Goodykoontz, Von

Emery Von Goodykoontz was born October 1, 1874 in Grant County, Indiana. He was a relatively successful farmer in the Liberty Township where he married his wife, Myrtle Davis. They had three children - Olive, Harold, and Kent - and a ward named Mildred (who went by the name Goodykoontz as well).

Von originally went to school at the Fairmount Academy in Indiana to be a teacher but he ultimately preferred farming to the classroom.

Due to the health issues of their eldest son, the family made the decision to sell everything and move to Arizona in 1926. When the family first arrived in Arizona, they did not have a permanent home and instead moved into a temporary camp in Mesa where many people just arriving in the Valley stayed. Von and his sons found work at places like the State Fair grounds while he and Myrtle shopped around for a new farm to take on. They briefly served as caretakers at the Damon Farm before securing their own land between Alma School and Williams Rd.

Though born into the Quaker faith, Von spent much of his younger life as a relatively nonreligious man and it wasn't until the late 20s that he finally began attending meetings with his family.

Von would remain on his ranch in Chandler until his death in 1965.

Von Goodykoontz appears in the 1930, 1931 and 1932 Chandler City Directories as living on Route 1.