Noah Rice Blackwell

Noah Rice Blackwell was born in Rockbridge Co., VA in Dec., 1870 to James H. and Martha Jane Mines.* 

James and Martha were contemporaries of Reuben Wetzel, Sr. and Sarah Jane Wood Coffey of Nelson Co., VA.  Reuben and Sarah were married on Dec. 16, 1852 in Nelson Co.**

Rose Forest Maywood "Maywood" Coffey was born to Reuben and Sarah on Nov. 28, 1873 in Amherst Co.  She was married to Noah on Dec. 4, 1894 in Rockbridge Co.1

Maywood and Noah lived all of their lives within a few miles of their birthplaces.  From marriage in 1894 to the census n Jan., 1920 they were residents of Walkers Creek District in Rockbridge Co.  In 1930 they were living in the South River District of that county; in 1940 they were in Augusta Co.  By then, all of their children were grown with families except one, Minnie, born in 1898, who was still unmarried and living at home.

In addition to Minnie, Maywood and Noah had 10 other children:

Bulah May, born 1895, died 1973, married Brown Hartford Staton.

Minnie was second born.

James Earl, born 1900, died 1980, married Madge Allen.

Nina D., born 1902, married 1) William G. "Jack" Houser; 2) Percy V. Thompson.

Murrell R., born 1904, married Frank Blair Cox.

Rev. Leonard W., born 1905, married Gladys Merita "Bunky" Grimm.

Edith P., born 1907, married Guy Wilton Houser, probably related to Jack, above.

Earnest H., born 1910, not known to have married.

Blanche, born 1912, married Hansford Lee Lynn.

Cecil W., born c1913, probably died young.

Hazel B., born 1915, married Hunter O. Dunaway.

More detail on the children is available on request.

Noah died at age 75 on Mar. 17, 1946 near Spottswood in Augusta Co. and was buried at Mount Carmel Presbyterian Cemetery at Steeles Tavern in Augusta Co.

N. R. Blackwell2

Staunton, March 19 - Funeral rites for N. Rice Blackwell, 75, who died Sunday at his home near Spottswood, were held Tuesday at Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church.  Burial was in the adjoining cemetery.

He is survived by 10 children:  Mrs. Brown Staton, Mrs. Jack Houser, Mrs. Guy Houser, of Spottswood; Miss Minnie Blackwell, at home; Earl Blackwell, of Moffaits Creek; Mrs. Frank Cox, of Rockbridge Baths; Herman Blackwell, of Middlebrook; L. W. Blackwell, of Waynesboro; Mrs. Hansford Lynn, of Radford; Mrs. Hunter Dunaway, of Fairfield.

Rose preceded Noah in death.  She passed away on Mar. 3, 1946 and was also buried at Mount Carmel.  She was 72 years old.

More detail on Roses' ancestry is available on request.

---

*Martha Jane was the second wife of James; his first wife, Nancy Bensen, died in c1856 leaving him with a number of small children to raise.  He and Martha were married on April 22, 1858 in Augusta Co., VA ["Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XR73-PW6]

**Marriage Register, Nelson Co., VA - Marriage Register, Book No. 2, 1854 - 1926, p59, line 29.

1Rockbridge County Marriages 1853-1896, VA State Archives, Reel 43; Bureau of Vital Statistics [read and extracted by Mary Ann Taylor].

²"The Richmond Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA)", http://bit.ly/1GT2oQ1, Wed., Mar. 20, 1946, Page 20.

Other sources:  1900-1940 US Federal Census, Find-A-Grave, FamilySearch.org, and Jarrett Wilson Harlow via Carol Hite Harlow, citing marriage, birth, census and death records of Nelson, Amherst and Rockbridge counties as well as family histories.

Coleman & Rosa "Rosey" Burks Coffey

A reader recently wrote asking about the Coleman Coffey family of Wayne and McCreary Counties in KY. Until now I had not written much, if anything in my blog about Coleman.  The following represents what information I have found.

Additional information about connecting families can be found at the following links:

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2011/11/sheridan-l-sherd-sarah-sally-coffey.html

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2010/11/sheridan-l-sherd-dobbs-sarah-sally.html

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2007/11/truesdell-coffey-1941-2007.html

---

Coleman was the eldest son of Henry Baker and Sarah Elizabeth Dobbs Coffey.  According to information found on his death certificate he was born Nov. 8, 1869 in KY and died in Co-operative, McCreary Co. on Oct. 26, 1948 and was buried at  Sherd Dobbs Cemetery in Stearns.

Rosa or "Rosey" was a daughter of Benjamin Richard and Rebecca Jane Vaughn Burks.  According to her death certificate, Rosa was born Apr. 30, 1875 in Wayne Co. and died in McCreary Co. on Mar. 18, 1942.  She too is buried at Sherd Dobbs Cemetery.

Info provided by others report that Coleman and Rosa were married on Mar. 1, 1891 in KY but, omits the county.  They are said to have had at least nine children, all born in Kentucky between 1892 and 1913.

William Gaines was the first, born Feb. 25, 1892, died Jul. 20, 1963 in McCreary Co.  His first wife was Kizzie Coffey, born May 19, 1901 in McCreary Co., died there on Apr. 8, 1949.  She the daughter of George Washington Coffey and wife Margery "Sis" Troxell and, first cousin to William; their father's were brothers.

To them was born Harrison, Mar 2, 1919, died in Pulaski Co., KY on Aug. 16, 1983, and buried at Sherd Dobbs; Bertie, born c1922 and Martha, born c1926.  I know nothing more about these children.

Both William and Kizzie are buried at Sherd Dobbs.

William married second to Alice Phillips, a daughter of Pate and Elizabeth Cox Phillips.  According to her obituary and the 1940 McCreary Co. census, Alice was born c1935.  She died on Oct. 9, 1978 in Springfield, Clark Co., OH and was buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Alice Coffey, 43, Springfield, Ohio, died Oct. 9 in Springfield.  Funeral services were conducted Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. at Hickman Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Earl Davis officiating.  Burial was in Sherd Dobbs Cemetery.

She was born in 1935 in McCreary County to the late Pate and Elizabeth Cox Phillips.  Her husband, Gaines Coffey, preceded her in death.  She lived here for many years and was a homemaker.

Survivors include her children, Gaines Coffey, Jr., Somerset, Mrs. Bertha Carroll, Covington, Dean and Linda Coffey, both of Dayton, Ky., and Herman Mark Hughes, Smithtown.  One brother, Lloyd Phillips, Cincinnati and two sisters, Flossie Clark, Dayton, Ky., and Lola Irvin, Eaton, Ohio.

Hickman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

The child Herman Mark Hughes may be a step-son from a marriage subsequent to the death of William in 1963.

The second child born to Coleman and Rosa was Ada J., born May 4, 1896, died Jan. 15, 1971 in McCreary Co.  Her husband was John Sherman Dobbs, a son of Stephen Tolbert and Mary Gregory Dobbs.  They were married in KY on Oct. 8, 1912.  Sherman was born Aug. 11, 1885 in Wayne Co. and died in Oneida, Scott Co., TN on Dec. 23, 1968.

Sherman Dobbs, life long resident of the Cooperative community, died Saturday December 23,1968, in Scott County Hospital, Oneida, Tenn.

Mr Dobbs, 82, a retired coal miner, had been ill for more than a year. The deceased was born August 11, 1885, in Wayne County, the son of the late Tolbert Dobbs and Polly Ann Gregory Dobbs. He was a member of the New Haven Baptist Church at Cooperative.

Surviving are his wife, Ada Coffey Dobbs, one daughter, Mrs. Lillie Bell, Muncie, two sons, Dewey Dobbs, Muncie and Roy Dobbs, Cooperative; two brothers, Jeff Dobbs, Monticello, and Albert Dobbs, Cooperative.

Funeral services were held on Christmas Day at 1 o'clock in the afternoon with Rev. Robert Jones and Rev. Earl Davis officiating. Burial was in the Sherd Dobbs Cemetery with Hickman Funeral Home in charge. His grandsons served as pall bearers.

I have their children as:  Roy, born Oct. 30, 1913, died Apr. 26, 1988 in Pulaski Co., KY; Lillie, born Sep. 16, 1915 in Wayne Co.; Dewey, born Oct. 13, 1917 in McCreary Co.; an unnamed child born Nov. 1, 1926; Ida Dester, born and died Mar. 20, 1932 in McCreary Co.; and Hubert, born Feb. 28, 1938, died Oct. 20, 1936 in McCreary Co.

The third child was Sarah E., born Mar. 14, 1898, died Apr. 1, 1984 in McCreary Co.  Her husband was Rhodes Bell, born Mar. 6, 1893 in KY, died Nov. 8, 1977 in Oneida, TN.  Both buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Two children following Sarah was Rosie, born c1902 and Henry, born c1904.  No further information.

Lona was child number six.  She was born on Apr. 30, 1905 and died Jun. 12, 1989.  She married Thomas Gregory, perhaps some kin to Mary Gregory Dobbs, wife of Stephen Tolbert Dobbs.  Thomas was born Feb. 26, 1903 and died May 23, 1967 in McCreary Co.  He and Lona are buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Their children, all born in McCreary Co. were:  Austin, born Jul. 10, 1926, died Dec. 6, 1958.  His wife was Juanita Roberts; Ray, born May 28, 1928, died Feb. 8, 2000 in Clermont Co., OH; Betty M., born c1935; Ina, born c1937; Lona, born c1939 and Donald Lee, born Mar. 24, 1948, died Aug. 22, 1997.

Child seven was Wilburn, born Jun. 7, 1908, died Mar. 16, 1977 in Pulaski Co.  He married Roxie Gregory, a daughter of Obie and Laurie Dobbs Gregory.  Roxie was born Feb. 12, 1910 and died in McCreary Co. on Sep. 29, 1978.

Eva, born Jan. 14, 1912, was child number eight.  I have no other information on her.

The last child was George H., born Aug. 24, 1913, died Mar. 27, 1967.  George married Lucy Haynes on Dec. 28, 1946 at Hill Top in McCreary Co. I am told that Gary T. Coffey, born Mar. 30, 1962, died Apr., 1962 was one of their children.  Lucy is said to have married Lee Sosh after the death of George.  She died on Jun. 14, 1991 and is buried at Sherd Dobbs.  Lucy was the daughter of Albert L. and Cora Tucker Haynes

Corrections and additions welcomed!

Jason Coffey (1874-1936)

Jason, a son of James Knox P. and Ann S. Williams Coffey, was born Nov. 26, 1874 in Middleburg Twp., Casey Co., KY.  From census records he was a dry goods salesman and/or merchant in that part of Kentucky for most of his life.

His first wife was Deva Dell Cox, a daughter of M.E.. and Eniza McClure Cox, born Dec. 16, 1881 in Casey Co.  They were married on Nov. 14, 1904* in Liberty, Casey Co. and remained together until Deva's death from Influenza on Jan. 12, 1923 in Yosemite, Casey Co.  She was buried at Middleburg Cemetery.

I can find three children born to this union:

James McClure, born May 28, 1907 in Casey Co., and died there on Jul. 18, 1907.  He is also buried at Middleburg Cemetery.

Maurine, born 1910, died 1977 in Middleburg.  She married George A. Elliott, born 1913, but I have not found a marriage record.  George died in 2004; Maurine died in Middleburg in 1977.  Both are buried at Middleburg Cemetery.

The last child was Alice Maxine, born c1916.  No further information.

Following Deva's death, Jason married Wanda Hatter, c1924.  She was a daughter of Fountain and Sarah Angeline Black Hatter.  I have seen her given name reported as Wauda and Wauda Wanda in several on-line genealogies.  The SSDI and the 1930 census records her name as Wanda.  In the 1900 census, while still in her parents household, was recorded as Wandy, born May, 1890.  The SSDI reports her birth year as 1889.  I have not seen her headstone but, she is recorded on Find-A-Grave (FAG) as Wauda H. Black Coffey**  with a birth date of Mar. 18, 1889 and a death date of Mar. 26, 1972.    I do not believe she was married prior to her union with Jason.  In the 1930 census she gave her age as 38 and married at age 32.  She is buried at Green River Christian Church Cemetery in Yosemite.

Jason died on Jun. 22, 1936 in Yosemite and was buried the following day at Middleburg Cemetery.

---

*Groom's Name: Jason Coffey Groom's Birth Date: Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: Bride's Name: Deva Dell Cox Bride's Birth Date: Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: Marriage Date: 14 Nov 1904 Marriage Place: Liberty, Casey, Kentucky Groom's Father's Name: Groom's Mother's Name: Bride's Father's Name: Bride's Mother's Name: Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M01529-8 System Origin: Kentucky-EASy Source Film Number: 1942721 Reference Number: P. 240-41

**Many FAG contributors are known to add more information to their entries than appears on the headstone.