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July 24, 2008

Luther Lafayette Coffey

Luther was the brother of the previously blogged Ora C. Coffey.  He was born Sep. 25, 1887 in Shulls Mill, Watauga Co. and died Dec. 8, 1968 in Knoxville, Knox Co., TN.  He married a lady named Jean S. sometime around 1915.   She died Apr. 13, 1972 in Knox Co.

Their children were:

Edith, born c1916
Marjorie, born c1919
Carl, born c1923
Nola, born c1925
Etta, born c1930

There may have been more born after 1930, but that information is not yet available to me.

Luther registered for the draft in Knoxville, Knox Co., TN on Jun.. 5, 1917.  His address at the time was given as Asylum - Knoxville, TN.  He was described as being of medium height and build with blue eyes and light brown hair.  He gave his age as "30-31" years and his birth date as Sep. 25, "1887 or 1888" at Shulls Mills, NC.  He was married with one child, and employed as a laborer for Fulton Mfg. Co. in Knoxville, TX

In the 1920 Knoxville, Knox Co. census, the family resided in a boarding house at 209 Walnut St.  Luther worked at what looks like "demonstrates oil."  Children with them were Edith, age 4 yrs., 4 mos., and Marjorie, age 4 mos.

The 1930 census found the family residing at 7 1/2 Market Square in Knoxville.  Jean was the landlady of a rooming house and Luther worked as a hotel detective.  In addition to the two daughters with them in 1920 was:  Carl, age 8, Nola, age 5, and Etta age 3 [?] mos.

Luther's death date and place can be found on the Shelby Co. Register of Deeds website at  http://register.shelby.tn.us, and in the Social Security Death Index.  Jean's death can also be found on the Shelby Co. website.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or change any of this information.

2 comments:

Sandra Croxdale said...

My grandfather was Luther Lafayette Coffey-My grandmother's name was Jean Sands Coffey. My mother was Etta Coffey Jones. My uncle, Shelly Carl Coffey, was a Sergeant in the Army, and was killed at The Battle of The Bulge. He is buried in Margraten, Holland in the Netherlands Military Cemetery. He had no children and was never married. My aunts-Nola Pearl,Margie,and Edith and my mother are all deceased.I had one sister, Audrey, who is also deceased. Pearl married Robert Hensley and had a son Robert. Margie married Woodrow Chambers and had 2 daughters, Brenda and Gail. Edith married twice-once to a man who was in the navy and killed at sea when his ship was attacked during WW 11. She later married Warren Wayne Williams and lived in Atlanta, Ga.She had no children. My mother and other aunts lived and died in Knoxville.

My grandparents lived apart for many years, but never divorced. My grandfather was a patient in the Old Knoxville General Hospital when they met.She always said,"Luther was a pretty man and had the prettiest red pompadour." I remember him having red hair and he was a very tall man, over 6 feet. I didn't get to spend much time with him since they were seperated.

I was also told by my mother that my grandfather's brother, who I see was named Ora, shot himself in a hotel room with his military uniform on the bed.I have some more information to follow.

Sandra Jones Croxdale
Knoxville, Tenn
sandyincognito@aol.com

Sandra Croxdale said...

My mother Etta Coffey Jones was born March 16, 1927.