"Jim Clinkstock, Cherokee Indian, Heap good wrestler come from Oklahoma!" Actually born in Kansas to Edna Tibbetts and Walter Dillard "Dill" Clinkscales. Art from Remembering "Canada's greatest cartoonist by Conan Tobias. |
Following the pro wrestling theme this week (see Minnie Nosler Enjoyed Watching Professional Wrestling), I thought I'd mention my 3rd cousin 3x removed Howard Clinkscale, aka Jim Clinkstock or Big Jim, was a professional wrestler from the mid-1920s until his death in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1944 of heart failure.
Howard (or "Jim") was a descendant of Benjamin Tibbetts and Hannah Snow, and a cousin to Minnie Nosler's first husband, George Henry Hartley. |
His life appeared to be as violent as his profession:
When he died in a strange rampage at a dentist's office (extensively covered nation-wide by looks of the result hits in GenealogyBank), it was finally concluded that he died of a heart attack. He was only 40.
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OK, very weird. He was apparently not convicted of the murder when he was 30 and livd on to maybe get murdered himself. He may have needed anger counseling..... My most strange relative so far is the Lynch in Galway who had his son hanged (he was the mayor and magistrate) which was the origin of the term "lynching". I think not a direct, some kind of uncle or cousin. I'm very jealous of your rasslers.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine,
ReplyDeleteHoward Clinkscale (Jim Clinstock, or Clinkstock as he was sometimes billed) was my great grandfather. H was estranged from my great grandmother and no one ever knew much about him, other than that he was supposedly a pro wrestler named Clinstock. We were always looking for some definitive proof that he was indeed related to us, and about ten years ago I found that drawing you posted along with some other pictures of him and he looks exactly like my grandfather did. If you have any other info on him or his family I'd love to hear from you. My email is richjs983@gmail.com. Thanks! Rich Spada - Pawtucket RI