Arthur E. & Nora B. Vickery Coffee

Arthur was born Oct. 8, 1879 in McDonald Co., MO and died Feb. 4, 1938 in Sioux City, Woodbury, IA [unsourced dates].  He was a son of William Harrison and Hillead Oakley Caudille Coffee.  Readers can click on the blog title to read a bit more of this family from a 2007 blog.

We can find Arthur with his parents in White Rock, McDonald Co. from 1880 through 1900.  He married Nora B. Vickery on Oct. 26, 1902 in Pineville, McDonald Co.¹ They lived there and Nora gave birth to their children there.  Arthur registered in 1918 for the WW1 draft² in McDonald Co., and in 1920 the family was enumerated in that county's census.  By 1930 the family was in Fairview, Clay Co., SD.

The children were:

Violet E., born c1904 and was with her parents through the 1920 census in White Rock.

1945 SD State Census - Martin

Martin, born c1905, was with his parents through 1920 and in 1930 he was a boarder with the Henry Anderson family in Fairview, SD.  He also appeared unmarried in the 1945 state census at Elk Point in Union Co., SD.  He indicated then that he was a veteran of WWII but, I cannot find a record.

Winifred. born c1909, lived with his parents through 1920 in MO and was with them in Fairview in 1930.  He too appeared unmarried in the 1945 SD state census.  Both he and Martin were farmers.

Jesse, born c1916, lived with his parents through the 1930 census.  I have not found him after that date.

1935 SD State Census - Earl

Aaron and Earl were apparently twins, both born c1916.  They were both with their parents through 1930.  In 1935, Earl was enumerated in the SD state census at Elk Point, and in 1945 in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha Co., SD.  In the latter record he reported that he was married.³  No other information has been found.

1945 SD State Census -Earl

The last two children were daughters Viva, born c1918 and Myrtle, born c1922.  Viva was with her family through 1930 in Fairview.  Myrtle was apparently born just before the family relocated to SD.  She appears for the first time in the 1930 census.  I have found no further information on either of them.

I am seeking to document the birth and death dates for Arthur and Nora as well as spouses and other vital info for their children.

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¹Name: Arthur Coffee Marriage Date: 26 Oct 1902 Marriage Location: Mcdonald, Missouri Marriage County: Mcdonald Spouse Name: Nora Vickery.
 ²Arthur E. Coffee registered for the draft in McDonald Co., MO on Sep. 12, 1918. He was short and stout with blue eyes and light colored hair. He was 38 yrs. old, born Oct.8, 1876. He was a resident of Jane, McDonald Co., MO and resided there with his wife, Nora B. Coffee. He signed the registration card as Authar E. Coffee.
³The state census was recorded on what appears to be index cards; not the traditional forms used for Federal records.  Each person in a family had their own card, but none has yet been found for Earl's wife and possible children.  There is an E. E. Coffey, born 1916, buried at Tecumseh cemetery in Pottawatomie County, OK and a daughter, Judy Coffey McMahan who was born Feb. 4, 1957, in Longview, Wash., to E.E. and Oneta (Porter) Coffey.  This may be Earl, son of Arthur and Nora.

Meredith and Elizabeth "Betsy" Hopper Coffey

I've previously written a small bit about Meredith as a son of John W. & Rebecca Ragsdale Coffey.  The original blog written in Sept., 2007 can be viewed by clicking on the title link.

This is a little of what I wrote:

Meredith, born Jan. 6, 1822, died Feb. 10, 1892 [unsourced]. In the 1860 McDonald Co., MO census he was 33 yrs old indicating that he was born closer to 1827. This would be a more reasonable date compared to birth years of other children. He married Elizabeth (Betsy) Hopper c1841 in McDonald Co. They appeared there in the 1860 census, 1861 McDonald Co. tax rolls, and the 1870 and 1880 census. Meredith is thought to have died there on Feb. 10, 1892.

Beginning with Meredith the family spelled their name Coffee.  All of the photos of family headstones that I have seen now standing in the Jane, McDonald Co., MO cemetery are inscribed with that spelling.  Additionally, all census records that I have inspected spell the family name that way.  The few death certificates so far located also show this spelling.  Living descendants might also continue this practice.

Meredith and Elizabeth's children as I know them were:

Eliza, born c1842 in TN, died c1880, place unknown - is said to have married a Mr. Pitts.  No other information.

William Harrison, born Feb. 24, 1843 in TN, died Jul. 6, 1921 in Pineville Twp., McDonald Co., MO and was buried at Jane cemetery.  He married Hilead* Oakley Caudille on Jan. 22, 1868 in McDonald Co.  She was born Jan. 26, 1850 in Robinson Co., KY and died in Jane on Feb. 6, 1912.  She too is buried at Jane.

William and Hilead had at least 13 children, all thought to have been born in McDonald Co.:

1 - James "Milo", born Jul. 8, 1869, died Mar, 23, 1936 in Fairview, Newton Co., MO.  He is buried at Davey Cemetery in Fairview.

2 - Mary Eliza, born Jan. 8, 1873, died Apr. 20, 1933 in Pineville Twp.  She married James William Ross, born Oct. 5 1865 in Lincoln, Lancaster Co., NE, died Feb. 12, 1937 in Pineville Twp.  According to their death certificates, both are buried in Pineville.  James was a son of Samuel Lafayette and Mahala Prigmore Ross.

3 - Edward Enoch, born Apr. 27, 1874, died May 27, 1961 in Pineville.  He married Pearl C. [LNU], born C1888 in MO.  They had at least two children; Gladys, born c1907 and Glesnor [sic] (male), born c1910.  Both are buried at Pineville.

4 - Minnie Zeronia, born Oct. 16, 1875 and died May 29, 1943 in Jane.  She is said to have married a Mr. Mulkey.

5 - Alby or Albie, [female] born Jan. 27, 1877, died Mar. 11, 1923.

6 - Alex M., born Jun. 8, 1878, died Aug., 1879, buried at Jane.

7 - Arthur E., born Oct. 8, 1879, died Feb. 4, 1938 in Sioux City, Woodbury Co., IA.  He married Nora [LNU], born c1883 in MO.  They had children: Violet, Martin, Winfred, Jesse, Aaron, Earl and Viva, all born in MO between 1904 and 1918.

8 - John Finis, born Jun. 23, 1881, died Jan. 3, 1957 in Rogers, Benton Co., AR.  He married Coral L. [LNU] c1909 and had children: unnamed infant, born before Dec. 22, 1912, died on that date and buried at Jane; Pansy, born Aug. 30, 1914, died Oct. 15, 1904, also buried at Jane and shares a headstone with the unnamed infant; Orreta, born c1916 and Loretta, born c1917.

I have not yet found spouses for the remaining children, some of whom are also likely buried at Jane or Pineville:

9 - Meredith, born Feb. 26, 1884, died May, 1885 in Jane. 

10 - Albert, born May 26, 1885, died 1887 in Jane.

11 - Pearl, born Jan. 7, 1887, died Jan. 24, 1977.

12 - Grace, born Mar. 20, 1890, died Aug. 5, 1921.

13 - Oma, born Jan. 13, 1893, died Sep. 7, 1958.  She is said to have been buried at Brush Creek cemetery in Pineville.

More later...

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*Her death certificate reads Hildred; her headstone reads Hilead.  Marriage sources (Hunting for Bears and  Woodrunn's 1971 Marriage Records, McDonald County, Missouri, read Hilead