Lester B. Coffey 1894-1954 Laurel Co., KY

In the 1900 Fariston, Laurel Co., KY census, Linville Coffey named one member of the household as Lester Coffey, born Jun., 1894, age 5, as his grandson. He also named Lula Brown, born Apr., 1898, age 2, as a granddaughter.

Linville's oldest child was Samuel Madison Coffey who had married c1894, had two children of his own by 1900 and also resided in Fariston. Sam's wife Sarah reported that she was the mother of two children and that both were living at the time. Those two were Russell, born Dec., 1896 and Lucy, born Jan., 1898.

So, it appears then that Lester was not a son of Samuel Madison Coffey.

Linville's next oldest child was his daughter, Edna. She was born c1876 and was not in the family household at the time of the 1900 census. Edna may have been the mother of Lula and/or Lester. I have not found an Edna of any surname in 1900 Laurel Co. that could be Linville's Edna.

Lester married c1916 Arretta "Retta" Jones, a daughter of James M. and Mary Jones of Laurel Co. She was born Jun. 17, 1896 in Kentucky and died Aug., 19, 1987 in Laurel Co. "Retta" and Lester were the parents of Opal M., born Sep., 1917 and Earl M., born Oct., 1919.

In 1930 Lester and "Retta" were enumerated in the Rough [Rouge?] Creek Pct., Laurel Co. A member of the household was David Coffee [sic] who was named as a brother to Lester. Also in the household was David F., a son of David, age 1, whom Lester named as his nephew.

David was David Ira, and a son of Linville, born Jun. 13, 1882, died Apr. 1, 1944 in Laurel Co. He married Maggie Epperson c1922 and they had four children before Maggie died on Nov. 16, 1928 in McHargue, Laurel Co.

So, for lack of any better evidence to the contrary, I have attached Lester to Linville though his daughter Edna, father unknown.

Linville and his wife Mary Jane Stansberry Coffey are buried at the Campground Cemetery in Boreing, Laurel Co., KY

Earl E. Coffey, a son of Samuel Madison and his wife Sarah died in 2001 and is buried at Pottawatomie Co., OK in the Tecumseh Cemetery.

Lester and his wife Arretta are buried at London, Laurel Co. in the Whitaker Cemetery.

Lester's son Earl M., married Emma Kathleen Burnett. They and their son Donald R. are also buried at Whitaker.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address if you have information concerning this family, especially Lester's parents.

Levi Coffey

Levi - first child and son of Rice and Dorotha Jane Medaris Coffey:

This child was born in North Carolina c1829 and died Jul. 20, 1863 in Knoxville, Knox Co., TN from wounds received while serving with Co. G., 65th Inf. Regt., GA in the Civil War. He married Catherine Kilpatrick c1852 in (probably) Cherokee Co., NC.

Catherine was born Nov. 24, 1830 in Haywood Co., NC and died between 1910 and 1920 in (probably) Shoal Creek, Cherokee Co., NC. She was the daughter of Balis Jackson and Mary E. Hunter Kilpatrick,

Levi and Catherine's children were:

1 - Susan Malissa, born in Cherokee Co. in Feb., 1853, died there on Oct. 19, 1944. She married Jesse Coleman on Mar. 10, 1870 in Murphy, Cherokee Co. He was born Apr., 1850 in Cherokee Co., and died there in 1925.

Their children were:

Laura, born Dec., 1870

Martha Jane, born c1873

Mary Etta, born Oct. 11, 1875

William, born Feb. 6, 1878

Monroe, born May, 1881

Milos Milton, born Jun., 1886

2 - Ann, born c1853

3 - Mary Jane, born Mar., 1857, died Mar. 26, 1931 in Benton, Polk Co., TN. She married William Elrod on Oct. 26, 1882 in Shoal Creek. He was born in May, 1854 in Georgia and died Apr. 10, 1923 in Fairplay Twp., Fannin Co., GA.

4 - William, born Feb., 1858 in Cherokee Co., and died in Polk Co., TN c1898. His wife was Sarah Saleny Womble, a daughter of early Polk Co. settlers, George and Mahala Vaughn Womble. Sarah was born Feb. 7, 1853 in Polk Co., and died Jun. 30, 1916 in Campbell Co., TN.

Their children were:

Emma Jane, born 1888, died c1956

Mary Adeline, born Feb. 17, 1891, died Jun. 26, 1920 in Knoxville, TN. She married Simon Peter Angel on Oct. 19, 1912 in Campbell Co. Their children were Nellie Leoma, born Jan. 28, 1916, died Mar 21, 1981; and Edith Ella, born apr. 13, 1918, died Dec. 31, 2005.

Margaret Catherine, born Jan. 14, 1894, died Jan. 2, 1971

Dock Charles, born May 10, 1896 in Polk Co., died Jun., 1973 in Clermont, Butler Co., OH. Dock married Elizabeth Jane Turner on Jul. 25, 1920 in Polk Co. She was born May 27, 1903 in Cumberland Co., TN, died Feb. 8, 1981 in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN. Their children were Charles, born Jun, 18, 1921; Robert Lee, born Jan. 2, 1923, died Feb. 11, 1989; Myrtle Marie, born Dec. 10, 1924; Paul Erskine, born May 21, 1927 and Betty June, born Jun. 10, 1929.

5 - Adaline Ann Dorcus, born c1860

6 - John J., born May 1862 in Cherokee Co. He married Mary Burnett in 1884 in Cherokee Co. She was born in NC in May, 1874.

Their children:

Charles, born May 29, 1889, married Birdie Wilhoit

Lillie - no other information

William Fredereick, born Jul. 26, 1895 in Ducktown, Polk Co., TN. He married Laura, last name unknown.

John Oscar, born NC on Sep. 23, 1898 died Jul., 1878 in LaFollette, Campbell Co., TN. He married Pearl May Pierce.

Emma Helen, born Aug., 1899. She married Rosco Hooks.

Florence, born 1902, married Jake Smith

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or to correct any of this information.