Harry James Coller

  General Notes:

Like his brother Jesse, Harry was in the Navy. Harry did not make it a career like Jesse. See the clipping about the "Lamotte Boy" below.

Newspaper Clipping
LAMOTTE BOY ENCIRCLES GLOBE
Harry J. Coller, one of Uncle Sam's Boys.
The above is a good picture of Harry J. Coller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Coller of Lamotte, who made the famous trip around the world with the U. S. fleet. He made a short visit with his parents a short time on the completion of the tour, but was obliged to return to his ship. This is not the first long trip made by Mr. Coller. Some five years ago he made a visit to London, Antwerp, Paris and several other European cities. He is but 23 years of age and has seen about as much of the world as usually comes to the average man.

Harry was taught how to play the trumpet by John Harvey Miller, who also played the trumpet and directed the Snover band.

In his early married years, Harry and his wife Rose were rural mail carriers. Harry was promoted by the U.S. Postal Service to Lapeer. He moved the family off the Sanilac farm about 1938. Also in these early married years, he went to a ball game and was hit in the head with a baseball on the way to his seat. It is thought that he may have suffered some ill effects.

Harry and his wife, Rose, separated around 1941. They never did get a divorce. After the separation, Harry purchased some properly in Elba, Michigan and lived there. This was about 15 miles west of Lapeer.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Harry would live in Florida in the winter and in a home on Elba Road in Lapeer, Michigan, during the summer. Harry was a farmer during this period.

In his later years, Harry had Parkinsons disease. In the end he ended up staying with his sisters, Hazel and Ethel, at Ethel's home in Indian Village near Detroit. He died at Harper Hospital in Detroit and is buried next to Rose May Gezley in Sanilac County.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence, 1924, Decker, Sanilac County, Michigan. Address taken from a postcard sent to Alice Paulina Leary.

2. Residence: 111 Jefferson, Lapeer, Michigan. Alice Paulina Leary had this address for Harry and Rose Coller in her address book.

3. Alt. Death. The location of his death was Detroit, Michigan in information provided by Larry Coller.

4. Alt. Birth, 28 May 1885. 1885 is listed in Michigan birth records.

5. Residence, 1946, Lapeer, Michigan. This information was in his mother's 1946 obituary (Ada Mary Caines Coller).

Harry married Rose May Gezley, daughter of William Gezley and Unknown, on 19 Mar 1913 in Flint, Michigan. (Rose May Gezley was born on 7 Dec 1889 in Sandusky County, Ohio,³³ died on 15 Mar 1977 in Lapeer, Michigan ³³ and was buried in Johnson Cemetery, Lamotte Township, Sanilac County, Michigan.)