He was a son of John Ausburn and Mary Elizabeth Branaman Coffey. John was a son of Ausburn and Matilda Dalton Coffey, born Oct. 24, 1836 in Fayette Co., TN, died Dec. 18, 1884 in Rockcastle Co., KY. Mary was born Jun. 24, 1845 in Rockcastle Co., and died Sep. 19, 1933 in Wildie, Rockcastle Co. Henry was their seventh child and third son.
Some genealogies report that Henry Sanford was married to Lottie Belle French, and was the mother of Sarah Hester Coffey, born around Nov. 1908 in Rockcastle Co. And, I do have a death certificate for Lottie Belle Coffey, daughter of Thomas French and Martha Jane Merritt. It reports that she was married at the time of death but does not give her husband's name. It also reports that the informant was her "step daughter," but does not give her name.Census reports for Henry Sanford show him in the household with his parents in 1880 and 1900. From 1910 through 1930 he is enumerated in Rockcastle Co. with his wife Bessie and their children.
There is a death record in Madison Co., KY for Henry S. Coffey who died on Jun. 12, 1961. A headstone in the Merritt Cemetery at Wildie, Rockcastle Co. marks the graves of H. Sanford Coffey, born Feb. 4, 1878, died June 12, 1961 and Bessie Coffey, born Feb. 3, 1887, died May 11, 1952.So, was Lottie Belle French Coffey who died May 11, 1952 and Bessie on the headstone one and the same person? Seems like it, but how did the death certificate come to name her Lottie Belle while she was always know as Bessie in the census record?
Was Sarah Hester, mentioned above, the same Sarah Hester Coffey who married William L. Proctor of Rockcastle Co.?
Please contact me if you can help unravel this (to me) puzzle.
