The Coffey/Nessel Connection in Oregon and California

In Nov., 1995 I wrote a short blog about Augustus Benjamin "Buster" Coffey, the son of John Taylor and Sarah Adeline "Sofie" Gates Coffey and, touched a bit on their sons.

Following her divorce from Buster c1920, Dolly married again.  Her second husband was Lewis L. Nessel who had been born in Brussels, Belgium on Aug. 6, 1883.  Lewis later became a longshoreman at the Port of San Francisco.

Lewis first married Emma May Coffey, a sister to "Buster."  They were married on Aug. 15, 1916 in Clatsop Co., OR.  Emma died there on Jan. 20, 1919 and Lewis married Dorothy, the ex-wife of Emma's brother.

Dorothy brought to the marriage at least three of the four children that she and "Buster" had together.  They were:

Velma Signett, born Sep. 18, 1913 in Oregon and died Jul. 15, 1993 in Enumclaw, King Co., WA.  Dorothy apparently had this child before her marriage to "Buster."  The Signett name, I am told*, comes from the fact that  some of the family had difficulty with the pronunciation of the Lousignont surname.

George Coffey Nessel

George Norman, born Sep. 27, 1915 in Svensen, died Jul. 17, 1996 in Redwood City, San Mateo Co., CA.  He is said to have married at least three times; first on Dec. 16, 1933 to Frances Louisa Wellcome, born Sep. 4, 1915 in Minnesota, died May 1, 2000 in Riverside Co., CA.  This marriage apparently ended in divorce c1950 because he then married Eileen Mary Nancey, born Nov. 30, 1920 in Minnesota, died Dec. 29, 1983 in San Francisco, CA, on Feb. 12, 1951 in Virginia City, Storey Co., NV.  That marriage also ended in divorce in 1974 in San Mateo Co., CA and in 1978 he married Maudie Gladys Silverman in Carson City, NV.  George died in 1996 in Redwood City., San Mateo Co., CA.  I do not know if George was adopted by Lewis Nessel, but he legally changed it to Nessel in 1976.  He enlisted in the US Army as George N. Nessel on Jul. 28, 1945 at Camp Beale in Yuba Co., CA and served with the 1129th Military Co. He was discharged on Oct. 19, 1946.

Howard Walter Coffey

Howard Walter, born Jun. 27, 1917 in Svensen, and died there on Mar. 28, 2002.  Howard kept the Coffey name and was married to Joyce Lee Mifflin, born May. 8, 1923 in Norfolk, VA, c1940.  They had at least one child, Larry Howard, born Jul. 27, 1941 in San Francisco, died there on Nov. 16, 2006.

Albert Robert Coffey Nessel

Albert Robert took his step-fathers name.  He was born Mar. 24, 1919 in Svensen and died Apr. 25, 2005 at Modesto in Stanislaus Co., CA.  He was married at least four times, first to Helen Volis c1940 in CA.  Helen was the daughter of Michael G. Volis, a 1907 Greek emigrant and, Freda G. Quedens, born Jan. 15, 1897 in Illinois to German emigrant parents, John Quedens and Engeline P. Garretts.  He and Helen had at least two children, Robert and Judith.  Judith died on Jun. 10, 1995 in San Mateo Co., CA.  Albert's second wife was Violet Wallen; third was Alice Rose Prefontaine, a WW2 Army sergeant.  Alice was a native of Boise, Ada Co., ID, born there on Aug. 29, 1927 and died in Modesto on May 31, 2003.  Fourth and last known wife was Norma Beatrice Gaska.  They were married on Sep. 5, 2003 in Carson City, NV. I know of no children born to any of these marriages.

The last known child born to "Buster" and Dolly was Harold Franklin.  He was born Jul. 22, 1921 in Clatsop Co. and also took the Nessel surname.  I am told that he married twice; first to Connie Mifflin** and second to Terry Tryphe.  I have no other information on this son. [No photo available to me]

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*Descendants of Lewis Moses Coffey, GEDCOM file submitted by Dorothy Louise Crawford, 289 Maui Circle, Union City, CA 94587, and received 24 Oct 2005., follow-up e-mail Nov. 7, 2005. (Dolly is believed to now be deceased)
**The Mifflin ladies were probably related but I have not investigated a connection.

Sarah Deliah Coffey (1864-1897)

Sarah Deli[l]ah was the daughter of James Wilson and Louisa T. Norman Coffey. She was born Feb. 11, 1864 in Morgan Co., IN and died on Jun. 7, 1897 in Svenson, Clatsop Co., OR. She was 33 years old.

Sarah was apparently an accomplished concert violinist, who did not make time to marry. She did bear at least three children, however.

Her first known child was Virgil Benjamin (Bert Snyder) Coffey, born c1891 in Washington Co., IA. Virgil was apparently given up for adoption and was renamed Bert Snyder.

The second and third child were twins: James Norman and Clarence, born Sep. 20, 1896 in Iowa.

Sarah's father, James Wilson was born May 10, 1882 in Pulaski Co., KY, married Louisa, born Jun. 23, 1826 in TN, on Dec. 11, 1842 in Morgan Co., IN. He died Jul 15, 1889 in Wellman, Lime Creek Twp., in Washington Co., IA. Louisa died Dec. 24, 1912 in Warrrenton, Clatsop Co., OR.

Their other children were:

Lemuel Lewis Moses, born Mar 6, 1844, died May 23, 1936

Unnamed, born c1845/46

John Taylor, born May 1847, died Jun. 6, 1926, married Sarah Adeline (Sofie) Gates on Jun. 12, 1880 in Wahkiakum Co., WA. Both died in Svenson, Clatsop Co., OR in the late 1920s.

Benjamin Franklin, born Jan. 28, 1850, died Sep. 28, 1928.

James Norman, born Sep. 30, 1853, died 1934, married Laura Ellen Hays in Lime Creek Twp., Washington Co., IA on Sep 27, 1877. James died in 1934 in Solano Co., CA; Laura on Sep. 19, 1902 in Clatsop Co.

Joseph Lone, born May 19, 1856 in Lime Creek Twp., died Aug. 21, 1927 in West Chester, Washington Co., IA. He married Susanah Wellman on Oct. 3, 1876. She was born May 13, 1850 in Indiana and died Apr. 14, 1919 in West Chester.

Victor Hugo, born May 30, 1858 in Morgan Co., IN, died Apr. 25, 1953 in Astoria, Clatsop Co. He married Anna Mary Brandt, born Aug. 7, 1862 in Mercer Co., NJ, and died Jun. 7, 1941 in Clatsop Co., on Dec. 18, 1881 in Washington Co., IA

Paschal Davis, born Apr. 23, 1861 in Morgan Co., IN, died Nov. 7, 1900 in Washington Co., IA

The last child was also unnamed and was born and died c1866.

It is unlikely that the father(s) of her three children will ever be identified. However, it would be satisfying to learn of the descendants of those children. I would also be interested in learning more about Sarah's professional life.

John Taylor Coffey (1847-1926)

John Taylor Coffey

John Taylor Coffey was a son of James Wilson Coffey and Louisa T. Norman. He was born May 23, 1847 in Morgan Co., IN, and died Jun. 6, 1926 in Svenson, Clatsup Co., OR. He married Sarah Adeline (Sofie) Gates on Jun. 12, 1880 in Wahkiakum Co., WA.

His obituary:

"Death claimed John Taylor Coffey here yesterday. He was 79 years old and a native of Indiana. For the past 43 years he has been a resident of Svensen. Mr. Coffey is survived by seven children, four sons, F. W. of North Bend, S. N. of Kalama, A. B. of Svensen and T.T. of Grants Pass, and three daughters, Mrs. Evelyn Knutsen, Mrs. Frankie Larsen and Mrs. Ida Larsen, all of Svensen, also five brothers, L.M. Coffey of Svensen, B.F. of Hammond, J.N. of Vallejo, Cal. V.H. of Warrenton and Lane of Iowa. Funeral services will be under the direction of John Gilbaugh and will be held at Svensen Thursday afternoon at 2 O'clock, with Rev. Ferguson officiating.  Interment will be at the Svensen Cemetery. The G.A.R. of which Mr. Coffey was a                                                 member, will take part in the funeral services."

Sofie was the daughter of Thomas Waterman Gates and Cynthia York. She was born Jul. 31, 1860 in Milwaukie, Multnomah Co., OR*, and died Nov. 28, 1929 in Svenson.

Together they were the parents of 10 children: La Rina; Florian W.; Sherman Nathan; Eveline Louisa; Franklin Louetta; Emma May; Ida L.; Augustus Benjamin; Tillman Taylor; and Lemuel D.

John Taylor Coffey was brother to Lemuel Lewis Moses Coffey.

Update, Sep. 3, 2015:  According to the 1890 Veteran's census for Clatsop Co., OR, Knappa, Bear Creek Pct., John reported that he had served with the 70th Oregon Infantry Regt. from Mar. 18, 1864 to Aug. 18, 1865 for a total of 1.5 years.  His obituary reports that he was 79 years old at the time of death and had lived in Svensen, Clatsop Co. for 43 years. Prior to that, he was in Wahkiakum Co., WA where he and Sarah Gates were married. So, is this John T. the same John T. that served in the 17th Indiana Regiment?

Sarah Adeline (Sofie) Gates

Sarah Adeline (Sofie) Gates
(1860-1929)



Photos and obituary are courtesy of Dorothy Louise Crawford, Union City, CA, a descendant of Lewis Moses Coffey

*The larger portion of Milwaukie is in Clackamas Co., while a small portion extends into Multnomah Co.