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May 15, 2018

Dr. James Robert Coffee, 1927-1949


Coffee-Sawyers Marriage Photo
James was a son of Joe Francis and Alleen Kuykendall Coffee.  He was born in Roberts Co., TX on 15 Sep 1927 and married 11 Apr 1949 to Mary Ellen "Muff" Sawyers.  Muff was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Lazelle Sawyers of Centerville, IA.

Within a few weeks after the marriage, Dr. Coffee died. In one newspaper article on the death described the cause as "Death from a 'rare intestinal infection'" at the University of Chicago Clinic hospital where he was serving his internship at the Billings Hospital in pediatrics. [Sunday News-Globe, Amarillo, TX, Aug. 14, 1949]

Dr. Coffee was buried at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo, Randall Co., TX on 16 Feb. 1949.  See his memorial, number 19702688, at FindAGrave.com.

For additional information about the blood bank named in his honor, please see "The Gift of Life" website.

Note: This Coffee family is descended from James and Betsy Coffey Coffey.  James is said to be a descendant of Joel and Martha Stepp/Stapp Coffey while Betsy is descended from Nathan and Mary Saunders Coffey.  I suspect later generations acquired the double-E spelling from time spent in AL before moving on west.  The Amarillo Coffee families are considered Panhandle Pioneers.  More information is available.  

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