paid by my executors, and after such debts due by me are paid, I give to him for the same purpose fifteen thousand dollars a year, to be paid quarterly to him until my nephew, Ira Couch, attains his majority, after which time I give to my brother, James Couch, one-fourth part of all the net rents, income, and profits of my estate, to be paid him by my executors quarterly until the final division of my estate, which shall take place at the end of twenty years after my decease, and not sooner." (from an 1891 Supreme Court document (141 U.S. 296), "By the twelfth and thirteenth clauses, he gave legacies to children of a deceased brother, and of his sister Rachel.") "Sixteenth. I will and direct that no part of my estate, neither the real nor the personal, shall be sold, mortgaged (except for building), or in any manner encumbered until the end of twenty years from and after my decease, when it may be divided or sold for the purposes of making a division between my devisees as herein directed." "Seventeenth. It is my will that any and all real estate which may hereafter be purchased by me shall be disposed of, and is hereby devised, in the same manner and to the same persons as if owned by me at the time of making this, my last will and testament." "Eighteenth. In the event of any of the legatees or annuitants being alive at the end of twenty years after my decease, it is my will, and I hereby direct, that there shall be a division of all my estate, both real and personal at the end of said twenty years, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, and in such case my executors, in making division of the said estate, shall apportion each legacy or annuity on the estate assigned to my devisees, who are hereby charged with the payment of the same according to the apportionment of my said executors." "Nineteenth. It is my will that my trustees aforesaid shall pay the several gifts, legacies, annuities, and charges herein to the persons named in this will, and that no creditors or assignees or purchasers shall be entitled to any part of the bounty or bounties intended to be given by me herein for the personal advantage of the persons named, and therefore it is my will that if either of the devisees or legatees named in my will shall in any way or manner cease to be personally entitled to the legacy or devise made by me for his or her benefit, the share intended for such devisee or legatee shall go to his or her children in the same manner as if such child or children had actually inherited the same, and in the event of such person or persons having no children, then to my daughter and her heirs." "Twentieth. It is my will that the estate, both real and personal, hereby devised and bequeathed to my daughter, Caroline Elizabeth, shall be vested in trustees, to be chosen by herself and my trustees herein named, before her marriage, and said trustees shall be three in number, to whom all her estate, both real and personal, shall be conveyed at the expiration of twenty years, the time hereinbefore specified for the termination of the estate of my trustees herein, to such trustees so to be appointed as aforesaid, and it is my will that the estate, both real and personal, herein devised and bequeathed for the benefit of my daughter shall be held by such trustees for the sole and only use and benefit, and that the same shall not in any manner be subject to the marital rights of any future husband my daughter may have, and that all moneys shall be paid by such trustees to my daughter personally, and to no other person for her except upon her written order or assent, and it is my will that her said trustees pay to her during her life the entire net income of the estate, both real and personal, herein devised and bequeathed to my daughter, after the same shall have been conveyed to her trustees by my executors and trustees or their successors, and after the death of my said daughter I direct that the said estate, both real and personal, shall be conveyed to the children of my daughter, and, in the event of her having no children, to such person as my daughter may direct by her last will and testament." "Twenty-First. It is my wish also that William H. Wood, my executor and trustee, shall be charged with, and take upon himself, the collection of all rents accruing to my estate, and that he shall continue to perform the same during the period of twenty years after my decease, and for the performance of this service and other services, and for his general care and supervision of the affairs of my estate, I hereby direct that the sum of two thousand dollars per annum shall be paid to him; but in the event of his decease before entering upon said duties, or before the twenty years aforesaid shall expire, or shall decline to act as in this section provided, I hereby authorize and direct my said trustees to appoint some other person to act in his stead in collecting said rents and performing the other duties as above specified, and to pay him the same compensation therefor which said Wood would have had." "Twenty-Second. And in the event of the marriage of my said wife after my decease, it is my will and I hereby authorize and direct my said trustees and executors to pay over to my said wife, and to no other person, the rents, annuities, legacies, and other income herein bequeathed to my said wife, and to take her separate receipts therefor, and it is my will that my said trustees and their successors in such case hold the same, subject to her order, in trust for my said wife, so that said property so devised and bequeathed to her as aforesaid can in no event be subject to the marital rights of such husband."

COUCH TOMB INFORMATION
VIEW IN NEW WINDOW

Ira married Caroline Elizabeth Gregory in 1833 in Ellicottville, Cattaraugus Co., NY. Caroline was born on 14 Apr 1814. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Buried:
(believed reinterred in Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, Cook Co, IL around 1867, where a monument with hers and her family's name is given)

Caroline married George Bristol Johnson on 30 Jan 1867 in Cook Co, IL. George was born on 29 Jan 1842; died on 17 Aug 1913 in Chicago, Cook Co, IL; was buried in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Cook Co, IL. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Somewhat of an historical oddity, Ira J. is listed in History of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Vol. III as Ira J. Couch and his parents as George B. and Caroline E. Couch...and his wife as Generva Laing. However, his father was George Bristol Johnson, and his mother Caroline Elizabeth Couch, making him a Johnson, not a Couch. After (presumably) burial with the Couch family in Lincoln Park, and upon reinterrments in Rosehill Cemetery, the family monument includes the names of Ira Couch and Caroline E. Gregory Couch, Sr. (Caroline Jr.'s parents), along with daughter, Caroline E. Couch Johnson, Jr., her husband George Bristol Johnson, and their daughter-in-law, Generva Laing Couch. Clearly, Generva did not become a Couch by birth, or by marriage to Ira J. Johnson, son of Caroline E. Couch Johnson and George B. Johnson. So the questions arise: How did Ira J. Johnson become Ira J. Couch, and his wife Generva become Generva Laing Couch, rather than Ira J. and Generva Laing Johnson? Text of the History of Trade is given below in hopes someone might have clarification for this:

p.77-78-- "Ira J. Couch--A native son of Chicago and a representative of one of the prominent and influential families of this city, Ira Johnson Couch is a son of George B. and Caroline E. Couch, and a grandson of Ira Couch, whose name is closely and influentially linked with the annals of civic and material development and progress in Chicago. The Board of Trade claims Ira J. Couch as one of its appreciative and valued members, and he is one of the interested principals in the representative firm of S. B. Chapin & Co., one of the foremost in the stock-investment business in both Chicago and New York and one that has definite precedence and influence in connection with the operations of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago and the Chicago Stock Exchange, with both of which important bodies Mr. Couch is actively identified, besides which he is to be designated as an able member of the bar of his native city, though he has not been actively engaged in the practice of his profession since 1900. Mr. Couch was born in Chicago on the 21st of June, 1871, and after making good use of the advantages aflforded in the public schools of the western metropolis he pursued a higher academic course in Beloit College, at Beloit, Wisconsin. In preparation for his chosen profession he then entered the Chicago College of Law, and in this institution he was graduted as a member of the class of 1896, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, his admission to the Illinois bar having been a virtual concomitant of his reception of the degree noted. After his graduation Mr. Couch became associated with the representative law firm of Arnd & Arnd, with which he continued his alliance until 1900, when he retired from the practice of law and turned his attention to the stock and bond business, of which he has become a successful representative in Chicago, as has he also in connection with operations on the Board of Trade. At the initiation of his activities along these lines he was fortunate in identifying himself with the firm of S. B. Chapin & Co., and of the same he has been a member since 1906. Though he has manifested no ambition for political preferment, Mr. Couch as a public-spirited citizen takes a lively interest in all that touches the well-being of his native city. In the time-honored Masonic fraternity he has received the thirtysecond degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, and he holds membership in the Chicago Athletic Club, the Chicago Golf Club and the Glen View Golf Club. In 1902 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Couch to Miss Genevra Laing, of Chicago, and they have three children?Ira Laing, Mary Elizabeth and Johnson."

Ira married Generva Laing. [Group Sheet]