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Showing posts with label Burke Co. Morganton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Burke Co. Morganton. Show all posts

December 31, 2007

Rickey Allen Coffey

[Update Apr. 18, 2008: The link to this article in the Morganton paper is dead. This one leads to the Burke Co., NC Sheriff's website containing information about Rickey Allen Coffey.]

According to a Sep. 2006 article in the Morganton News Herald, Rickey Allen Coffey shot and killed his father-in-law, Maynard Memory Reece in Dec. 2001. Coffey then attempted to take his own life by shooting himself in the face. The attempt failed, and now after five years of rehabilitation, Coffey finally faces justice.

He apparently did not come to trial until 2005 when, after a plea agreement, he was sentenced to 11-15 years in prison. He was expected to report to prison on Oct. 1, 2006 to begin serving his sentence.

Click on the title link to read more about Rickey Allen Coffey.

If any reader can identify the parents and/or grandparents of Coffey, please write to me at the above e-mail address.

September 12, 2006

John Coffey - Update, Apr. 11, 2011

This John was born c1836 in North Carolina (probably Buncombe Co.) to Reuben and Rachel Hayes Coffey. He was the fourth son and fourth child in a family that would eventually total eight children; five males and three females.

John married Emeline (maiden name unknown) who was also born c1836 and probably in Buncombe Co. Together they had at least three children: Laura, born c1860; Montgomery G., born Jan. 1863, died Sep. 28, 1939; and Harley P., born Feb. 1866, died Mar. 1928.

Nothing is known about LauraLaura died c1879,

Montgomery married Julie C. (maiden name unknown) c1887 in North Carolina. She was born May 1870, but a death date has not yet been found. They had seven children: Addie L., born Jun., 1887; Henry Bascombe, born May, 1888; Cora B., born Jan., 1891; Horace M., born Jul., 1893; James Claude, born Apr. 12, 1897; John Hilliard, born Nov. 28, 1928; and Virginia, born c1902.

Julia C. was Julia C. Brown, born May 13, 1870 in Buncombe Co., and died there on Nov. 17, 1933. She was a daughter of James Lowery and DeMaris Rogers Brown 

Henry married Sadie (maiden name unknown) sometime around 1910. He registered for the WW1 draft on Jun. 5, 1917. He was described as being of medium height with slender build, blue eyes and black hair. He reported his age as 28 years, born May 19, 1889. This date is off by one year from that provided in the 1900 census in which he was reported born in May, 1888. The only census in which I have found them thus far is 1920 Leicester, Buncombe Co. In that year they had children: Eva, age 8; James, age 7, and Francis [Frances], age 6.


Photo by Molly Brown
Updates Apr. 11, 2011: Henry's first wife was Jennie Lee Morgan. They were married Sep. 30, 1906 in Buncombe Co. Jennie was born Nov. 16, 1885 and died Aug. 25, 1908. She is buried in Leicester, Buncombe Co. in the Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery. His second wife was Sadie Brown to whom he was married on Nov. 28, 1909 in Haywood Co., NC. Sadie was born Dec. 25, 1892 in Buncombe Co., and died Mar. 30, 1939 in Leicester. She is buried at Bell United Methodist Church Cemetery in Leicester. In addition to Eva, James and Frances, they also had a son Norman Reeves Coffey, born Oct. 25, 1915, died Jun. 23, 1916 in Leicester. Thanks to Lloyd Coffey and Molly Brown for this update.

Nothing is known of Cora or Horace.


Cora married a Bridges. She was born Jun. 28, 1891 in Buncombe Co., died Apr. 1, 1951 in Leicester and was buried at Western Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery.

Photo by June Taylor McClure
Horace married Deborah Estelle Smathers on Jan. 8, 1914 in Canton, Haywood Co., NC. She was born Feb. 25, 1889 in Haywood Co., and died Jul. 21, 1968 in NC. She is buried at Morning Star Cemetery in Canton, Haywood Co. Horace Mitchel Coffey was born Jul., 1893 and died Jan. 1, 1947 in Houston, Harris Co., TX. He was also buried at Morning Star.

James Claude registered for the draft in June, 1918 in Buncombe Co. He was described then as being of medium height and build with gray eyes and black hair. He gave his age as 21 years, born Apr. 12, 1897 in Leicester.

John Hilliard registered for the draft on Sep. 12, 1918 in Buncombe Co. He was tall and slender with brown eyes and dark brown hair. He gave his age as 18 yrs., born Nov. 28, 1898.

Nothing is known of Virginia.

John and Emeline last child was Harley P., born Feb. 1866 in Buncombe Co., and died in March, 1928 in Bladen Co., NC. He married Alley F. (maiden name unknown) c1897 in North Carolina. She was born Aug., 1876 in North Carolina, and died Apr. 17, 1933 in Bladen Co. Harley was apparently married prior to Alley because the list of children in the 1900 census makes it clear that she is the mother of only two. They were Kenneth Lecosta, born Aug., 1897, and Liston Jeffry, born Jul., 1899.

Kenneth registered for the draft on Sep. 12, 1918 in Buncombe Co. He had blue eyes and brown hair and was of medium height and build. He gave his age as 20 yrs., born Aug. 4, 1898. He was unmarried at the time of registration and worked for his father on the farm.

Liston Jeffry also registered on Sep. 12, 1918 in Buncombe Co. He was short and stout with blue eyes and light colored hair. He gave his age as 18 yrs., born Jul. 18, 1900. He too was unmarried and worked at farming with his father in Leicester.