Nathaniel Hayes & Louisa Jane Ellis Coffey - Redux

I previously wrote about Nathaniel and Louisa however, other than children, I did not have much information for him.

A recent contact confirming the marriage of their daughter Nancy Ellen to James Perry Kelsay by descendant David Vox Mullen prompted me to take another look at Nathaniel's family by working backwards from the Kelsay family.

As a result, I found that Nathaniel was born Sep. 22, 1835 in KY and died 29 Mar 1908 in Russell Co., KY.  Louisa was born Dec. 9, 1836, also in KY and died Apr. 19, 1909 in Russell Co.  Both are buried at the Kelsay Family Cemetery near Jamestown, KY.  According to Find A Grave, this cemetery is located at 165 Cabin Creek Road at geo-coordinates latitude 36.98498, longitude 85.19971. A location services places this cemetery within the Jamestown community.

Nancy did marry James Perry Kelsay Jul. 8, 1884 in Jamestown, Russell Co. and together they had at least nine children:

William F., 1887-1975, married Sallie Bailey, daughter of Willis Bailey on Aug. 8, 1926 in Clark Co., IN.  He was 39 years old while Sallie was 19.

Joseph Butler, 1890-1974, married Sallie Bailey, daughter of Willis Bailey on Aug. 8, 1926 in Clark Co., IN.  He was twice married, first to Nora Ethel Wells, born Apr 18, 1894, died Feb. 23, 1944 and with whom he fathered at least four children:  John Vernon, Marcella, Paul P., and Otha Lerman. Paul married Alene Kimbler on Jun. 20, 1946 in Adair Co., KY. His second wife was Mrs. Fanny Elizabeth Farris O'Bannon, a daughter of Henry and Sallie Gwinn Farris. They were both aged 64 years at the time and there were no children born to the union.

Other children of Nancy and James Perry were: Mollie M., born Aug., 1892; Ruth L., born Jan., 1895; John F., born Dec., 1897; Nona, born Apr., 1899; Perry A., born c1903 and Nola D., born c1907.  

I have not yet finished collecting info on those childen but hope to very soon.

Sources:

Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXPH-Y94

Kentucky Marriages, Kentucky Census Records and Find A Grave

Degraffenreid & Coffey

There are Degraffenreid* families in Lawrence Co., AL and in Polk Co., MO who married Coffey women. I have connected the ladies but, I have not been able to connect their husbands.

In Moulton, Lawrence Co.,AL was the family of Orson Murray Degraffenreid, born Nov. 20, 1882 in Moulton. He married Mattie Edna Coffey, a daughter of Martin Van Buren and Orpha Jane Letson Coffey on Dec. 4, 1901 in Lawrence Co. Orson died Jan. 20, 1968 in Morgan Co., AL. Mattie Edna died on Mar. 27, 1936. Both are buried at Roselawn Gardens of Memory in Decatur, AL.

Together they had at least three children, all born in Lawrence Co.

Regena M., born May 6, 1909, died Mar. 11, 1973 in Morgan Co., AL. She married a Mr. Backus, no further info. Regena is buried at Roselawn Gardens.

Theo's Marriage Record

Murray V., born Jun. 12, 1913, died Oct. 9, 1972 in Decatur. In the 1920 census he was enumerated as Harry V. He married a lady by the name of Katherine W. c1930 in AL. She was born Apr. 30, 1916 in that state and died in Decatur on Apr. 18, 1993. They too are buried at Roselawn. Their children - that I am aware of - were Douglas B., born 1933, died 2008 and R. Aron, born 1940, died 1987.

Theo, born Oct. 2, 1918, died Oct. 21, 1989. He married Lena Belle Lee on May 4, 1940 in Cullman, AL, the daughter of Robert E. Lee and Hattie Farris. Lena was born Sep. 13, 1919 in AL and died in Morgan Co. on Aug. 22, 2004. They too are buried at Roselawn.

Following Mattie's death, Orson married Florence Cartee, date unknown. I know of no children born to this union.

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The Missouri Degraffenreid family that I am interested in was headed by Charles Cebert [sic] and wife Alta E. (Eugenia?, often referred to as Genie or Genia), the daughter of Thomas Cimean and Sarah Alice Combs Coffey.  Orson's wife Mattie Edna and Alta's father were fourth cousins.

Charles was the eldest son of William E. and Julia Ann House Degraffenreid.  Charles was born on Mar. 7, 1880 in Missouri - probably Polk Co. - and died Feb. 16, 1959 in Bolivar, Polk Co.  Alta was born Jan. 1, 1885 in Polk Co., and died Sep. 29, 1978 in MO. Both are buried at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Aldrich.

Alta Coffey Marriage License

He and Alta were married on Nov. 17, 1901 in Aldrich, Polk Co.  For most of their lives they lived in or near Aldrich, Union Township where Alta gave birth to at least 12 children.  In 1940 the family had relocated to Henry Co.

Their children, all born in Polk Co., were:

Fay, born c1903; Doris, born c1905; Nellie Maurine, born Sep. 17, 1905, died Dec. 20, 1921; Alline, born c1907, married a Mr. Stevens c1928 and was a childless widow living with her parents in 1930;  Adrian, born c1909; Paul, born c1912; Lucille, born c1916; Ruth Florence, born c1918, Lee, born c1921; an unnamed male child born prematurely and died on May 29, 1922; Charles Wade, born Jul. 31, 1921, died Oct. 22, 2012 and, Billie Joe, born c1926.

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Please contact me with corrections, additions or, if you can connect the Degraffenreid families.





*Surname also found as Degraffenried & de Graffenreid