Andrew Jackson & Sarah Louise Hagaman Critcher

Captain Andrew Jackson Critcher was a son of Nathaniel & Cynthia A. Clark Critcher.  Nathaniel was born in Granville Co., NC in 1803 and settled in Watauga Co. in c1840.  Cynthia was born in Orange Co., NC in 1804 and, it was likely in that county they married in 1822.

Andrew was born in Orange Co. in Sep., 1834.  He was the fourth of what I believe to be seven children born to Nathaniel and Cynthia.

Nathaniel and his family were in Watauga Co. by 1840 and most remained there for the remainder of their lives.

Andrew married Sarah Louise Hagaman c1868.  She was a daughter of Thomas Andrew and Sarah Reece Hagaman.  Their children numbered four and included Meta Belle, born Jan. 24, 1871, who married Charles Daniel Coffey.  Click on the title of this blog to see photos and to read more about that couple.

Andrew had a remarkable career during the Civil War.

His record reports that on Dec. 25, 1861, shortly after enlistment, Andrew was promoted to second lieutenant and shortly thereafter to first lieutenant.  He was wounded at Ox Hill in Fairfax Co., VA, part of the Northern Virginia campaign from June to Sept., 1862.

He was returned to duty sometime in Nov., 1862 and promoted to captain in Dec. of that year.  Capt. Critcher was captured in May, 1864 and confined to the Old Capital Prison in Washington, D.C. and, later moved to Fort Delaware in June, 1864.  Later that summer he and other prisoners were moved to Charleston, SC where they were used as human shields against the south's bombardment of that Federally occupied city.

Having survived that, Critcher was moved to Hilton Head in Dec., 1864 where he was released sometime shortly thereafter in a prisoner exchange.  He was captured again at Boone in Watauga Co., NC in Mar., 1865 and sent to Camp Chase in OH where he was released on Jun. 14, 1865.

Andrew returned to Watauga Co., and to Boone where he met and married Sarah. They settled there and the 1870 census shows that he was a retail merchant and somewhat wealthy. By 1880 he was a farmer.

In addition to Meta Bell (second oldest), he and Sarah were parents of Maury P., born Jun., 1869; L. Frank, born Jan., 1879 and M. Ethel, born Sep. 1885.

Andrew died in Watauga Co. on Jul. 7, 1904 and was buried at Lovill in the Greer Cemetery. I do not have a death date or burial place for Sarah and would appreciate that input.

I know that Andrew had at least one brother who served during the Civil War. He had four brothers, all of the right age at the time of the war to have served. The one that I know of was John Calvin.

John was born c1841 and died Aug. 13, 1863 in Orange Co., VA. He had enlisted on Nov. 5, 1862 at Boone in Co. D., 1st NC Cavalry Regiment. Some genealogies report that he is also buried at Lovill, but a headstone as not been found.

A source was: Michael C. Hardy, Author, A Short History of Old Watauga County (Boone, Watauga Co., NC: Parkway Publishers, Inc., 2005).

Henry Clay and Sophronia Tate Coffey Coffey

Sophronia Tate Coffey

Henry Clay Coffey

Henry Clay Coffey, born Dec., 1841 in Caldwell Co., NC was a son of McCaleb and Elizabeth Collett Coffey.  He married his second cousin, Sophronia Tate Coffey on Jan. 28, 1864 in Caldwell Co.

"Henry Clay Coffey was in Co. F of the 26th NC CSA Infantry of Lee's army and took part in the July 1, 1863 attack at Gettysburg where he was the 86th of 87 wounded or killed of a total of 88 men. 

"Company F directly attacked the Minnesota Iron Brigade on McPherson's Ridge and ultimately broke the Iron Brigade on the left side of the Union line about the same time CSA's Jubal Early attacked the Union right side and crushed the Union flank. These two actions sent the Union forces running through the town of Gettysburg en route to Cemetery Hill where they would regroup with the rest of Meade's Union army for the next two day's Confederate disaster. Henry Clay Coffey was captured on July 1, 1863 and exchanged later that year. He married Sephronia on 1/28/1864 and then rejoined Lee's army by 3/1/1864 and was present at Petersburg siege in 1865

"According to later family stories Sephronia ruled the home roost with an iron hand probably because she was still miffed (my opinion) at his leaving so soon after they were married."

Sophronia was the daughter of Daniel Boone and Clarissa Estes Coffey.  She was born Oct. 20, 1841 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Nov. 23, 1928.  She is buried in the Coffey Cemetery in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.

I do not have a death date for Henry, or his burial location, but suspect that he is also in the Coffey Cemetery, adjacent to Sophronia.

Charles McDaniel Coffey

Meta Belle Critcher

Henry and Sophronia were the parents of two children:  Charles Daniel, born Mar. 5, 1869, died Jul. 8, 1950, and Dr. Laurence Henry Coffey, born Dec. 23, 1875, died Sep. 3, 1944.

Charles married Meta Belle Critcher on Oct. 5, 1892 in Watauga Co., NC.  She was born c1871 in North Carolina and died Feb. 25, 1958 in Wilkes Co., NC.  Their children were Charles McDonald Coffey, born Jun. 5, 1894, died Jun. 7, 1967, and Carl Sylvester Coffey, born Jun. 5, 1899, died in 1939.

Charles McD & Lura Finley Coffey

Charles McDonald married Martha Lura Finley on Feb. 28, 1917 in Wilkes Co.  Martha was born Jun. 25, 1894 in Wilkes Co., and died there on May 22, 1967.  She was the daughter of Thomas B. and Caroline Elizabeth Cowles Finley.  Their children were Lura Finley Coffey, born Apr. 17, 1918, died Apr. 15, 1988, and Charles McDonald Jr., born Nov. 16, 1927.

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The quoted text and photos are courtesy of Jim Deans, a descendant of Henry Clay Coffey.  

Aaron Roosevelt Coffey

Aaron Roosevelt Coffey was born Oct. 25, 1907 in Rufus, Caldwell Co., NC to Henry Kelly (Caleb) and second wife, Julia Emma Stansberry Coffey.  Henry was the son of James Asbury and Chainey Gragg Coffey.

Aaron married Nellie Bell Critcher c1928 in North Carolina and died by suicide on Aug. 29, 1951.  He was buried in the John Critcher Cemetery in Boone, Watauga Co., NC on Aug. 30, 1951.  Nellie was born c1910 but I have not yet determined who her parents were.  She likely remarried after the death of Aaron.


I have one child for them:  Nellie Louise, born Mar. 22, 1929.

Aaron was buried in the John Critcher Cemetery in Boone. 

Austin Blaine Coffey

Austin Blaine Coffey was a son of David Nathaniel and Caroline Levinia Coffey Coffey. He was born in Watauga Co., NC on Jan. 14, 1887 and died there on Aug. 28, 1970. He is buried alongside his first wife, Emma Mahalia (Hailey) Harris Coffey, at Boone Fork Baptist Church cemetery in Watauga Co.

Blaine represented Watauga Co. in the NC House of Representatives for several years, beginning in about 1917. He was still seated in The House in 1923 when his mother died.

Austin Blaine Coffey

Austin married Emma Mahalia (Hailey) Harris in Caldwell Co. on mar. 1, 1914. Hailey was the only child of Anderson Perkins and Frances Catherine Ennis Harris. Hailey had given birth to a son, Ralph A. Harris on Nov. 22, 1911. Ralph enlisted in the US Army in 1929 and subsequently killed in an automobile accident while stationed in Pensacola, Escambia Co., FL.

Hailey Harris

His obituary appeared in the Watuage Democrat on May 19, 1932:

Funeral Services Held for Ralph A. Harris

The body of Ralph A. Harris, 20, a private in the U.S. Army who was killed in an automobile accident near Pensacola, Fla., on May 7th, arrived at Lenoir on May 11th, in charge of Private Floyd Burkett, who was a friend and comrade of the deceased. Funeral services were held at Blue Ridge Advent Church on Thursday, May 12th by the Rev. S. E. Gragg, in the presence of the largest congregation ever assembled for a burial in this section.

Young Harris was a well liked by all who knew him. He completed his high school education at Crossnore, N.C., enlisted in the US Army in 1929, served three years, reenlisted and was serving his second term when the accident occurred. His death has caused widespread sorrow.

Pallbearers were Spencer Collins, Archie Simms, Spencer Henderson, Staple Collins, Mayrel Gragg, Frank Jones, Cecil Critcher, Jesse Coffey, Randel Pyatte, Melvin Calloway, J. C. Church, Ernest Simms and Seldon Wright.

Flower girls were led by little Ernestine Collins and Norma Collins, were as follows: Ruby Richards, Irene Jenkins, Sally Collins, Ruby Dula, Hailey Harris, Ruby Henderson, Rosetta Hollifield, Bessie Wooten, Jessie Hollifield, Ruby Byers, Ophelia Teague, Verdola Coffey, Fay Rupurd, Edith Calloway.

Burial took place at Boone's Fork graveyard.

Hailey died less than a year following the death of her son Ralph.

Ralph A. Harris

Hailey and Austin's children were:

Murray Harris Coffey, born May 9, 1915, died Apr. 5, 2003. He married Ruby Evelyn Dula on Nov. 19, 1938 in Watauga Co. Ruby was born Jan. 10, 1910 in Caldwell Co., and died Apr. 13, 1999 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. She was the daughter of Arthur Hill and Mary Jane Coffey Dula.

Murray's obituary appeared in the Watauga Democrat on Apr. 7, 2003.

Rev. Murray Coffey

Rev. Murray H. Coffey, 87, of 157 Murray Coffey Road, Blowing Rock, died Saturday morning, April 5, 2003, at Blowing Rock Hospital.

He was born May 9, 1915, in Hudson, Caldwell County, to the late Austin Blaine and Hailey Harris Coffey.

Rev. Coffey was a retired stone mason and a minister. He was a member of Blue Ridge Advent Christian Church where he formerly served as pastor.

Both Rev. Coffey and his father, Blaine Coffey, served in the North Carolina Legislature as representatives from Watauga County.

Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Imogene Poteat of Davidson; and one son, Terry Coffey of Blowing Rock; one granddaughter, Kimberly Coffey of Asheville; three grandsons, Paul Poteat Jr. of Coppers Cove, Texas, Mike Poteat and family of Charlotte, and Lynn Solesbee and wife, Melissa, of Mauldin, S.C.; one great-granddaughter, Anna Solesbee and one great-grandson, Ben Solesbee, both of Mauldin.

He is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruby Dula Coffey; a son, Vern Coffey; a sister, Mrs. Gwyn Dula; and a brother, Hardin Coffey.

Services were conducted Monday morning at the Blue Ridge Advent Christian Church in Blowing Rock, officiated by the Rev. Gordon Noble.

Entombment followed in the Coffey Family Mausoleum in Boone Fork Community Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Boone Advent Christian Church, in care of Joyce Sherrill, 375 Shady Bark Lane, Boone, N.C. 28607.

Hampton Funeral Service was in charge of the arrangements.

Catherine G. Coffey

Katherine Gwendolyn Coffey, born Aug. 1, 1919 in Watauga Co., died Aug. 19, 1997 in North Carolina. She married Clyde Lester Dula on Jul. 4, 1939. Clyde was brother to Ruby who married Murray.

Hardin Blaine Coffey

Hardin Blaine Coffey, born Apr. 23, 1923 in Watauga Co., died Oct. 7, 2000 in North Carolina. He married Beulah Mae Coffey, born Mar. 24, 1924 to Joseph Merritt and Susan Augustus Childs Coffey. Joseph Merritt and Austin Blaine were distant cousins.

Hardin's obituary:

Mr. Hardin Blaine Coffey, 77, of Ransom Street, Blowing Rock, died Saturday morning, Oct. 7, 2000, at his home.

He was born April 23, 1923 in Blowing Rock. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Blowing Rock.

Mr. Coffey was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army and a 56 year charter member of the Blowing Rock American Legion Post 256. He retired with 30 years service at Tweetsie Railroad as a steam locomotive engineer. A snow making pioneer, he installed the first snow making equipment at Blowing Rock Ski Lodge and Hound Ears Club.

Survivors include his wife, Beulah C. Coffey; one daughter, Judith Wesson of Boone; one son, Joe Coffey and wife, Cathy, of Snowmass Village, Colo.; three grandchildren, Michael Jason Wesson of Boone and Samuel Ryan Coffey and Joanna Haley Coffey, both of Snowmass Village, Colo.; a brother, Rev. Murray Coffey of Blowing Rock; and three nieces, Gail Pitts of Blowing Rock, Cathy Wilson of Boone and Linda McCullach of Millers Creek; and one nephew, Terry Coffey of Blowing Rock.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Austin Blaine and Hailey Harris Coffey; one sister, Gwyn Dula and a nephew, Vern Coffey.

Services will be conducted Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Austin & Barnes Funeral Home Chapel, officiated by the Rev. Dean Coffey.

The family will receive friends Monday afternoon from 1-1:45 p.m., prior to the services, at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Blowing Rock.

Flowers are appreciated or memorials may be made to Hospice of Watauga County, 136 Furman Road, Boone, N.C. 28607.

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Austin Blaine Coffey's second wife is said to have been Sally Phillips of West Virginia. Sally had been married previously to Doctor [given name] Hill Wright, a son of Thomas A. and Margaret Ann Coffey Wright.

Update 2/11/2012:  There is another marriage record in Watauga Co. for Blaine Coffey, age 47, to Anna Lee Phillips on 20 Mar. 1934.  A Nov. 13, 1951 marriage record has also been found for Austin Blaine Coffey to Sally Phillips Wright.  The marriage register put together by Appalachian State University at Boone and published in 1995, notes that this "marriage lasted 4 days."

James Blaine & Dartha Jane Coffey Phillips

Dartha Jane Coffey was the eighth child and third of four daughters born to Henry Kelly (Caleb) and Sarah Jane Gragg Coffey. She was born Jan. 29, 1898 in Mulberry, Caldwell Co., NC, and died in Boone, Watauga Co., NC on May 21, 1931. She married James Blaine Phillips on Jun. 15, 1912 in Watauga Co. James was born Mar. 16, 1893 in Wilkes Co., and died May 21, 1954 in Caldwell Co. He was a brother to Zora Phillips, wife of Ellis Empsey Coffey, brother to Dartha.

There were 10 children born to the union of James and Dartha:

Vercie Rosetta, no information

Vesta Ivalee, born Apr. 22, 1916, died May 5, 2006. Vesta married Walter Ranzy Woodring on Jun. 10, 1934 in Watauga Co. Walter was born Mar. 7, 1892 in Watauga Co., and died there on Nov. 3, 1995. They had at least seven children: Edna Louise, two unnamed daughters, Henry Clay, Geneva Belle, Betty Jewel and Kathy Lea. Walter was the son of Henry B. and Martha Angeline Miller Woodring.

Gladys Viola, born Oct. 22, 1919, married Thomas Lee Ellis, born Nov. 25, 1918. There was at least one child, Billy Lee Ellis, born Jul. 16, 1941. Thomas was the son of Jesse and Carrie Mott Ellis.

Ellis, no information

James Glen, born Apr. 8, 1921, died Dec. 5, 1988

Charles Arthur, born Apr. 30, 1923

Mary Elizabeth, born May 23, 1925

William Blaine (Judd), born Apr. 17, 1927, died Dec. 31, 1995. He married Bertha Loretta Coffey on Jan. 1, 1949 in Watauga Co. She was the daughter of William Glenn and Nannie B. Coffey Coffey. William was a son of Jesse Calton and Julia E. Hollifield Coffey while Nannie was a daughter of Jesse Cleveland and Eliza Loudermilt Coffey. William and Bertha had at least three children: Virginia Loretta, born Oct. 8, 1949; Nona Marie, born Sep. 12, 1950, and Dorothy Annie, born Jan. 5, 1953.

Alma Jean, no information

Stella Rhea, no information

Henry Kelly Coffey was married twice more after the death of Sarah Jane. His second wife was Emma Stanberry who he married in Caldwell County in 1906. There was at least one son born to this marriage: Aaron Roosevelt, born Oct. 25, 1907, died Aug. 29, 1951. Aaron married Nellie Bell Critcher c1928 and fathered at least five children: Nellie Louise, born Mar. 22, 1929, James Gray, born Nov. 1, 1931, Ethel Mae, born Mar. 19, 1933, Emilie Lee, born Sep. 29, 1937, and Barbara Lennis, born Dec. 20, 1941.

Henry's third wife was Roberta Ellen Edmisten with whom he had at least one child, Kyda (Kitie), born Feb. 14, 1911, died Aug. 1, 1978. Following Henry's 1911 death Roberta married William Leander Robbins, a son of James and Elizabeth Coffey Robbins. William had previously married Hannah Elizabeth (Lizzie) McGuire on Mar. 8, 1896 in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co. Elizabeth Coffey's parents were William, Jr. and Margaret Robbins Coffey.

Links to previous blogs on the Henry Kelly Coffey family:

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2006/06/henry-kelly-caleb-and-sarah-jane-gragg.html

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2006/06/henry-kelly-caleb-coffey-addendum.html

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2006/02/beeler-ester-and-sallie-elizabeth.html

Anson Lafayette and Eliza Jane Coffey Harrison

Anson Lafayette Harrison was born Jul. 6, 1852 in Watauga Co., NC to the union of Joseph Martin and Sarah Jane Critcher Harrison. He married Eliza Jane Coffey, born Feb. 6, 1854 in Watauga Co. to Jesse Calton and Nancy Raines Coffey. She died Oct. 23, 1931 in Watauga Co.

This marriage eventually produced 15 children, only four of which were males. They were:

Newton Leonard, born May 9, 1873, died Jan. 11, 1966
Mary Elizabeth, born Dec. 14, 1878, died Oct. 20, 1949
Martha Cal Donnie, born Oct Oct. 18, 1876, died May 8, 1961
James Monroe (Roe), born Apr. 22, 1878, died Jan. 29, 1952
Sarah Elmira Queen, born Jan. 18, 1880, died Feb. 20, 1956
Julia Emma, born Mar. 14, 1882, died Nov. 19, 1946
Zora Lena, born Sep. 18, 1883, died 1952
Doshie Estie, born May 16, 1885, died Mar. 16, 1974
Vettie Vesta, born Feb. 17, 1887, died Feb. 14, 1967
Benjamin Martin, born Oct. 4, 1889, died Jan. 26, 1932
Nomie Bessie, born Jun. 3, 1891, died 1991
Lula Jane, born May 27, 1892, died Oct. 12, 1977
Roxie Belle, born May 23, 1894, died Jul. 9, 1978
Tommie Calton, born Jan. 21, 1896, died Feb. 25, 1896
Lettie Vertia, born Jul. 9, 1898, died Jan. 2, 1912

Please send additions and corrections to me at the e-mail address below.