Joseph Monroe & Cassandra Coffey Blackerby

Joseph, [corrected from James] a son of William and Caty Haydon Blackerby, was born in Northumberland Co., VA on Apr. 17, 1806. He married Cassandra Coffey, the eldest child of Nebuzaradan and Elizabeth Easley Coffey on Jan. 1, 1834 in Pike Co., IL.

Nebuzaradan Coffey was a native of Wilkes Co., NC, born there on Aug. 29, 1789 to Joel and Martha Stepp Coffey.  He married Elizabeth on Sep. 13, 1810 in KY. She was born in Cumberland Co., KY on Aug. 15, 1790 to William and Sarah Ann Lester Easley. The family left KY and moved to IL in 1831 where they remained until departing for Oregon in 1847. Their children were Cassandra, Martha, Thomas C., Mary, Sarah, Catherine Jane, Sidney J., German J., Elizabeth, Denton D., and Louisa.

Cassandra was born on Aug. 23, 1811 in Pilot Knob, KY and died in Marion Co., OR on Jan. 18, 1885 in Silverton, Marion Co., OR.  She is buried at the Aumsville cemetery in Marion Co.

She and Joseph Blackerby had at least six children, the first three sons, Thomas, William and Sidney were born in Pike Co.  Their fourth child, Marquis de Lafayette Blackerby was born in the Oregon Territory on Sep. 20, 1848 and died in Marion Co. at age 5 on Jan. 3, 1854.  After this child came Elza M., born in 1851 and, Arthur Franklin, born 1853.  Both were born near Silverton in Marion Co. where the family patented land on Drift Creek, southwest of Silverton.

Asterisk marks approximate location of first Blackerby patent and then east for 600+ acres

I have not found the Blackerby family in the 1860 OR federal census.  They first appeared in 1850 in Silverton, Marion Co. when Joseph was 47 years old and Cassandra was 40. Children still at home were William, age 16; Thomas, age 14; Sidney, age 7 and Marquis, age 2.  David and John T. Porter, age 3 and 4 respectively, were also in the household.¹, ³  She and Joseph next appear in the 1870 census in Silverton, Marion Co. when Joseph was 64 and Casandra was 59.  Children still at home were Elza, age 19 and Frank, age 15.

Eldest child, Thomas Richard Blackerby was born May 20, 1836 in Pike Co. and died in Silverton, OR on Feb. 25, 1906.  He married Mary E. Allen on Mar. 4, 1866 in Marion Co.  Mary was born Oct. 10, 1843 in IL and died in Silverton on Oct. 27, 1918.  Both are buried at the Silverton Cemetery. Their children were Grace, born 1867 and Pearl, a son, born 1869.  Grace married William Lloyd Jones, a native of Wales, UK, c1892.  He died in 19333 and she in 1934. both buried at Fern Hill cemetery in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor Co., WA. Pearl married Stella E. Bosler. He died in 1949, she in 1961.  Both are buried at Silverton.

The second child, also a son, was J. William C. Blackerby, born 1834 in Pike Co. He married Saprhonia J. Sears on Sep. 10, 1864 in Marion Co.  J. William is thought to have died on May 14, 1867 somewhere in central Oregon.  Nothing else of this family is known by me of this family.

Sidney German Blackerby, third born, also in Pike Co., came along on Oct. 6, 1843.  He married Margaret Adaline Wilcox on Jul. 23, 1863 in Marion Co.  Margaret was born c1846 in KY.  Their children were William; O. Florence; Levia; Ada Lora; Howard; Thomas Roy and Jannie C. Sidney died Apr. 29,1910 and was buried in Burns, Harney Co., OR at the Burns IOOF cemetery where Margaret is also likely buried.

Following Marquis was Elza M., born Jan. 18, 1851 at Silverton. He and Mary Frances Johnson Clymer were married on Nov. 6, 1878 in Marion Co.  She was a daughter of Henry Vance Clymer and Mary Layman Johnson, born 1856 in Marion Co. Elza died on Oct. 13, 1926 in Multnomah Co., OR and was buried at Silverton in the Warren cemetery. Mary died Dec. 9, 1879 and is also thought to be buried at Warren.²

The last known child was Dr. Arthur Franklin Blackerby, born Jun. 30, 1853 in Marion Co., died in Silverton on Jan. 19, 1934. He married Sophia Maria Gustavsen, a native of Finland, born there in Dec., 1873. The marriage took place in Clatsop Co., OR on Jan. 8, 1895.  Sophia died in Multnomah Co. on Apr. 20, 1962. Children from this marriage were daughters Sana Cassandra "Cassie," born in 1895 and Meva F., born 1899.

Dr. Blackerby's first wife was Jennie Stanton to whom he was married on Nov. 12, 1879.  They appeared in the 1880 census at Silverton.  She died on Jul. 9, 1883, perhaps in childbirth, and was buried at Miller cemetery in Silverton.  There are no known children. 

Dr. Blackerby was buried at the Silverton cemetery.  Sophia was buried at Portland Memorial.

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Footnotes:

¹ Cassandra's sister, Catherine Jane married Stephen Porter in Pike Co. in 1844.  Catherine died in 1850 and the two Porter children were hers. Her first child was Nancy Louisa Porter, born c1845 in IL but she was not mentioned in the census record.

² I have not found a Warren cemetery in Marion Co. It appears that the cemetery name has sometime in the past been renamed Mount Hope.  See http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/marion/cemeteries/waldohill.txt

³ See William Porter's 1848 Trail Diary at http://www.oregonpioneers.com/porter.htm

Denton Darby Coffey (1859-1921)

Denton Darby Coffey couldn't keep a wife and couldn't keep out of court for much of the last 13 years of his life.

He was a son of German J. and Mary Margaret Smith Coffey and was born in the Oregon Territory on Jun. 8, 1859.  German's father was Nebuzaradan Coffey and his mother, Elizabeth Easley.  German was born in Simpson Co., KY in 1827 and came to Oregon with his parents on the Oregon Trail in 1847.

German married Mary on Jul. 6, 1856 in Lane Co., OR and they had at least seven children: Mary L.; John Crittenden; Denton Darby; Edith L.; Ellen; Tecumseh Sherman; and Frank Nebuzaradon. Denton appears to be the one child in that family that had a lot of problems keeping his nose clean.

Denton married Mary Catherine Drury in Linn Co., OR on Dec. 25, 1878. They appeared childless in the 1880 Fox Valley, Linn Co., OR census.  It appears that Mary died, perhaps in child birth and sometime circa 1895 Denton married Carrie W. Woodrum. They appeared as a family in the 1900 Multnomah Co., OR census with daughter, Verne, born in 1896.

Verne married Irving V. Alvord on Feb. 13, 1920 in Weber Co., UT.  Irving was born in Utah in 1887 to Irvin Thadius Alvord and Sylvia Stone.

Denton and Carrie, the daughter of Elijah and Martha E. Deupree Woodrum, apparently divorced and Denton took his third wife, Margaret M. South c1907. There appears to have been no children born to this union.

In the meantime, Carrie took as her second husband, Irvin Thadius Alvord on Feb. 14, 1918.  With that marriage, she became mother-in-law to her daughter, Verne Coffey Alvord!

Denton and His Problems with the Legal System

When he and Carrie divorced in June, 1907, Denton was ordered by the court to pay $10 per month to Carrie for support of their child, Verne.  When he failed to do that, Carrie charged him with fraud and took him to court.  The judge was convinced that Denton was attempting to defraud his daughter but, gave him sometime to get the problem solved.

When Denton failed to follow up he was ordered by the Judge to pay Carrie $160 alimony. Earlier, when the divorce had been granted and he failed to pay her the $10 per month support, she brought suit and prevailed in the amount of $160. When Denton failed to pay that, the Sheriff was directed to seize some of Denton's property, but none could be found.  It appeared that Denton had placed everything in the name of his next wife, Mary Margaret South.  So, Carrie took him and Margaret back to court and charged both with conspiracy to defraud his creditors. Testimony showed that Denton had given Margaret a "$25 diamond as a Christmas present in 1907, he had not paid his first wife's alimony."  We don't know if Denton ever paid Carrie the money due her; no further newspaper reports have been found.

News about Denton was missing from 1909 until 1916 when on Sep. 2 of that year he and two pals were indicted for wire tapping.  He,  Charles B. Dill, a hotel clerk and Edwin G. Hayman, a salesman were charged with tapping the telephone line to the office of Dr. Anna M. Wheeler in the Platt Building in Portland.

Dr. Wheeler had previously sued a Mr. F. D. Stephenson of Wadhams & Co. for libel and had won.  She charged that Coffey and the other two miscreants were bought and paid for by Stephenson with the intent of ruining her reputation in revenge for her court triumph over him.

It appears that Dr. Wheeler had obtained a divorce from her husband, Dr. Glenn Wheeler and had charged him with abandonment.  She received the divorce on Jul. 17, 1916 but the decree had never been made public. Apparently, Stephenson knew something about that and hired Coffey, et al. to tap her office phone.  The plotters learned of the divorce through the wiretap. Dr. Anna Wheeler had apparently had an affair with one Mr. Alex G. Riddell who was being sued by his wife, Mrs. Marie Riddell for divorce.  She had named Dr. Anna as "the other woman."

The trial for wire tapping went on for more than a year, most often delayed by continuance. Apparently, the men never went to trial because on Feb. 3, 1917 an item appeared in The Oregonian reporting that charges against the three men "were never pressed."

Denton Darby Coffey Obituary

Finally, on Sep. 13, 1921, Denton died in Portland and was buried at Rose City Cemetery in that city.  His obituary mentions his wife, Mary M. and a child, Mrs. Lulu Cane.  I am unsure who the mother of this child was.  It is the only place where I have found her mentioned while looking for information about Denton.

There are a few twists and turns in the story and some information missing from the newspapers.  Hopefully, I have captured the gist of the problems Denton had, first with ex-wives and then with the wire tapping charge. It is mentioned in some news articles that Mary Margaret South was his fourth wife, but I have not been able to find more than three.  I would be interested in hearing from anyone who knows exactly how many wives he did have.

Readers can download a free copy of Vol. 131 of the Coffey Cousins Newsletter in PDF format. Pages 9 and 10 contain more information about the 1909 trial.

Ain't family history fun?

William Blackerby & Caty Haydon

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William Blackerby is said to have been born in Wicomico Parish, Northumberland Co., VA in 1755. Except for his marriage to the widow Caty Lukas on Mar. 12, 1792¹, I have found no substantial records of the family in that area.  Some researchers report her maiden name as Haydon and tell us his death was in April, 1815.  A death location for neither he nor Caty has been found.

I know of one child, a son named Joseph Monroe Blackerby, born Apr. 17, 1806 (unsourced).  He married Cassandra Coffey in Pike Co., IL on Jan. 1, 1834.²  By 1850 the couple and four children and was in Marion Co., Oregon Territory.  Living with them at the time were two Porter children: David A., age 3, born IL and John T., age 4(?) mos., born in the OR Territory.  I have not yet discovered who those children belong to.  I suspect they might be related to William Porter who married Cassandra's sisters, Sarah in 1840 (died 1848) then Martha in 1849 (died 1903),  both daughters of Nebuzaradan and Elizabeth Easley Coffey.

Joseph and Cassandra have not been found in 1860 but were still in Marion Co. in 1870.  By then they had become parents of six children:  Thomas Richard, 1836 IL-1906 OR; J. William C., c1840 MO -?; Sidney Green, 1844 IL - 1910 OR; Marqis de Lafayette, 1849 OR - 1854 OR; Elza M., c1851 OR - ?; and Dr. Arthur Frank, 1853 OR - 1934 OR.

Joseph died on Jan. 19, 1878 in Silverton, Marion Co., OR and was buried at the Aumsville Cemetery in Marion Co.  His Find-A-Grave (FAG) memorial is 29198728.  Cassandra was born on Aug. 23, 1811 in Pilot Knob, KY, a place not found on a modern Kentucky map.  Prior to her death on Jan. 18, 1855 in Marion Co., she was found residing with her son Alfred in Silverton at the 1880 census. Her FAG memorial is 7086305.

Their Children:

Thomas Richard, born Aug. 20, 1836 in IL, died Feb. 25, 1906 in Silverton.  He married Mary E. Allen c1865 in OR.  She was born Oct. 10, 1843 in IL and died in Silverton on Oct. 27, 1918.  Both are buried at the Silverton Cemetery.  His FAG memorial is 6462997 and Mary's is 6463000.  The couple lived in Silverton all of their married life and had at least two children there:

Grace "Gracie," born Oct., 1867, died Aug. 6, 1934 in Hoquiam, Grays Harbor, WA.  She married the Welchman William Lloyd Jones, born Apr. 22, 1855 in Wales, United Kingdom and died on Jun. 21, 1933. Grace and William are buried at Fern Hill Cemetery in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor. William's FAG memorial is 106805040.  He and Grace had at least three children:  Bliss Blackerby Jones., a son, born Jul. 23, 1892; Marie Bristal (?), born Oct. 18, 1895 and Dora Frances, born Nov. 6, 1897.

The second known child was Pearl L., a son, born Feb., 1869 in OR, died Nov. 2, 1949 in Marion Co.  He married Stella Bolser³ and they had at least one child, Irele Elise, born Feb. 23, 1911, died Apr. 7, 2004 in CA.  She is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery along with her husband, Col. James Edgar Henry, USAF (Ret'd).  Irene appeared in the 1940 Bakersfield, Kern Co., CA census as a boarder in the household of Caroline Harris.  Irene was then employed as a public school teacher, age 29 and, divorced!

Blackerby-Henry Marriage License

The 1930 and 1940 census reports, as well as her marriage license to James Edgar Henry tells us she was born in Nebraska.  The marriage license gives her age as 27 years, suggesting her birth year was closer to 1915.  The 1940 census also tells us that she had been married previous to her union with Mr. Henry.  She and James were married on Aug. 1, 1942 at Pomona in Los Angeles Co., CA.

Stella Bolser Blackerby was born c1875 in IN and died on May 19, 1961 in Marion Co., OR.  She is buried at the Silverton Cemetery.

The sixth and only other child I know of who grew to become and adult and marry was Dr. Arthur Franklin Blackerby.  In 1880 he was recorded as being a Tinsmith; in 1900 his census record reports him as being a dentist. He was married to Jennie Stanton, born Nov. 16, 1860 in Marion Co., died there on Jul. 9, 1883.  She is buried at Miller Cemetery in Silverton. According to his FAG memorial, Arthur married Sophia Gustavsen c1895.

  Jack

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Sources:

¹Stratton Nottingham, Compiler, The Marriage License Bonds of North Umberland County, Virginia, from 1783 to 1850 (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1976), Page 10.

²Dodd, Jordan. Illinois Marriages to 1850. Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Illinois.

³Stella Fisher, born 1875 in Indiana was a boarder in the household of Mary E. Allen Blackerby, widow of Thomas Richard Blackerby and mother of Pearl L. Blackerby who later married Stella.  If Stella Bolser and Stella Fisher are the same person then she apparently was married prior to union with Pearl but, I have not found a marriage record for Bolser to Fisher.  Pearl was also the precinct enumerator at the 1910 census. In 1880 Stella, age 5, and her widowed mother resided in Franklin Twp., Montgomery Co., IN with her maternal grandmother.

US Federal Census Records

Find-A-Grave

FamilySearch.Org

Library of Virginia

German J. & Mary Margaret Smith Coffey

German was one of the sons of Nebuzaradan and Elizabeth Easley Coffey.  He was born in Simpson Co., KY on Nov. 17, 1827 and was married to Mary Margaret on Jul. 6, 1856 in Lane Co., OR.  From at least July, 1860 through death, German and Mary Margaret resided in Marion Co., OR.  German died in 1874 and was buried at Aumsville Cemetery in Marion Co.  Mary Margaret outlived him by nearly 50 years.  She died in 1922 in The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR and is buried at the IOOF cemetery in Salem, Marion Co.

Mary Margaret was born on Feb. 18, 1838 in Abingdon, Knox Co., IL.  Her father was Hiram Smith who married a Miss Rivers.

She and German at at least seven children:  Mary L., born c1844; John Crittenden, born c1857; Denton Darby, born 1859; Edith L., born c1864; Ellen, born c1866; Tecumseh Sherman, born Apr., 1869 and Frank Nebuzaradon, born Dec., 1871, all in Oregon.

Denton Darby married Carrie W. Woodrum [sic], date unknown.  Carrie was born in Sep., 1866 in Nebraska to Elijah Woodrum and his wife Martha.  It is Carrie I am interested in because I find her maiden name a bit questionable:

In the 1870 Mills Co., IA census, Carrie's father's surname was spelled Woodran, and in 1880 Mills Co. IA  she was found in the household with parents whose surname was spelled Woodman, but Carrie's surname is spelled Woodner.  In that census, she appeared with her parents but on the page following her family's enumeration.  In 1900 her parents were found in the Portland, Multnomah Co., OR census, and the surname was spelled Woodrum.  Carrie's mother Martha was a widow in 1920 and enumerated in the household with Carrie and her new husband, Irving Alvard.  Martha's surname was spelled Woodrum.

So, anyone know which is the correct surname?

Stephen & Catherine Jane Coffey Porter

"Stephen Porter, born 24 June 1819 in MO, died 24 Aug 1890 in OR. He was the son of David and Nancy (Culton) Porter. David Porter, born 8 Mar 1780 in Rockbridge Co, VA, and died on 16 July 1849 on the Oregon Trail '"days journey beyond Fort Hall (Idaho) towards Soda Springs." David Porter married first Mary Elizabeth Hopkins in Davidson Co, TN about 1806. She died at the birth of their only child, a son named James, born 10 Aug 1807. He married second Nancy Culton, born Rockbridge Co, VA 8 Apr 1784, and died Pike Co, IL on 8 Jan 1867. The parents of Nancy Culton were Alexander Culton and Rebecca Woods, married 2 May 1782 in Rockbridge Co, VA. David Porter was the son of William and Mary (Bowen) Porter of Rockbridge Co, VA. I descend from William and Mary (Bowen) Porter through David's brother John.

"In 1811, David and Nancy Porter joined a closely knit group of relatives and neighbors from TN in migrating to Lincoln Co, MO. These included Sittons, Gibsons, Wilsons, and other families who intermarried with the Porters. All were pioneers on the MO frontier a few miles northwest of St. Louis, near St. Charles. By 1819, David Porter began buying land near Big Creek southwest of Troy, MO. He established his home there for a while. In late 1835, he became dissatisfied with the area and moved to Pike Co, IL. In the spring of 1849, when he was 69 years old, accompanied by his son-in-law Samuel Sitton, he joined a wagon train to Oregon, where several of his married children had gone the previous year. He died of a stroke enroute. His son-in-law returned to his family in Pike Co, IL. It is presumed that David Porter was buried beside the trail."*

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David and Nancy Culton Porter had at least six children:

Rebecca, born c1809 in TN, married Samuel G. Sitton, born c1802 in Lincoln Co., MO, died c1878 in Pike Co., IL.  Their children were at least four:  Eleanor, David W., William P., and Amanda.  In 1850 the family was residing in Pike Co. and Rebecca's mother, Nancy Culton Porter, age 66, was residing with them.  Nancy died in Pike Co. in 1867*

William, born Dec. 14, 1812 in MO, died Mar. 30, 1899 in Marion Co., OR.  He married Sarah Coffey, daughter of Nebuzaradan and Elizabeth Easley Coffey.  Sarah was born May 1, 1820 in Simpson Co., KY and died in Marion Co. on Nov. 20, 1848.  William died Mar. 30, 1899 in Marion Co.  Both are buried in the Oregon Pioneer Cemetery at Aumsville in Marion Co.  Their children were at least four: William German; Elizabeth Nancy; John Hancock; and Sidney Reese.

Joseph Woods, born c1815 in MO, married Elizabeth Ann Howey on Aug. 14, 1838 in Pike Co., IL**  In 1850 the family was still in Pike Co. with children: James; Nancy A., Amanda, and Stephen W.

Stephen Porter

Stephen, born Jun. 24, 1819 in Troy, Lincoln Co., MO, died Aug. 24, 1890 at Downs Station, Marion Co., OR.  He married twice, first to Catherine Jane Coffey, middle daughter of Nebuzaradan and Elizabeth, on Sep. 1, 1844 in Pike Co.  Their children were Nancy Louisa, David A., and John Thomas.  Catherine died on Feb. 13, 1850 in Marion Co.  Stephen's second wife was Susan Gibson who he married on Aug. 15, 1851 in Marion Co.  Stephen and Susan are buried at the Miller Cemetery in Silverton in Marion Co.

Nancy, born Feb. 14, 1822, died Mar. 9, 1904 in Salem, Marion Co., married Horatio Nelson Viscount Holmes on Sep. 27, 1838 in Pike Co.*  He was born Jul. 24, 1813 in Wythe Co., VA and died in Salem on Mar. 26, 1885.

John, born Apr. 8, 1824 in Lincoln Co., MO, died May 27, 1895 in Pike Co., IL.  He married Eliza Emeline Coffey on Nov. 28, 1850 in Pike Co.  Eliza was a daughter of Nathaniel "Nathan" and Sarah "Sally" Meredith Coffey.  Nathan was a brother to Nebuzaradan.  Eliza and John were parents of Emma, Sarah, Jane and John David as well as one infant daughter who died at or shortly after birth in 1851, Pike Co.

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Oregon Trail

These families were early pioneers who reached Oregon over the Oregon Trail.  This Trail site may also be of interest to readers.

 

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*Mary E. Porter, Author/Compiler, A Family History: William Porter, Jr. of Rockbridge County, Virginia (1740-1804) and Five Generations of his Descendants (N.p.: M. E. Porter, 7 September 2007), Page 63.


**Illinois Marriages, 1763-1900. Family Tree Legends Records Collection (Online Database). Pearl Street Software, 2004-2005, Marriage Register, Vol. I, Page 46.

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