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→Van Hook family
** William Andrews Van Hook '''+1946+''' (b. 1920 St. Louis, MO - d. 2002 Kirkwood, St. Louis, MO). Wife (1950 @ Manhattan, NYC, N.Y.): Waltraud M.S. Van Hook (b. 1922 Germany), daughter of Rudolph Nickel (b. 1877 Germany - d. 1958 Manhattan, N.Y.) & Sofia Elisa Rosina Krucke Nickel (b. 1892 Hanover, Germany - d. 1945 Manhattan, N.Y.).
** Mary R. Van Hook Hartkopf '''+1946+''' (b. 1930 St. Louis, MO - d. 2013). Husband (1960 @ St. Louis, MO): Heinz Erich Hartkopf (b. 1933 Sollingen, Germany - d. 1997), son of Ernst Johann Hartkopf (1891-1981 Sollingen, Germany) & Erna Berta Schulte Hartkopf (1898-1953 Sollingen, Germany).
** Jane Finlay Van Hook Jennings '''+1946+''' (b. 1922 Webster Groves, MO - d. 1978 Kirkwood, MO). Husband (1950 @ Webster Groves, MO): David Getson Jennings (b. 1923 Coleman, [[Texas|TX]] - d. 2012 Lemay, St. Louis, MO), son of Dr. William Leonard Jennings (b. 1885 Kirk, Limestone, TX - d. 1971 Coleman, TX) & Mattie Asenath Horne Jennings (b. 1888 Coleman, TX - d. 1979 Lubbock, TX). David's 2nd wife: [[Billie Annabelle Beaver Jennings ]] (1926-'''2023''' St. Louis, MO), daughter of Ward Detrich Beaver (b. 1903 Cobden, Union, [[Illinois|IL]] - d. 1988 St. Louis, MO) & Ruth Evelyn Baldwin Beaver (b. 1908 Pleasant Mound, Bond, IL - d. 1955 Buena Vista, Fayette, OH).
Lawrence's maternal grandparents (Jennie Van Hook's parents) were John Robert Finlay (b. 1813 Leslie, Fife, [[Scotland]] - d. 1877 St. Louis, MO) & Elizabeth Mitchell Finlay (b. 1829 Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scot.; m. 1847 Glasgow, Lanark, Scot.; d. 1901 St. Louis, MO). Between 1856-1859, J.R. Finlay emigrated to St. Louis, and established the first oil refinery west of the Mississippi river, known as the J.R. Finlay & Co., and by 1866 as the St. Louis Coal Oil Co.
By 1900, Pierce obtained control of the Mexican Central railroad, along with interest in several other railways (St. Louis & San Francisco, Tennessee Central, Nashville Terminal, Seaboard Air Line & St. Louis & Southwestern). He also directed the Mississippi Valley Trust company & National Bank of Commerce of St. Louis. He was known as "one of the four richest men in the country" at one point, until losing a highly publicized anti-trust suit 1908-1909 against the state of Texas which reached the Supreme Court, which fined his company $1.6M ($54M in 2023 dollars). In 1913, he rebranded as the Pierce Oil Corporation and served as its chairman until his retirement.
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