This genealogy may be way off base, but appears to be somewhat accurate. Readers with better knowledge of "Nute" are invited to submit corrections.
Updated Oct. 20, 2011
Newton "Nute" Gragg, sometimes referred to as Isaac Newton Gragg, was born May. 13, 1879 in Caldwell Co., NC to William "Billie" and Phoebe Shell Gragg. He died May 26, 1956 in Bob White, Boone Co., WV and was buried at White Cemetery in Julian, Boone Co., WV.*
It is believed that Newton married and fathered a child, perhaps two, with Ada Coffey, a daughter of Eldelano "Lano" and Mary E. Austin Coffey. One child is thought to have been Lloyd Gragg, perhaps sometimes referred to as Lloyd Coffey. He was born c1909 in Caldwell Co., and died there in 1979**. Ada's death certificate does give her name as Ada Gragg and the widow of the late Newton Gragg.
In 1930, Ada, age 44, was enumerated as a Coffey in the Walter Adams household in Catawba Co. Walter's wife was Sarah Jane Coffey, a daughter of Rabon Scott and Margaret E. Hollander Coffey and Ada's cousin. With "Ader" in this census were two Coffey men, Foy [sic] [Floyd], age 25 and Loyd [sic], age 23. If Nute was the father of Lloyd then this entry may suggest that he fathered both boys. Floyd was born Dec. 16, 1907 in Caldwell Co.**
Lloyd married Epsey or Epsie Magdelene Coffey on Aug. 16, 1936 in Wilson Creek Twp., Avery Co.*** Epsie was the daughter of Thomas Newton "Black Tom" and Ella Mae Loudermelt Coffey, born Jun. 21, 1916 in Caldwell Co., died Feb. 25, 1989 in Lenoir and was buried at White Springs Cemetery in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co. Lloyd died in 1979 and was likely to have been laid to rest at White Springs as well. Lloyd and Epsie were divorced in July, 1964 in Caldwell Co.¹
Update 10/20/2011: Lloyd Coffey of Taylorsville, NC sent me a photo of Lloyd's grave marker. He is buried in the Globe Community Cemetery at Globe Baptist Church, Caldwell Co.³
"Nute," as he seemed to be popularly known, appeared as a boarder in the Nannie Young boarding house, Wilsons Creek Twp., Avery Co. in 1910. He married Della V. Hall, a daughter of Franklin Ellis & Alia Louella Greer Hall on Oct. 12, 1915 in Mortimer, Wilson Creek Twp.² Della was born Jun. 10, 1890 in Granite Falls, Caldwell Co., and died Sep. 3, 1959 in Bim, Boone Co., WV. She is believed to have been buried at the White Cemetery as well. I am aware of one child, Bonnie, was born c1918.
In 1918, Nute was in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC where he was registered for the WW1 draft. His registration card describes him as short and stout with blue eyes and bald. In 1920 he and Della were in Forneys Creek, Swain Co. and in 1930 they were in Boone Co., WV. Nute's death certificate reports cause of death as a "cerebral hemorrhage" and Della's as a "cerebro vascular accident." I guess both are the same cause and more commonly known as strokes.
*"West Virginia Deaths, 1853-1970." Index, FamilySearch, 2009. Digital copies of originals housed in County Courthouses throughout West Virginia. www/familysearch.org. name: Nute Gragg death date: 26 May 1956 death place: Bob White, Boone, West Virginia gender: Male age: estimated birth year: 13 May 1879 birth place: Globe, N. C. marital status: spouse's name: father's name: Billy Gragg father's birthplace: mother's name: Phoebe Shell mother's birthplace: occupation: Logging street address: residence: cemetery: White Cemetery burial place: burial date: 28 May 1956 film number: 571246 digital folder number: 4228482 image number: 58 source: County Records reference number: v 4
**Caldwell County, North Carolina Register of Deed's Index Search, Wayne L. Rash,
Register of Deeds online
[http://rod.co.caldwell.nc.us/Resolution/search_menu.asp], accessed variously, Lloyd Coffey, Death Register, Book 66, Page 100, parents Ada Coffey Gragg and Newtin Gragg. Floyd Phillip Gragg Date of Birth: 16 Dec 1907 Gender: Male Race: White
Birth County: Caldwell Parent1 Name: Newton Gragg Parent2 Name: Adar Coffey Roll
Number: B_C017_68001 Volume: 4 Page: 114
***North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979, digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org). Groom's Name: Lloyd Gragg Groom's Birth Date: 1909 Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: 27 Bride's Name: Epsey Coffey Bride's Birth Date: 1916 Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: 20 Marriage Date: 16 Aug 1936 Marriage Place: Wilson Creek Twp., Avery, North Carolina Groom's Father's Name: Nute Gragg Groom's Mother's Name: Ader Gragg Bride's Father's Name: Tom Coffey Bride's Mother's Name: Eller Coffey Groom's Race: White Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: White Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M75218-2 System Origin: North Carolina-EASy Source Film Number: 1689135 Reference Number: No. 94
¹North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. North Carolina Divorce Index, 1958-2004. Raleigh, NC, USA: North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2004. Primary Name: Epsie Gragg Spouse's Name: Lloyd Gragg Divorce Date:13 Jul 1964 Divorce County:Caldwell
²North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979 , digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org). groom's name: Newton Gragg groom's birth date: 1880 groom's birthplace: groom's age: 35 bride's name: Della Hall bride's birth date: 1895 bride's birthplace: bride's age: 20 marriage date: 12 Oct 1915 marriage place: Mortimer, Wilson Creek, Nc groom's father's name: groom's mother's name: Phoeba Gragg bride's father's name: Ellis Hall bride's mother's name: Hall groom's race: White groom's marital status: groom's previous wife's name: bride's race: White bride's marital status: bride's previous husband's name: indexing project (batch) number: M74476-1 system origin: North Carolina-EASy source film number: 590350 reference number: Cn 165
³"Lloyd Gragg's grave marker is located in the Globe Community Cemetery at Globe
Baptist Church in Caldwell County, North Carolina. This information should help
with your blog about 'Nute' Gragg. Lloyd caddied during the summer months at
Blowing Rock Country Club in Watauga County, North Carolina during the middle
1960's. I also caddied there during those summers and spent many hours talking
with and getting to know Lloyd on those occasions that we caddied together. At
that time he used the name Lloyd Gragg. I was also aware at that time that Lloyd
was married to my father's double first cousin Epsey Coffey Gragg." [Lloyd Coffey, Taylorsville, NC, 10/20/2011]
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