Dell Carlton and Mary Jane Bodenhamer Coffey

Dell was the third of 12 children and third son of William Luther and Mary Salome Moretz Coffey. He was born Jul. 1, 1875 in Watauga Co., and died there on Jun. 4, 1963. Mary Jane was born Apr. 18, 1876 in Yadkin Co., NC and died in Watauga Co. on Nov. 7, 1964. She and Dell were married in Big Hill, Watauga Co. on Nov. 6, 1895. Both are buried at the Old Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church Cemetery in Watauga Co.

The union of Dell and Mary produced 13 children between Oct., 1896 and Oct., 1920. Five of those children were lost before age 10. Seven of them lived an average life span of 82 years. Three of those seven lived more than 90 years with one living to age 98. One child is still living.

The obituary of their ninth child and fifth son Paul Alfred, appeared today in The Watauga Democrat, Boone, NC.

Mr. Paul Alfred Coffey, 98, of 1900 Hillsmere Lane, Staunton, Va., formerly of Boone, N.C., died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008, at Loyalton of Staunton.

He was born Dec. 30, 1909 in Watauga County, a son of the late Dell C. and Mary Bodenhamer Coffey.

Mr. Coffey was a member of Old Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church, and was a farmer. Survivors include one sister, Anna Belle Norris of Salisbury; and a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by six brothers and five sisters.

Graveside services and burial was conducted Sunday afternoon, Jan. 13, 2008, at 3 o’clock at the Old Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church Cemetery.

The family received friends Sunday from 1-2:30 p.m. at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, 6411 Middlebrook Road, Middlebrook, VA 24459; or to the Old Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church Cemetery Fund, in care of George Winebarger, 1767 Burkett Road, Boone, N.C. 28607.
Henry Funeral Home, Inc., in Staunton, Va., and Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Coffey family.

Their other children were:

Robert Leroy, born Oct. 28, 1896, died May 13, 1974. He was married on Jul. 14, 1920 to Bertie Blanche Walls, born Sep. 13, 1904, died Feb. 22, 1979. They had at least six children: Wade Leroy, Hattie Mae, William Franklin, Frances Viola, Agnes Ruth, and Vera Lee.

Ora Estella, born Aug. 1, 1898, died Nov. 27, 1985. She was married to James Stewart Barnes on Feb. 13, 1924. He was born Sep. 25, 1894 and died Mar. 20, 1965. They had at least four children: James Andrew, Mary Elizabeth, one unnamed daughter and, Rebecca Ann.

Mrs. Estella Coffey Barnes, 87, of Route 2, Boone, died Wednesday morning, Nov.27, at her home. Mrs. Barnes was born Aug. 1, 1898 in Watauga County to Dell Calvin and Mary Jane Bodenhamer. She was the wife of the late Stewart James Barnes. Mrs. Barnes was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church and had attended the Perkinsville Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school for a number of years. She was employed for many years as the first secretary of the Appalachian Normal School, which later became Appalachian State University. She was a long time hand-weaving crafts person and was a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Richards, Mrs. Betty Elliott, and Mrs. Rebecca Miller, all of Boone; one son, James A. Barnes of Winston-Salem; one sister, Mrs. Anna Belle Norris of Kannapolis; three brothers, Ira Coffey of Buckingham, Va., Paul Coffey of Middlebrook, Va., Glenn Coffey of Boone; and 13 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

Services were conducted today at 2 p.m. at the Perkinsville Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Jim Russell, the Rev. Bob Young, and the Rev. Bob Barlow. Burial followed at Mount Lawn Memorial Park and Gardens. Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Directors in Boone were in charge of the arrangements.

William Edgar, born Feb. 5, 1900, died Oct. 3, 1906

Mamie, born Nov. 15, 1901, died Dec. 22, 1901

Emma Edith, born Nov. 11, 1902, died Dec. 19, 1902

Addie Lee, born Jan. 10, 1904, died Feb. 14, 1964. She married Lynman Paul Norris on Mar. 16, 1928. He was born c1900 and died Mar. 3, 1936. They had at least three children: Kay Phyllis, Wanda Delrey and Stanley Paul.

David Glenn, born Feb. 27, 1906, died Apr. 17, 1996. He was married on Aug. 14, 1933 to Reba Wynn [?] Jones. She was born Aug. 17, 1917 and died Apr. 8, 2002. They had at least four children: Billy Glenn, Janet Maxine, James Howard and Mary Lorene.

His obituary appeared in The Watauga Democrat, Boone, N.C., April 19, 1996

Mr. David Glenn Coffey, 90, of 110 Burkett Road, Route 2, Boone, died Wednesday night, April 17, in Morganton.

He was born Feb. 27, 1906, in Watauga County, a son of the late Dell and Mary Bodenhamer Coffey. He retired from the security department of Appalachian State University after 18 years of service and was a member of Old Mount Pleasant Lutheran Church.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Reba Jone [sic] Coffey; three sons, Billy Coffey and his wife, Sandy, of Powell, Tenn., James Howard Coffey and his wife, Janice, and Joe L. Coffey and his wife, Joyce, all of Clemmons; two daughters, Mrs. Maxine McGuire and her husband, Tom, of Kansas City, Missouri and Mrs. Lorene Williams and her husband, Ted, of Kingsport, Tenn.; two brothers, Ira Coffey of Buckingham, Va., and Paul Coffey of Middlebrook, Va.; one sister, Mrs. Anna Belle Norris of Kannapolis. Ten grandchildren, 11 greatpgrandchildren, two step-grandchildren, four step-great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews also survive.

He was preceded in death by nine brothers and sisters, and a granddaughter, Miss Janet Lee Coffey.

Services will be Saturday at 2:00 o'clock at Hampton Funeral Home Chapel. The body will lie in state from 12:30 until 2 p.m. Officiating will be the Rev. Harwood Smith. Burial will follow in the Old Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

Ira Calton, born Jul. 15, 1908, died Jan. 30, 2000 in Buckingham Co., VA. He married Mary Ruth Bradshaw of Bluff City, Sullivan Co., TN. No further information.

Paul Alfred, born Dec. 30, 1909, died Jan. 10, 2008 (See obituary above; he apparently never married)

Walter Murray, born Jul. 22, 1912,died Mar. 3, 1985. He married Mary Cleo Proffitt on Dec. 22, 1938. She was born Feb. 16, 1916 and died Sep. 14, 1989. Their children were Nancy Louise, Kent William, one unnamed daughter, and Jane Elizabeth.

Anna Belle, born Jan. 28, 1915, married Dale Cloyd Norris on Jul. 23, 1939. He died Dec. 2, 2007 in Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC. Their children were Gary, Mickey Alan, and Daniel lee.

Ray Albert, born Sep. 20, 1918, died Oct. 29, 1928

Viola Mary, born Oct. 31, 1920, died Mar. 20, 1921

All of the children were born in Watauga Co. It appears that all of the known deceased, with the exception of Ora Estella and Ira Calton are buried with their parents at Old Mt. Pleasant. Ora is buried at Mt. Lawn Memorial Park and Gardens in Boone. I am not sure where Ira is buried; perhaps in Buckingham Co., VA.

The Norris spouses were children of Millard Harrison and Ida Delrea [Del Rea?] Davis Norris. Their daughter, Marion Edna Norris married William Leon Coffey, another son of William Luther and Mary Moretz Coffey.

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

William Luther and Mary Salome Moretz Coffey (Corrected)

William Luther Coffey was a son of Jesse Calton and Nancy Raines Coffey. He was born Mar. 6, 1850 in TN, and died Mar. 5, 1925 in Watauga Co., NC. He married Mary Salome (Sallie) Moretz, a daughter of Daniel and Catharine Bolick Moretz. Sallie was born Aug. 20, 1850 in Watauga Co., and died Mar. 20, 1940 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC. I have not found a marriage date for them.

The following information was received from Brenda Trivette, a GG-Granddaughter:

"Although in the 1870 and 1880 census records for Watauga County Sally Coffey is said to be one year older than her husband William and the couple's tombstone in the Old Mount Pleasant Cemetery reads: William L. Coffey, March 6, 1850--March 5, 1925 and Salome Moretz Coffey, August 20, 1850-- March 20, 1940. These dates agree with those in the family Bible.

William Luther Coffey was the son of Jesse Calton Coffey (April 21, 1821--Aug.28, 1904) and Nancy Raines Coffey (Sept. 30, 1822--Jan. 14, 1899), who lived below where Tweetsie Railroad now runs and are buried in the Middle Fork Cemetery above the railroad...William and Sally had 12 children...

Will and Sally Coffey lived in the Big Hill section of Meat Camp Township on land given to Sally by her parents. Will was a nursery-man who grew, grafted and sold all kinds of fruit trees and grape vines. He is remembered by his granddaughter Georgia Bodenheimer Norris (born June 10, 1908, daughter of Lizzie) as a kind, strict man who would stand for no cutting up at the table. ("He'd give you one look and you knew what he meant.") He worked hard and provided well for his family. He would get up early and go out to work awhile before breakfast, (Georgia recalls her mother saying), but would never ask his children to go out and help him before breakfast.

He did not use tobacco in any form, but Sally chewed. She kept the habit a secret at first but finally told her husband, deciding "if he killed me he couldn't eat me". He did neither and after that she could chew with a clear conscience.

Around 1912 Will built a new house near the old one in which he and Sally had raised their family. The new house had a unique double staircase so you didn't have to go down the way you went up.

Will is said to have been a man of medium height who walked with a limp. He suffered from high blood pressure and heart dropsy. After he died, Sally stayed on in the house for eight years with her daughters Maud and Edna and her granddaughter Rose (Victor's daughter, who had come to live with her grandparents after her mother died). In 1923 the four of them moved to Lenoir where Sally died."

There were at least 12 children born to this union:

Arthur A., born Oct. 17, 1870

Victor Judson, born Oct. 29, 1872, died Feb. 1863. He married Frances Adeline Moretz on Aug. 3, 1899 in Watauga Co. Frances was born Apr. 15, 1873, and died May 11, 1913. They had at least four children: Hernando LeRoy, born Feb. 13, 1900, died Dec. 7, 1969; Frances Leona, born Mar. 6, 1902; Doris Winona, born Nov. 9, 1904; and Charles Raymond, born Apr. 2, 1907, died Apr. 28, 1987. Victor is also said to have been married to Emma Moretz, born Jun. 6, 1897, died Aug. 28, 1963. I have not found a record of this marriage.

Dell Carlton, born Jul. 1, 1875 in Watauga Co., died Jun. 4, 1963 in Watauga Co. He married Mary Jane Bodenheimer on Nov. 6, 1895. She was born Apr. 18, 1876 in Yadkin Co., NC, and died Nov. 7, 1974 in Watauga Co. There were 13 children born to this union: Robert Leroy, born Oct. 28, 1896, died May 13, 1974; Ora Estella, born Aug. 1, 1898, died Nov. 27, 1985; William Edgar, born Feb. 5, 1900, died Oct. 3, 1906; Mamie, born Nov. 15, 1901, died Dec. 22, 1901; Emma Edith, born Nov. 11, 1902, died Dec. 19, 1902; Addie Lee, born Jan. 10, 1904, died Feb. 15, 1964; David Glenn, born Feb. 27, 1906, died Apr. 17, 1996; Ira Calton, born Jul. 15, 1908, died Jan. 30, 2000; Paul Alfred, born Dec. 30, 1909; Walter Murray, born Jul. 22, 1912, died Mar. 3, 1985; anna Belle, born Jan. 28, 1915; Ray Albert, born Sep. 20, 1918, died Oct. 29, 1929; and Viola Mary, born Oct. 31, 1920, died Mar. 20, 1921.

Norman Oran, born Aug. 27, 1877 in Watauga Co., died Aug. 18, 1937 in Port Henry, Essex Co., NY. He married Carrie Norris, a daughter of John H. and Miriam Loretta Crowell Norris on Jan. 5, 1898 in Watauga Co. Carrie was born May 22, 1879 in Watauga Co., and died Feb. 15, 1968 in Greensboro, Guilford Co., NC. They had at least 6 children: Mabel Loretta, born Oct. 23, 1897, died Sep. 30, 1932; John Bynum, born Feb. 23, 1899, died Sep. 6, 1959; Clyde D., born c1903; Wilson H., born c1905; Virginia Clara, born Apr. 26, 1906, died Apr. 27, 1977; and Lorena, born c1912.

Nora Ellen, born Jan. 8, 1880, died Jun. 14, 1966

Kenneth P., born Oct. 21, 1881, died Aug. 19, 1886

Frances Elizabeth, born Mar. 23, 1884, died Oct. 31, 1961. She married Will A. Bodenheimer, born Jul. 31, 1885, died May 11, 1977. At least four children were born: Georgia Sallie, born Jun. 10, 1908; Earl McCoy, born May 22, 1912; Lillian, born c1917; and Ruby Helen, born Mar. 27, 1922.

Rachel Ada, born Mar. 31, 1886 in Watauga Co., died Mar. 14, 1975. She married W. Johnson Green, born Apr. 20, 1883, died Apr. 4, 1967. They had at least two children: Jodie Velma, born Feb. 23, 1914, and William Dale, born Mar. 1, 1915.

Margaret Alberta, born Jul. 4, 1888 in Watauga Co., died Jan. 31, 1918 in Watauga Co. She married Elbert Solomon Norris, born Aug. 1884, died Oct. 1933. At least six children were born to their union: Nina Beular, born Jan. 31, 1910; Walter Denver, born Mar. 27, 1911, died Oct. 24, 1987; Clara E., born Nov. 14, 1912; Unnamed, born Jul. 7, 1914; Nancy S., born Sep. 4, 1915; and Lola Maude, born Aug. 28, 1917.

William Leon, born Jul. 29, 1893 in Watauga Co., died Aug. 11, 1963. He married Marion Edna Norris, born Oct. 7, 1895 in Watauga Co., died Mar. 10, 1987. They had at least nine children: Homer Leon, born Jun. 29, 1913; Thelma Edna, born Feb. 28, 1915, died May, 26, 1995; Arthur Wade, born Jun. 29, 1917; Ida Irene, born Feb. 23, 1919; Jewel Salome, born c1920; Marion Helen, born Jun. 16, 1924; Rena Marie, born Jul. 21, 1926; Waymon Wayne, born Jan. 7, 1929; and Stanley Owen, born Apr. 26, 1931, died Oct. 4, 2005.

Maude Estella, born Aug. 29, 1894, died Mar. 27, 1949

Edna Mae, born May. 6, 1898, died Oct. 14, 1964.

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