Calvin Allen Coffey (c1839-c1907)

Calvin was a son of James and Sarah Jane (Sally) Fielding Coffey. He was born 1839 in Grainger Co., and died in Indiana in 1907.

During the Civil War he was a member of the 59th Regiment of Tennessee Infantry, and was captured at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. He was paroled on July 10, but reenlisted in the CSA after returning to Grainger Co.

Calvin was well educated, and after the war became a school teacher in Bartholomew County, Indiana. After teaching for several years he began farming, and married Josephine Simmonds, daughter of Wesley Simmons and Margaret Pearson, on April 25, 1869. Josephine was born c1852 in Indiana, and died Mar. 5, 1918 at Webster's home in Texas.

The marriage produced five children: Cora, born c1870, became a school teacher, and married Frank Linke; Walter, born c1876, became a professor in Animal Husbandry at the University of Illinois and was later Dean at University of Minnesota at St. Paul; Webster*, born c1880, grew cotton in Texas and became wealthy when oil was discovered on his property; Joel, born c1885, died Nov., 1951, was a professor of Animal Husbandry at Ohio State University; Margaret was a nurse in Indianapolis.

Source: Hawk, E. L. (Ellis Leroy), compiler, The Hawk Family

Update Jun 21, 2014

*Webster Victor Coffey, born Dec. 29, 1879 in Bartholomew Co., IN, married Syble Lourine Sammons, born Sep. 11, 1919.  They had one child, a son named Walter Joe, born Apr. 29, 1920.

Walter Joe was struck by lightning while plowing in his field on Jun. 30, 1964 in Victoria, Victoria Co., TX.  He was DOA at Citizens Memorial Hospital in Victoria at age 44 years.  He was buried on Jul. 2, 1964 at Crescent Valley Cemetery in Victoria.  Syble is not known to have remarried and died on Jul. 13, 2003.  She is also buried at Crescent Valley Cemetery.