Sidney Louis "Sid" Coffey

Sidney was a son of Louis Raleigh Coffey and Lillie O. Morrow.  He was born 9 Apr 1905 in Rutherford Co., NC and later married Aquilla Quinn Hunt.  He died on 12 Jun 1987 in Rutherford Co. and was buried at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery in Forest City, Rutherford Co. on 14 Jun 1987.

Sid's claim to fame was a conviction in a federal court at Asheville, NC in May 1924 for violation of the Mann white slave act.

The following appeared in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina "Journal" on Tue., May 20, 1924, Page 1:

One Jailed for White Slavery

Judgment Suspended in Case of Two Others and Another is Freed of Charge

(By The Associated Press}

Asheville, May 19.--Sid Coffey was sentenced to serve four months in jail; judgment was suspended in the case of Pink Bright and Lewis Webb and Ed Ingle were found not guilty of violating the Mann white slave act in federal court today.

The four youths, residents of Forest City, N.C. were charged with having taken Mrs. Gertrude Jenkins, 19, from her home in Spartanburg, S.C. into North Carolina for immoral purposes.  She was with the men several days, part of the time being spent in a school house near Forest City.  The defense was based on the https://goo.gl/srE3fr : accessed Nov. 16, 2017 contention that the young woman went on the trip willingly.

Source: Genealogy Bank at https://goo.gl/srE3fr

Rev. John H. & Minerva Jane Coffey Nelson

John, sometimes referred to as "Rev. John Nelson," was a farmer in Caldwell Co. when he married Minerva Jane Coffey in that county in 1865.  He was a son of John M. & Elizabeth Penley Nelson*, born in Caldwell Co. on May 19, 1841.  Minerva, a daughter of Wilborn & Sarah Cottrell Coffey, was born there on Dec. 20, 1844.  John likely served the Confederacy during the Civil War.  There were at least three with the name from NC who enlisted.**  Which if any, is this John has not been determined.

Minerva gave John at least 11 children, all born in Caldwell Co. between 1869 and 1890.  They were:

Nora Cornelia, born Sep. 25, 1869, died May 22, 1953 at Belmont in South Point Twp., Gaston Co., NC.  Her spouse was Seth J. Setzer, a son of Larkin and Julia Holsclaw Setzer, born c1862.  They were married at Patterson on Mar. 20, 1888.  Seth died on Sep. 5, 1937 at Reidsville in Rockingham Co. and Nora on May 22, 1953 at Belmont.  Seth was buried at Mount Holly city cemetery in Gaston Co. while Nora was buried at Greenwood cemetery in Belmont.

Sarah, born Sep., 1870.  No further information.

Thomas, born c1873, married Mary Ingle, daughter of Mark & Nancy Ingle on Jul. 24, 1898 in Patterson Twp.  Mary was born c1876 in NC.

Minnie J., born Dec., 1874, married William "Willie" Estes on Feb. 15, 1903 in Johns River Twp.  He was born in 1880 in NC.

Robert Lee, born Feb. 1, 1875, married Junie Mae Phillips on Jun. 28, 1913 in Caldwell Co.  Robert died Jun. 6, 1955 in Lenoir; Junie there on Mar. 9, 1962.  Both are buried at Lenoir in Harpers Chapel cemetery.

William Rufus was born Dec. 6, 1879 and married Kate Pearl Suddreth, a daughter of Toliver Suddreth, on Oct. 4, 1913 in Caldwell Co.Kate was born c1890.  Rufus died Jun. 23, 1954 and was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir.  No info on Kate's death date and burial location. They had at least two children:  Albert Lee and Edna Minerva.

Henry L. & Mary C. were born in Dec., 1880 and Aug., 1883, respectively.  No further information.

George W. was born Mar., 1885 and married China Carlton on Feb. 14, 1910 in Burke Co., NC.  Children that I know of were:  Rubie, born c1917, Lorrane, born c1919, one unnamed, born c1926 and Willis Ester, a male?, born c1935.

Milton League, born Aug. 2, 1887, died in Lenoir on Feb. 18, 1966.  Milton married Cora Lee Kirby, born Sep. 3, 1894 in Caldwell Co. on Jun. 29, 1917.  Cora died Oct. 31, 1971 in Lenoir.  Both are buried at the Nelson Chapel in Lenoir.

The last child born to John and Minerva was Albert J., born in Apr., 1890.  He married Lucy B. Greene in 1919.  She died Oct. 4, 1938 and he followed her on Apr. 22, 1939.  I'm still looking for their burial places.  Chidlren:  Hattie Belle, born 1920; Mattie, born 1921; Annie Mae, born 1923; and Willie Wilson, born 1924.

---

*John H. was not the only child of John M and Elizabeth to marry a Coffey.  Their son George W., born 1837, married Mary Lou Coffey on Jun. 9, 1859 in Caldwell Co.  Mary Lou was a daughter of McCaleb and Elizabeth Collett Coffey.  George died on Jun. 8, 1860 in Lenoir; Mary Lou on Sep. 24, 1863.  They are both buried at Nelson's Chapel in Lenoir.  Another of the Nelson children, a daughter named Mary Ann, married Elijah L. Coffey on Jun. 20, 1867 in Caldwell Co.  Elijah was a son of William Coffey, Jr., and his wife Margaret Robbins.
**One John H. enlisted in Co. F, 6th Regiment, NC Infantry. Another enlisted in Co. D, 52d Regiment, NC Infantry and a third [John H. D.] enlisted in the 33d Regiment, NC Infantry.

Other sources used:  1850, 1870, 1880, 1900 US Federal Census; NC Death Certificates; Various cemetery records; NC Registrar of Deeds web service; familysearch.org


All of the surnames in this blog represent some very old Caldwell and Watauga  Co. NC families, some pre-Revolutionary.  Many of the ancestors of these herein named were pioneer hunters, explorers and settlers in those counties..

Harley Pinkney Coffey

Harley was a son of John A. and Emaline Jones Coffey and was born Feb. 14, 1866 in Buncombe Co., NC.  His first wife was Edith Rhodes to whom he was married on July 25, 1886 in Buncombe Co.  Edith was born May 17, 1870, probably in Buncombe Co., and died there on Feb. 10, 1895.  She was buried at the Mount Zion Missionary Church Cemetery in Leicester, Buncombe Co.

Edith gave birth to four children:

Hillard Floyd, born Jun., 1887, died Sep. 21, 1952 in Oteen, Asheville Twp., Buncombe Co.  He is buried at Grace Methodist Chapel Cemetery in Asheville.  Hillard married Jenny Hall and had at least two children:  Joseph Harley and Hillard, Jr.

Goldie Pearl, born Jul. 28, 1888, died Mar. 21, 1968 in Morganton, Burke Co., NC.  She married Wells Green on Jun. 15, 1909 in Buncombe Co.  Wells was born to Hillard and Betty Wilson Green on Apr. 3, 1882 in Buncombe Co.  He died Mar. 27, 1967, also in Morganton.  Both are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Ashville, NC.  They had at least two children:  Hillard and Olive.

Maude, born Feb. 5, 1890 in Buncombe Co., died there on Feb. 14, 1896.  She is buried at Zion Hill cemetery at Leicester.

Talmadge DeWitt, born Feb. 8, 1894 in Buncombe Co., died Jan. 4, 1960 in Asheville.  He is buried at Grace Methodist Church cemetery in Asheville.

About a year after Edith died, Harley married Allie F. Brooks on Sep. 20, 1896.  She was born in Aug., 1876 and died Apr. 17, 1933, either in Buncombe or Bladen Co., NC.  Allie is also buried at Zion Hill.

Allie gave birth to at least seven children:

Kenneth LeCosta, born Aug. 11, 1898, died Mar. 21, 1975 in Buncombe Co.  He married Altha Ingle on Feb. 14, 1921 in Buncombe Co. and became the parents of Kenneth, born 1922; Charles William, born 1924; Betty L., born 1927; and Richard, born 1930.  Kenneth is buried at Forest Lawn in Asheville, Buncombe Co.  He and Altha were divorced in Buncombe Co. on Feb. 11, 1958.  She may have remarried and, her burial site has not yet been found.

Liston Jeffery, born Jul., 1899, died Apr. 3, 1965 in Asheville.  He married Emma Foster c1928 and they had at least one child, Virginia, born c1929 in Buncombe Co.  Liston is buried at Zion Baptist Church cemetery in Morganton, Burke Co.  Liston was divorced by the 1940 census and was residing with daughter Virginia in the household with his sister, Bonnie Howington and her family.

Gertrude, born Aug. 12, 1901 in Buncombe Co., died Jun. 21, 1968 at Burlington in Almance Co., NC.  She married Donald Walton Hamilton on Jun. 20, 1934 in Buncombe Co.  He was born Jul. 7, 1902 and died Nov. 28, 1858.  Both are buried at Green Hills cemetery in Asheville.

Update Jan. 16, 2013:  Gracie, child no. 4 for Harley and Allie, was born Aug. 12, 1903 and died Jun. 15, 1909.  She too is buried at Zion Hill.

Forest Andrew, born Apr. 12, 1906, died Nov. 1, 1920 in Buncombe Co.  Forest is buried at Zion Hill.

John, born c1908; no other information.

Bonnie, born Dec. 20, 1910, died Dec. 16, 1988 at Asheville.  She married the Rev. Bud Howington, a son of C. H. and Isabell Stewart Howington, on Jun. 24, 1933 in Buncombe Co.  Bud was born Jan. 23, 1910 in Asheville and died there on Jun. 23, 1952.  Both Bud and Bonnie are buried at the Mount Olive Baptist Church cemetery in Asheville.  I have found only two children:  Helen C., born Feb. 18, 1934 in Asheville, died there on Jul. 31, 1937.  The second was born and died in Oct., 1942 at Asheville.  Both chidlren are buried at Mount Olive.

The last child was Geneva, born c1914.  She appeared in the family census record in 1920 but not in later records.