Isaiah S. Coomes Biography

This biography appears on pages 911-912 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

Individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use may freely copy this file. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at https://sdgenweb.atwebpages.com/

ISAIAH S. COOMES, county judge of Day county, has in his professional connections won a most creditable and prominent position and his ability as a fair and impartial judge is indicated in the fact that he has been reelected to the office in which he is now serving. He was born in Cass County, Iowa, July 12, 1878, and is a son of Oll and Addie (Kellogg) Coomes. The former was a son of Isaiah Coomes, who for a number of years resided in Ohio and removed thence to Iowa, where his remaining days were passed. His life was devoted to the occupation of farming. Oll Coomes was born in Ohio in 1858 and after coming to Iowa was married in Colfax to Miss Addie Kellogg, who was born in 1857 in Vermont and died in 1907. Mr. Coomes turned his attention to agricultural pursuits after reaching Iowa and in the conduct of his business affairs met with a substantial measure of success. He is also well known as the author of several novels, which have been well received, and is a notable figure in the literary circles of his state. In politics, too, he has figured prominently and after filling some local offices was elected to represent his district in the state legislature for a term covering the years 1878-1879.

His political allegiance has always been given to the Republican Party. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church and is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the family of Oll and Addie (Kellogg) Coomes were three children, but one of the number, Roy, is now deceased. The second son, Arthur, is a farmer of Iowa. Mr. Coomes was married in 1913 to Miss Addie Johnson. The third son is Judge Coomes of this review, who pursued his education in the schools of Iowa, being graduated from the high school at Wiota, that state. Later he continued his education at Atlantic, Iowa, and also pursued a course in a business college at Des Moines. He next entered upon the study of law and completed a course in the law department of the State University of South Dakota with the class of 1907. In July of the same year he located in Webster and for four years continued in the practice of his profession with John Lund, since which time he has been alone. He is an able lawyer and while in active practice was always most conscientious and careful in the preparation of his cases, while his presentation of a cause was marked by force and clearness In 1912, his fellow citizens, appreciative of his worth and his ability as a member of the bar, elected him to the office of county judge and gave their endorsement of his first term's service in a reelection in 1914. He is a republican in politics and had previously held some local offices, serving as township clerk in Iowa and as justice of the peace in Webster.

In 1906 Judge Coomes was united in marriage to Miss Grace E. Love, who was born in Cass County, Iowa, a daughter of D. R. Love, a stock buyer of that state. Judge and Mrs. Coomes are prominent socially and enjoy the hospitality of the best homes of Webster and of the county. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Judge is prominent and active in the Odd Fellows and Masonic lodges. He has attained to the Royal Arch Chapter in Masonry and for two years was worshipful master of his lodge, while for three years he was noble grand of the Odd Fellows lodge, serving as a representative from the subordinate lodge to the grand lodge for two years. His ideals of life are high and he lives up to his standards. The opportunities, which have come to him, he has improved not only for the benefit of his own interests but also for the welfare and upbuilding of the community in which he lives.