Reflections

I wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my Christian friends! For the few non-believers in my life, I pray you will cease believing you are "special," and have no need for a savior. I hate very much what will happen to you when you reach wherever you are headed and find out you really did need one.  

I haven't been very blog-active in 2015* because of other commitments. I hope that 2016 will see an increased output from my desk to yours.

My goal since about October has been to improve the sources, especially for death and burials. As a result, I have relied on Find-A-Grave. I have not been gravely [pun intended] disappointed; on the contrary I have not yet failed to find anyone I have searched for. What disappointment I have suffered has been with a few contributors’ failure to look at their own headstone photographs for correct dates and spellings.

There are currently about 35K names in my Edward Coffey Project, but many already have a proper burial source. However, after working steadily for about six weeks, I have just begun the Coffey surnames and, the end is not in sight. This might take me through next Christmas when I can then begin to work on completing sources for other events.  In any event, I hope to begin preparing to publish the project in book form. It promises to be huge.

The last edition of the Coffey Cousins' Clearinghouse newsletter, which I edit and publish, has just been released. It is volume no. 137 and begins the 35th year since this newsletter was first published. It was previously in print format but went digital when I assumed the editor's job in Feb., 2013. They are in PDF can be read and printed from my website.  

Some major family accomplishments over the past couple of years have been the college graduation and subsequent marriage of our two oldest grandsons as well as the very recent college graduation of the next oldest grandson. In March, 2016, we will celebrate the college graduation of one granddaughter and the marriage of another. In January, my wife and I hope to celebrate the second anniversary of my last chemo and complete cancer remission.** Also in March, we will celebrate the 76th anniversary of my wife's birth. 

One son has been appointed Vice President of an oil company with HQ in Tennessee. Another son has just returned with his family from a 2-year work assignment in the UK and have since resettled in south Louisiana.  They will reside near New Orleans. Our eldest, a daughter, is about to become an "empty nester," but is busy with her restaurant and catering business in Texas. Their mom and I are extremely proud of all our children, their successes, and of their children and their successes.

Again, to everyone, a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

Jack

*The Edward Coffey Project blog first appeared on Dec. 7, 2004.

**Complete cancer remission does not mean I am cured.  It means only that for the time being there is no evidence of the disease in my body.