Lucile Alice von Overstoltz

Lucile Alice von Overstolz (March 29, 1876 - June 22, 1948) was a direct descendant of the oldest patrician family of Cologne, Germany (the Cologne patricians).
Biography
Lucile Alice von Overstolz was the daughter of Mayor Henry Overstolz (born Henry Clemens von Overstolz on July 4, 1821 - November 29, 1887) and Philippina Espenshied (later known as Philippine E. Von Overstoltz, May 1, 1847 - September 6, 1925). She married Maximillian Joseph Koeck.
Lucile's father was the twenty-fourth mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, serving from 1876 to 1881. She was the granddaughter of a successful Western wagon-maker, Louis Espenschied, who was the owner of Louis Espenschied Wagon Co By the 1850s, the company was making large numbers of wagons for pioneers heading west during the great migration of 1853. During the Civil War, Louis received a large contract for wagons and wheels for the Union Army. Lucile's first cousin was Lloyd Espenschied, the co-creator of coax cable and inventor of the radio altimeter.
In her later years, her mother Philippine was known for her modeling. Busts of her in bronze and marble have been made by the distinguished sculptor Ruckstuhl, and exhibited in the Paris Salon and later at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. She was the subject of the Frederick Ruckstull sculpture Evening, which is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On returning to U.S. in 1892, Ruckstull opened a studio in New York City, where his work Evening won the grand medal for sculpture at the .
One of her father's legacies to her mother was a large library and a very fine collection of paintings, valued at the time at $100,000 which was widely exhibited at large fairs and exhibitions.
Descendant
Lucile and Maximillian Joseph had one son, Maximillian Joseph Koeck, Jr. Maximillian Joseph Koeck Jr. also had only one son with his wife, Nettie Marie Poe. Nettie Marie served as president of the Patrician Brothers in Orange County, California.
Overstolz family dynasty
The Overstolz family dynasty was the ancestral family of Cologne patricians and was one of the most influential and wealthiest families in medieval Cologne. The family clan went to the same origins as the clans of Lyskirchen and Quattermart and also led the same coat of arms, only in different colors.
The history of this family, as translated from the German, shows that they derived extraction from a Roman, Superbus, which translated into German, Overstoltz (Over Proud). The Overstoltz stock is a sturdy one, and noted for its longevity. The Overstoltz ancestral family was one renowned in war and civil life. They were the merchant-princes of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries and their name is held in high esteem in their native city of Cologne.
The Overstoltz family donated the first half of the great Cologne Cathedral, as shown by the records of the building of this edifice, a small volume kept in the vault with the valuable church and crown jewels. Five hundred years were consumer with the erection of this wonderful structure.
Matthias Overstoltz, a knightly prince, married Gertrud von der Kornpforte. They had one son, Gerhard von Overstoltz. On October 15, 1268, Matthias headed a successful resistance to the assaults of forces of the archbishop, who had often endeavored to deprive the free city of its charter. Matthias lost his life in this struggle and the grateful citizens erected to his memory a statue which is still to been seen in their city hall, and which bears a striking resemblance to the living representative of the hero. Johann Overstoltz, a brother of Matthias, was the Mayor of Cologne in 1275.
Gerhard von Overstoltz, son of Matthias, continued the battle in the Battle of Worringen in 1287 for similar a patriotic cause to that espoused by his father. It had been the hereditary right of the patricians to have the chief magistrate of Cologne selected from among their number only, and for opposing the forcible abrogation of this right the landed estates of the Overstoltz House (Overstolzenhaus) were confiscated, and they, together with fifteen other celebrated patrician families, were banished from the city, and most of them fled to Westphalia.
As an additional mark of appreciation of the eminent services rendered by the Overstoltz's ancestors, the city of Cologne purchased the ancient mansion of the family and takes pride in preserving it in its original solidity, unimpaired by age. Overstolzenhaus was completely restored in 1955.

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