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August 30, 2012

Hiram Kinsey & Mary Ann Evans Coffey

Hiram was born to Campbell & Elizabeth Caroline Eads Coffey on Feb. 8, 1862 in Maries Co., MO.  He died Nov. 13, 1925 in that county and was buried there at the Vienna Public Cemetery.  He and Mary Ann, a daughter of Jesse and Nancy Evans were married on Jun. 13, 1886 in Maries Co.  She died Feb. 9, 1931 and is also buried at Vienna.

The Coffeys lived their entire lives in Jackson Township, Maries Co. and raised seven children there; 5 boys and two girls.

Of the boys, William Sidney was the only one known to have married.  He was the eldest, born Apr. 4, 1887 and died of pneumonia on Mar. 18, 1922.  His wife was Mary Catherine Weidinger, born in MO in Mar., 1890.  They were parents of two children, Marie Bernice, born c1915 and James Cellus, born c1917, both in St. Louis Co., MO.  William is buried in Vienna at the public cemetery.  Before his death, William was a street car motorman in St. Louis.

Linnie Gertrude was born second on Jul. 2, 1889, died in Feb., 1973.  She married Jesse Stirling Snodgrass, born Dec. 13, 1888 in Maries Co., and died there Sep. 22, 1969.  Both are buried at the public cemetery in Vienna.  They too lived their entire lives in Vienna.  There were no known children born to the union.

The other boys were:  Earl Rufus, born Jun. 13, 1893, died Apr. 14, 1968; Sherman James, born May 14, 1897, died Sep. 12, 1972; Jesse Lee, born Apr. 14, 1900, died Jul. 23, 1989 and Thomas Roy, born Feb. 13, 1906, died Dec. 12, 2001.  Jessie was the only one to serve during WW2.  He enlisted on Nov. 18, 1942 at Jackson Barracks in St. Louis  None of them are known to have married and all are buried at Vienna in the public cemetery.

For a brief time in the 1930's Earl was a Missouri Highway Patrolman.  He later joined his brother Sherman as a building carpenter.  Jess worked for an orphanage as a laborer before joining the Army and Tom was a truck driver for the WPA in the 40's.

Born between Earl and Sherman was a daughter, Caroline Elizabeth in Apr., 1894.  She married Francis Behm, born May 18, 1890 in MO, on Nov. 14, 1912 in Maries Co.  Together they had two sons, Harold N., born c1915 in MO and Woodrow F., born Apr. 14, 1918 in Illinois, died Dec. 4, 1997 in MO.  Caroline and Francis divorced before the 1930 census.  She and her two sons were living in Pacific, Franklin Co., MO in 1930.  She was still there in 1940 but only Woodrow remained at home with her.  Caroline died on Mar. 31, 1977 and was buried at Vienna.  Francis Behm died on Sep. 12, 1968 and is also buried at Vienna.

After her divorce, Caroline worked for a time as a hotel waitress and later as a restaurant cook.