Hugh R. Blunt

Hugh R. Blunt was born Sep. 11, 1822 in Louisiana to Nelson and Elizabeth Blunt.

There are two inconvenient facts lacking in this family's research.  First, Hugh is not a proven son of Nelson, and second, Nelson is a not a proven son of James Blunt and Pembroke Powers.  It is only their proximity in time and place that makes me believe they are closely related.

James' son Hugh R. Blunt, born c1776 in North Carolina, married Euphemie "Pheme" Powers on Aug. 21, 1806¹ in Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA. Hugh Blunt died Feb., 1827 in Iberville Parish.  By 1830 his widow is found on the tax rolls of St. Helena Parish.²

A Nelson Blount [sic] disappeared from St. Helena Parish in c1812³ and a family with Nelson as head appeared in the Natchitoches Parish, LA census of 1820, "age to 45." Given the birth year of Hugh R., Nelson's age would have him born in the late 1770s, close enough for me to suspect them of being brothers.  By 1830, Nelson lived in Claiborne Parish, LA which had been cut from Natchitoches Parish in 1828.  He likely died before 1840 because he does not appear in that or any later census record.

The names Hugh and Nelson often appear in a number of my North Louisiana Blunt families.

Back to Hugh R.

James R. Bishop and his wife Peninah Walker had eight children, all daughters.  Hugh R. married two of them.  His first wife was fourth born, Mary Ann Bishop.  They married on Feb. 11, 1850 in Claiborne Parish.4

That union resulted in the birth of two children, the first being James Bert "Jim" Blunt on Mar. 11, 1851 in Columbia Co., AR.  The second born was Frances "Fanny: on Apr. 22, 1852 in Bossier Parish, LA.  Mary Ann is known to have died around that period and it seems reasonable to believe that she died giving birth to Fanny.

Living with Hugh and Mary Ann then was Beneta [sic], James and Peninah's youngest daughter, born Jan. 5, 1839.  Beneta continued to care for Hugh's children over the years until on Jan. 25, 1857 she married Hugh in Lafayette Co., AR.5

Together they had three children:

Martha Ann, born 1858, died 1927, married James C. "Tiny" Johnson in 1881.

Amanda M. "Manda", born 1859 in Rusk, Cherokee Co., TX, died 1936 in Minden, Webster Parish, LA.  She married James Monroe Braley on Aug. 19, 1881.

Hughriah Nelson "Hugh" Blunt, born 1863 in Bossier Parish, LA, died 1939 in Bossier. Married Labicey Etta "Et" Leonard on Jan. 8, 1883 in Louisiana.6

Amanda and Hugh

James Monroe Braley was the son of the German emigrant Johan Frederick Braley.  Braley appears to be an Anglicized spelling; I believe the original surname was Brahle.  He arrived in Sag Harbor, Suffolk, NY on board the vessel Markus in May, 1832, having embarked at Amsterdam.7

Johan Frederick, or Meckie as he was known to his family, wandered around somewhere in the US until 1850.  That is when he first appears in Claiborne Parish, LA, married to the widow, Elizabeth Edwards who had two daughters of her own, Sarah, born ca 1833 and Elizabeth, born c1835, both in Louisiana.

Meckie and Elizabeth had five children of their own, all boys!

James Monroe Braley

Amanda Blount Braley &
Ora Elizabeth Braley Coffee

James Monroe was the second born.  He arrived on Aug. 19, 1849 in Claiborne Parish and married Amanda on Aug. 19, 1881.  They settled down in Webster Parish, formed from parts of Bienville, Bossier and Claiborne Parishes in 1871. All of these Parishes were once part of Natchitoches Parish.

On Jan. 7, 1893 James homesteaded 159.97 acres in Twp. 23N, Range 10W in Webster Parish.  They remained in that area for the remainder of their lives.  Six of their seven children survived to adulthood including a daughter that would eventually become my maternal grandmother,

Ora Elizabeth Braley was born second on Jan. 14, 1884, one year to the day after the first child, also a daughter, was born and which died in Aug., 1884.

J. M. Braley Homestead

Ora, content to remain single, did not marry until she was 25 years old.  She was very likely of considerable help to her mother Mandy who had five younger children.

Ora was the third wife of my grandfather, Albert Lilburn "A. L." Coffee.  He was 11 years older than Ora when they married and had lost his first two wives to death.

Della was his first wife and she gave birth to two children; Ora May West Coffee in 1894 and Carl Glenn Coffee in 1896, both in De Ann, Hempstead Co., AR.  Della died in 1898 and A. L. married Ida Lee Timberlake in 1899 at De Ann.  They had two children as well:  John Timberlake "Jack", Coffee - for whom I was named, my real name being Jack rather than John - born Mar. 5, 1900 and Ruby EcElvy Coffey, born 1902, both in Hempstead Co.

Children from the first union lived to adult hood and have a considerable number of descendants.  Jack did not marry until 1927 when he married Katie Louise Johnson, a native of Newton Co., MS, on Aug. 4, 1927 in Natchez, Adams Co., MS.  Katie lived in Natches with her family.  Jack was employed repairing levees along the Mississippi.  In 1928 Jack died of pneumonia without having produced any children.  Ironically, Katie later married a Mr. Blount and moved to Wood Co., TX where she died in 1966.  I have not yet learned who Mr. Blount was.

Ruby never married and died in Minden, Webster Parish in 1985.

By marrying A. L., Ora took on the task of raising his motherless children while giving birth to six of her own.  Her first born was my father, Frank Hurley Coffee (Frank to me, Hurley to his nieces and nephews).

Frank was born in De Ann in 1910 and died in Jefferson, Marion Co., TX in 1976.  I never knew him as anything more than the man that had sired me.  I had met him on several occasions, the last time right after I took my discharge from the US Army in 1968.  He never impressed me in any way other than an alcoholic and an "old five and dimer."  My mother was his second wife.  By the time he had passed away in 1976, he had been married at least six times.  Fortunately, he sired only two of us; the second by his fourth wife.

I have photographs of  him that I refuse to publish.

Sources:

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¹Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records, 1804-1819, Vol. 3, Page 114.  Although non-Catholic, Spanish rule demanded all residents of the territory to record births, marriages and deaths with the Catholic church

²Ernest Russ Williams, Jr., Genealogical and Historical Abstracts of Legal Records of St. Helena Parish, LA, 1804-1870 (1995), p171. The document shows she was farming 160 acres along the Amite River in the parish of St. Helena, and owned 3 slaves. Total state and parish tax for the year was $4.80. Phamy's property was described as being "east of the Seuttfield Tract." Next door to her was James Blount [sic] who was farming 640 acres, owned no slaves, and paid $1.25 tax in 1830.

³Conveyance Book B, St. Helena Parish, LA, April 9, 1812; James Norton deputy Sheriff, sold property of Nelson Blount [sic], "lying on Spring Creek, above where William Wells now lives", to A.L. Osborne for $100; to satisfy a judgment against Blount in favor of William Boykin. Wit.: Matthew Steward.

4Dodd, Jordan R, et. al. Early American Marriages: Louisiana to 1850. Bountiful, UT: Precision Indexing Publishers, 19xx.  Spouse 1: Bishop, Mary Ann Spouse 2: Blunt, Hugh Marriage Date: 11 Feb 1850 Marriage Location: Louisiana Claiborne Parish

5"Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1944,", index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQLC-6WT : accessed 24 Oct 2013), Hugh Blunt and Benetia Bishop, 25 Jan 1857.

6 Etta Leonard Blunt Family Bible (Thomas Nelson & Sons, 381-385 Fourth Avenue, New York, NY). Etta's Bible has been an invaluable source for dates and places.

7"United States Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874" , index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-22118-3356-49?cc=1921756 : accessed 13 Aug 2014), Boyl-Bran > image 4740 of 6297; citing NARA microfilm publication M334.

James Bert "Jim" Blunt, Jr.

This photo is from my personal family collection.[1]  He is James Bert "Jim" Blunt, Jr., son of Jim, Sr. and his wife Alpha Anne Delafield.  Jim, Jr. was born Oct. 18, 1882 in Sarepta, Webster Parish, LA and died on Aug. 24,1933 in Rush Springs, Grady Co., OK.

He married Miss Isabelle Allison in Rush Springs on Mar. 12, 1911.  She was born Nov. 14, 1892 in Chockie, Atoka Co. OK to Charles Edward and Irene E. Glossup Allison.  She died in Jacksonville, Cherokee Co., TX on May 12, 1967.  Both are buried at Rush Springs Cemetery.

Jim, Jr. was to me both a first cousin, twice removed and, a second cousin, twice removed.  On the Blunt side, he descended from Hugh R. Blunt (1822-1877) and his wife Mary Ann Bishop.  Hugh was also married to Mary Ann's younger sister, Bonita Bishop from whom I descend.  And, we both descend from James R. and Peninah Walker Bishop of Lawrence Co., MS.

My descent from Hugh and Beneta is through their daughter, Amanda (1859-1936).  She married James Monroe Braley and their daughter, Ora (1884-1984) married A. L. Coffee and were my paternal grandparents.

I like this photo for a several reasons.  First, it is large, in focus and without defect (spots, folds, etc.).  Another reason is his clothing.  He is wearing a conventional necktie, white shirt and suit.  His hat sits back on his head, giving full exposure to his face.  It was probably taken in the mid-to-late 1920's.

He is wearing leather wrist cuffs and gloves.  The flashlight, along with his watch and fob must have been prized possessions. I have seen portrait-like period photos in which the men were displaying pistols or rifles but, I have never seen one with the subject holding a flashlight.  The mustache was de rigueur.

Jim, Jr and Isabelle had four children:

Myrtle (1912-1999) who married Verdie Hiram Morris and had children James Vernor and Joyce.

Hazel Relura (1913-1994) who married Clarence David Roberts and had children James Bert and Clarence David.

Clifford Edward "Cliff," (1916-1997) who married Mary Louise Fausett.  No known children.

DeAlva (1928-living) who married Robert Eugene Eitelman (1926-1986).  Four chidlren, three still living.  Their first, James Robert was born Oct. 19, 1947 and died the next day.

Jack

[1] I received the photo through a cousin who received it from Jim Jr's daughter, DeAlva.

A Downside to using Headstone Info

Monroe Cleveland or Jesse Cleveland Coffey?

Within a couple of days of writing the previous blog about headstones, I received this from Lloyd Coffey, a grandson of Jesse Cleveland Coffey.  Jesse was a son of  Jesse "Red Eye" and Lucinda Louise Coffey Coffey:

"My grandfather, Jesse Cleveland Coffey, son of Jesse C. 'Red Eye' Coffey, is buried in Glencoe Cemetery in Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Virginia.  It is in southwestern Virginia and is the location of the 'Richmond District' about which I wrote you earlier.  For some reason, his grave marker has his name as Monroe Cleveland Coffey.  I know that the name Monroe is in our family several times, but I do not know how it got attached to my grandfather.  I have attached a picture of his gravestone.  I do not know the source of any of the information on the stone."

Unless this information is passed on through the family, future researchers looking for Jesse Cleveland's grave site will be disappointed when it cannot be found.

Jesse Cleveland, who I'm sure I've written about in earlier blogs, married Eliza Loudermilk, a daughter of Finley T. & Mary Clark Loudermilk in Caldwell Co., NC in 1910. Eliza was born on Dec. 3, 1892 and died Mar. 18, 1987 in Hiddenite, Alexander Co., NC.

Her obituary:

The Watauga Democrat, Boone, NC Mar. 20, 1987

Mrs. Eliza Coffey

Hiddenite Resident

Mrs. Eliza Coffey, 94, of Route 1, Hiddenite, died Wednesday, March 18, at the residence following an illness of one week.

She was born in Caldwell County, Dec. 23, 1892. She was a daughter of the late Finley Loudermilk and Mary Clark Loudermilk. She was a homemaker. He husband, Cleveland Coffey, preceded her in death.

Survivors include three sons, Lester Coffey and Rayford Coffey, both of Lenoir, and Eugene Coffey of Statesville, two daughters Mrs. Zelma Campbell of Hiddenite and Mrs. Nettie Hodge of Lenoir; one brother, Daniel Loudermilk of Taylorsville, and 36 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Services were held today at 2 p.m. at the Adams Funeral Home Chapel in Taylorsville. Officiating were the Revs. Homer Baity and Bobby Eads. Burial was in the Rocky Face Baptist Church Cemetery in Alexander County.

Adams Funeral Home in Taylorsville was in charge of arrangements.

She and Jesse were parents of six children:

1 - Annie Rivers "Nannie", born Jan. 1, 1910 in Avery Co., NC, died Apr 15, 1952 in Boone.  Annie married her second cousin, William Glenn Coffey and had at least one son, Jerry Guy, born Sep., 12, 1933, died Jan. 25, 1998 in NC.

2 - Lester Deverlin, born Apr. 12, 1913 in NC, died Jul 20, 1988 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.  His wife was Grace Thelma Bennett, born Jul. 27, 1924 in Avery Co., died Feb. 22, 2005 in Lenoir.

Her obituary:

The Hickory Daily Record, Catawba Co., NC, Feb. 25, 2005

GRACE B. COFFEY

LENOIR - Grace Bennett Coffey, 80, of Rosedale Drive, died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005, at Gateway Nursing Center.

She was born July 27, 1924, in Avery County to the late Jesse Cleveland and Etta Naomi Hardin Bennett.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lester Deverlin Coffey; four brothers; and two sisters.

Mrs. Coffey was a homemaker and a member of Zacks Fork Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Donald Odell Coffey Sr. of South Sioux City, Neb., Lloyd Everette Coffey of Taylorsville and Benson Howard Coffey and wife, Teena, of Lenoir; a daughter and son-in-law, Estie Loretta Coffey Smith and Tallie Smith of Lenoir; a stepbrother, Jimmy Kirksey of Hickory; three sisters, Mrs. Virginia Whittington of Lenoir, Mrs. Ollie Coffey of Boone and Mrs. Jean Holdridge of Gainesville, Fla.; seven grandchildren, Jerry Smith, Sharon Smith Clonch, Wayne Smith, Jeannie Smith Childress and Stella Coffey, all of Lenoir, Donald Coffey Jr. of Granite Falls and Gail Coffey Farmer of Arizona; 16 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at 2 p.m. at Greer-McElveen Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Jerry Smith, Ken Osier and Eliza Bishop.  Interment will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens.

Serving as pallbearers will be Cregg Clonch, Ryan Smith, Dustin Smith, Josh Coffey, Scott Coffey, Victor Whittington and Shane Whittington.

The family will receive friends tonight, Thursday, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

For additional information, the family contact person will be Sharon Clonch, granddaughter, at 1216 Cottrell Hill Road, Lenoir.

Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 9140 Arrowpoint Blvd., Suite 380, Charlotte, N.C. 28273, or the Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association, Western N.C. Chapter, 31 College Place, Suite D320, Asheville, N.C. 28801-2644.

Greer-McElveen Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

3 - Zelma Izora, born Sep. 1, 1915 in NC, died Aug. 6, 1993 in Alexander Co.  She married Lex Garland Campbell, born 1910, died Mar. 8, 1992, also in Alexander Co.  They had at least two children, Betty Lou, born 1935 in Alexander Co., died in Harmony, Irdell Co. on Jan. 24, 2005 and, Gary Lee, born Nov. 25, 1947 in Alexander Co., died Jul. 30, 2005 in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., NC

I have obituaries for both of these and will forward on request.

4 - Charley, born 1918 in Avery Co., died Apr. 14, 1919 in Wilson Creek Twp., Avery Co.  His death record gives his name as Chasley, but Lloyd tells me that is an error.

5 - Nettie J., born Feb. 27, 1920 in Watauga Co.  No further info.

6 - Jerry Baxter, born Mar. 21, 1923 in NC, died at Blowing Rock, Watauga Co. on Jan. 14, 1973.

Susan Barsheba (Bob) Fletcher

This will be my last blog for about two weeks.  We are heading out tomorrow for a two-week camping trip down around Lafayette, Louisiana.  That area is the heart of Acadiana.  I hope to enjoy a few Cajun dinners in one of the many fine restaurants in that area.  So what if the cholesterol is high...you gotta die from something  so might as well have a full belly when you go!

I'm still searching for some associate editors to write an occasional blog.  You can write about your Coffey/Coffee family or any of those lines that connect to them.  If interested, contact me via e-mail.  My address is above right.

Susan Barsheba (Bob) Fletcher was a daughter of James Nelson & Rebecca M. O'Quinn Fletcher.  Her father was brother to George William Fletcher who married a sister to my 3G-grandfather, James R. Bishop.  She was born in Mississippi, and probably in Lawrence or Copiah Co. 

The Bishops first settled in Lawrence Co. after leaving Georgia.  My earliest Bishop ancestor was William Bucner who was in that county at least by 1818 when he purchased land in the SW part of S22, T7W, R19W comprising 160 acres.  He paid a total of $320 to the US Government for the property.  William sold the property on Jan. 1, 1834 and began moving west.  He was 66 years old at the time and made it only as far as Union Co., AR where he died in 1852.

William's son, James R. Bishop was my ancestor.  His daughter, Adaline Amanda married George William Fletcher.  As mentioned above, Susan's (Bob) father was brother to George.  That's why I have a drawer full of Fletcher family information.

Bob was the ninth of 14 children born to James and Rebecca.  There were six boys and eight girls, all born between Nov., 1838 and Oct., 1864!  Rebecca likely didn't remember what it was like not to be pregnant!  She died in 1880.  James died in 1864, worn out I reckon from trying to feed all those kids!

Bob married William Caswell Crocker on Nov. 9, 1873.  He was born Aug. 5, 1844 in Mississippi. and died Jan. 15, 1901 in Texas, probably Anderson Co.  Bob died there on Jan. 1, 1916 and is buried in the Tennessee Colony* Cemetery.

William Caswell is probably also buried here, but I have not yet found his headstone.

He and Bob had at least seven children:

Eugenia Alice, born Jan. 2, 1875
Toy Crawford, born Sep. 29, 1877
Allen Baxter, born Jul. 5, 1879
Savannah Ida, born May 25, 1882
Oliver Arnold, born Nov. 29, 1887, died Jan. 17, 1928.  He is also buried at Tennessee Colony.
Hanna Jane, born Apr. 8, 1890
Ebon Nealy, born Mar. 29, 1895, died Mar. 29, 1899.  He is also buried at Tennessee Colony.

As usual, I can be reached at the above e-mail address if corrections to this info are needed.




*Yes, there is a town in Texas with that name!
Photo of gravestone courtesy of Kristen Merritt on FindAGrave

Ben W. Duke Headstone

There are Blunts on my paternal side. Exie Marie (Jackie) Blunt was a second cousin, and descends from my GG-grandparents, Hugh R. and Beneta Bishop Blunt.

Jackie married Charlie Henry Duke, Sr. of Alberta, Bienville Parish, LA on Nov. 29, 1945 in Taylor, Columbia Co., AR. They became the parents of Margie Marie, Charlie, Jr., and Lonnie Gene.

Charlie, Jr. married Linda Ann Alison of Shongaloo in Webster Parish. Their children were Kimberley Renee (Kim) Duke and Benjamin Wayne (Ben) Duke.

Kim was born Aug. 19, 1972 and died Jul 24, 1987. Ben was born Mar. 2, 1975 and died Jun. 25, 2000.

I do not know what tragedies befell this family, but surely it was heartbreaking.

I think the headstone for Ben is remarkable.  It is not only a memorial to a dear son, it is also a work of art.