Bookmark and Share
Search for Names
Last Name:
First Name:
 
Contact us via E-mail

If you have any questions or comments about the information on this site, please contact us at

barbarowa@yahoo.com

We look forward to hearing from you.




   
Our Family Genealogy Pages

Jessie Ethel FISH
 1872 - 1959

HomeHome    SearchSearch    PrintPrint    Login - User: anonymousLogin    Add BookmarkAdd Bookmark

Generations:      Standard    |    Compact    |    Text    |    Register

Generation: 1
  1. Jessie Ethel FISH b. 3 Oct 1872, Racine, Racine, Wisconsin; d. 27 Aug 1959, Seattle, King, Washington; bur. Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.

    Notes:
    Jessie Ethel Fish is believed to have been born in Racine Wisconsinon 3 October 1872. This cannot be documented as birth records were notmaintained for Racine until after 1877.
    According to Jessie Ethel Fish LeClair's death certificate she wasthe daughter of Titus G. Fish and Rosamond Packard. Her occupation islisted a housewife with her residence in Seattle. She died 27 August 1959in Seattle, King, Washington of multiple pulmonary emboli and phlebitisthree months after their onset. She was removed to Lewiston, Idaho forburial. The informant was her son Fred. She was buried in Lewiston, Idaho.

    Jessie m. James Van-Renselaer LECLAIR 24 Oct 1894, West Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin. James b. 13 Feb 1862, Colden, Erie, New York; d. 26 Mar 1926, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho; bur. 28 Mar 1923, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho. [Group Sheet]

    Children:
    1. 2. Frederick Fish LECLAIR  Descendancy chart to this point b. 11 Aug 1896, Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; d. 21 Feb 1975, Bremerton, Kitsap, Washington; bur. Malcom's Brower Wann Chapel, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
    2. 3. Titus George LECLAIR  Descendancy chart to this point b. 26 Aug 1899, Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; d. 26 Mar 1968, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Florida; bur. Mount Hope Cemetery, Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
    3. 4. James Van-Renselaer LECLAIR  Descendancy chart to this point b. 8 Dec 1902, Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; d. 4 Oct 1985, Richland, Benton, Washington; bur. 9 Oct 1985, Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland, Benton, Washington.
    4. 5. Robert Alexander LECLAIR  Descendancy chart to this point b. 10 Jun 1909, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho; d. 30 May 1937, Hawaii.


Generation: 2
  1. Frederick Fish LECLAIR Descendancy chart to this point (1.Jessie1) b. 11 Aug 1896, Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; d. 21 Feb 1975, Bremerton, Kitsap, Washington; bur. Malcom's Brower Wann Chapel, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.

    Notes:
    Fred Fish LeClair worked as a pricing clerk for North Coast Electric.
    Fred Fish LeClair died in Kitsap County in Washington, however, noprobate records were filed. He died of subarachniel hemorrhage caused byarteriosclerosis and is buried in Lewiston, Idaho.

    Frederick m. Ollie Bernice KINSER 30 Jun 1921, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho. Ollie b. 14 Jul 1897, Id; d. 12 Nov 1991, Bremerton, Kitsap, Washington; bur. 14 Nov 1991, Forest Lawn Cem, Bremerton, Kitsap, Washington (cremated). [Group Sheet]

    Children:
    1. 6. Frederick LECLAIR  Descendancy chart to this point b. 12 Apr 1922; d. 1994, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.

  2. Titus George LECLAIR Descendancy chart to this point (1.Jessie1) b. 26 Aug 1899, Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; d. 26 Mar 1968, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Florida; bur. Mount Hope Cemetery, Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

    Notes:
    Titus George LeClair was born 26 August 1899 in Superior, Wisconsin,the second of four boys. His father, James Van Renselaer LeClair was bornin the town of Colden New York. His mother, Jessie Ethel Fish, was bornin Racine Wisconsin, and her ancestry included three lines going back tothe Mayflower group of 1620 (John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and PeterBrown.
    When Titus was five years old, the family moved to Lewiston, Idaho,where his father bought a large stand of timber and began loggingoperations. The business thrived, continuing until well into the 1920's.The family was not wealthy, but it was reasonable well off; they lived ina large two-story house at 701 6th Avenue in Lewiston where the four sonsattended local elementary and high schools. In 1917, after he graduatedfrom Lewiston High School, Titus entered the University of Idaho inMoscow, Idaho. The United States had entered World War I that previousApril. With many of his classmates, Titus entered the Student OfficersTraining Corps while continuing as a full-time student. He was releasedfrom the Training Corps on September 26, 1919, after the November 1918Armistice. He continued at U. of Idaho, graduating in 1921 as a member ofthe first graduating class of the Electrical Engineering Department. Thenation at that time was in an economic slump as a result of the post-wardownturn, so according to an account written by Ti, he "worked at oddjobs for a few months". However, according to an old newspaper article heattended Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1921-2. In any event,he began work as a Test Engineer with General Electric in Schenectady,New York in February 1922.
    Tutus became engaged to Alice Bessie of Moscow, Idaho, but did notgraduate. Again the records contain a discrepancy, since somehow sheworked as a librarian at U. of Idaho, while others indicate she wasAssistant Registrar there. As a coincidence on the number 26, Alice wasborn on May 26, 1899 and on May 26, 1922 she and Titus were married inSchenectady, New York. During his time with GE, Titus came to know GeorgeSteinmetz, the electrical genius who was responsible for many of thetechnical developments which led to GE's rise to eminence in the Americanelectrical equipment industry. In 1923, Titus and Alice moved to Chicago,Illinois, where he began work as a cable engineer with CommonwealthEdison Co., the public utility serving the Chicago area with electricpower.
    Their first son, Richard, was born August 15, 1923, followed by Hughon November 30, 1925, and David on October 9, 1927. Alice died suddenlyon September 7, 1928, leaving Titus with three preschool sons. On March15, 1930 Titus remarried. His new bride was Amelie McGuire, and native ofVevay, Indiana, a small town on the banks of the Ohio River. She was agraduate in English from the University of Indiana. While hook on thetask of raising three sons and managing the household, Titus continuedhis career with Commonwealth Edison. On July 13, 1938 Amelie officiallyadopted Richard, Hugh, and David as her sons.
    In addition the his regular engineering work, Titus began work onwhat were to be several inventions widely used in the electric powerindustry, thus emulating Thomas A. Edison, the father of the electricpower industry. Titus had met Edison in earlier years. In 1933 Titus soldhis patent for bus bars to American Brass, a subsidiary of AnacondaCopper. Bus bars a special conductors for carrying extremely largecurrents, and Ti's invention reduced the amount of copper required inthese devices. The sale of this patent was enough to build a large,two-story brick house (also with full basement and third floor dormitoryspace) at 1924 West 102nd Street, in the Beverly Hills section ofChicago. On April 24, 1934, Diane was born to Amelie and Titus, and theyall moved into the new house just six days before Christmas in 1934.
    In addition to advancing his career at Commonwealth Edison, Titusplayed an active role in professional membership in the Chicago Sectionof the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, or AIEE. This societylater was expanded and renamed the Institute of Electrical and ElectronicEngineers, or IEEE. The list of Titus' professional and technicalactivities, in addition to preparation and delivery of technical papersand leadership of national committees, covers pages and is listedelsewhere. As highlights, he chaired section and national committeesrising to President of AIEE in 1950-1 and leading the successful drivefor professional registration of engineers in Illinois prior to thattime. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Engineering by his almamater, University of Idaho, in June 1951.
    Titus' inventions include several patents on switching systems andautomatic data reading and recording and printing systems. The patentsare:
    #1934434 Bus Construction. November 7, 1933
    #2313752 Automatic Printing and Metering System March16, 1943
    #2366913 Automatic Printing and Totalizing Metering SystemJune 9, 1945
    #2366914 Printing Mechanism January 9, 1945
    He was not only awarded these patents, but he also fought and won severalpatent infringement suits against those attempting to infringe upon thesepatents. To an extent, he was years ahead of his time, as these datagathering and recording systems were forerunners of the automated datagathering and recording systems developed in the 1960s to 1980s.
    On a lighter side, he took part in non-technical activities as well.He was also a Director of the Beverly Hills University Club from 1936-9and its President from 1939-40.
    After the end of World War II, when peaceful uses of atomic energywere pursued, his earlier patents and his position as Chief ElectricalEngineer in 1950-2 and Engineering Manager in 1952-4 put him in themiddle of feasibility studies on the Dresden Atomic Power Station. He wasappointed Project Sponsor of the Public Service Commonwealth Edison groupworking on the problem of providing electricity from nuclear fuel inMarch 1953. Working in cooperation with the U.S. Atomic EnergyCommission, this group prepared to specifications for the firstcommercial atomic power plant built without federal government funding.It was the largest atomic power plant of its time. The plant was firstfired up in October 1959, and was fully operational in 1960.
    With successful completion of Dresden, Titus resigned fromCommonwealth Edison to became manager of nuclear power applications withGeneral Atomics, then a division of General Dynamics Corp. of San Diego,California. GD pioneered the development of the High Temperature GasCooled Reactor, which used helium gas to cool the pelletized nuclearfuel. The heated gas acted as the heat source to fire conventional steamturbines to generate electric power. Titus' work took him, oftenaccompanied by Amelie, to such locations as Japan, Australia, India, andmost of the European countries. The then standard retirement age of 65had no interest or meaning for him, and he continued to work more thatfull time well past that age.
    He and Amelie moved from 610 Woodside Road in Hinsdale, Illinois andbought an home in San Diego in 1960, added a swimming pool, and shortlythereafter began building another home with pool on the ocean shore. Poolswimming was secondary, however, to ocean swimming. His usual dailyroutine, when not away on business travel, was to take a 1-2 mile swim inthe Pacific Ocean, which was not even 30 yards from his home. Often thepool was used by friends, children and grandchildren and as a backdropfor home social activities.
    Titus was active in all ways right up to his death. On March 26,1968, while attending a major Southwest Electric Exchange conference inBoca Raton, Florida, he went swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in spite ofthe storm warning posted along the beach and died while swimming. Despitethe lack of water in the lungs, the death certificate state "Death bydrowning". He and Amelie had just celebrated their 38th weddinganniversary a week before and had plans to see their fifteenthgrandchild, Mark, born 4 days earlier in Denver, Colorado.
    Titus had earlier taken out an insurance policy with a doubleindemnity clause naming the Episcopal Community Service of San Diego ashis beneficiary. As a result of his accidental death $125,000 wasbequeathed to this charity.
    (Written by Richard and Hugh LeClair 7-30-86)
    Titus LeClair appears in the Who's Who of 1954, then residing at 515North Walker Road in Hinsdale, and working at 72 West Adams Street inChicago. This biography lists the positions described in the note above.
    Titus LeClair is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois asis his first wife, Alice Bessee.

    Titus m. Alice Williams BESSEE 26 May 1922, Schenectady, Schenectady, New York. Alice b. 26 May 1899, Fort Dodge, Webster, Iowa; d. 7 Sep 1928, Chicago, Cook, Illinois; bur. Mount Hope Cemetery, Chicago, Cook, Illinois. [Group Sheet]

    Titus m. Amelie MCGUIRE 15 Mar 1930, Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Amelie b. 31 Jul 1898, Vevay, Switzerland, Indiana; d. 12 Jul 1998, LaJolla, San Diego, California. [Group Sheet]

  3. James Van-Renselaer LECLAIR Descendancy chart to this point (1.Jessie1) b. 8 Dec 1902, Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; d. 4 Oct 1985, Richland, Benton, Washington; bur. 9 Oct 1985, Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland, Benton, Washington.

    Notes:
    James V. LeClair was a school principal. His wife Mary Rosebaugh wasa teacher. She was born 1 August 1910 in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho and died 7December 1990 in Richland, Washington. She was buried at Einan'sCrematorium there.
    James LeClair died of pneumonia from Parkinson's disease. He isburied at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland, Washington.

    James m. Mary Margaret ROSEBAUGH ABT. 1944, Columbus, Franklin, Ohio. Mary b. 1 Aug 1910, Bonners Ferry, Boundary, Idaho; d. 7 Dec 1990, Richland, Benton, Washington; bur. 8 Dec 1990, Einan's Crematorium, Richland, Benton, Washington. [Group Sheet]

  4. Robert Alexander LECLAIR Descendancy chart to this point (1.Jessie1) b. 10 Jun 1909, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho; d. 30 May 1937, Hawaii.

    Notes:
    Robert Alexander LeClair started at the University of Idaho in 1927,but eventually graduated from a college in Washington. He was named forAlexander Robert Mills, his father's business partner. Alexander was thebrother of Emma Mills who married Emmett Eugene LeClair.
    Robert drowned in a surfing accident in Hawaii on Memorial Day, May30 1937. The trip was paid for by he mother Jessie as a graduationpresent.
    The US Census for 1910 in Idaho lists this son's name as Philip, inerror. However, no birth certificate is on file in Idaho for either name


Generation: 3
  1. Frederick LECLAIR Descendancy chart to this point (2.Frederick2, 1.Jessie1) b. 12 Apr 1922; d. 1994, Lewiston, Nez Perce, Idaho.
    Frederick m. 18 May 1946. [Group Sheet]


  
Email barbarowa@yahoo.com

This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding ©, written by Darrin Lythgoe 2001-2004.