James Andrew and Mary (Mollie) Coffey Brownlee

Of the six children born to Stanton P. and Mary C. Saufley Coffey, two of them died tragically.  

Stanton's middle name is sometimes found at Preston but is listed as Presley on his Find-A-Grave memorial site.

Their oldest child and first son was Robert Crockett Brownlee, born 21 Jul 1889 in KY.  He married Elmora "Ellen" Irene Garvey on 12 May 1913 in Texline, Dallam Co., TX and died in Texline on 20 Aug 1914 while attempting to stop a robbery.

His obituary, as it appears on his Find-A-Grave memorial site reads:

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Thursday, August 20, 1914, p. 1:

"Burglars Kill Fort Worth Man

"Crockett Brownlee Shot to Death at Texline.

"Crockett Brownlee, 25, of 1325 Alston avenue, was shot in a running pistol duel with two burglars at Texline on Wednesday and died a few hours later on a train which was rushing him to a hospital in Dalhart.

"The burglars were in a store. Details received here are meager, but it is said Brownlee tried to capture them single-handed. Several shots were exchanged.

"The fight was in the dark. The burglars jumped on their horses and escaped into Oklahoma.

Officers have crossed the Oklahoma line on horseback and are in hot pursuit. Their capture is expected.

"Brownlee lay on the ground bleeding from a fatal wound as the bandits rode off.

"The fight occurred after midnight. Brownlee was put on a Fort Worth & Denver train for Dalhart, but he breathed his last as the train passed Matlock.

"Brownlee's body was taken to the home of Mrs. J. E. Stack, a relative, at Dalhart. Accompanied by his young wife and infant baby, the body will be placed on a Fort Worth & Denver train tonight and will arrive in Fort Worth at 6:45 o'clock tomorrow morning. Funeral arrangements have not been made.

"Brownlee was a clerk in the Fort Worth & Denver freight office. He retired from a place as express messenger on that road about six months ago to settle down at home with his family here. More than a year ago he was married to a Texline girl.

"The Brownlee family left Fort Worth last Friday to visit in Texline. It was Brownlee's vacation and he expected to spend two weeks there.

"A reward has been offered for the capture of the men who killed Brownlee. Posses are said to be in pursuit in addition to Texas and Oklahoma officers.

"Brownlee is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Brownlee, 506 West Magnolia avenue, two brothers, John and James Brownlee, and four sisters, Misses Flora, Mary and Ruth Brownlee, and Mrs. Schaeffer, all of Fort Worth."

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Mary "Mollie" Coffey was their fourth child and second daughter. She married Carl Ennis Thomson date unknown, (Thompson on Find-A-Grave headstone photo) Mollie died by gunshot wound at age 21 on 25 Apr 1921, while stepping down from a street car.  She was shot and killed by her husband who is said to have then committed suicide.  He suspected Mollie of having an affair. Carl is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth while Mary was buried at Greenwood Memorial Park.

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Other children of James and Mollie were:

James William (1890-1944); Flora Mabel (1893-1974); Ruth S. (1900-1993) and John R. (1904-1940)

Gilliam Wyatt & Sarah Jane Isenhower Coffey

In February of this year I wrote a short family history of Larkin and Sibby Wyatt Coffey. In that blog I touched on their son Gilliam Wyatt Coffey and his wife Sarah Jane Isenhower.

Sarah Jane was the daughter of Joseph Isenhour [sic] and wife Lettie, and was born in Jan., 1854 in North Carolina.  She and Gilliam were married on Jan. 10, 1875 in the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina.  Later that year, on Nov. 14, Sarah's widower father and Gilliam's widowed mother also married.

Gilliam and Sarah remained in and around Caldwell and Watauga Counties until sometime after 1900 when they headed west to Washington state.  Gilliam died in Omak, Okanogan Co., WA on May 22, 1914.  Sarah followed in 1928 and both are buried at the City Cemetery in Okanogan city.

Their children were:

Candes Lowellen or Candus, depending on which records you choose, was born in Watauga Co. in May, 1877 and died in Omak on Jul. 15, 1942.  She married Lee L. Cook c1897 in NC.  Lee was born in that state in Apr., 1871 and died in WA on Oct. 18, 1957.  There were no known children born to this union.  Very shortly after Candes' death Lee married a lady named Bessie.  She died shortly thereafter and he married a lady named Julia Ann, who outlived him and died in 1978.  All are buried the Okanogan City Cemetery.

The next three children of Gilliam and Sarah were:  Sidney, born 1878; Etta, born Feb., 1880; and Martha J., born Mar., 1882.  I have no further information on any of these children.

William Larkin was child number four, born in Jun., 1884.  William married Emma J. Lingle, a daughter of J. Monroe and Frances J. Sullivan Lingle, about 1907 in NC.  Emma was born in that state in Dec., 1886 and died in Okanogan Co., WA on Nov. 12, 1969.  William died Jun. 11, 1968 and both are buried at the Okanogan City Cemetery.  He and Emma had at least four children:  Ethel, born c1908 in NC; Edna Y., born 1912 in WA; John Albert, born 1915 in WA and James Edward, born 1919, also in WA.  Edna married Frances H. "Frank" Nickell, a son of David Franklin and Jaqueline Fulton Nickell, on Aug. 15, 1934 in Okanogan Co..  Frank died in 2002; Edna just a few days ago on Aug. 17, 2012 in Spokane.  In 1947, James Edward married Ellen J. Dinger, daughter of Anton and Mary Dinger.  James died Jul. 3, 1998 in Omak and Ellen died Feb., 28, 2006, also in Omak.  Both are buried at Okanogan Valley Memorial Gardens with their only known son, John Allen Coffey, born Dec. 8, 1951, died Aug. 7, 1980.

Child number five was Joseph Monroe, born Feb. 23, 1887 at Shulls Mill in Watauga Co., died  Jun. 5, 1958 in Okanogan.  He married a lady by the name of Neata [sic] E., born 1889 in TN, died on Okanogan Co. in 1927.  Their only known child, a daughter, Letha Mae was born May 19, 1920 in Washington and died Feb. 8, 2012 at Wenatchee in Chelan Co., WA.  Letha married Glenn Arthur Payne on Sep. 21, 1940 in Okanogan Co.  Glenn was born Jun. 26, 1917 in WA and died in Omak on Sep. 5, 1994.  Both are buried at Okanogan Valley.

Number six was Minnie Lee, born Jul. 31, 1890 at Blowing Rock, died Pateros, Okanogan Co. on Dec. 2, 1972.  Minnie was first married to Charles Martin Harrell on Jun. 30, 1911 in Okahogan and, he died 6 years later in 1917.  Their marriage produced two known children, Leda Ruby, born Apr. 26, 1912, died Oct. 6, 2002 and, Doris Jane, born Dec. 8, 1913, died Feb. 10, 1999, both in Okanogan Co.  Minnie's second husband was also twice married George Walter Brownlee.  His first wife was Pearl Best of South Dakota and who died in Pateros in 1909.  They were parents of David, Walter and Robert.  Minnie and George were married on Okanogan Co. in 1919 and are known to have had at least two children:  John Charles, born 1924, died 2003 at Wenatchee and, Grace, born c1928.

Gilliam and Sarah's last known child was Ethel M., born Oct., 1894 in NC.  No further information is known about her.

Larkin & Sibby Wyatt Coffey

Larkin Coffey was a son of Thomas and Nancy Barlow Coffey, born c1832 in Wilkes Co., NC.  He married Sibby Wyatt on Nov. 28, 1853 in Wilkes Co. and died in TN in 1863. Some sources report that he died from complications of measles while others report he died of diptheria, while serving with the CSA in La Follette, Campbell Co., TN.  I have not found any proof to substantiate this, however.

What is known is that he and Sibby Wyatt, a daughter of Solomon and Polly Wyatt, were parents of at least four children:  Gilliam Wyatt, Sarah Lou Ellen, John Nelson and Mary Ann.

Gilliam, born in North Carolina - probably Caldwell Co. - in Mar., 1854, married Sarah Jane Isenhower (var.) on Jan. 10, 1875 in Caldwell Co.  Sarah, the daughter of Joseph who later became Gilliam's step-father, was born in NC in Jan., 1854 and died in Okanogan Co., WA in 1928.  Gilliam died there in 1913.

Their children, all born in NC, were:

Candes L., born May 1877, married Lee L. Cook c1897.  Lee was born in Apr., 1871 in NC.

Sidney G. S., born c1878

Etta Cordelia "Cordie," born Feb., 1880

Martha J., born Mar., 1882

William Larkin, born Jun., 1884, died Jun. 11, 1968 in Omak, Okanogan Co., WA.  William married Emma J. Lingle c1907 in NC.  She was a daughter of J. Monroe and Frances J. Sullivan Lingle.  She and William were parents of Ethel M, born NC; Edna Y., born c1912 in WA; John Albert, born Jun. 29, 1915 in WA, died in Okanogan Co. on Oct. 14, 2003; and James Edward, born Dec. 17, 1919 in WA, died Jul. 3, 1998 in Okanogan Co.  James Edward married Ellen J. Dinger in Spokane, WA in 1947.  They had at least one child, John Allen Coffey, born Dec. 8, 1951 in Okanogan and died there on Aug. 7, 1980.

Joseph Monroe, born Feb. 23, 1887 at Shulls Mill in Watauga Co., NC, died in Okanogan on Jun. 5, 1958.

Minnie Lee, born Jul. 31, 1890 at Blowing Rock in Watauga Co., NC, died Dec. 2, 1972 at Peteros, Okanogan Co.  She married first to Charles Martin Harrell on Jun 30, 1911 in Okanogan Co.  Two children are known: Leda Ruby and Doris Jane.  Charles died in 1917 and Minnie married George Walter Brownlee on Feb. 16, 1919 in Okanogan Co.  He was a son of Andrew Brownlee and was born Jan. 17, 1875 in IL, died in Okanogan Co. in 1962.  Their children were at least two:  John Charles, born Jul. 16, 1924, died Sep. 11, 2003 at Wenatchee, Chelan Co., WA and, Grace, born c1928 in Okanogan Co.

The last child born to Gilliam and Sarah was Ethel, born Oct., 1894 in NC.

The second child born to Larkin and Sibby was Sarah Lou Ellen on Nov. 8, 1856 in Caldwell Co.  She married John M. Stamey, a son of Daniel and Catherine Stamey, on Jan. 4, 1874 in Caldwell Co.  John was born in Cherokee Co., NC on Jan. 9, 1846 and died in Catawba Co. on Sep. 4, 1934.  Sarah died in Catawba Co. on Jun. 24, 1947.

Third born was John Nelson "Nels" on Aug. 7, 1858 in Caldwell Co.  John Married Laura Ann Henley, a daughter of Henry and Loanna "Loany" Greene, on Sep. 23, 1881 in Watauga Co.  John died on Dec. 10, 1932 in Blowing Rock, NC; Laura died there on Jun. 2, 1936.  This couple had at least nine children, all of which married and have descendants.  The family is too large to write about here but I will in a future blog.  In the meantime, any reader wanting information about "Nels" and Laura Ann, can drop an e-mail with the request.

The last child of Larkin and Sibby was Mary Ann, born Mar. 27, 1859 in Caldwell Co., died there on Nov. 24, 1944.  She married William Alexander West, a son of Hiram and Juliatha [sic] Haas West, born Jan. 18, 1856 in Caldwell Co.  William died Jan. 26, 1919 at the State Hospital in Morganton, Burke Co., NC after breaking a hip.  He and Mary Ann had at least three children:  Dora A., born Jun., 1885, married Adolphus Price on Apr. 21, 1907 in Lenoir; Willard Newton, born Apr. 18, 1888, died Jan. 9, 1969 at Black Mountain in Buncombe Co., NC.  Willard married Emma Andrews on Dec. 26, 1915 in Lenoir.  Third and last child was Georgia, born Aug., 1890.

Following Larkin's death, Sibby Wyatt Coffey married Joseph Isenhour on Nov. 14, 1875 in NC.  They had at least one child, Solomon Tilden Isenhour, born Nov. 30, 1876, died Dec. 26, 1950 in Blowing Rock.  Solomon married Ruth Callie Moody c1895 and they had at least one child, a son Franklin Albert Isenhour, born in Watauga Co. on Dec. 11, 1898.  As mentioned above, it was Sibby's son Gilliam Coffey who married Sarah Jane Isenhour, Joseph's daughter by his first wife, Lettie.