Oscar Lee Coffey

Oscar Lee Coffey, born Sep. 7, 1878 in North Carolina to Levi Lafayette and Temperance "Tempie" Calloway Coffey, married Ollie Belle Calloway on Mar. 12, 1904[1] in Watauga Co., NC.

Ollie Belle was the daughter of William Henderson and Almirah M. "Myra" Johnson Calloway, born Mar. 10, 1886 in Watauga Co., NC.

Oscar is thought to be the same Oscar Lee Coffey who recorded several folk songs back in the late 1920s using the pseudonym Barney Dunroe.

After 12 years of marriage, he and Ollie had a child, a daughter, Ollie Jean, born Aug. 31, 1916 in Watauga Co., NC.  Ollie was graduated from Appalachian State and chose teaching as a career.  She taught for years in Lexington, NC city schools and others in Davidson Co., NC where she and her husband lived.

Ollie married Theodore Norman Owen on Jun. 18, 1941.[2]  He was 20 years her senior at the time and they lived together 30 years until his death on Apr. 8, 1971.  Ollie another 22 years before passing away on Jun. 7, 1993 at High Point in Guilford Co., NC.

Both are buried at the Lexington City Cemetery in Davidson Co.

Sadly, they had no children of their own.  Her obituary reads "There are no immediate survivors."[4]

Theo's parents were William Stanley and Elizabeth Cornelis "Bettie" Norman Owen. They were married Oct. 22, 1895 [3] in Halifax Co., NC.  He was born Nov. 22, 1855 and died Nov. 28, 1939.  Bettie was born in NC in 1868 and died Feb. 7, 1962 in Davidson Co.  She was buried at Lexington City Cemetery; William Stanley at Yadkin College Methodist Church Cemetery, also in Lexington.

---

[1]Historical Studies, Appalachian State University, Department of History (Editors Evelyn G. Shepherd and Brenda M. Greene), compiler, Marriage Register of Watauga County, North Carolina 1873-1954 (Boone, Watauga Co., NC: Dept. of Hist., Appalachian State Univ., Boone, NC, 1995).

[2]ibid

[3]North Carolina Marriages, 1759-1979", http://tinyurl.com/jldto5k : 29 December 2014), Wm. Stanley Owens and Elizabeth Cornelia Norman, 22 Oct 1895; citing Halifax, North Carolina, reference Page 13; FHL microfilm 317,209.

[4]Deaths, The Greensboro News and Record, Greensboro, Guilford Co., NC, 8 Jun 1993 http://tinyurl.com/hlv7s3o