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June 23, 2011

Joel & Sarah Bridges Litten

As best as I can determine, Joel was born in North Carolina on Nov. 13, 1798 and died on Jun. 4, 1863 in Greene Co., IN.  In between those dates he married Sarah Bridges of Lincoln Co., NC on Oct. 2, 1823.  Actually, that was the marriage bond date; they likely married the same day or, perhaps the next.*

They remained in Lincoln Co. at least through the 1830 census but, by 1850 they were in Monroe Co., IN and Green Co., IN by 1860.  Joel was buried at Kentucky Ridge Cemetery in Doans, Green Co., IN.  A headstone is present at his grave.  Sarah's death date and burial site is unknown to me.

Of their 10 (at least) children, two of them married into the Benjamin Coffey-Exia Stepp family.

The first of their children was William Kingston Litten, born c1825 in NC.  He married Sarah Ann "Sally" Coffey on Aug. 16, 1849 in Monroe Co., IN.**  They remained in Monroe Co. through at least 1850 but by 1889 they were in Gentry Co.  Sarah was a daughter of Benjamin and Exia Saphronia Stepp Coffey.  She was born Jan. 25, 1830 in Monroe Co. and died in Gentry Co. on Sep. 26, 1914.  Their burial sites are unknown to me.  Children:  Mary Jane, born 1856, died 1933 in Alanthus Grove, Gentry Co.; James H., born c1862; Albert D., born c1865; Ally C., born c1865; Tempy C., born c1869 and, Joel B., born c1872.  There may be more that I have not yet found.

Malinda Emeline Litten was the second of Joel's children to marry a Coffey.  Her husband was William Wiley, brother to Sarah Ann, wife of William Kingston Litten.  They were married Feb. 7,1850 in Monroe Co.*  William is said to have died by drowning on Jun. 18, 1865 in Gentry Co.  Malinda was born Oct. 25, 1827 in NC and died Jun. 15, 1919 in Stanberry, Cooper Twp., Gentry Co.  Malinda is buried at High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry where William is also likely buried.  Their children were at least two:  Mary, born c1851, married John Evans c1865.  Their second child was Lorenzo Dow Coffey, born Sep. 12, 1852 in IN, died Mar. 20, 1920 in Stanberry.  He married Martha Jane Wilson c1874.  She was born Oct. 28, 1854 in Gentry Co., and died there on May 13, 1938.  Both are buried at High Ridge.  Some of their children were (from census) daughter E.N., born c1876; daughter L. A., born c1878; Hattie, born May, 1891 and Woodson, born Apr., 1893.  Lorenzo and Martha were in Stanberry from at least 1880 through 1920.

Joel's third child, Mary Adeline, born Oct. 25, 1827 in Monroe Co., IN, married Lawson Howard Coffey, another son of Benjamin and Exia Coffey.  Lawson was born Aug. 15, 1820 in Owen Co., IN, died Aug. 7, 1904 in Alanthus Grove, Gentry Co.  Mary died there c1857.  Lawson is buried at the Jennings Cemetery in Alanthus Grove and, Mary is likely there as well.  I have only two children for them:  Columbus, born c1851 in IA, died May 1, 1895 in Gentry Co., and Noah, born Mar. 5, 1852 in IN, died in Millwood, Spokane Co., WA on Jan. 25, 1916.  Columbus is buried at Jennings; Noah at Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane.

Joel's sixth child, Elizabeth Caroline, born Feb. 14, 1838 in Morgan Co., IN, married James Leander "Lee" Coffey on Sep. 30, 1855 (no source).  James was a son of Hodge Rayburn and Hannah Wilson Coffey.  Hodge Coffey was a son of William Henderson and Mary Faulkner Coffey and was born c1812 in NC, probably Burke Co.  Their children (more info available) were: Martha A.; Laura; Joel; Eliza; Sarah K.; and Silas Hinkley.

On the ten children born to Joel and Sarah, I have spouses and some descendant information for five of them.  I know their child Isaac married someone by the name of Matilda, who could also be a Coffey.  He was born in IN in 1832 and died in Gentry Co. in 1815.  He and Matilda are buried at Depriest Cemetery in Albany, Gentry Co.  In 1910, Isaac was a widower and his widowed sister Malinda Coffey was living with him in Cooper Twp.

Joel's other children for which I have no info, were:  Wesley, born c1837; Martha, born c1840; Elijah, born c1844; Taletha, born c1845 and Elisha, born c1845.

Please contact me if you can add to or correct any of this information








*North Carolina Marriage Bonds 1741-1868 Groom: Joel Litten Bride: Sarah Bridges Bond_Date: 01 Oct 1823 Bond #: 000074109 Level Info: North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868; ImageNum: 000936 County: Lincoln Record #: 01 080 Bondsman: Isaac Litten Witness: Jas T Alexander

**Indiana State Library Genealogy Database: Marriages through 1850, Indiana State Library online [http://199.8.200.229/db/marriages_search.asp], accessed Sep.,2005.

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