In his family book describing the ancestors and descendants of James Bluford Coffey, Dr. Marvin Coffey wrote that Lawrence married Susan Melvina Barker in Hamilton Co., IL on Nov. 20, 1862. In 1870 they appeared in the Montgomery Co., KS census with only initials for first names. This fact has created a lot of confusion over the true names of his children born in those early years of his marriage.
1870 Montgomery Co., Fawn Creek Dist., Montgomery city PO, Page 3, dwelling/family 28, Coffey, L., age 29, male, white, farmer, $400, born IL; S., age 24, female, white, keeping house, born IL; J., age 6, female, white, born IL; A., age 4, male, white, born IL; J. S., age 3, female, white, born KS; A., age 1, male, white, born KS.We don't fare much better in 1880:
1880 Saline Co., Long Branch Dist., ED109, Page 41, dwelling/family 383, Coffee, Lesenly [sic], white male, age 39, married, farming, born IL, parents born IL; Melvina, white female, age 35, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, parents born IL; Riley, white male, age 16, son, single, born IL; Harmon, white male, age 14, son, born IL; Ethen, white female [sic], age 12, son [sic], born IL; Edith, white female, age 7, dau., born IL; Alley, white female, age 4, dau., born IL; Maude, white female, age 6 mos., born IL; Barker, Emit, white male, age 17, single, hired hand, born IL, parents born ILEmit Barker was a hired hand in the census but likely related to Melvina.
If we chart out the children from the available census records, ages of the entire family progress as expected but, there are some missing or mis-identified:
- Lawrence: 29 in 1870, 39 in 1880 and 58 in 1900
- Susan: 24 35 54
- J. 6 16 (Riley) Gone
- A. 4 14 (Harmon) Gone
- J.S. 3 12 (Ethen) Gone
- A. 1 Gone
- Edith 7 Gone
- Alley 4 Gone
- Maude 6/12 Gone
- Eva E. 14
L-R Four Generations |
Updated 9-14-2010: L-R in the photo is Amon Hume Coffey (1865-1953), Lawrence Lasenby Coffey (1841-1912), Baby Albert Amon Morris (1908-1995) and Grace Coffey Morris, daughter of Amon Hume. Note that Amon Hume has not been positively identified as the man on the left in this photo, but all indications are that he is. It appears then that Lawrence did not have a daughter named Clemma Grace - perhaps why there isn't one with the family in 1880 - but that he did have a grand-daughter by that name.
Albert Amon Morris Family |
Albert & Katie Headstone |