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| Betty Greenfield Coffey |
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| Cornelius Coffey |
Obituary, Lenoir Topic, Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC, May 28, 1893
To the Editor of the Lenoir Topic: Died at his home on Buffalo, in Caldwell county, May the 8th, 1893, William Coffey, aged 81 years and 8 days. His wife, Margaret, also departed this life April 26th, 1882, in the 66th year of her age. The Lord blessed them with a family of twelve children of which seven remain to mourn their loss. Brother and Sister Coffey joined the Baptist church in 1847; was soon ordained in the office of Deacon and Deaconess, which office they executed well. They both lived consistent Christian lives. We were present at the funeral of Sister Coffey, and remember hearing Brother Coffey express his desire to be asleep in Jesus with his companion. Since that time his greatest delight has been in the worship and service of the house of the Lord, often expressing a strong desire to be freed from the temptations and perplexities of this, and after an illness of about 6 months he fell asleep in the full triumphs of faith and was gathered to his loved ones that had gone before. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. M.C. and J.H.J.
Cornelius was born Jul. 27, 1844 at Buffalo Creek in Wilkes Co. and died Jun. 2, 1906 in Morganton, Burke Co. He was enumerated as a a patient at the Broughton State Hospital in Morganton in 1900. He is buried in the cemetery on the hospital grounds, his grave marked by a simple funeral home marker. I have not yet found his wife's final resting place.He married Ailsy Elizabeth "Betty" Greenfield on Feb. 20, 1868 in Caldwell Co. She was born Sep. 7, 1850 and died Jun. 11, 1928, presumably in North Carolina.
Their children, all born in Caldwell Co., were:
William Larkin, born Jun. 19, 1870, died Jan. 5, 1953 in Granite Falls, Caldwell Co. His wife was Alice Selma Setzer, daughter of Paul and Jemina Simmons Setzer, and was born Sep. 9, 1865 in NC, died Aug. 22, 1941 in Granite Falls. Both are buried there at Pinecrest Cemetery. Their children were Charles Mozer; Fannie C.; Claude Augustus; Ada M.; Walter Victor; Garland Cecil; Ethel; and Lucy Jane.
Elbert Finley, born Mar. 1, 1872, died Apr. 29, 1959 in Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC. His wife was Mary Louise Lentz, born Jul. 19, 1903 in NC, died Dec. 25, 1990 in Salisbury. Elbert is buried at Westlawn Memorial Park in China Grove, Rowan Co. Mary Louise is probably there as well but, I have found no record of that. Their children were at least two: Jack Nolan and Robert J. "Bob" Coffey.
Martha Louisa, born c1874. Her spouse was Roy Abernathy. No other information on either. Their children were also at least two: Collis Odell and Julia.
John Oliver, born c1876, died May 19, 1947 in Hinesville, Liberty Co., GA. His wife was Eva Broce, born Jan. 4, 1881 in Bristol, Sullivan Co., TN, died Jan. 20, 1946 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH. After John's death, Eva married Berch E. Scott of Highland Co., OK. He was born Aug. 12, 1872 and died in Cincinnati on Aug. 4, 1943. Both are buried at Vine Street Cemetery in Cincinnati. John's children with Eva were: Bruce, born c1899 in TN; Ethel, born c1902 in TN; Fred Howard, born c1905 in TN and Edna Lucille, born c1907 in NC.
Mary Etta, born Jun. 10, 1878, died Apr. 24, 1952 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co. She married on Aug. 25, 1900 in Watauga Co. to Larkin Solomon Presnell, born Feb. 10, 1870 in Watauga Co., NC to James H. and Rebecca Green Presnell. Larkin died Jun. 24, 1941 in Caldwell Co. He is buried at Howell Cemetery in Vilas, Watauga Co. while Mary Etta rests at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir. Their children were also at least two: Clarence Haskel, born 1901 and Roy Lee, born 1903, both in Watauga Co.
Annie Elizabeth, born Aug. 22, 1881, died Sep. 14, 1946 in Lenoir. She married Aug. 25, 1901 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., to Jesse Steele Johnson, a son of James Harvel and Zelphia Almida Sloan Johnson. Jesse was born Jan. 24, 1881 in NC and died Sep. 12, 1965 in Lenoir. They are buried at Belleview Cemetery in Lenoir. They were also parents of at least two children: Nellie Clyde, born 1903 and Lewis Albert.
The last child was George T., born Jul., 1883, married Jul. 27, 1902 to Nellie Taylor in Burke Co., NC. I have only one child for them: Billie, a daughter, born May 28, 1908 in Lenoir.
Photos of Cornelius and Betty courtesy of Donna Schultz
