Thomas Joshua & Laura W. Parsons Coffey

Family tragedies occur more often than we like to think!

Thomas Joshua Coffey was born in Wilkes County, NC on Aug. 8, 1883 to Joshua T. and Rebecca Eveline Wyatt Coffey.  He was married to Laura W. Parsons c1903 in NC, the daughter of Finley and Annie Anderson Parsons.  Laura was born Apr. 1, 1882 in Wilkes Co.

Within a year of marriage their first child, a daughter named Eula, was born in 1904.  Children came along in a more reasonably interval thereafter with the birth of Spencer Conrad on Apr. 8, 1906, Thelma in 1909, Burness in 1911 and Cozelle somewhat later in 1917.

Unfortunately, the Spanish Flu pandemic came along shortly after Cozelle's birth and was responsible for the deaths of some 50 million people, worldwide.

Thomas missed that deadly disease when he died of appendicitis in June of 1915.  The family laid him to rest in Wilkesboro, Wilkes Co., NC at the New Hope Church Cemetery.

The flu struck the remaining family in Oct. 1918 when Laura became ill from pneumonia brought on by the flu.  She perished on Oct. 15 at a local hospital in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., NC and was laid to rest in New Hope with her spouse.

See Source*

There were yet four young children in the household.  Eula was the eldest at 14 then came Spencer Conrad at age 12; Thelma at nine; Burness at 7 and Cozelle, about a year old. [Laura's death notice reports that she was survived by eight children but I have found only five.]**

Within about a month all were dead except Spencer. I still wonder how he survived!

Burness died 18 Sep., 1918; Eula and Thelma survived until Oct. 24, 1918; Cozelle on Oct. 27, 1918.



Spencer Conrad grew to adulthood, married and probably had children.  His wife was named Nellie L. but I have not found a marriage record nor any info on children born to the union.

In 1920 Conrad lived with his paternal grandmother in Union Twp., Wilkes Co.  I have not found him in 1930.  In 1940 he was found at Fort Bragg in Cumberland Co., NC where he was billeted after returning from Manila, in the Philippines. He was a Private in the US Army Field Artillery.

Conrad, as he apparently preferred to be called,  died Jul. 2, 1973 of carcinoma of lungs in Valdese General Hospital at Connelly Springs in Burke Co., NC and was buried at the Union Baptist Church Cemetery at Millers Creek in Wilkes Co. Nellie preceded him in death on Jun. 7, 1970. She is also buried at Union Baptist.


Source: 

*Newspaper - The Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, NC, https://goo.gl/6gtb6B : Date: Wednesday, October 16, 1918 Paper: Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) Page: 3 .

** Please contact me if you know of the other children and if they survived the epidemic. I would also like to know if Spencer Conrad  has descendants and the maiden name of his wife, Nellie.

Charles Shelby Coffey, Sr.

Among the well known and able representatives of the bar of Hamilton county is Charles S. Coffey*, a resident of this city, for the most part, since 1900.  Mr. Coffey is a native son of Kentucky, being born on the old home place of his parents near Monticello, in Wayne county, on the 18th day of June, 1882.  He comes of old and honored families of the Bluegrass state, and his parents being Lewis and Sophia (Buster) Coffey.  His father is now living retired in Danville, Kentucky.  His mother passed away on January 1, 1894.  Lewis Coffey was long numbered among the representative farming men of Wayne county, Kentucky, and was successful in his lifework, and so conducted himself as to win and hold the unqualified confidence and esteem of his fellow men.

Charles S. Coffey gained his early education in the public schools of Monticello, Kentucky, and was graduated from the high school of that place as a member of the class of 1898.  Thereafter he held a position as bookkeeper in a bank in Monticello for two years, at the expiration of which time, in 1900, he came to Chattanooga, where he was for some little time in the employ of the D. B. Loveman Company, one of the largest department stores in the city.  In January, 1902, Mr. Coffey entered the University of Tennessee, and in 1905 was duly graduated from the institution with the degree of Bachelor of Science.  the following year he was graduated from the law department of the same institution with the degree of Bachelor of Laws.

After his graduation Mr. Coffey returned to Chattanooga, and for some time he was supervisor at the real estate loan department of the Chattanooga Savings Bank, a position that was placed at his disposal soon after he returned to the city, and he continued in that position until September, 1910, when he resigned the same to engage in the practices of his profession.  About one year later he formed a partnership with Mr. Paul Campbell, under the firm name of Campbell & Coffey, and this alliance continued in effect for a year, at the expiration of which time Mr. James F. Finlay was admitted to partnership, and the title changed to its present form - Finlay, Campbell & Coffey.  this is known as one of the strong and successful law firms of Hamilton county, and Mr. Coffey, as one of its principals, has met with a pleasing degree of success in his profession, the branch which claims his chief attention being that of civil practice.

Mr. Coffey is unmarried.  He is a member of the Chattanooga Bar & Law Library Association, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, and the Commercial Club, and he is affiliated with the Theta Lamda Phi and the Pi Kappa Alpha college fraternities.  Mr. Coffey is a Democrat, and while he is enthusiastic in the cause of the party, he has no desire for political preferment.  He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and has served for a number of years as a member of the board of the church of this denomination in his home city.

It may be mentioned here with all propriety that the father of Mr. Coffey was a valiant soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, and served in the command of General John H. Morgan.  Under this noted leader he participated in the famous Ohio raid, and was captured at that time by the Federal forces.  Thereafter he was held a prisoner at Camp Douglas, in the city of Chicago, until the close of the war.

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Charles married on Nov. 21, 1916 to Mary Margaret Anderson in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN.[1] Their first born was Charles, Jr. on Dec. 29, 1917 in Chattanooga.

Charles, Jr. was married to Mary Helen Stewart on Jul. 23, 1942 in Franklin Co., TN.  She was born Jul. 22, 1920 in Winchester, Johnson Co., TN and died Mar. 6, 2004 in Chattanooga and was buried at Forest Hills Cemetery in that city.  Charles died in Jun. 1974 and was also buried at Forest Hills.

Mary Helen Stewart was a daughter of Arthur Thomas Stewart (1892-1972).  Mr. Stewart was the prosecuting attorney in the 1925 "Scopes Monkey Trial" in which Clarence Darrow unsuccessfully defended John T. Scopes, a biology teacher at Dayton, TN. Mr. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, which was never paid. Stewart died Oct. 10, 1972 in Nashville, TN and was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Winchester, Franklin Co., TN.[2]

Other children of Charles, Sr. and Mary were: Mary Catherine "Bitsy", 1920-2010, married James Garland Rawlings; Episcopal priest, Jonathan Bachman Coffey, 1921-2012, married Mary Elizabeth Corey; William Milton Coffey, 1924-2007, married Ruth Ann Pojman; an Robert Lewis Coffey, 1926-2010, married Frances Sue Davidson.

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Sources:

*Will Thomas Hale & Dixon L. Merritt, Authors, A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities, 8 Volumes (Chicago and New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1913), .

[1]"Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950", index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8Y9-RVZ : accessed 04 Mar 2013), Chas. Shelby Coffey and Mary Margaret Anderson, 21 Nov 1916.
[2]"The Mobile Register, Mobile, AL", http://tinyurl.com/z2tdcst, Thu., Oct. 12, 1972 : accessed 6 Jun 2016.

The Story Behind The Cause of Death

William Riley Coffey, a descendant of William Wiley and Eliza Agnes Anderson Coffey, died on Jun. 2, 1943 in Maryville, Nodaway Co., MO.

His death certificate* reports that he died of a cerebral embolism due to a laceration of the neck, due to an accident caused when he was attacked by a cow.  The accident occurred on his farm but that's as far as the document takes us.

A few days before his death, he and Mrs. Coffey, Ocie Boston Coffey, were attempting to separate a cow from her calf.**  The cow being a new mother, attacked Mrs. Coffey and knocked her down three times, one of which broke the ankle of her left foot.

William went to her aid and the cow attacked him, knocking him to the ground.  It then trampled on him, one hoof opening a deep gash in William's throat.  It was this injury that became infected, resulting in his death.

When the cow finally returned to her calf, the couple crawled to the protection of a near-by corn cultivator.  From there, Mrs. Coffey was able to get to the family automobile and drive to get help. Both were admitted that day to the St. Francis Hospital in Maryville where William died a few days later.  He was 61 years old.

William is buried at the High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry, Copper Twp., Gentry Co., MO.+

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Sources:

*William Riley Coffey, death certificate No. 25639 (1943), Missouri Digital Heritage, http://www.sos.mo.gov/mdh/.

**The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO, Wed., Jun. 9, 1943, Page 3

⁺Find A Grave, data and digital images (www.findagrave.com : viewed 9 July 2014), memorial page for William Riley Coffey, Find A Grave Memorial # 85654631,

Willie Newton Coffey

There is no doubt that Willie Newton Coffey was a son of Mathew and Emily Troxell Coffey.

Willie was born in Kentucky in 1903, probably in Wayne Co.  He was in that county in 1910.  In 1920 he and his family lived in McCreary Co.  

Mathew, the father, was born to Henry Baker Coffey and Sarah Elizabeth Dobbs in June of 1875, married Emily, a daughter of Jacob and Salena Steel Troxell in about 1896.

Between Oct., 1896 and Jan., 1917 Emily and Mathew had at least six children. They were: Sarah Jane; William "Willie"; Salena, who is said to have married Lark Bell in about 1924; Sallie; Ed Lincoln, born 1911, married Edna Hatfield; and Goldman, born in 1917.

Willie is something of an enigma.  I write that with some misgivings because he may have been no puzzle at all over his lifetime* and did not try to hide from the law.

A newspaper article appeared in the Lexington  (KY) Herald in July, 1946 announcing the arrest of Willie Newton Coffey in Birmingham, AL for killing his father, Mathew Coffey, in Wayne County in 1928.  It was reported that "shortly before the elder Coffey was slain, his son had escaped from a Wayne county jail where he had been held on a "drunkenness charge."  

That was the first and last article that I have been able to find in any KY newspaper so it is not possible for me to tell you if he was tried, convicted and jailed, or if found innocent or not guilty of his father's death.

News Item, The Lexington Herald, Lexington, KY, Thu., Jul. 11, 1946, Page 9, Col. 4

Arrest Suspect in 1928 Patricide

Monticello, Ky., July 10 (AP) - County Judge S. E. Anderson announced today the arrest of Willie Newton Coffey, 44, wanted in Wayne county for the past 17 1/2 years in connection with the slaying of his father.

Judge Anderson said Coffey was picked up on a disorderly conduct charge at Tarrant, Ala., a Birmingham suburb.  He said Birmingham police notified Wayne county officials that Coffey admitted he fatally shot his father, Matthew Coffey, in 1928.

"Coffey hadn't been seen in Wayne county since then," declared the judge, adding that a murder indictment had been returned in March, 1929, against Coffey.

The judge said Sheriff J. J. Gibson would go to Frankfort, probably Thursday, to get a requisition for the extradition of Coffey from Alabama to Wayne county.

Judge Anderson said that shortly before the elder Coffey was slain, his son had escaped from jail where he had been held on a drunkenness charge.  The judge said Coffey had been quoted as saying he fired as his father was about to attack his mother.

What I do know is in 1930 a William Coffee [sic] appeared in the McDowell Co., WV census with Minnie Jane Carter Coffee.  He was 26 years-old; Minnie was also 26.  With them was Helen Blaylock, a five year-old step-daughter to Willie.  Willie was employed as a coal digger.

There is a 1938 marriage license in  McDowell Co. that tells us he and Minnie were married on Oct. 14 of that year.  The application tells us that he was born in Crossville, TN, and named his parents as George and Mary Coffey**.  Minnie named her parents as Ernest and India Carter.

The 1940 census for Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL includes William [sic] and Minnie as well as Gladus [sic], a daughter, age 8, born WV; Hershel, a son, age 7, born WV; and William J., a son aged eight months, born in AL.  The step-daughter Helen was no longer with the family.  

Gladys, born in Matewan, Mingo Co., WV, had at least three children:  Lynda Sue Coffey, born KY in 1950; Glynda Gaye, born 1955 in Birmingham and Viola Coffey, born 1965 in McCreary Co.  Glynda Faye died by drowning in 1970 at Birmingham where she had been taken by her grandfather, Willie Coffey to visit relatives.  The obituary reports she was survived by sisters Viola and Lynda as well as a half-brother, Robert Lee Pearson, all of Stearns, KY.

Willie died in Jan., 1973 in McCreary Co. and was buried at Sherd Dobbs Cemetery in Whitley City.

Minnie died Feb. 7, 1986 at Somerset in Pulaski Co., KY.  She was 84 years-old.  Her obituary reports that she was the daughter of Lee and India Carter.  Her husband, William "Willie" Coffey preceded her in death in 1972.  A daughter, Helen Thompson, granddaughter Glynda Coffey, two brothers, Robert and Walter Carter and one sister, Gertrude Sloan also preceded her in death.  She was survived by children Herschel Coffey and Elsie Reynolds of Birmingham, AL; William, Jr. of Wayne Co., KY; Gladys Coffey and Lynda Dobbs of Sterns and a brother, Ray of WV.

Minnie is also buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Comments, corrections and additions welcomed.

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*Apparently, the law was not actively searching for Willie from 1928 until 1946 for killing his father.  It was only after he was arrested near Birmingham for "disorderly conduct" in 1946 and perhaps volunteering information about killing his father that he was returned to Wayne County to face the law.  Certainly, with all of the people who went back and forth between KY and WV to work in the coal mines, someone would have known and reported the whereabouts of Willie to the KY authorities.

**Well, he may have tried somewhat to misdirect any leads to his birthplace and involvement in the death of his father.

John H. & Miriam Coffey Sanders

John and Miriam were the parents of Newell Sanders, written about in an earlier blog.  At the time, I did not have a whole lot of information on the descendants of John and Miriam.  Newell appears to be the only son or child that survived from that union.  Hopefully, what I add here will be of some use to readers who have an interest in this family.

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Newell Sanders' mother, Miriam Coffey, was a daughter of the Rev. Reuben A. and Martha "Polly" Dowell Coffey.*  She was born to them on Dec. 26, 1822 in Watauga Co., NC and died in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN on Nov. 12, 1885.  The marriage between her and John Sanders, Jr. occurred on Sep. 30, 1849 in Owen Co., IN.  John H. Sanders, Jr. was born on Jan. 20, 1824 in IN and died there on Oct. 2, 1851.  The only census that the couple appeared in was the 1850 of Owen Co.  That records shows a child named John M., age 6, born in IN.  I believe this child to be John's by an earlier marriage and not with Miriam.

Miriam married for a second time on Dec. 31, 1857 in Clay Twp., Owen Co.  This husband was John Hamilton Buchanan, born Mar. 9, 1831 in KY, died Jul. 12, 1890 in Hamilton Co., TN.  The 1860 census of Owen Co. shows children Adelaide, age 10, William D., age 8, Newell Sanders, age 9 and Judson Buchanan, age 1.  Newell of course was Miriam's first child; Judson was her second. It is unclear what became of the child John M. Sanders that appeared in the 1850 census.  In 1870, a daughter named Marietta, age 5, appears in the household with John and Miriam but nothing else has been found.  I suspect that she died young.

This family remained in Owen Co. at least through the 1870 census but, by 1880 they had relocated to Chattanooga in Hamilton Co., TN.  Newell had graduated from Indiana University in 1873 and married Corinne Dodds, also a Indiana U graduate (Bachelor of Science) in about 1873.  In 1877 the couple moved from Indiana to Chattanooga where he began to successfully manufacture plows. The Buchanan family followed and Judson eventually went into the plow making business with his half-brother.

Judson married Mary Angie Coffey, a second cousin and daughter of Alfred Alphonso and Julia Ann Dawkins Coffey.  Alfred was a son of Elijah and Polly Hull Coffey.  Elijah and Reuben were brothers, sons of Thomas and Sally Fields Coffey.  Judson died on Jan. 27, 1842 in Chattanooga.  Angie died there on Nov. 9,1932 and both are buried there at Forest Hills Cemetery. Their children were:  Raymond, 1886-1887; Corliss, 1889-1947; Evelyn, 1892-1927; Robert, 1893-?; and James, 1900-1922.  With the exception of Robert, for whom I have found no death/burial info and, Evelyn who is buried with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery, all of the others are buried at Forest Hills.

Judson's daughter Evelyn married Homer David Cogdell of Bullock Co., AL c1918, or earlier.  David apparently had some connection with the plow company because he is known to have traveled, and at least once to Europe.  After Evelyn died, he moved with Caroline, their only child, to Sioux Falls, SD where in 1930 he reported his employment as a salesman of farm utensils.  He was then 42 years old and unmarried.  Caroline was 10 years old.  On Mar. 14 of the following year he married Mary Helen Elliott of Sioux Falls.  There is a passenger record which shows this couple returning from Le Harve in France to the Port of New York on Feb. 17, 1938.  With them was one child, Helen Janet, born May 8, 1936, "abroad to American parents."  Homer died on Oct. 8,1956 in Alexandria, VA was was buried at Arlington.  He had served as a Captain in the US Army during WW1.  I have no information on the death or burial location of Mary Helen.

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Newell and Corinne, a daughter of Clelland Finley and Mary Elizabeth Orchard Dodds, lived on Lookout Mountain in Hamilton Co., TN.  They were the parents of six children.  It appears that only three of them lived to adulthood.

They were:

Wendell, born Jan. 15, 1875 in Indiana, died Apr. 30,1892 in Hamilton Co., TN.  He is buried at Forest Hills.

Norinne, born Dec. 17, 1876 in Indiana, died Jul. 3, 1939 at Lookout Mountain, married John Harvey Anderson.  He was born Feb. 9, 1874 (place not known to me) and died on Jan. 7, 1966 in Hamilton Co.  Both are buried at Forest Hills.  They are known to have at least one child, John, Jr., born prematurely and died on Apr. 15, 1915.  He is also at Forest Hills.

Mildred, born May 1879.  No further information.

Sherman, born Aug. 18, 1882 in TN, died in Chattanooga onOct. 2, 1927.  Sherman was married but I do not know his wife's name.  He died at age 45 from acute appendicitis and was buried at Forest Hills.

Dorothy, who was called Dot, was born Oct. 24, 1886 and died on Jan. 4, 1894 in Chattanooga.  She is buried at Forest Hills as well.

The last child I know of was Pansy, born in June, 1890 in TN, died Jun. 4, 1944 at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville.  She married Ben Matthews Allison c1910 and gave birth to at least two children, both sons. Joe Hill was born in 1913 and died in 1979.  Ben Matthews, Jr. was born Aug. 24, 1914 and died Sep. 17, 2004.  Joe's wife was Mary Cummings.  I do not know where Mary Cummings Allison is buried.  The rest of this family rest at Forest Hills.

"Sanders, Newell, a Senator from Tennessee; born on a farm near Bloomington, Owen County, Ind., July 12, 1850; attended the rural schools; graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington in 1873; owned and operated a book store in Bloomington, Ind., 1873-1877; moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1877 and became a manufacturer of agricultural implements; member of the school board 1881-1882; alderman 1882-1886; president of the Chattanooga Plow Co. 1882-1901; member of the board of directors of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway; appointed as a Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Robert L. Taylor and served from Apr. 11, 1912, to January 24, 1913, when a successor was elected; was not a candidate for election; chairman, Committee on National Banks (Sixty-second Congress); continued his former manufacturing pursuits; died at his home on Lookout Mountain, Tenn., January 26, 1939; interment in Forest Hills Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tenn."**

Click on the "earlier blog" link at the top of this page to read more about Newell and Corinne.

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*More blogs about Reuben and Polly can be found by using the search block in the sidebar.
**Mitchell Chapple, Editor, National Magazine: An Illustrated American Monthly, vol. 36, April, 1912 - Sept., 1912 (Boston, MA: Chapple Publishing Co., Ltd., ~Oct., 1912), Page 413. [There are many sources of information on Newell.  Search for him in Google Books.

William Richard & Maude Matilda Coffey Dodd

William Richard was a son of Alexander and Mary Alice Anderson Dodd and was born at Massies Mill, Nelson Co., VA in 1874.  He married Maude Matilda Coffey, a daughter of Ryland and Martha Wyatt Fortune Coffey on Nov. 26, 1899* in Nelson Co.  William died there on Nov. 4, 1965; Mary on Apr. 22, 1963.  Both are buried at Hebron Baptist Church cemetery** in Afton, Nelson Co.

William and Maude had at least four children, two of whom married into the Farrar family, also of Nelson Co.

Clark Hampton Dodd, born Oct. 15, 1902 married Russie Farrar on Dec. 22, 1929* in Staunton, VA.  Russie was born Aug. 28, 1912 and died Sep. 6, 2005.  Clark died Nov. 27, 1986.  Both are also buried at Hebron.

Russie was the daughter of Samuel Thomas and Lillie Myrtle Critzer Farrar.  Samuel was the son of Seaton and Mary M. Orfliter Farrar.  The Farrars are buried at Rodes United Methodist Church*** in Afton.

William and Maude's daughter Roxie, born Apr. 30, 1904, married Russie's brother, Henry Thomas Farrar (date not known).  Henry was born Mar. 28, 1904 in Nelson Co. and died Sep. 19, 1959 in Washington, DC.  Roxie died in Nelson Co. on Dec. 31, 1968.  They too are buried at Hebron.

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Ryland Coffey, Maude's father was a son of George Washington and Rachel A. Campbell Coffey.  I have not been able to locate details on George or Rachel, but believe he was born c1814 in VA, she c1821 in Nelson Co.

George goes back to Edward through William and Elizabeth "Betsy" Giles Coffey; Edmond S. & Nancy Barnett Coffey; to Edward's son, John and wife Jane Graves.

Seaton Farrar was a son of William H. & Esther Farrar.  Mary Orfliter was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Orfliter. Seaton and Mary were married Dec. 31, 1856* in Lovingston, Nelson Co.  In the 1850 census, The Farrar and Orfliter families were neighbors in Nelson Co.

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* https://www.familysearch.org, Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940,
**Cut and past coordinates into maps.google.com to locate this cemetery: 37 59 19.02, -78 50 3.37
***Use these coordinates to locate Rodes:  37 59 14.08, -78 50 5.68

Continuing with children of Jesse & Nancy F. Allen Coffey

Beatrice Anna Coffey

The fourth child born to Jesse and Nancy was Beatrice Anna Coffey.

Beatrice, apparently called Anna was born Feb. 24, 1860 in Nelson Co., and died May 12, 1940 in Lima, Allen Co., OH.

Her first husband was Thomas Givens Mays.  He was born c1851, probably in VA, and they were married on Sep. 25, 1877 in Nelson Co.

Her second husband was David Robinson who was born on May 31, 1843 and died Jun. 13, 1927 in Miami Co., OH.  They were married on Sep. 12, 1889 in Waverly, Pike Co., OH.  Her last spouse was William Neely to whom she was married - when both were age 70 years old - on Dec. 4, 1930 in Allentown, Allen Co., OH.  Anna apparently had only one child.  In the 1900 census she reported that she was the mother of one child, none living.

Nancy E. Coffey

William Garland followed Anna and was born Jun. 3, 1862 in Rockbridge Co., VA.  He appeared in the 1870 Augusta Co. and 1880 Nelson Co. census records with his family but, nothing else is yet known about him.

The fifth child was Nancy Elizabeth, born May 21, 1864 in Rockbridge Co.  She married James F. West on Jul. 20, 1902 at AllBasic City, Augusta Co.  James was born c1848 in Hanover Co., VA.  James was a son of Overton and Virginia Harris West.


Allen F. Sherman followed Nancy.  Read about his family here.

George R. Coffey

George Robert was next, born Mar. 16, 1869 in Lyndhurst, Augusta Co.  He married Sarah Emma Lotts on Feb. 10, 1891 in Nelson Co.  I believe she was born c1867 in MD to Martin H. and Margaret Sarah Allen, younger sister to Jesse's wife, Nancy.  I know of one child born to Sarah and George:  Estelle, born May, 1891 in Lyndhurst.

Jacob W. Coffey

Jacob W. was the eighth child.  He was born Jun. 4, 1871 in Lyndhurst and died Sep. 28, 1936 in Rockbridge Co., VA.  His first wife was Sallie J. Fitzgerald, a daughter of Parks G. & Sarah Ramsey Fitzgerald who were married in Nelson Co. on Apr. 13, 1840.  Sallie died in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH on Aug. 29, 1928, and was buried at Bells Valley Cemetery in Rockbridge Co.  His second wife was Stella Austin Hite, born c1879, died Apr. 15, 1938, also in Rockbridge Co.  They were married on Jan. 20, 1929 in Cincinnati.  Stella died in Rockbridge Co. on Apr. 15, 1938.  She and Jacob are also buried at Bells Valley.  Stella's previous spouse was William Henry Ingram.  He was born c1880 in Rockbridge Co., and they were married there on Jun. 30, 1903.

John Franklin was born Apr. 20, 1874 in Back Creek, Augusta Co. and died Dec. 21, 1933 in Allen Co., OH.  He was married to Willie Winsor, a daughter of Sherman and Mary Engram [Ingram?] Winsor on Aug. 19,1908 in Rockbridge Co.  Willie was born Dec. 25, 1888 in Rockbridge Co. and died Nov. 10, 1924 in Lima, OH.  They had at least four children:  Mable Virginia, born Sep. 11, 1909, died Jul. 1, 1972; Anna Ruth, born Jan. 10, 1911, died Jan. 9, 1993; Thelma, born c1914, and Nancy Mildred, born c1918.

Emily Susan followed John.  She was born July 9, 1876 and died on Dec. 9, 1876.

Rosa Belle Coffey

Rosa Belle was next.  She was born Jul. 21, 1878 in Lyndhurst and died there on Jun. 14, 1920.  She married Robert Oceola "Osie" Nukols on Oct. 4, 1899 in Avis, Augusta Co., VA.  He was born in Lyndhurst on Dec. 24, 1878 and died there on Jul. 7, 1933.  Both are buried at Pines Chapel Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Greenville in Augusta Co.

Their children were Emily; Elmer Juett; William Hyder; Annie; Evelyn Isabel; Henrietta Elizabeth; Fannie Catharine; Mary Magdalene; and Margarette Hazel.

"Osie" Nukols was a brother to Callie C. Nuckols who married Eric Harris, a son of John Abraham Harris and his wife Mary Jane Coffey.  Mary Jane's family was written about in the previous blog.  The Nukols were children of Henry Juett and Georgianna Miller Nukols.

The last child born to Jesse and Nancy was James Rucker.  He was born on Feb. 22, 1881 in Nelson Co. and died in Allen Co., OH on Aug. 10, 1934.  His wife was Martha Rebecca Anderson, born  c1881 in Staunton, VA, died Dec. 11, 1938 in Lima, OH.  I know of one child, Virginia B., born c1915 in VA, and she may have been a foster child.  James and Martha are buried at Cairo East Cemetery in Allen Co., OH.

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This concludes the children of Jesse and Nancy Allen Coffey as I have them.  All of the photographs and much of the family data are from the collection of Shirley Houk for which I am grateful.

Capt. Loy Grady Coffey, USAAF WWII

Capt. Loy Grady Coffee

I too had an uncle that perished serving his country during WWII.  My father Frank H. (USAAF) and another of his brothers, Harry D. (USCG) also served but returned safely.

This uncle was the youngest of four sons born to my grandfather, Albert Lilburn Coffey and his wife, Ora Elizabeth Braley.  Loy was born on Jul. 27, 1917 in De Ann, Hempstead Co., AR and died on Dec. 30, 1944 over Ellis Co., KS.

He was a bombardier instructor aboard a B-29 bomber out of the 2d Air Force, 17th Wing stationed at Walker Army Air Force Base in Hays, KS.  On the morning of Dec. 30, the B-29, piloted by 1st Lt. Rufus C. Anderson took off on a training run.  In addition to Capt. Coffey, others on board were 2d Lt. Glenn V. Welander, F/O Thomas H. Joyce; 2nd Lt. Stanley M. Franklin; Sgt. Dale M. Thompson; Pfc. William R. Fierini; Cpl. Robert F. Rich; Cpl. Richard R. Berg; Pfc. Nicholas G. Brando; Pfc. Kenneth L. Bryant; Cpl. Harry Bochichio and 2nd Lt. Verne E. Roycraft.  All but Berg, Brando and Roycraft were killed.  One of the survivors may have ultimately died from injuries.  A news article reported that one of the men was not expected to survive, but did not name him.

According to reports, the bomber climbed to about 25,000 feet and was proceeding on course when at about 10:20 a.m. the number 3 engine [ironic the same engine number as on the B-24 in previous blog] backfired and erupted in flames.  Extinguishers were activated but within a short time the engine caught fire again and burned more fiercely. The extinguishers were again activated but were ineffective.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the fuel line had ruptured and a steady flow of gas to the engine was fueling the fire.  The engine eventually exploded causing the plane to lose the left wing.  It began an uncontrollable spin and cartwheeled to the earth.  The crew lost their oxygen equipment and in the chaos men were bouncing around in the plane, unable to physically jump out.

Lt. Anderson had earlier alerted the crew to prepare for a jump.  Capt. Coffee, the navigator and the radio operator began to move towards the bomb bay with the radio operator attempting to help Coffee strap on his parachute.  The next time a survivor saw Coffee he was lying on the bomb bay door and had a deep gash on the top rear of his head.

Headstone for Capt. Loy Grady Coffey

Some of the men fell to earth while still inside the plane and their bodies were burned.  Capt. Coffee was fortunate in that he somehow fell free of the plane and his body was not burned.  He was returned to his then hometown of Minden, in Webster Parish, LA where he was buried with military honors in the Minden City Cemetery.

Capt. Coffey enlisted when he was six months shy of receiving a law degree from Louisiana State University.  He was also an ROTC cadet and had received some prior National Guard training.  Upon enlistment he was sent to Midland [Texas] Army Flying School where he began the second class of bombardier training.  Graduates were known as "Hell from Heaven Men" and "the most dangerous men in the world."  Following graduation he was commissioned an officer in the US Army.

He married Miss Martha Easley of Harlingen, TX in March, 1943 and she had been with him since their marriage.   I have often searched for Martha with no success.  Undoubtedly, she remarried and had children and, it would be nice to know more about her life after the death of Capt. Coffee.

The grainy photo was retrieved from a newspaper article of the day announcing his death and is the best that I have of him.  He was a handsome man; probably the best looking of all his brothers.

Within the last year, a contact and local historian in Hays discovered the bomb bay door in a barn owned by a local farmer.  He removed a small piece and sent it to me as a keepsake.  I will be forever grateful.




No. 991

Newell and Corinne Dodds Sanders

"Newell Sanders, manufacturer and United States Senator, 1912, 1913, was born in Owen County, Indiana, July 12, 1850, the son of John Sanders and Miriam Coffey Sanders, grandson of John Sanders and Nancy Briscoe Sanders and great grandson of Henry Sanders and Dicey Blake Sanders, South Carolina. Henry Sanders was a Baptist preacher and a Revolutionary soldier. Mr. Sanders' maternal grandfather, Reuben Coffey was a pioneer Baptist preacher and in 1834 was one of the founders of Franklin College, the Baptist college of Indiana. Mr. Sanders' parents and grandparents were among the numbers of Southerners who settled in southern Indiana about 1830.

"Newell Sanders entered Indiana State University at Bloomington where he graduated in 1873 with a degree of B.S. After conducting a book store in Bloomington from 1873 to 1878 he decided to enter the manufacturing field. He spent a year in northern shops gaining experience and settled in Chattanooga on the advice of Gen. John T. Wilder in 1878. He opened a factory to manufacture plows. This was the first factory in the South to make improved plows. In 1883 the business was incorporated as the Chattanooga Plow Company with Newell Sanders as president and general manager. Under his management it developed rapidly, doing a large domestic business and enjoying an extensive export trade. In 1901 he established the Newell Sanders Plow Company of which he was sole owner. In 1915 he again became president of the Chattanooga Plow Company, a position he retained until 1919 when he sold the company to the Internal Harvester Company. He sold the Newell Sanders Plow Company in 1927 and retired from business after having manufactured plows in Chattanooga for fifty years.

"His business interests, however, have not been confined to plow manufacturing. He organized the Chattanooga Steamboat Company in 1891 for the purpose of operating a line of boats on the Tennessee River to St. Louis and served as its first president. He was the first president of the Tennessee River Improvement Association and appeared many times before Congress in that interest. He was president of the National Association of Agriculture Implement and Vehicle Manufacturers from 1907 to 1909 and vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1927, 1929. He is a director of the Hamilton National Bank and of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway.

"Mr. Sanders served as chairman of the Tennessee Republican State Committee 1894-1896 and again in 1906-1912. In both these periods Republican governors of Tennessee were elected. He was a member of the Republican National Committee, 1912-1916, and a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920 and 1924. He was appointed by the Governor of Tennessee to the United States Senate and was the first Republican Senator from Tennessee in forty years. He took his seat April 8, 1912, his successor taking his seat in February, 1913. He led the prohibition movement in Tennessee which became a dry state before the national prohibition amendment was passed. In the Senate he was the leader in the passage of a law against the shipment of intoxicating liquor from 'wet' states into 'dry' states.

"Mrs. Newell Sanders was Miss Corinne Dodds of Bloomington before her marriage. The marriage took place October 28, 1873. She was a graduate of the Indiana State University of the Class of 1873. She was active in church and Red Cross work and was president of the Chattanooga Free Kindergarten Association during its long existence. She was the first woman in the Southern states to vote**. Mr. and Mrs. Sanders traveled together extensively in this country and abroad. They were four years in the same class in college, receiving the same training and acquiring the same ideals and success has been result of their joint efforts. The credit is due as much to one as to the other. Mrs. Sanders died in 1929. Their children are Norinne who married James Harvey Anderson; Mildred who married Walter Blair Wright; Pansy who married Ben Matthews Allison; Wendell who died at the age of seventeen; Dot who died young and Sherman who died in 1927 at the age of forty-six.

"Mr. Sanders home is on the east brow of Lookout Mountain next to the Lookout Mountain Incline. Since his retirement from business Mr. Sanders has given his time to the development of the Chattanooga-Lookout Mountain Park, on the sides of Lookout Mountain, and to other public affairs"

[Newell Sanders was the son of John and Miriam Coffey Sanders. Mirian was a daughter of the Rev. Reuben A. and Martha "Polly" Dowell Coffey.  Newell was born Jul. 12, 1850 and died Jan. 26, 1939 in Chattanooga.  Corinne died in 1929.  He is buried at Forest Hills Cemetery in Chattanooga and Corinne is probably there with him.]

**Interesting!  I wonder how this is known?

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Thanks to Richard Beu for providing this news article and photo, proving that Mrs. Sanders was the first woman to vote in the state of TN.  His GG-grandfather was I.E. Ireland, also pictured. Unfortunately, the date this was published in this Chattanooga newspaper was not preserved on the clipping I received.

Source:  Zella Armstrong, Author, The history of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, Tennessee: Vol I, 2 volumes (Johnson City, TN: The Overmountain Press, 1992), .  Photos from the source credited to Judd.  The book is available at Amazon.com, as well as other on-line book sellers.  It can probably be found on Amazon at this link:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0932807917

Charles Shelby Coffey

Charles S. Coffey

Among the well known and able representatives of the bar of Hamilton county is Charles S. Coffey, a resident of this city, for the most part, since 1900. Mr. Coffey is a native son of Kentucky, being born on the old home place of his parents near Monticello, in Wayne county, on the 18th day of June, 1882. He comes of old and honored families of the Bluegrass state, and his parents being Lewis and Sophia (Buster) Coffey. His father is now living retired in Danville, Kentucky. His mother passed away on January 1, 1894. Lewis Coffey was long numbered among the representative farming men of Wayne county, Kentucky, and was successful in his lifework, and so conducted himself as to win and hold the unqualified confidence and esteem of his fellow men.

Charles S. Coffey gained his early education in the public schools of Monticello, Kentucky, and was graduated from the high school of that place as a member of the class of 1898. Thereafter he held a position as bookkeeper in a bank in Monticello for two years, at the expiration of which time, in 1900, he came to Chattanooga, where he was for some little time in the employ of the D. B. Loveman Company, one of the largest department stores in the city. In January, 1902, Mr. Coffey entered the University of Tennessee, and in 1905 was duly graduated from the institution with the degree of Bachelor of Science. the following year he was graduated from the law department of the same institution with the degree of Bachelor of Laws.

After his graduation Mr. Coffey returned to Chattanooga, and for some time he was supervisor at the real estate loan department of the Chattanooga Savings Bank, a position that was placed at his disposal soon after he returned to the city, and he continued in that position until September, 1910, when he resigned the same to engage in the practices of his profession. About one year later he formed a partnership with Mr. Paul Campbell, under the firm name of Campbell & Coffey, and this alliance continued in effect for a year, at the expiration of which time Mr. James F. Finlay was admitted to partnership, and the title changed to its present form - Finlay, Campbell & Coffey. this is known as one of the strong and successful law firms of Hamilton county, and Mr. Coffey, as one of its principals, has met with a pleasing degree of success in his profession, the branch which clamim his chief attention being that of civil practice.

Mr. Coffey is unmarried. [Charles, Jr. eventually married.  His wife was Mary Helen Stewart, born Jul. 22, 1920 in Winchester, Johnson Co., TN.]  He is a member of the Chattanooga Bar & Law Library Association, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, and the Commercial Club, and he is affiliated with the Theta Lamda Phi and the Pi Kappa Alpha college fraternities. Mr. Coffey is a Democrat, and while he is enthusiastic in the cause of the party, he has no desire for political preferment. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and has served for a number of years as a member of the board of the church of this denomination in his home city.

It may be mentioned here with all propriety that the father of Mr. Coffey was a valiant soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil war, and served in the command of General John H. Morgan. Under this noted leader he participated in the famous Ohio raid, and was captured at that time by the Federal forces. Thereafter he was held a prisoner at Camp Douglas, in the city of Chicago, until the close of the war.

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Update Oct. 20, 2010

Charles Shelby Coffey, Jr. was a son of Charles, Sr., and a descendant of Lewis Coffey and Sophie Buster Coffey.  A sister to Charles, Jr. was Mary Katherine "Bitsy" Coffey, born Mar. 27, 1920 in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN.

Bitsy married James Garland Rawlings in 1940.  He was born in Louisa Co., VA in 1916 and died on Jan. 19, 1994 in Lookout Mountain, Walker Co., GA.  Bitsy died this week on Oct. 28, 2010 in Lookout Mountain.

Her obituary:

Mary Katherine "Bitsy" Coffey Rawlings
Longtime Lookout Mountain Resident Was Red Cross Volunteer
Chattanoogan.com, October 28, 2010

Mary Rawlings

Mary Katherine "Bitsy" Coffey Rawlings, 90, of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, died on Thursday, October 28 at her home after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born March 27, 1920, in Chattanooga to the late Charles and Margaret (Anderson) Coffey. She grew up on Lookout Mountain, attending Lookout Mountain Elementary School and GPS in Chattanooga. She attended Hollins College and the University of Chattanooga.

Mary Katherine Coffey Rawlings*

In 1940, she married James Rawlings at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church. After his service in World War II, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers. The family moved 17 times until his retirement with the rank of Colonel in 1961. The family then returned permanently to Lookout Mountain.

Bitsy rejoined Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, singing for many years in the church choir. She was a member of a book club formed by wives of Lookout Mountain servicemen that continued for more than 50 years.

She was also a member of the Fairyland Garden Club, the Outlook Club, and the Study Club. For many years, she served as a Red Cross volunteer at Memorial Hospital and Alexian Brothers Nursing Home.

Her beloved Lookout Mountain home was the gathering place for almost 50 years of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family.

Bitsy was from a family of long standing in Chattanooga. Her great-grandfather was the Rev. Jonathan Bachman, 50-year pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga. Her father, Charles Coffey, was an attorney in the city who served on the boards of the YMCA, Public Library and Baylor School.

From her father, Bitsy learned and would pass on to her children the importance of community service and lifelong education. Like her mother, she was a lady in the true sense of the word, with graciousness growing from kindness, personal dignity and quiet spirituality. She was cheerful by nature, compassionate and generous.

Bitsy was preceded in death by her parents, husband and three brothers, Charles, William and Robert Coffey.

She is survived by her children, Margaret (Bill Meindl) Rawlings, Green Bay, Wi.; Colonel James S. (Ginny) Rawlings, Steilacoom, Wa.; Dr. Peter (Milly) Rawlings, Lookout Mountain; Katherine Rawlings, Roswell, Ga.; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is further survived by her brother, Rev. Jonathan Coffey, Palm City, Fl.

The family would like to thank her son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Milly Rawlings for their many years of care for Bitsy in her later life. The family is grateful for the compassion and support given to Bitsy in her last months by Jennifer Brewer, Diane Robinson, Kim Wyatt, Margaret Rainey and Hospice of Chattanooga.

Memorial service arrangements are pending. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church or Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga.

Arrangements are by the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, 404 South Moore Road. Please share your condolences at www.chattanoogaeastchapel.com.

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*The photo of Mary Katherine accompanied her obituary at Chattanoogan.com, Oct. 28, 2010.

Source for Charles, Jr. bio: Hale, Will T., A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans (Chicago, IL: Lewis. Pub. Co., 1913)

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Update Dec. 19, 2012

Charles Shelby Coffey, Jr. died in June, 1974 at Chattanooga.  His wife was Mary Helen Stewart and they were married on Jun. 23, 1942 at Franklin Co., TN. [1]  Mary Helen was a native of Winchester, Johnson Co., TN.  I am missing her death date and burial site.

Mary Catherine and James Garland Rawlings were married in Hamilton Co., TN on Sep. 4, 1940.[2]

Jonathan Bachman Coffey was the third child and second son of Charles Shelby and Mary Anderson Coffey.  He was born Sep. 26, 1921 in Chattanooga and died in Palm City, Martin Co., FL Dec. 15, 2012.

His obituary:

Obituary, Fr. Jonathan Bachman Coffey, Sr., Aycock Funeral Home, Stuart, FL 77228-1717
The Reverend Jonathan Bachman Coffey, Sr. died peacefully in his home at Sand Hill Cove, in Palm City, in the early morning hours of Saturday, December 15, 2012. Fr. Coffey was born just over 91 years ago in Chattanooga, Tennessee on September 26, 1921. 

He was the third of five children born to his parents and he grew up, enjoying a wonderful childhood, on Lookout Mountain. Jon took the now famous Incline to school in the city and frolicked with brothers and his one beloved sister in the Chickamauga National Military Park just one block from their home on Richardson Street. Jon graduated from Baylor Military School and then the University of Chattanooga before enlisting in the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor. He served in the Pacific throughout World War II, and while there met a beautiful missionary's daughter in Honolulu named Mary Corey. He and Mary fell in love and after the war they were married. 

After several years in insurance, Jon went off to the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. While he and Mary were there, they had two boys, Chris and David, to follow their first-born, Jon Jr. Jon's first parish was Christ Church in South Pittsburg, 

Tennessee. After two years he moved to Miami, Florida where he built a church, All Angels, in Miami Springs where his beloved daughter Constance Elizabeth, was born. He then served as rector of All Souls in Miami Beach. Jon finished his active ministry as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Jensen Beach and then he and Mary moved to Martin Downs where they lived for over twenty years before moving to Sand Hill Cove. 

Jon served in many capacities in both church and community, always a leader in everything he undertook. He will be remembered by all as a loving pastor, a good friend, a devoted father and a loving husband to his beloved wife of almost 65 years, Mary.  

Jon is survived by his children: Jonathan Jr. (Julie) and their children Kate (Justin) and Spencer; Christopher (Karen) and their children Brianna and Nicholas; David (Susan) and their children Jeremy (Laura) and their daughters Kristin and Kate, Melissa (Jason) and their son, Cooper, their daughter Caitlin (Justin) and their son Quinn, and their son Andrew; and their daughter Consie (Trampas) and their children Zachary, Shelby, Alexander, Christopher, Corey mand Caleb  

The funeral to celebrate Jon's life will be on Wednesday, December 19 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Stuart, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development at 815 Second Ave. New York NY 10017 or www. er-d.org.
The interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery in Jensen Beach at 1:30 p.m. and all are welcome. A cortage [sic] [cortege] will depart St. Mary's at around 1 p.m. Please sign Jon's online guestbook at www.aycock funeralhome.net  

All arrangements are entrusted to Aycock Funeral Home, Stuart, FL. 

William Milton Coffey, fourth child and third son was born Aug. 15, 1924 in Chattanooga and died Jun. 26, 2007 in Austin, Travis Co., TX.  Probably to his parents consternation, William quit high school in his third year and enlisted in the Army on Jul. 23, 1943.  I have not yet found any other info; e.g., marriage.

The fifth and last child born to Charles and Mary was Robert Lewis, born Dec. 27, 1926, died Feb. 23, 2010 in Powder Springs, Cobb Co., GA.  Robert married Frances Sue Davidson on Jun. 18, 1948 in Hamilton Co., TN.[3]

His obituary:

Powder Springs, GA - Robert Lewis Coffey, 83, passed away Tuesday, February 23, 2010. 

He was born in Chattanooga in 1926, the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Coffey Sr. He grew up in Chattanooga, attended Baylor Military Academy, and then joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 at the age of 17. During WW II he participated in the Battle of Okinawa as a part of the crew of the USS LST 841. 

After the war he studied business at the University of Chattanooga and then electronic engineering at Valparaiso Technical Institute, eventually joining Lockheed Georgia Co. where he worked for 35 years. 

In 1948 he married Frances Sue Davidson, of Red Bank, Tenn., and then raised his family in Georgia. They were married for 63 years. 

Over the years his interests included photography, short wave radio, woodworking, electronics and more. He was well known for his talent of being able to repair almost anything! He was a loving husband and father who was happiest when with his family and working in his workshop.
He was a member of Faith Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. 

He is survived by his wife, Frances Sue; daughters, Dorothy Sue and Martha Jean; and sons, Edward Parker and Robert Lynn. Additional survivors are a sister, Mary Katherine Rawlings and a brother, the Rev. Jon Coffey, along with eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. 

The family will receive visitors at West Cobb Funeral Home from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Friday.
Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association on behalf of Robert Coffey. Alzheimer Association, 1925 Century Blvd NE, Suite 10, Atlanta, GA 30345. 

A graveside service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park, Marietta.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. at Faith Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Austell.

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[1] Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002", index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNHL-5RV : accessed 19 Dec 2012), Charles S Coffey and Mary Helen Stewart, 1942.

[2] "Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KH63-TCB : accessed 19 Dec 2012), James G Rawlings and Mary Katherine Coffey, 1940.

[3]"Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KH6Q-FG1 : accessed 19 Dec 2012), Robert L Coffey and Frances Sue Davidson, 1948.

Photos of Jonathan and Robert were found with their respective obituaries.

Jesse Edward Coffey Family

Front L-R: Bonnie, Velma and James W.; Rear R-L: Mattie and Jesse (c1920)

Jesse Edward Coffey, born Mar. 18, 1895, was the son of James Lawson and Leah Meadows Coffey. In about 1904 he married Martha J. Anderson, in Missouri probably, and died Sep. 30, 1960. He and Martha were the parents of at least three children:

- James W., born c1906; Bonnie, born Sep. 17, 1913, died Feb. 5, 1919 and Velma, date of birth unknown.

The only census in which I have found this family was the 1910, Gentry Co., MO:

1910 Gentry Co., Wilson Twp., ED92, Page 3, dwelling 24, family 25, Coffey, Jesse E., head, male, white, age 25, married once for 6 yrs., born MO, father born IN, mother born KY, farm laborer; Mattie J., wife, female, white, age 22, married once for 6 yrs., mother of 1, 1 living, born MO, parents born US; James W., son, male, white, age 4, born MO, parents born MO; Coffey, James E., brother, male, white, age 38, single, born MO, father born IN, mother born KY, laborer at odd jobs

Please contact me with additions and/or corrections.

Joshua Elmo Coffey [Updated 7/19/2008]

Joshua Elmo (Jerry) Coffey was a son of Jesse C. Coffey and Nancy F. Allen. Jesse, born Jan. 12, 1833 in Nelson Co., VA was a son of Garland and Nancy Coffey Coffey, who were the parents of 12 children:

Mary Jane, born Jun. 8, 1855, married John A. Harris Feb. 26, 1874 in Augusta Co., VA

Joshua Elmo

Beatrice Ann, born Apr. 24, 1860, Nelson Co., married Thomas Mays, Sep. 25, 1877

William Garland, born Jun. 3, 1862, Rockbridge Co., VA

Nancy Elizabeth, born May 21, 1864 in Rockbridge Co.

Allen F. Sherman, born May 27, 1866, died Apr. 13, 1913, married Susan V. Hamilton Jun. 4, 1891, Rockbridge Co.

George Robert, born Mar. 16, 1869, Augusts Co., married Sarah Emma Lotts, Feb. 10, 1891, Nelson Co.

Jacob W., born Jun. 4, 1871 Augusta Co., married c1921 to Stella Hite

John Franklin, born Apr. 20, 1874, Augusta Co., died Dec. 21, 1944, married Willie Winsor, Aug.19, 1908, Rockbridge Co.

Emily Susan, born Jul. 9, 1876, died Dec. 9, 1876

Rosa Belle, born Jul. 21, 1878, died Jun. 14, 1920, married Robert O. Nuckols Oct. 14, 1899 in Augusta Co.

James Rucker, born Feb. 22, 1881 in Nelson Co., married Martha Rebecca Anderson Jun. 10, 1900 in Augusta Co.

Joshua Elmo was born May 13, 1857 in Augusta Co, and died Oct. 23, 1934 in Lima, Allen Co., OH. He married Emma Bridenbaugh (or, according to the title link website, Emma Breitenbach) on Mar. 31, 1881 in Pike Co., OH. Together they had at least six children:

Elmer, born Mar. 28, 1883, died Dec., 1929. Elmer married Grace LNU, born c1887 in Michigan. Their children were Vera, Thelma, Elmer, Jr., Vivian, Wenouah (female), Jack and Robert E. According to his death certificate, Elmer Sr. died on accidental Novocaine poisoning. He was buried at Tecumseh, Lenawee Co., MI.

Edythe B., born Jun. 27, 1885, died Dec. 10, 1960, married Jul. 27, 1905 in Wabanusee Co., KS to Benjamin D. H. Hartman, born Jul. 9, 1886 in Pike Co., died May 19, 1948 in Montgomery Co., OH. She is buried at Cairo, Allen Co., OH.

Asa, born May 1, 1889 - nothing found after 1917 when he registered for the WW1 draft in Lima, Allen Co., OH.

Patrick, born Sep. 10, 1890 - ditto

Grover, born Aug. 22, 1892 - nothing found after 1920 when he was living with his brother Elmer in Detroit, MI.

Hazel, born Mar. 29, 1897, died May 19, 1975.  She married Gurney C. Spurlock on Apr. 9, 1917 in Hardin Co., OH.  He was born Aug. 14, 1892 in OH and died Jul. 22, 1971 in Allen Co.  Gurney was the son of Cyrus and Margaret Spurlock.  Cyrus was the son of Levi and Eliza Williams Spurlock.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or correct any of this information.