A mistake was made in the paper copy of the Coffey Cousins' newsletter concerning the Coffey family reunion at Russell Springs, KY.
The actual date of the reunion is August 22, 2009 at the Russell Springs City Park.
Please make a note of this and attend if possible.
Also, please pass this info on to others who might be attending so they do not show up on the wrong date!
Contact Carolyn Coffey for additional information.
Showing posts with label Reunion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reunion. Show all posts
June 13, 2009
May 6, 2009
Coffey Cousins' in 2011
Are you willing, or could you be enticed to host a Coffey Cousins' reunion in 2011?
No kidding, the job is really easy!
The area where the reunion is to held should have some connection to the Coffey family, be it Edward, Peter or some other such as Hugh, etc.
It does not have to be held in a large metropolitan city, although such cities are not out of the question. We've met in such cities as San Antonio, Baltimore, and Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
A host is charged with finding a hotel that is willing to provide rooms for 30-40 people at a reasonable price.
The hotel should have a meeting room that they provide free of charge in return for a given number of room reservations.
The hotel should also have a dining facility. Continental breakfasts are probably good, but lunches and dinners should be either buffet or ordered from a menu.
The hotel should be able to furnish and serve a meal on Saturday night before the business meeting. Typical meals are fish, beef or steak. There should be at least two to select from. The rest of the meal can be bread, vegetables, salads, iced tea and/or coffee. Prices, including gratuity should not be more than $15 to $20 per person. The cheaper the better, but the meals should not be skimpy.
If you live in a small town and hotels with such facilities are not available, the meal can be catered.
Tours are not necessary unless the host believes there is something the group just has to see. Many of our cousins are restrained by age from walking great distances, or even driving in large cities. A tour bus that can transport everyone is sometimes necessary.
Advance fees for buses, holding a block of tickets to a performance, or whatever else the host/hostess plans will be advanced by Coffey Cousins. Actual tour costs, tickets, etc. are payable by each cousin attending, but a host/hostess is not required to put up their own money to assure services for us.
There should be a couple of good restaurants near the hotel; maybe something like TGI Fridays, Bob Evans. Places that have a national reputation for being clean with good food and reasonable prices are very acceptable.
The host or hostess is typically the "leg man." Someone local to the reunion is needed because only they are familiar with facilities in their area. More guidance from the likes of me and hosts of past conventions is readily available via phone call or e-mail.
The host/hostess also runs the event up until Saturday night when the president takes over. But, there are more volunteers than a host can shake a stick at, so he or she is never left alone to figure out what comes next.
If you are at all interested but would like more info before committing, drop me an e-mail.
If you live in Chattanooga and would like to host, someone is likely to give you a big hug as well!
No kidding, the job is really easy!
The area where the reunion is to held should have some connection to the Coffey family, be it Edward, Peter or some other such as Hugh, etc.
It does not have to be held in a large metropolitan city, although such cities are not out of the question. We've met in such cities as San Antonio, Baltimore, and Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
A host is charged with finding a hotel that is willing to provide rooms for 30-40 people at a reasonable price.
The hotel should have a meeting room that they provide free of charge in return for a given number of room reservations.
The hotel should also have a dining facility. Continental breakfasts are probably good, but lunches and dinners should be either buffet or ordered from a menu.
The hotel should be able to furnish and serve a meal on Saturday night before the business meeting. Typical meals are fish, beef or steak. There should be at least two to select from. The rest of the meal can be bread, vegetables, salads, iced tea and/or coffee. Prices, including gratuity should not be more than $15 to $20 per person. The cheaper the better, but the meals should not be skimpy.
If you live in a small town and hotels with such facilities are not available, the meal can be catered.
Tours are not necessary unless the host believes there is something the group just has to see. Many of our cousins are restrained by age from walking great distances, or even driving in large cities. A tour bus that can transport everyone is sometimes necessary.
Advance fees for buses, holding a block of tickets to a performance, or whatever else the host/hostess plans will be advanced by Coffey Cousins. Actual tour costs, tickets, etc. are payable by each cousin attending, but a host/hostess is not required to put up their own money to assure services for us.
There should be a couple of good restaurants near the hotel; maybe something like TGI Fridays, Bob Evans. Places that have a national reputation for being clean with good food and reasonable prices are very acceptable.
The host or hostess is typically the "leg man." Someone local to the reunion is needed because only they are familiar with facilities in their area. More guidance from the likes of me and hosts of past conventions is readily available via phone call or e-mail.
The host/hostess also runs the event up until Saturday night when the president takes over. But, there are more volunteers than a host can shake a stick at, so he or she is never left alone to figure out what comes next.
If you are at all interested but would like more info before committing, drop me an e-mail.
If you live in Chattanooga and would like to host, someone is likely to give you a big hug as well!
More about the 2009 Reunion
This is stitched on Gail's cap. 
Ellen and Marguerite, aunt and mother of Gail. They are all wearing the Coffee caps.
And finally, the snakes showed up but didn't cause any panic. This fellow or gal, as the case may be, was lying in the pathway between me and dinner! In case you are wondering, it's a Copperhead.
May 5, 2009
More Photos from 2009 Coffey Cousins' Reunion
Bonnie Culley, with outgoing president Ed Coffee in the background. Bonnie was celebrating her 20th year as editor of the Coffey Cousins' newsletter. She recently placed issues 1 to 93 on CD. Price and subscription information is available from Bonnie.
A view of Lake Cumberland from the Lure Lodge dining room. Many Coffey Cousins spent a lot of time in this room. The lodge staff maintained a great buffet for dinner, a large salad bar and lots of good deserts.
Nelda prepares a large basket of Louisiana products for each year's silent auction. This year's basket was especially beautiful. The successful bidder was Jim Culley, Bonnie's husband.
Reams Goodloe, editor of the newsletter index, will be 91 years old in June. He drove alone from Washington State to Jamestown, KY to attend the reunion.
May 4, 2009
A Few Pix from the 2009 Coffey Cousins' Reunion
Our hosts, Glenda and Danny Coffey of Jamestown, KY. My wife Nelda is to their left.
Danny Coffey and me in front of his office in Jamestown. Danny has been a Shelter Insurance representative for about 39 years. He is also a real estate broker.
Lure Lodge where the reunion was held. It is on Lake Cumberland. This photo doesn't do real justice to this fine facility.
Jean Mower, Nelda Coffee and Wayne Mower, Jean's Husband. The photo was taken in the dining room at Lure Lodge and overlooks Lake Cumberland. Jean was elected president to serve from the end of the 2009 to the end of the 2010 convention. She and Wayne are hosting the 2010 convention in Delaware. Watch this space and the Coffey Cousins' newsletter for details.
More photos later...
March 5, 2008
Coffeytown and 2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion
For readers who plan to attend the 2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion, and are wondering what Coffeytown is all about, click on the Coffeytown "search also" label below. That will bring up all previous blog entries for that area, and provide a pretty good review of the area and the families that lived there.
Please contact me with any questions you might have about the reunion or the area and I'll see if I can find the answer. My e-mail address is above.
Please contact me with any questions you might have about the reunion or the area and I'll see if I can find the answer. My e-mail address is above.
March 4, 2008
Coffey Cousins' 2008 Reunion Update
- If you are a subscriber to the Coffey Cousins' printed newsletter you will have read that the tour to Coffeytown will leave the hotel on Friday morning. That is an error. The trip to Coffeytown is on Saturday morning, time to be announced.
- I have contacted a caterer and am making arrangements for the banquet and box lunches. The hotel does not provide breakfast, but the caterer tells me that a truck stop very near the hotel serves a great breakfast. Locals often go there for their meals.
- If you have been holding off on submitting your menu choices, please fill it out and mail it to me. I will need an accurate head count very soon.
- Everyone is encouraged to bring a small and inexpensive item to be used as a door prize. Whatever you bring should not cost more than a couple of bucks.
February 14, 2008
Coffey Cousins' Reunion
New information about the 2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion has been posted at the Coffey Cousins' website.
Anyone planning to attend should read the update ASAP.
Click on the title link to go to the website.
Anyone planning to attend should read the update ASAP.
Click on the title link to go to the website.
August 8, 2007
2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion
Here it is!
The 2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion will be held May 2-4, 2008 at Raphine in Rockbridge Co., VA. Headquarters for the event will be the Days Inn* at Raphine. Thirty rooms have been set aside and include smoking as well as non-smoking rooms. Cost per day for each room is $64.95 plus tax. Please contact the Days Inn reservations desk at 540-377-2604.
Be sure to let the clerk know that you are attending the Coffey Cousins' Reunion.
Because this area of VA is rife with Coffey descendants, and many likely to attend from NC as well, we recommend that you make and confirm reservations early to assure a room. The hotel has only 80 rooms and we are the first to book for that time of the year.
You must make reservations prior to Apr. 15, 2008.
We are currently working on a menu with the hotel restaurant for the Saturday night group dinner and meeting. At the moment we anticipate the price of each meal to be around $15.00 plus tax. We are also planning a convoy of private automobiles to Coffeytown where we will be given an overview of area settlers. There are no restaurants local to Coffeytown so we are making arrangements for sack lunches and drinks to be prepared by the hotel restaurant. We anticipate the lunch to be sandwich style with chips, drinks, etc. and the cost to be about $8.00 plus tax.
Additional details will appear here as they are finalized.
*For those of you who might have read the earlier announcement of the meeting at The Natual Bridge Inn, I can only say that the hotel was apparently sold during our negotiations with them. We had a contract but it was incorrect (dates, number of rooms, etc). We were promised a revised contract but it never arrived. Our contact person there has not returned calls.
The 2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion will be held May 2-4, 2008 at Raphine in Rockbridge Co., VA. Headquarters for the event will be the Days Inn* at Raphine. Thirty rooms have been set aside and include smoking as well as non-smoking rooms. Cost per day for each room is $64.95 plus tax. Please contact the Days Inn reservations desk at 540-377-2604.
Be sure to let the clerk know that you are attending the Coffey Cousins' Reunion.
Because this area of VA is rife with Coffey descendants, and many likely to attend from NC as well, we recommend that you make and confirm reservations early to assure a room. The hotel has only 80 rooms and we are the first to book for that time of the year.
You must make reservations prior to Apr. 15, 2008.
We are currently working on a menu with the hotel restaurant for the Saturday night group dinner and meeting. At the moment we anticipate the price of each meal to be around $15.00 plus tax. We are also planning a convoy of private automobiles to Coffeytown where we will be given an overview of area settlers. There are no restaurants local to Coffeytown so we are making arrangements for sack lunches and drinks to be prepared by the hotel restaurant. We anticipate the lunch to be sandwich style with chips, drinks, etc. and the cost to be about $8.00 plus tax.
Additional details will appear here as they are finalized.
*For those of you who might have read the earlier announcement of the meeting at The Natual Bridge Inn, I can only say that the hotel was apparently sold during our negotiations with them. We had a contract but it was incorrect (dates, number of rooms, etc). We were promised a revised contract but it never arrived. Our contact person there has not returned calls.
Austin and Mary Blalock Coffey Reunion
Descendants of Austin and Mary Blalock Coffey, including the Dula and Wright families, or any other family connected to this couple are invited to attend a family reunion.
The reunion will be held at Davant Field at 11AM on Aug. 19, 2007 in Blowing Rock, NC.
Attendees are asked to bring a covered dish and a chair.
The reunion will be held at Davant Field at 11AM on Aug. 19, 2007 in Blowing Rock, NC.
Attendees are asked to bring a covered dish and a chair.
June 1, 2007
2008 Reunion Update
Click here for important information concerning the 2008 Coffey Cousins' Reunion!
May 9, 2007
2008 Coffey Cousins' Convention
UPDATE: Due to hotel scheduling conflicts, the 2008 Reunion will be held at The Natural Bridge Inn near Lexington, VA on May 2-4, 2008. This is one week later than normal, but is the earliest we could book sufficient rooms for our meeting.
As more details become available they will be published here, as well as on the Coffey Cousins' website. They will also be printed in the Dec., 2007 and Mar., 2008 Coffey Cousins' newsletters.
Where will you be on the last full weekend in April, 2008? Hopefully you will be attending the Coffey Cousins' Convention to be held in Lexington, VA.
The actual dates are (check in) April 24, 2008 through (depart) Apr. 27, 2008. Come early or stay late and see this magnificant area in one of the most significant states in the lives of our Coffey ancestors. There are likely more Coffey families in this area than in any place else in the United States.
Think about this historical area! Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson walked in this area. Both Lee and Jackson are buried at Lexington. The Lee Chapel and Museum, Stonewall Jackson home, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), The George C. Marshall museum, Hunter's Rain Civil War Trail, and Washington and Lee University are all places you should see.
I will write more about this convention as details become clearer. In the meantime, visit The Historic Rockbridge website and ask for a copy of their visitor's guide. It's an impressive booklet, and does much more justice describing the area than I can here.
January 16, 2007
Watauga High School Class of '45 - 50th Class Reunion
This photograph appeared in the Aug. 4, 1995 Edition of the Watauga Democrat. The photographer was not identified.
Click on Image to Enlarge
Clipping courtesy Margaret Coffey Farley
September 26, 2005
Fiddler's Green
Fiddler's Green is the former home of Daniel Rufus Coffey, a younger brother of Charles E. Coffey. Daniel Rufus fathered a total of 14 children who all lived to marry. His first wife died in childbirth and he remarried Sallie Cole Black Coffey! Sallie survived Daniel Rufus, and spent her final years in Lynchburg and is buried at Springhill Cemetery in Lynchburg. Daniel Rufus and his first wife are buried at Bridgehill in Coffeytown.
Much of the land around the cabin was bare, or in cultivation until after the Great Depression. Today it is surrounded mostly by walnut trees and sits beside Staton's Creek. The house is used today by family members for their annual reunion, which began c1918. Originally intended to bring together the descendants of Daniel Rufus, the reunion is now open to all, and is always held on the last Sunday in July.
A onetime-a-year service is held at the Macedonia church for the reunion attendees who then return to Fiddler's Green for lunch, visiting with one another, and listening to old time music.
Charles E. Coffey and Daniel Rufus Coffey are two of the more prolific Coffey's of Coffeytown. Many of their extended families have not lived in the area for more than 100 years, yet return annually for the reunion to reclaim their roots.
Thanks to John Taylor for providing the photographs, and the background on Fiddler's Green.
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