William Lee Coffey (1870-1915)

William Lee Coffey was a son of Milton Wolford "Mint" and Amanda Virginia "Jenny" Lewis Coffey.

He was born on Oct. 29, 1870 in Collin Co., TX and died in Lone Grove, Carter Co., OK on Jan. 12, 1915.  He was married on Oct. 31, 1901* to Mary Lillie Cannon in Indian Territory, Southern District, Carter Co., OK.  The couple remained in Lone Grove, Carter county until William's death and he was buried there in the Lone Grove Cemetery

His obituary reveals that he "...was born...in Collin county [TX], near the town of Allen; and lived there until about eighteen years of age, when he removed with his parents to Oklahoma (then Indian Territory.)"¹

In 1922 the following "Notice of Sale of Oil and Gas Lease" appeared in the local paper:

"In the county court of Carter county, Oklahoma.

"In the matter of the guardianship of the estate of Dorris O. Coffey, Daniel Joyce Coffey and Lillian Idell Coffey, minors, Lillie Coffey, Guardian.

The Daily Ardmoreite Jan. 18, 1922

"Notice is hereby given in pursuance of an order of the county court of Carter county, Oklahoma, made and entered on the 18th day of January, A. D., 1922, the undersigned guardian of the estate of Dorris O. Coffey, Daniel Joyce Coffey and Lillian Idell Coffey, minors, will offer for sale and sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder an oil and gas mining lease on the 25th day of January, 1922, at 10 o'clock a, m. on the following described lands situated in Carter county, state of Oklahoma, to-wit:..."]²

Sometime after 1922 Lillie remarried to Charles F. Sullivan, In 1930 he was 67 years old; she was 49.  Two Coffey children, Joyce and Lillian were enumerated in the household but also shown as "absent" and without occupation.  There appears to be no other children born to Lillie in her union with Mr. Sullivan.

The Coffey children included one that died young.  She was Omal Lee, born Nov. 4, 1903 in Carter Co. and died there on Oct. 6,1904.  She is buried near her father in the Lone Grove cemetery.

Dorris Overton Coffey, born Jul. 27, 1905 in OK, married Gayle Wilkinson in Ardmore on Apr. 6, 1930.³  She was born in OK on Nov. 22, 1908.  He died on Nov. 7, 1977 and she on Sep. 25, 1993, also in OK.  Both are buried at the Rose Hill cemetery in Ardmore.

Daniel Joyce Coffey, born Aug. 24, 1907 in OK, died Apr. 17, 1981 in OK and buried at Rose Hill.  A marriage record for him has not been found.

Lillian Idell Coffey, born c1914 and no other info yet found.

Additions and corrections invited!

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*"Oklahoma County Marriages, 1890-1995", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VXL5-5QG : accessed 30 Sep 2014), Lee Coffey and Lillie Cannon, 31 Oct 1901; citing p. 62, , Carter, Oklahoma, United States; FHL microfilm 1313671.

¹Easley, John F., editor. The Daily Ardmoreite. (Ardmore, Okla.), Vol. 21, No. 88, Ed. 1 Monday, January 18, 1915, Newspaper, January 18, 1915; digital images, (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc154128/ : accessed August 11, 2013), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

²The Daily Ardmoreite - Ardmore, OK 1893-Current, http://tinyurl.com/k824mq8, Jan. 19, 1922, Page 5, Col. 1

³"Oklahoma County Marriages, 1890-1995", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VXL1-YMZ : accessed 30 Sep 2014), Dorris O Coffey and Gayle Wilkinson, 06 Apr 1930; citing p. 41, , Carter, Oklahoma, United States; FHL microfilm 2295520.

Armstead Armstrong Coffee

Armstrong sometimes appears in the census record with his first name only and sometimes with only his middle name.  He was born to Nathaniel and Nancy Clarke Coffee in July, 1836, and married Catherine Cannon, born in Jan., 1841 in North Carolina in 1866.  I do not have a death date or burial place for Armstrong or Catherine.

Their children were:

Newton Asbury, born c1867 in Lower Creek Twp., Burke Co..  He married Ella D. Baker c1892 and died of pneumonia on 3 Feb., 1941 at Morganton in Burke Co.  Ella also died of pneumonia on 21 Jan 1943 at Grace Hospital in Morganton and both are buried there at Forest Hill Cemetery.

Their children, all born in Morganton, were Essie M., born c1900; Grace M., born c1902, Rosa E., born c1906 and Homer D., born c1910.

Emma C., born c1869 in Lower Creek, married George Matlock c1898.  Emma and George are known to have had at least one child, Walter, born Oct., 1898.

Louisa, born c1874.  No further information.

Samuel Wesley, born Oct., 1878 in NC, married the widow Mable Moses.  He died of uremia at Grace Hospital in Morganton on 20 Sep., 1945 and was buried at Forest Hill.  I have not found a death record for Mable.  She was young enough to have remarried and had other children after Sam died.

Lula Jane, born c1880 in Caldwell Co., married first to George Wortman and second to Waid Preston Raby.  She died of third degree burns on 28 Aug 1930 in Hickory, Catawba Co., NC.  She was burned while attempting to start a fire using kerosene.  Her grave site is also at Forest Hill.  She is thought to have had at least one child by each of her husbands.

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Update Mar. 17, 2012 - Armstead served with the 26 Regt., NC Infantry, CSA, during the Civil War. Catherine died before the 1910 census because Armstead appeared then as a widower in Morganton, Burke Co., NC. His son Samuel still lived with him and Sarah Carpenter was a cook for the pair. Homer D., son of Newton Asbury and Ella D. Baker, married Willie Eloise Hines c1930 and they had a son named Homer H. Coffey, born Apr. 19,1931.

Elisha "Lish" and Anna Harmon Moody Coffey

I touched a bit on Elisha and Anna Coffey in the Aldridge & Coffey blog of May 1.  Elisha was a son of Joseph and Isabella Lindsay Coffey and was born c1814 and almost certainly in North Carolina.

Anna was a daughter of Edward and Frances Carter Moody and was born c1814 in NC.  She died before 1880 and probably in Watauga Co.  Elisha appeared in that county's 1880 census as a widower.

There are at least two other sons of Lish and Anna for whom I have very little information.  They were all born early enough to have been strong candidates for service during the Civil War and, may have been killed.  Those sons were Jacob, born c1838 and, DeKalb, born c1839.  Some genealogies that I have seen also names another Levi, born c1844 as their son.

I think the Elisha Coffee [sic] and wife Hannah in the 1850 Watauga Co. census is this couple.  In addition to the parents, there was Levi, age 16; De Calb [sic], age 11 and Mary Cannon, age 7.  I am not certain who Mary Cannon was, but there is at least one Cannon female (not Mary) who married into a Coffey family in Burke Co., NC.

In 1860 Watauga co., Jacob, age 21 appeared with the family.  Another child, May A. Harmon [sic] age 2, was enumerated with the family. Although named as a child of Elisha, it isn't clear to me yet that he was.

The 1870 Watauga co. census shows that May Harmon was then Mary Harmon, age 13.  Except for a black male, age 14, named John Adges [?], the only others in the household were Elisha and Ann.

As mentioned earlier, Elisha appeared as a widower in the 1880 census for Watauga Co.

Levi Lafayette, who appears to be the eldest child of Elisha's, was born May 30, 1833 in Burke Co., and died Feb. 11, 1925 in Watauga Co.  He married "Tempie" Calloway, a daughter of James and Nicey Gragg Calloway, c1859 in Watauga Co.

To them were born at least seven children:

1 - Caroline Lavinia Coffey, born Mar. 6, 1860, died Feb. 13, 1923.  Caroline married her cousin David Nathaniel Coffey c1886.  David and Caroline are mentioned in several blogs.  If you are interested in more about them, search the blog archives [use search window in upper left corner and surround search term with quotes; e.g., "David Nathaniel Coffey."]  You can view a photo of David and read a bit of info about him in this blog.

2 - Joseph DeCalb Coffey, born Jan. 24, 1863 at Shulls Mill in Watauga Co., and died there on Dec. 30, 1930.  He married Lutittia [sic] F. Walters, a daughter of Johnathan and Emeline Long Walters, on Apr. 9, 1899 in Watauga Co.  Both are buried at the Byrd Cemetery in Foscoe, Watauga Co.

3 - Judith Coffey, born c1866 - no further information.

4 - Emma Coffey, born Oct. 19, 1869 in Watauga, died Jan. 3, 1938 in Hickory, Catawba Co., NC.  Emma also married a cousin, William M. Coffey c1896.  William was a son of Smith W. and his wife Charity Elizabeth Redmond.

Laurence Coffey gives this name as Elizabeth Baker Redmond, indicating to me that she was probably married previous to her marriage to Smith.  However, in an e-mail to me dated Aug. 23, 2007, Carolyn Curtis wrote this:

"Elizabeth was born 6/25/1836 and died 5/20/1912. She was not married prior to her marriage to Smith Coffey on June 25, 1854 (that was her 18th Birthday). According to the Caldwell County Court of Pleas and Quarter Session, Volume II – January Term 1848, Elizabeth, an orphan child of 11 years of age, was bound to Lucinda Baker (that is where the Baker name originated) until age 18, at which time she was give her freedom, $6.00, a new suit of clothes, a bible and she was to be taught to read and write."


I seem to recall some speculation that Elizabeth was full or part Indian and the Redmond might have something to do with that part of her heritage.  But, that is something that I have not pursued.

Both Charity and Smith are said to be buried in a Coffey Cemetery at Shulls Mill.

5 - James Wesley Coffey, born May 2, 1873 in Watauga Co., died in Boone on Dec. 6, 1960.  He married Donnie Brewer c1906.  A subsequent spouse was Callie Ward, born Mar. 30, 1898, daughter of James Ward and Mary Hicks.  Callie died Aug. 25, 1975 in Boone.  They are also said to be buried in the Coffey Cemetery at Shulls Mill.

6 - Archie E. Coffey, born Mar 23, 1876, died Apr. 11, 1903.  He married Virginia Frances Brown on Sep. 30, 1900.  "Jennie" was a daughter of Samuel Walker and Nancy Jane Joyce Brown.  See the other Levi Lafayette Coffey blog for more.

7 - Oscar Lee Coffey, born Sep. 7, 1878, died Jul. 1, 1977 in Davidson Co., NC.  Oscar married Ollie Belle Calloway, born Mar. 10, 1886 in Watauga Co., died Apr. 23, 1943 in Boone.  She was the daughter of William Henderson Calloway and his wife Almirah M. "Myra" Johnson.  Ollie is buried at Foscoe in the Community Cemetery.  I have not located Oscar's burial site.

I would really love to know if the Coffey Cemetery at Shulls Mill is actually known locally by that name and where it is located.

Mystery Coffey Family Photographs - Update 11/26/09

These are some of the photos in my collection for which I have no information.  If you recognize them please drop me a note.

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C.W. Coffee is Columbus Washington Coffee, born Jan. 20 1856 in Forsyth Co., GA, died 1936.  His wife was Mary Ellen Blackburn who died in 1945.  C. W. was a son of Starling or Sterling Coffey and his wife Nancy Tyler Cannon.  Starling is thought to be a son of Elijah and Polly Hull Coffey.  Nancy, born c1831 in GA is said to be the daughter of Hiram and Hannah Tyler Cannon.

Brenda Adams, a descendant of Starling/Sterling wrote to me way back in Jan. 2005 that this family has always and continues to spell their surname Coffee.

The ancestry of C.W. before Elijah is a bit cloudy.  I have Elijah as a son of Thomas and Sarah "Sally" Fields Coffey.  Brenda thinks he might be a son of Jesse Cleveland.  I don't believe either one of us is absolutely certain.

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The family posing in front of the house has not yet been identified.  They are not believed to be part of C.W.'s family.

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All of these photos are labeled C. W. Coffey with no additional information, except for the last one which indicates it is a 50th anniversary photo.