Filmore Garfield & Martha Blanche Coffey Ford

Filmore Garfield Ford was a son of John Squire and Cenia Cook Ford, born Dec. 18, 1880 in Watauga Co.  Martha Blanche Coffey was a daughter of Thomas Carlton and Martha Ellen Cook Coffey, born Dec. 25, 1886 in Watauga Co.  The Cook ladies are probably related, but I have not investigated that connection.

Filmore and Martha Blanche was married on Nov. 13, 1904 in Watauga Co.*  They were parents of at least 12, seven of which I know to have lived and raised their own families.  I have found no info on sons Thomas Blaine Ford, born Mar. 4, 1918 or Farthing Gordon, born Jan. 3, 1930.  Son Herman was born Nov. 16, 1920 and died on the following day.

Update:  Farthing Gordon Ford died Jan. 7, 2002 in Davidson Co., NC.  Still searching for his wife's name.

Thomas Blaine Ford died Apr. 15, 1995 in Boone, Watauga Co.  His wife was Mary Rachel Herman, born 1923 in Alexander Co., NC.

The first born was William Stewart on Oct. 11, 1905 in Aho, Watauga Co.  He died Jan. 15, 1995 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co. and was buried at Baileys Camp Baptist Church Cemetery in Lenoir.  His wife was Lillie May Ford, likely a cousin, but I have not found her parents.

His obituary:

Mr. William Stewart Ford

Mr. William Stewart Ford, 89, of Route 1, Hudson, a former resident of Route 8, Lenoir, died Sunday, Jan. 15, at Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir.

He was born Oct. 11, 1905, in the Aho community of Watauga County, a son of the late Filmore and Blanche Coffey Ford.  He was a retired farmer and a former employee of Broyhill Furniture Company.  He was a member of Bailey's Camp Baptist Church.

Survivors include six sons, Alfred Ford of Newton, Frank Ford and Walter Fork [sic] [Ford], both of Black Mountain, Ray Ford of Morganton, James Ford of Hudson and Paul Ford of Lenoir; one daughter, Lucy Smith of Morganton; three sisters, Mary Belle Hampton and Ella Richardson, both of Lenoir, and Sadie Church of Fleetwood; and three brothers, Glenn Ford and Blaine Ford, both of Boone, and Farthing Ford of Lexington.  He is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mrs. Lillie Mae Ford Ford, one sister, Mrs. Pansy Jackson; and three brothers, Mr. Ralph Ford, Mr. Frank Ford and Mr. Ingle Ford.

Services were Wednesday afternoon at Bailey's Camp Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Max West and the Rev. Edgar Ford.  Burial followed in the church cemetery.

Ralph Allen was second, born May 25, 1906 in Watauga Co.  He died Aug. 1, 1972 and was buried at Reform Church Cemetery in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co.  His death certificate tells us that he was a widower at time of death, but I have not found his spouse.

Third born was David Frank on Jan. 21, 1909.  Caldwell Co. records report his death in 1981 in that county, but so far I have found nothing else.

Update:  David Frank Ford married Ida Greene, born 1911 in NC, on Apr. 22, 1933 in Blowing Rock Twp., Watauga Co., NC

Fourth was Pansy Ellen, born Jun. 18, 1910 in Watauga Co., died Jun. 16, 1975 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co.  Her spouse was Clyde Jackson.  Pansy is buried at Old Mount Pleasant-Bethany Luthern Church Cemetery in Boone.

Julia Ella was next, born May 6, 1913 in Watauga Co.  She married Lonnie Curtis Harrison, son of Shuford Edward (Emanuel?) and Sarah Malinda Bradshaw Harrison.  The marriage took place in Boone on Dec. 24, 1942.**  Lonnie died in Caldwell Co. in 2005; Julia in Blowing Rock on Apr. 22, 2007.  She is buried at Bethany Baptist Church in Finley, Caldwell Co.  Lonnie is probably also there.

Her obituary:

The Watauga Democrat, Boone, Watauga Co., NC, Apr. 26, 2007

Julia Ella Ford Harrison

Mrs. Julia Ford Harrison, 93, of Richland Road, Lenoir, died Sunday, April 22, 2007, at Blowing Rock Hospital.

She was born May 6, 1913 in Watauga County to the late Filmore Garfield and Martha Blanche Coffey Ford.

Mrs. Harrison was a homemaker and a member of Unity Baptist Church.

Survivors include two sons, Eric Anthony Harrison of Lenoir and Shuford Edward Harrison of Wilkesboro; three daughters, Ms. Adairn Elaine Harrison of Hickory, Mrs. Joe (Evelyn Annette) Snyder of Hudson and Mrs. Gwyn (A. Elizabeth) Icenhour of Lenoir; a brother, Marion Glenn Ford of Boone; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Belle Hampton of Whitnel and Mrs. Sadie Blanche Church of Fleetwood; ten grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lonnie C. Harrison; a daughter, Aleda Eva Burress; seven brothers, Ralph, Frank, Stewart, Blaine, Ingle, Hooker, and Farthing Ford; a sister, Pansy Jackson; and a grandchild, Curtis Snyder.

Services were conducted Wednesday morning, April 25, at 11 a.m. at Greer-McElveen Funeral Home Chapel conducted by the Rev. Paul Dula and the Rev. Gary Waters. Interment followed at Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Bethany Baptist Church, 6777 Richland Rd., Lenoir, N.C. 28645; The Eva Harrison Burress Scholarship Fund, c/o Appalachian State University Foundation, P.O. Box 32014, Boone, N.C. 28608-2014; Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, N.C. 28645; and Alzheimers Association, 31 College Place, Suite D320, Asheville, N.C. 28801-2644.

Online condolences may be left at www.greer-mcelveenfuneralhome.com.

Greer-McElveen Funeral Home and Crematory was in charge of the arrangements.

Child number six was John Ingle, born Aug. 1, 1915 in Watauga Co., died Aug. 6, 1973 at Boone.  John married Rhonda R. Greene, date unknown.  She was born May 19,1918 and died Apr. 12, 2009 at Boone.  Both are buried at Friendship United Methodist Church Cemetery at Boone.

Seven and eight, Thomas Blaine and Herman are mentioned above.

Number nine was Marion Glenn, born May 10, 1922 in Watauga Co., died in Boone on Oct. 28, 2009.  Glenn's spouse was Brook Stanbury to whom he was married on Mar 16, 1947** at New River Twp., in Watauga Co.  He is buried at Laurel Springs Baptist Church cemetery at Deep Gap, Watauga Co.

His obituary:

The Watauga Democrat, Nov. 2, 2009

Mr. Glenn Ford, 87, of 560 Pine Branch Road, Boone, died Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, 2009, at his home.

Mr. Ford was born May 10, 1922 in Watauga County, a son of the late  Filmore and Martha Blanche Coffey Ford. He was a retired salesman and supervisor for Coca Cola Bottling Company, and a member of Laurel Springs Baptist Church.

Obituary Photo

Glenn served in the United States Army during World War II.

Mr. Ford is survived by his wife, Brooke Stanbery Ford of the home; two daughters, Rebecca Barkley and husband, H.E, of Columbia, S.C., and Marian Ford of Hickory; one son, Mark Ford and wife, Gail, of Boone; one sister, Mary Belle Hampton of Lenoir; two granddaughters, Erin Ford Patterson and husband, John, of Boone, and Meredith Barkley Murphy and husband, Andy, of Columbia; one grandson, Michael Barkley of Columbia; and one great-granddaughter, Lauren Patterson of Boone.  He is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters,  Pansy Jackson, Ellen Harrison and Sadie Church, and six brothers, Stewart, Ralph, Frank, Ingle, Blaine and Farthing Ford.

Services were conducted, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. at Laurel Springs Baptist Church. Officiating were the Rev. Brent Bolick and Dr. Matt Brown.  Burial followed in Laurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Laurel Springs Baptist Church Building Fund, or to the Laurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 7504 U.S. Highway 421 South, Deep Gap, N.C. 28618.

Online condolences may be sent to the Ford family at www.hamptonfuneralservice.com.

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.

The tenth born was Mary Belle on Mar. 28, 1925.  She married Rhonda Gerald Hampton on Aug. 1, 1947 at Zionville in Watauga Co.**  He was born in 1918.  Their death dates and burial sites have not found.

Update: Rhonda Gerald Hampton was born Mar. 31, 1918 in NC and died Sep. 14, 1977 in Asheville, Buncombe Co., NC.  Mary Belle passed away on Feb. 1, 2012 in Lenoir.  She was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir.  Rhonda's burial site has not been found.

Next born was Sadie Blanche Ford on Apr. 8,1927 in Watauga Co.  She married Elster Brown Church, date unknown, who was born in North Carolina on Oct. 26, 1918 and died Jul. 14, 1985 in Watauga Co.  Sadie died Dec. 12, 2007.  She is buried at Liberty Grove Baptist Church cemetery at Deep Gap where Elster is probably also buried.

Her obituary:

The Watauga Democrat, Boone, NC, Dec. 17, 2007

Sadie Ford Church

Mrs. Sadie Ford Church, 80, of Fleetwood, N.C., died Wednesday morning, Dec. 12, 2007, at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson.

Obituary Photo

She was born in Watauga County, Friday, April 8, 1927, to the late Filmora and Blanche Coffey Ford.

Survivors include a son, Kenneth Church and wife, Debbie, of Fleetwood; a brother, Glenn “Brook” Ford of Boone, N.C.; a sister, Mary Bell Hampton of Lenoir, N.C.; two grandchildren, Becky Howell and husband, Gene, of Sparta, and Alicia Howell and husband, Richard Lee, of Walnut Cove, N.C.; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Elster Church; seven brothers; and two sisters.

Services were held at 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14, 2007, at Liberty Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. John Elledge and the Rev. David Long officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to: Liberty Grove Baptist Church, PO Box 400, Deep Gap, N.C. 28618.

You may give the family your condolences at our Web site www.boonefuneralhome.com.

Boone Family Funeral Home of West Jefferson is in charge of these arrangements.

Farthing Gordon Ford was their last child.  See above.

Update:  Farthing Gordon Ford was born Jan. 3, 1930 in Watauga Co. and died on Jan. 7, 2002 in Davidson Co., NC.  His burial site is not known.

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*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).  Officiated by A. J. Shull.


**North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979 , digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org).

Hice Frederick Coffee/y - Revised

In the census record and on their headstones, this family and their descendants spelled their surname with the double-E ending. The change seems to have come after the descendants of John W. and Rebecca Ragsdale Coffey moved from Grainger county in Tennessee to McDonald county in Missouri.

Did they really change their name?

In the past I have discussed these "name changes" with other researchers who insist that the change was a conscious decision. I maintain that when the Coffey families moved from Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, or from anywhere in the south and southeast to middle America and the southwest, the surname was not a familiar one to county officials. Therefore, records for these families, which were being created by those officials, had their names spelled like the drink those officials were familiar with!

Many of our ancestors who lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries could not read or write. Consequently, they did not really know how their names were being recorded. The double-e ending then became more or less official as younger children started attending school and learned how to read and write (incorrectly) their names.

All one has to do is look at the majority of those families who remained in the south and southeast to see that their surname spelling never changed from the ey-ending. It did happen, but you have to look at where it happened. Even in a state so populated with Coffey families as Tennessee and Kentucky, if the families ended up in some "remote" county in those states where no one with that surname ever lived before, chances are the spelling changed!

So, I repeat: I do not think any name change (spelling) was intentional and that it just occurred as families moved into unfamiliar surroundings.

Back to Hice

Some researchers report that Hice was a nickname.  However, his WW1 draft registration card shows his name as Hice F. Coffee.  He apparently struggled to sign his name at the bottom, and it ended up looking like this:

Hice was a son of David and Miriah (Mariah?) Paralee Clark Coffey, born Jun. 28, 1883 in McDonald Co..  He was married c1903 in Missouri to Nora Gertrude Ford, a daughter of Harvey Lafayette and Elizabeth Jackson Clark.  Nora was born Feb. 17, 1884 in McDonald Co., and died in Bentonville, Benton Co., AR in Dec., 1977.  Hice died in 1953 in Jane, McDonald Co.  Hice and Nora are buried in the cemetery in Jane, McDonald Co.

Their children, all born in McDonald Co, were:

Lillie Fern, born c1904, died Dec. 25, 1925, buried in Jane Cemetery.

Maude, born c1906 - no further information.

Vaud (?), born c1906 - no further information.

Fred, born Jul. 15, 1908, died Jan. 1, 1910, buried in Jane Cemetery.

Earl Owen, born Apr. 25, 1913, died Jun. 26, 1984.  He married Lillian Sparkle Yeargin (var.) on May 21, 1932 in McDonald Co.  Lillian was born Dec. 20, 1913 in MO and died in Jane on Jul. 1, 1970.  Both are buried in the Jane Cemetery.

Price C., born Mar. 29, 1915, died Mar. 12, 2001, buried in Jane Cemetery.

Cleo Ralph, born May 13, 1918, died Apr. 27, 1992, buried in Jane Cemetery.

Harvie N., born c1921 - no further information.

Nora V., born c1923 - no further information.

Leta O.(?), born c1925 - no further information.

Truman E., born c1927 - no further information.

If you would like to change or add to this information, drop me a line at the above e-mail address.

Roby Monroe Coffey Family

Roby Monroe Coffey was a son of George Washington "Wash" and Matilda "Tilda" Coffey Coffey.  Wash and Tilda were distant cousins.  Roby was the ninth of the 11 children born to Tilda, and first saw light on Mar. 20, 1881 in Ashe Co., NC.  He died on Oct. 1, 1955 of a coronary occlusion and was buried in the Boone Fork Baptist Church Cemetery in Watauga Co., NC.

On Sep., 12, 1918, Roby registered for the draft in WW1 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.  He was described as being 37 years old, tall with blue eyes and dark colored hair.  He was a farmer and resided at Shulls Mill in Watauga Co. with his wife.  He did not mention the number of children in his household, but by that date, should have been the father of at least six children:

Roby Monroe Coffey Family

Lena, born Dec. 13, 1903, died 1979, married George Norvell Fox Aug. 10, 1927 in Carter Co., TN.  George was born May 7, 1902 in Watauga Co., the son of John Lee and Jodie Ella Shook Fox.

Lelia Nancy, born May 20, 1906 in Caldwell Co., died May 7, 1969 in Lenoir.  She married Ralph Washington Jones on Jul. 31, 1926 in Watauga Co.  He was born Jun. 1, 1906 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Jul. 14, 1987.  Both she and Ralph are buried at Harris Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery in Hudson, Caldwell Co.  They had at least three children, all now deceased:  George Sylvester, born Jun 3, 1927, died Jun. 9, 1946; Thelma, born Jan. 29, 1930, died Dec. 14, 2006 as Mrs. Claude D. Payne, and Peggy Ann, born Dec. 4, 1948, died Apr. 5, 1960.

Bina Lee, born Jun. 29, 1909 in Caldwell Co., died Jul. 10, 1999 in High Point, Guilford Co., NC.  She married her distant cousin, Troy Talmadge Coffey, on Nov. 3, 1928 in Carter Co., TN.  Troy was the son of George Calvin and Louisa Elizabeth Curtis Coffey.  Troy and Bina had at least one child, a son Wayne Lewis, born Oct. 9, 1929, died Sep. 24, 1999.  Troy was born Mar. 4, 1906 in Watauga Co., and died Apr. 18, 1995 in Thomasville, Davidson Co., NC.

Lottie Merle, born Feb. 12, 1912 in Caldwell Co., died May 3, 1998 in Culpeper, Culpeper Co., VA.  She married Ralph James Moore on Jan. 21, 1928 in Watauga Co.  Ralph was born Apr. 4, 1908, a son of Wiley Hill and Ellen Hodges Moore.  After Ralph died, Lottie married Herbert Hensley who also preceded her in death.

Cora Lee, born Oct. 18, 1914 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Dec. 31, 1990.  She married Earl Boyd Miller, a son of Daniel Lafayette and Emma Coleman Miller, in 1932, Caldwell Co.  Earl was born Dec. 24, 1911 in Caldwell Co., and died in Hudson, NC on Oct. 15, 2006.  Earl was buried at Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Hudson.  Cora is also presumed to be buried there.

Ruth, the sixth child, was born Dec. 31, 1916 in Caldwell Co.  she married Edward R. Cook on Aug. 29, 1936 in Watauga Co.  No further information is known.

It is not clear to me where the other children in the family were when this family-style photo was taken.  Because the first six children were only girls, the children in the photo have to be:

Frank E., on the right, born c1919

Boyd Ray, on the left, born Mar. 26, 1923.  Boyd married Mary Elizabeth Hayes.

Margaret Allena, the "babe in arms," born Apr. 7, 1926, died Feb. 10, 1990.  Margaret married John Wellington Ford on Jul. 12, 1941 in Watauga Co.  John was born in North Carolina on Jan. 8, 1925 and died in Lenoir on Sep. 7, 1980.  According to his obituary, John was buried in the Ford Cemetery in Caldwell Co., white Margaret was buried in the Bolick Family cemetery in the Globe, Caldwell Co.  There were at least two children born to them:  John, Jr., born Sep. 20, 1945, died Dec. 9, 1996; and Della Mae, born Dec. 23, 1947, died Mar. 12, 1995.

Please contact me to add to or to correct any of this information.

The headstone and church photos are courtesy of Connie Coffey Dorsey.  The Roby Coffey family photo is courtesy of Margaret Coffey Farley.