David F. Coffey 1817-1867 Pike Co., IL

From a History of Pike county, Illinois, pub. by Charles Chapman & Co., Chicago, 1880

"David F. Coffey, deceased, one of the pioneers, was born in Simpson county, Ky., May 18, 1817, and was a son of Nathan Coffey, deceased, well known in this county, who brought his family here in 1829 and settled on sec. 3, Griggsville township, at the summit of the hill which was afterward christined "Coffey Hill," and is still called by that name.  He was the father of 13 children, of whom David F. was the 6th.  The latter was married in 1842 to Elizabeth Conner, daughter of Francis Conner, deceased, who came to Franklin Co., Ill., in 1832.  Mr. and Mrs. Coffey had 10 children, of whom 9 are living, - Sarah E., Nathan F., J. Hardin, Delitha M., Daniel F., Burton B., Thomas M., Mary J. and Grace L.  Mr. Coffey was Captain of Co. B., 68th Regt. Ill. Inf., in the Rebellion, but was detailed to hospital service during the second battle of Manassas.  He died Sept. 22, 1867, at the age of 50 years; had been a member of the Baptist Church for about twenty-seven years."

I have unsourced information on three of the nine children who survived:  John Hardin Coffey, born Aug. 31, 1847, died Apr. 29, 1917,  was married on Oct. 14, 1875 in West Grove, Davis Co., IA to Ellen Martin.  Daniel Franklin Coffey married Nancy Margaret LNU in Mar., 1851 in Pike Co.  They were parents of at least seven children, born between 1877 and 1899.  Thomas M. married Lillian Mae Hathaway on Jul. 5, 1883 in IL and had at least six chilren, born between 1884 and 1899.

Please contact me if you can add to or correct any of the family information.

---

Update Oct. 7, 2011 Victor Mahlon French and Grace Harding Coffey were married on Oct. 2, 1907* in Crook Co., WY.  Grace was a daughter of Thomas and Lillian Mae Hathaway Coffey.

Their children were:

Russell Elmore, born Jul. 23, 1908 in Alva, Crook Co., died Aug. 11, 1992 in Belle Fourche, Butte Co., SD. His wife was Dorothy, last name unknown. He is buried at Alva Cemetery in Crook Co.

Celia Mae, born Jan. 27, 1910 in Alva, died Jul. 26, 2006 in Gibbon, Buffalo Co., NE. She married Morton Lee Howard on Aug. 16, 1934. He was born Dec. 11, 1912 in Pierre, Hughes Co., SD and died in Nebraska on Jun. 17, 1982. Both are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Gibbon.

Geraldine Belle, born Jun. 26, 1917 in Alva, died May 9, 2009 in Rapid City, Pennington Co., SD. Her husband was Willard Beard to whom she was married on Dec. 22, 1940. Geraldine's remains were cremated and her ashes scattered in an unknown location.

After Grace's death in 1917, Victor was married to Delia Foley, born Mar. 7, 1900 in Cheyenne, Laramie Co., WY, died Sep., 1973 in Cheyenne. From Russell's obituary** we learn that they were the parents of two children: Naomi Jean, born May 9, 1927 in Alva, and Eleanor who married a Mr. Egan. Delia is also buried at Alva in Crook Co.

Naomi married Edwin Gibson Rounds, retired Major, USMC, born Jun. 20, 1920, died Mar. 31, 1985 in ND. Jean died on Jul. 2, 2011 in ND. Both she and Edwin are buried at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, Meade Co., SD.

---

*Groom's Name: Victor M. French Groom's Birth Date: Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: Bride's Name: Grace H. Coffey Bride's Birth Date: 1884 Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: 23 Marriage Date: 02 Oct 1907 Marriage Place: , Crook, Wyoming Groom's Father's Name: Groom's Mother's Name: Bride's Father's Name: Bride's Mother's Name: Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M71134-1 System Origin: Wyoming-VR Source Film Number: 968135 Reference Number: 2:1VQRD96 [NB: Oct. 2 could be the license date and the marriage occured on Oct. 7 as given below by Debra Tower]

**Obituary from The Sundance Times, Sundance, Crook Co., WY
Russell E. French, 84, Belle Fourche, and former longtime Crook County resident, died Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Belle Fourche Long Term Health Care Center.  Survivors include his wife, Dorothy, Belle Fourche; two sons, Joe Russell, Crawley, LA, and ned Victor, Winnemucca, NV; two daughters, Marlys Grace, Lander, WY, and Lea Kathryn, Wasilla, Alaska; 10 grandchildren; four great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; four sisters, Celia Howard, Gibbon, NE, Geraldine Beard, Edgemont, Elanor Egan, Maple Valley, WA, and Jean Rounds, Cheyenne.  Services were held Friday at Alva Community Church in Alva, WY with Elder Merlin O'Haver officating. Burial was in the Alva Cemetery.