Hodge R. & Hannah Wilson Coffey

Hodge was a son of William Henderson[1] and Mary Faulkner (var.) Coffey and was born about 1812 in North Carolina.  I have been told that his middle name was Rayburn but, it could also have been Raymond.

This family was in Owen Co., IN where Hodge married Hannah Wilson on Nov. 13, 1831.[2] Hodge and Hannah appeared in the Washington Twp., Owen Co. census in 1850.  Sometime between 1855 and 1858 Hannah attempted [apparently] to divorce Hodge.  The following appears in Owen Co. divorce proceedings[3]:

[Plaintiff] Coffey, Hannah Coffey, [Defendant] Hodge R.  [Complete record, including order book and pages] (6) 270 48/116 1855/1858 [Remarks] Dismissed. Plaintiff to recover costs  

Apparently there was a reconciliation because they were found living together in the 1860 census.  I have not found them in 1870 or later.  The death dates and places for the couple have also not been found.

Their children as given in the 1850 and 1860 census records were:

Oliver N., born Dec. 2, 1832; James L. R., born Jun. 9, 1835; Silas D. M., born Feb. 23, 1839; Mar A. R., born c1841; Serena, born c1847; and Laura, born c1852.  Another child, Silas, is said to be their son, born c1843 and who apparently was deceased by 1850.

Oliver married Lydia Susan Litton, born c1828 in NC, on Jan. 30, 1851 in Owen Co. and died Dec. 30, 1901.  He is buried at Jennings Cemetery in Alanthus Grove, Gentry Co., MO.  I do not have a death date or burial place for Lydia.  Both last appeared in the census record on Jun. 18, 1900 in Gentry Co.  Their children were:  Harrison, Rebecca, Edgar, Martha, Joshua Benton, Francis M., and Charles E.  Charles is said to have been born in Douglas Co., KS; the rest in Indiana.

James Leander "Lee" married Elizabeth Caroline Litton, a daughter of Joel and Sarah Bridges Litton,[4] on Sep. 30, 1855 in Owen Co.  Elizabeth died in 1876 at Alanthus Grove and is buried at Jennings Cemetery in Alanthus Grove.  She and Lee were parents of at least six children:  Martha Ann, Laura, Joel, Eliza, Sarah K. and Silas Hinkley.  Following the death of Elizabeth, Lee married Sarah J. Matthews in Albany, Gentry Co., MO on Apr. 2, 1885.  No children are known to have been born to this union.  Lee died on Nov. 6, 1890 in Gentry Co. and was buried at Jennings Cemetery.  Sarah died in 1917 at Stanberry in Gentry Co. and was buried at High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry.

Silas married Carolina Laura Byles on Nov. 1, 1864.[5]  Their children as I know then were Ida, Emma, Nettie and Robert Wallace.  Robert was born Nov. 27, 1878 in Brazil, Clay Co., IN and married Alice Louise Wright in that county on Aug. 17, 1907[6].  Alice was a native of Terre Haute in Vigo Co., IN, born there on Jun. 24, 1891.  Silas had a unique life.  His bio can be found in source identified in footnote 5.  He died on Mar. 6, 1904 in Manatee Co., FL and was buried at Cottage Hill Cemetery in Brazil, Clay Co., IN. Caroline died on Apr. 9, 1915 in Brazil and was also buried at Cottage Hill.

Hodge and Hannah also had a daughter named Mary Ann, born on Jan. 24, 1841 in Indiana. A public family tree on Ancestry.com identifies this Mary Ann as a daughter of William H. [Henderson] and Mary Falkner [sic] [Faulkner].

William H. died on Oct. 17, 1844 in Owen Co.  Mary did not die until 1851.  In 1850 she lived with her son Silas K. Coffey in Owen Co.  In the household with Silas and his mother was a 16-year old Mary Coffey. Some researchers apparently conclude that this Mary was Silas' sister.

However, I believe that she was Silas' wife, Mary Parrish to whom he was married on Aug. 12, 1859 in Owen Co.[7]

Mary, daughter of Hodge, married David H. Allen on May 9, 1858 in Owen Co.[8]  In 1860 the couple resided with their daughter Maranda, age 9 mos., in Owen Co.  In 1870[9] a David Allen of the correct age was enumerated in Indianapolis, Marion Co., IN.  His occupation was painter.  In 1880 a 47-year old David Allen was an inmate in the Owen Co., Asylum.  The Ancestry genealogies report that Maranda died in 1862 but I cannot confirm that.  There are other reports, yet unconfirmed that Mary Ann married a Mr. James and, that she died on Jun. 30, 1903.  There is a Mary Ann Coffey James buried at the Ellettsville Methodist Church Cemetery in Monroe Co., IN.[10]  But, it is not confirmed that she was the daughter of Hodge and Hannah Wilson Coffey.

Additions and/or corrections welcomed.

  Jack

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Footnotes:
[1]William is said to be a son of Reuben and Sarah Scott Coffey, born 1789 in Caldwell Co., then Burke Co., NC.  Reuben and Sarah's children are not entirely agreed upon by researchers.
[2]Owen County, Indiana: Marriages before 1850, Owen County Historical and Genealogical Society online [http://www.owen.in.us/owenhist/bks123a.htm], accessed Jan. 6, 2005.
[3]Divorces for Owen Co., IN 1819-1871, Owen Co. Historical and Genealogical Society online [http://www.owen.in.us/owenhist/divorces.htm], accessed Various.
[4] She is likely to be a sister to Susan, wife of Oliver, but I have not investigated the possibility.
[5] Charles Blanchard, Editor, Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. Illustrated. (Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1884), p345
[6]Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XXR9-SPT : accessed 21 Feb 2013)
[7]"Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XXFF-X65 : accessed 30 Mar 2013), Silas K Coffey and Mary Parrish, 1849.
[8]Ancestry.com. Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], indexed by Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940.
[9]The 1870 census record in which David is found is rather odd.  The enumerator tallied females and males separately, making it impossible for me to determine who was in a family.  For 1880, see https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11829-43603-85?cc=1438024&wc=M9SM-J17:n2115918512 and http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=6742&iid=4240636-00249&o_iid=48558&o_lid=48558&o_sch=Web+Property
[10]Find A Grave Memorial No. 74411333

Adoniram Judson & Emily Caroline Rone Coffey

                                                                                                                               
Adoniram Judson Coffey, born Jan. 6, 1830 to Reuben and Polly Dowell Coffey, was  (probably) named by his preacher father for the American Baptist missionary of the same name.*  This Adomiram married Emily Caroline Rone, born Aug. 28, 1832 in NC, died in Ellettsville, Monroe Co., IN on Nov. 11, 1906.  They were married on Oct. 28, 1852 in Owen Co., IN.**  Adoniram died Apr. 7, 1882 in Ellettsville.  Both are buried at the Coffey Family Cemetery in Ellettsville.

The family farmed in Owen and Clay counties from their marriage until their deaths and, raised at least nine children there.

Edgar was their first, born Sep., 1853, died Nov. 16, 1922 in Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN.  He married Rachel A. Betts in Clinton Co., IN on Oct. 27, 1874 and had at least one child, a daughter named Pansy.  Rachel may have died at the birth of Pansy because sometime before 1880, Edgar married his cousin Sophronia Coffey, a daughter of Lewis and Harriet Powell Coffey.  Sophronia had previously married Samuel T. Howe, a Kentuckian born c1835.  She and Howe had at least two children, Ida, born c1861 and Lucy, born c1865, both in IN.  Samuel may have died in the Civil War.  Sophronia died in June, 1923 at Terre Haute and she was buried alongside Edgar, who died Nov. 16, 1922, at Highland Lawn Cemetery in that city.

Obituary, Terre Haute Tribune, Nov. 17, 1922, p2

Edgar Coffey, 69 years old, for a number of years owner of a drug store in Lafayette avenue, died yesterday evening at the home of his daughter, Mrs. George Jacobs, 68 South Twenty-first street, where he made his home.  Mr. Coffey also was interested in the Coca-Cola bottling works in Lafayette avenue [sic] for some time.  The body was removed to the Gillis chapel, where the funeral will be held.  Mr. Coffey is survived by the daughter; a step-daughter, Mrs. Ida M. Goodman, of Minneapolis; a grandson, George Edgar Jacobs; three sisters, Mrs. Ellen Faulkner, Mrs. Fay McBride, of Terre Haute, and Mrs. Lillian Harboc, of Trinidad, Col., and three brothers, Eliza [sic], Larkin and Reuben Coffey.

Obituary, Terre Haute Star, Saturday, June 23, 1923, p2

The funeral of Sophronia Coffey, 80 years old, who died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. George Jacobs, 632 Walnut street, was held at 2:30 o'clock today at the Gillis undertaking establishment.  She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. George Jacobs and Mrs. I. M. Goodman of Minneapolis; two grandchildren and one nephew.  Burial will be in Highland Lawn cemetery.

The second child was a son, Carson, born c1855.  Carson appeared in the household with his parents at the  1860 and 1870 census but, disappeared thereafter.  I have not found him in any subsequent record and I suspect he likely died in his early teens.

Ellen, born c1857 was married to Jasper Newton Falkner on Sep. 14, 1880 in Spencer, Owen Co.  Jasper was born on Mar. 25, 1846 in that county and died in Republic, Ferry Co., WA on Apr. 8, 1934.  Ellen preceded him in death on Aug. 30, 1928 at Republic.  Both are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada.  Their children were Donald Ford, born 1881; Roy Judson, born 1885; Kittie Faye, born 1888 and, Wallace, born 1889.

A son, Elzy, born 20 Aug.1859 was next.  The little info that I have indicates he married Emma Clause. He did appear in the 1920 Arkansas Co. census with his brother Larkin and in the 1930 census for that same county with a wife named Sue.  I am somewhat confused about his wife's name and other particulars of this census.  Elzy must have been married prior to this marriage since he stated that he was first married at age 34, and his wife at age 17.  He died on Mar. 22, 1937 in Decatur, Macon Co., IL but his burial place has not been found although his death record reports burial at Decatur.***

Elzy was followed by John Jay on Oct. 10, 1853.  He married c1904 to Edith Iva Hill, born Dec. 5, 1876 in IA, died Oct. 12, 1940 in Boise, Ada Co., ID.  John died there on Nov. 9, 1922.  Both are buried at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.  Their children were Ray O., born 1905 in CO; Edith Iva, born 1907 in ID; John Earl, born c1911, died Jan. 24, 1995, buried at Dry Creek Cemetery in Boise; Harold, born 1913, died Jul 30, 1939 in Lewis and Clark Co., MT, butied at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.  Their last child was Ralph H., born c1917.

Reuben, born Jul., 1866 was the sixth child.  He married c1901 to Elizabeth J. Propst, born c1878 in CO.  Their children were Helen, Faye and, Catherine, all born in CO.  In 1910 the family did appear in the Decatur Twp., Macon Co., IL census.

Lillian was next, born c Jan., 1870.  She was married c1905 to Fred A. Harlow of Massachusetts.  They had children John Frederick, Fayette, Dorothy, Doris Caroline, Lillian Trask and Carson, perhaps named for Lillian's brother.

Larkin was born in Feb., 1872 and married a lady by the name of Nancy E. Dilday.  He appeared in the 1910 Rock Co., NE as an unmarried man and later, in 1920, the Arkansas Co., AR census with his with Nancy and his brother Elzy.

The last child born to Adoniram and Emily was Faye H., born May 1874.  She married Earl McBride and had children Richard, Frederick, Paul and, Pauline.

Please contact me if you can fill in any of the blanks.

Jack

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*Wikipedia: Adoniram Judson was born in Massachusetts in 1788 and died at sea in the Bay of Bengal on Apr. 12, 1850.  He worked to form the first Baptist association in America, translated the Bible into Burmese and established a number of Baptist churches in Burma.  The name Adoniram means "my lord is exalted" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this was the name of an overseer of tribute [taxman] under the kings David, Solomon and Rehoboam. He was stoned to death when the Israelites revolted against Rehoboam's taxation.
**Indiana Marriage Records Index, 1845-1920;.Index to Marriage Records Indiana: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940:  Name: Adnoviam [sic] J Coffey Spouse Name: Emily C Rone Marriage Date: 28 Oct 1852 Marriage County: Owen  Index to Marriage Record 1850 - 1920 Inclusive Vol Source Title 3: W. P. A. Original Record Located: Compiled by Indi Book: 27 OS Page: 309
***Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch Historical Records from Illinois Department of Health. "Certificates of Death." Illinois Department of Health, Springfield, Illinois. FHL microfilm. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah:  name: Elzy Coffey titles and terms (original):  death date: 22 Mar 1937 death place: Decatur, Macon, Illinois gender: Male marital status:  race or color:  age: 77 estimated birth year: 1860 birth date: 20 Aug 1859 birthplace: Owen Co., Indiana father: Adimiriam J. Coffey father's titles and terms (original):  father's birth place: North Carolina mother: Emily C. Rhone mother's titles and terms (original):  mother's birth place: South Carolina occupation: carpenter residence: Stuttgart, Arkansas street address:  spouse: Elizabeth spouse's titles and terms (original):  spouse's birthplace:  burial date: 24 Mar 1937 burial place: Decatur Twp., Macon, Illinois cemetery: Graceland informant:  additional relatives:  digital folder number: 4008433 image number: 888 film number: 1786729 volume/page/certificate number: cn 12621 

Emanuel F. Falkner and his Coffey Wives

Emanuel F. Falkner was born on Mar. 30,1804 in North Carolina but went to Indiana to marry a North Carolina Coffey.  In fact, he may have married two Coffey women from North Carolina.

The Indiana State Library database, Marriages Through 1850* reports a marriage on Jan. 1, 1830 of Emanuel F. Falkner to Rebecca Coffey in Monroe Co.

The 1850 Clay Twp., Owen Co., IN census lists Rebecca Falkner, age 60 with children Marion, age 20, Washington, age 18, Tipton, age 16, Leander, age 14, Martha, age 10, Newton, age 4, and Leroy, age 2.  If her age is accurate then her birth year would have been c1790 and her marriage to Emanuel at age 40.  It is unlikely then that she was still having babies at age 56 or later.

Emanuel has not been found in the 1850 census.

So, who is this Rebecca Coffey Falkner?  The Rebecca Coffey who married Emanuel Falkner in 1830 Monroe Co., IN was a daughter of William Henderson and Mary Faulkner [sic] Coffey.  I have no specific birth or death dates/places for her.

Were there two Emanuel Falker men who married Coffey women in IN?

Several sources report a marriage between Emanuel Falkner and Lucinda Coffey on Spe. 30, 1838 in Owen Co.**

Emanuel appeared in the 1860 Owen Co. census, Clay Twp., with Lucinda J., age 40 (born c1820 in NC) and, children Martha J., age 19; Jasper N., age 14; Leroy, age 11; Lonzo, age 8; Edgar H., age 5; and Charlie, age 4.  All of the children were born in IN.

He and Lucinda appear next in the 1870 Owen Co., Clay Twp. census with children Lefay [sic], age 22; Alonzo, age 19; Edgar, age 17; and Charley, age 12.

This Lucinda Coffey was a daughter of Elijah and Mary Abby "Polly" Dyer Coffey.  She was born Aug. 8, 1804 in IN and died Dec. 8, 1883 in Owen Co.

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*Indiana State Library Genealogy Database: Marriages through 1850, Indiana State Library online [http://199.8.200.229/db/marriages_search.asp], accessed Sep.,2005. [Does not appear to be online in Nov. 2011]
**Ibid; Dodd, Jordan. Indiana Marriages to 1850. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1997. Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Indiana; and Indiana Marriage Records Index, 1845-1920;.Index to Marriage Records Indiana: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940.

Joel & Sarah Bridges Litten

As best as I can determine, Joel was born in North Carolina on Nov. 13, 1798 and died on Jun. 4, 1863 in Greene Co., IN.  In between those dates he married Sarah Bridges of Lincoln Co., NC on Oct. 2, 1823.  Actually, that was the marriage bond date; they likely married the same day or, perhaps the next.*

They remained in Lincoln Co. at least through the 1830 census but, by 1850 they were in Monroe Co., IN and Green Co., IN by 1860.  Joel was buried at Kentucky Ridge Cemetery in Doans, Green Co., IN.  A headstone is present at his grave.  Sarah's death date and burial site is unknown to me.

Of their 10 (at least) children, two of them married into the Benjamin Coffey-Exia Stepp family.

The first of their children was William Kingston Litten, born c1825 in NC.  He married Sarah Ann "Sally" Coffey on Aug. 16, 1849 in Monroe Co., IN.**  They remained in Monroe Co. through at least 1850 but by 1889 they were in Gentry Co.  Sarah was a daughter of Benjamin and Exia Saphronia Stepp Coffey.  She was born Jan. 25, 1830 in Monroe Co. and died in Gentry Co. on Sep. 26, 1914.  Their burial sites are unknown to me.  Children:  Mary Jane, born 1856, died 1933 in Alanthus Grove, Gentry Co.; James H., born c1862; Albert D., born c1865; Ally C., born c1865; Tempy C., born c1869 and, Joel B., born c1872.  There may be more that I have not yet found.

Malinda Emeline Litten was the second of Joel's children to marry a Coffey.  Her husband was William Wiley, brother to Sarah Ann, wife of William Kingston Litten.  They were married Feb. 7,1850 in Monroe Co.*  William is said to have died by drowning on Jun. 18, 1865 in Gentry Co.  Malinda was born Oct. 25, 1827 in NC and died Jun. 15, 1919 in Stanberry, Cooper Twp., Gentry Co.  Malinda is buried at High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry where William is also likely buried.  Their children were at least two:  Mary, born c1851, married John Evans c1865.  Their second child was Lorenzo Dow Coffey, born Sep. 12, 1852 in IN, died Mar. 20, 1920 in Stanberry.  He married Martha Jane Wilson c1874.  She was born Oct. 28, 1854 in Gentry Co., and died there on May 13, 1938.  Both are buried at High Ridge.  Some of their children were (from census) daughter E.N., born c1876; daughter L. A., born c1878; Hattie, born May, 1891 and Woodson, born Apr., 1893.  Lorenzo and Martha were in Stanberry from at least 1880 through 1920.

Joel's third child, Mary Adeline, born Oct. 25, 1827 in Monroe Co., IN, married Lawson Howard Coffey, another son of Benjamin and Exia Coffey.  Lawson was born Aug. 15, 1820 in Owen Co., IN, died Aug. 7, 1904 in Alanthus Grove, Gentry Co.  Mary died there c1857.  Lawson is buried at the Jennings Cemetery in Alanthus Grove and, Mary is likely there as well.  I have only two children for them:  Columbus, born c1851 in IA, died May 1, 1895 in Gentry Co., and Noah, born Mar. 5, 1852 in IN, died in Millwood, Spokane Co., WA on Jan. 25, 1916.  Columbus is buried at Jennings; Noah at Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane.

Joel's sixth child, Elizabeth Caroline, born Feb. 14, 1838 in Morgan Co., IN, married James Leander "Lee" Coffey on Sep. 30, 1855 (no source).  James was a son of Hodge Rayburn and Hannah Wilson Coffey.  Hodge Coffey was a son of William Henderson and Mary Faulkner Coffey and was born c1812 in NC, probably Burke Co.  Their children (more info available) were: Martha A.; Laura; Joel; Eliza; Sarah K.; and Silas Hinkley.

On the ten children born to Joel and Sarah, I have spouses and some descendant information for five of them.  I know their child Isaac married someone by the name of Matilda, who could also be a Coffey.  He was born in IN in 1832 and died in Gentry Co. in 1815.  He and Matilda are buried at Depriest Cemetery in Albany, Gentry Co.  In 1910, Isaac was a widower and his widowed sister Malinda Coffey was living with him in Cooper Twp.

Joel's other children for which I have no info, were:  Wesley, born c1837; Martha, born c1840; Elijah, born c1844; Taletha, born c1845 and Elisha, born c1845.

Please contact me if you can add to or correct any of this information

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*North Carolina Marriage Bonds 1741-1868 Groom: Joel Litten Bride: Sarah Bridges Bond_Date: 01 Oct 1823 Bond #: 000074109 Level Info: North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868; ImageNum: 000936 County: Lincoln Record #: 01 080 Bondsman: Isaac Litten Witness: Jas T Alexander

**Indiana State Library Genealogy Database: Marriages through 1850, Indiana State Library online [http://199.8.200.229/db/marriages_search.asp], accessed Sep.,2005.