Ernest Webster Coffey was a son of Arthur and Virginia Anne (Jenny) Davis Coffey and, was born Feb. 5, 1888 in Amherst Co. He was married on Feb. 16, 1910* to Ethel McClung Stratton, a distant cousin, in Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD. Ethel was the daughter of George Baxter and Elianna Coffey Stratton. Ethel was born 1892 in VA, and died there in 1965. Ernest died in VA in 1982.In Feb. 1910 the couple resided with Ernest's cousin, Robert L. Seay in Amherst Co. Robert was the husband of Vernie Coffey, a daughter of Pitt and Lucy Parks White Coffey.
When Ernest called to register for the draft in WWI on Jun. 4, 1917, he was a farmer in Alto, VA and claimed exemption based having a wife and two children, as well as on an unnamed physical disability.
Their child Ernest Webster, Jr. was born Nov. 7, 1912 and died Jan. 13, 1913. The two children living at the time were Doris, born Dec. 9, 1913 and Audrey, born c1917, and before Jun. 4.
On Jan. 21, 1920 the family was in the Pedlar Dist. of Amherst Co. where Ernest was farming. In addition to Doris and Audrey, a third child, Juanita, had been born on Aug., 6, 1918. A fourth child, Ray, was born later in 1920.
By 1930 the family was in Lexington, Rockbridge Co. The children Doris, Audrey, Juanita, and Ray were still living with them, and two more had been born after Ray: Clayton Webster in 1923 and Norman Elwood in 1929.
Ernest was once again called upon to make himself available to the military draft. He registered in Rockbridge Co. on Apr. 27, 1942 at the age of 54. The record indicates that he was 5' 11" tall, had brown hair and eyes.
Upon their deaths, both Ernest and Ethel were buried in the Green Hill Cemetery in Buena Vista, VA.Children:
Doris, born Dec. 9, 1913, died Jul. 31, 2005 in Frederick Co., MD. She married Donald Hafle, born Jun. 1, 1914, died Jan., 1985 in Frederick Co.
Audrey, born c1917, married a Mr. Holtzbach.
Juanita, born Aug. 6, 1918 in Amherst Co., died Oct. 5, 2006 in Lexington. She married Henry V. Blosser.
Her obituary:
BLOSSER, Juanita CoffeyRay Stratton, born c1920. No other information.
Juanita Coffey Blosser, 88, of Lexington, died Thursday, October 5, 2006, at The Mayflower of Lexington.
Born August 6, 1918 in Amherst, she was the daughter of Ernest W. and Ethel Stratton Coffey.
She was a member of St. John's United Methodist Church.
Her husband, Henry V. Blosser preceded her in death. Also preceding her in death were her daughter, Sherry Blosser Fry; two sisters, Audrey Holzbach and Doris Hafle, and two brothers, Clayton Coffey and Norman Coffey.
Surviving are her daughter and son-in-law, Carolyn and Edmund Cox of Blacksburg; grandchildren, Torrie Ruther, Leslie Knutson, Vaughn Cox, and Jill Burnett; five great-grandchildren; a brother and sister-in-law, Stratton and Evelyn Coffey of Lexington; two sisters-in-law, Rita Coffey of Lexington and Dorothy Blosser of Lynchburg; and ten nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday, October 9, 2006, at Green Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Deborah A. Koontz officiating. There will be no visitation at the funeral home. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at The Mayflower, Lexington and the Rockbridge Area Hospice.
Memorial donations may be made to the Rockbridge Area Hospice. Lomax Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Clayton Webster, born Jul. 13, 1923 in Amherst Co., died Jan. 30, 2001 in Lexington. He married Gladys H., last name unknown.
His obituary:
The Roanoke Times, Feb. 1, 2001Norman Elwood, born Dec. 31, 1929 in Rockbridge Co., died Dec. 11, 1999 in Lexington. He married Rita Garrett.
Coffey, Clayton Webster, 77, of Lexington, died Tuesday, January 30, 2001.
Mr. Coffey was born July 13, 1923 in Amherst County, son of the late Ernest W. Coffey and Ethel Stratton Coffey. He was a member of New Monmouth Presbyterian Church. He was a retired construction worker. He was a veteran of WW II and served in the Pacific and European Theaters.
Mr. Coffey was preceded in death by a brother, Norman E. Coffey and a sister, Audrey Holtzbach. He is survived by his wife, Gladys H. Coffey; one son, Arthur David Coffey and wife, Mary Ann of Owingsville, Ky.; two stepsons, Edgar Hamilton of Peters Burg and Ralph Hamilton of Buena Vista; two sisters, Juanita Blosser of Lexington and Doris Hafle of Frederick, Md.; one brother, Ray Stratton Coffey, Sr. and wife, Evelyn of Lexington; sister-in-law, Rita Coffey of Lexington; five grandchildren, Shannon Ann Maria Coffey, Alphonzo Coffey, Bartholomew Coffey, Rosita May Sutton, Arthur Clayton Coffey; ten great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, February 2, 2001 at Bolling, Grose & Lotts Funeral Chapel, Buena Vista with the Reverend Martin Stokes officiating. Interment will be at Green Hill Mausoleum.
The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
His obituary:
The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA, Dec. 15, 1999Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or to correct any of this information.
Norman Coffey, Longtime Store Owner, Dies
Norman Elwood Coffey, 69, of Lexington, owner of a Lexington furniture store for almost 25 years, died Saturday, Dec. 11.
Mr. Coffey bought the furniture business he was to become known for, Norman Coffey Furniture, from Blosser Furniture Co. in the '70s and ran the store in two locations until 1981 when he consolidated the store into its location on South Jefferson Street. He operated the store, with the familiar oak rockers out front, until he closed the business and retired in late 1996.
Before entering the furniture business, he was a farmer, running one farm outside of Lexington and a cattle farm on Plank Road. He grew up working at his family's business, Coffey's Amoco Station on U.S. 60, later buying the business and running it until the 60s. He also worked for a time as a carpet inspector at Lees Carpets.
He was born Dec. 31, 1929, in Rockbridge County, son of the late Ernest Webster Coffey and Ethel Stratton Coffey. He was married to Rita Garrett Coffey and was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. In the past few years he has been a door greeter at Wal-Mart.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Pam A. Coffey and Tracy L. Coffey, both of Roanoke, Victor A. Coffey of Bedford and Melodie Hoy of Wake Forest, N.C.; two brother, Stratton Coffey and Clayton Coffey, both of Lexington; two sisters, Juanita Blosser of Buena Vista and Doric C. Haffle of Fredrick, Md.; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. today, Wednesday, at Trinity United Methodist Church by the Rev. Mark Reuter and the Rev. Fred Arndt. Memorial contributions may be made to the Goshen Rescue Squad, the Rockbridge County Sheriff's Department D.A.R.E. program or Trinity United Methodist Church. Arrangements are by Harrison;s Funeral Home.
*Handwritten note by Doris Coffey Hafle on the newspaper clipping announcing the elopement reports 1901 as marriage year. It appears that she transposed the 0 and 1. Otherwise, Ernest would have been 13 yrs old at the time and Ethel only 9 yrs old.
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