James & Sarah Emerline Sumpter Coffey

James, a son of Reuben and Mildred Morris* Coffey was born Aug. 27, 1790 in Burke Co., NC and died in Pulaski Co., KY on Jun. 4, 1892.  He is thought to be buried in an unmarked grave at Wiborg Cemetery in Flat Rock, McCreary Co., KY.  The part of Pulaski Co. that this family lived in later became part of McCreary Co.

Sarah Sumpter, parents yet unknown, was born on Jul. 7, 1792 in Burke Co., and died in KY in 1869.  Her burial place is also thought to be at Wiborg.  She and James were married on Jul. 7, 1810** in Burke Co.

It is believed by many researchers that the family left North Carolina before 1815 and settled in Pulaski Co., KY where eight of their known 10 children were born.  James, and his son James, Jr. patented land in that county on Mar. 28, 1851.  The 100 acres was described as being on "Big Creek, South Fork of Cumberland River" in the Joseph Porter survey.¹  Whether or not the family left this land at some future date is not known by me, but they remained in the county until death.

James and Sarah had at least 10 children.  The one I will concentrate on here is James, Jr., born c1820, died Nov. 16, 1862 in Perry Co., MO.³ James, Jr. appears to have left Pulaski Co. less than a year following the property patent with his father.  A record in Adair Co., MO shows that he married Sophia Giebear there on Mar. 4, 1852².  Sophia was the daughter of French born Nicholas Giebear and Ann Marie Drouard.  She was born May 22, 1834 in MO and died Aug. 8, 1880 in Perry Co.  Both she and James are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Perryville.

James and Sophia had at least four children:

James Henry, born Feb. 14, 1853, died Jun. 11, 1940 in Saline Twp., Perry Co.  James married Matilda Ann Moore, born Apr. 14, 1853 in Perry Co.  I know of one child, James Edward, born Aug. 25, 1895 in Perry Co., died Aug. 14,1961 in Perry Co.  He married Mary Zilpha Layton and had at least five children:  Mary Ann, James Henry, Orma Mary, Leo, and Joseph John.  Orma is said to have married Lester William Eichholz of Wisconsin on Nov. 2, 1941 in Wisconsin.  There is some confusion with this family as well.  James Henry is thought to have also married Mary Emma Dickerson, born c1866 in MO.  It is not yet clear to me whether Mary or Matilda was the mother of James Edward.  Based on birth year of Matilda (1853) and birth year of James Edward (1895) I rather lean towards Mary Emma as his mother.

William Austin, born Mar. 18, 1855 in Perry Co., and died there on Dec. 7, 1923.  He married Margaret Adaline Fowler and had at least 10 children:  Robert, Florence, James Austin, Rosalie, John Edward, Maude, Jesse, Everett, Charles H., and Lillie. Charles H. married Alice Mary Staelens.  She and Charles at buried near his parents at Mount Hope in Perryville.

Mary Jane, born Feb. 12, 1857, married John D. Red, c1885 in MO.  John was born Sep. 17, 1842 in IL and died in Perryville on Jan. 30, 1908.  Mary Jane died Jun. 24, 1954 in Perryville. They too are at Mount Hope.  I know of three children:  Mary S., born 1886 in IL;  Julia, born Apr., 1888 in CA; and Charles, born in Mar., 1894 in MO.

John Calvin Welker

Lucinda E. Coffey Welker

Lucinda Elizabeth¨, born Sep. 10, 1859 in Adair Co., MO, died in Perryville on Aug. 7, 1937.  She married John Calvin Welker on Sep. 24, 1877 in Perry Co.˜  John was born Jul. 9, 1858 in Cinque Homme Twp., Perry Co. to Louis and Mary Salina Will Welker.  He died on Nov. 6, 1931 in Perryville.  They are also buried at Mount Hope.  Their children were:  William E., Victoria Edith, Ola Elma, Jesse Clarenton, Glenton O., Mary Ethel, Annie Della, and Reath Rose.



I am very interested in learning if this James, Jr. is indeed the son James & Sally Sumpter Coffey!

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*traditional
**Name: James Coffey Spouse: Salley Sumter Marriage Date: 7 Jul 1810 Marriage County: Burke Marriage State: North Carolina Source Vendor: Liahona Research.  Source: County Court Records at Morganton, NC and, North Carolina Marriage Bonds 1741-1868; Original data: State of North Carolina.
¹Land Office, Kentucky Secretary of State, online, Patent No. 16563, Book 32, Page 310.
²State of Missouri County of Adair} I do hereby certify that I solemnized the rites of matrimony between James Coffee and Sophia Gibarror (?) the 4 - Day of March 1852 - Nicholas W. Turner J. P. - Transcribed by order of the County Court March 11th AD 1856 - E M C Morelock
³There are enough inconsistencies in this genealogy to cause pause.  More research is needed to assure that this James Coffey, Jr. was indeed the son of James & Sarah Sumpter Coffey.  The best info that I have at the moment says he is, but I remain skeptical.
˜Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.  "State of Missouri, County of Perry } SS: I, the Undersigned, a Catholic Priest, do hereby certify that on the twenty fourth day of September 1877, I joined in marriage John C. Welker and Lucinda E. Coffee, in Perry county, Mo. Given under my hand, this twenty eighth day of March, A. D. 1878 W. (?)T. Moore"
¨John Calvin Welker photo source:  http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3302962/person/-1664895378; Lucinda's from http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6681171/person/-1248885440

James Coffey, Jr., and Sophia Giebear

Updated Nov. 13, 2010 and June 12, 2011

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James, Jr. was one of the sons of James, Sr. and his wife Sarah Emaline “Sally” Sumpter Coffey.  Junior was the sixth of 10, born c1823 in Wayne Co., KY and died Nov. 16, 1872 in Perry Co., MO.  He and Sophie are thought to be buried at the Mount Hope cemetery in Perryville.

Sophie was of French descent; both of her parents were born in France.  She was born in Missouri c1834.  Her date of death and their marriage date is unknown.  I’ve seen her surname spelled several ways, including Gabber, Giebear, Gebbar, etc.  In the 1850 census of Cape Cinque Hommes, Perry Co., MO, the family surname is spelled Giebear.

James may have been married prior to his departure from Kentucky.  Up until c1851 he was in in Pulaski Co., KY.  In 1860 he was in Perryville, MO with Sophie.  However, in the census that year there was a female child named Permelia E., age 14, born in IL.  She may or may not have been James’ child.  James was in the household with his parents in 1850 and there was not a child named Permelia with him  She could also have been Sophia’s child from a previous marriage, but she carried the Coffey family name in the 1860 census.

I have four children for James and Sophia, all born and died in Perry Co. and buried at Mount Hope:

James Henry, born Feb. 14, 1853, died Jun. 11, 1940.  His wife was Mary Emma Dickerson, born c1866 in MO.  She may also be at Mount Hope.  They had at least one child, James Edward, born Aug. 25, 1895, died Aug. 14, 1961.  His wife was Mary Zelpha Layton, born Oct. 18, 1894 in MO, died Nov. 10, 1979.  They are also at Mount Hope.

Photo credit: Marita Easterday

William Austin was second born, Mar. 18, 1855, died Dec. 7, 1923.  His wife was Margaret Adaline Fowler, born Feb. 14, 1862 in South Carolina, died Feb. 4, 1935.  I have 10 children for them:  Robert, born c1879 in MO; Florence, born Feb., 1882 in TX [sic]; James Austin, born Mar. 18, 1884 in Cinque Hommes Twp., Perry Co.; Rosalie, born Mar. 23, 1886; John Edward, born Mar., 1889; Maude, born Apr. 12, 1890; Jesse, born Feb. 29, 1892 in Bois Brule Twp., Perry Co.; Everett, born Jun., 1895; Charles H., born Nov., 1896, died May 7, 1923; and Lillie, born Oct., 1899.  Charles H. married Alice Mary Staelens, born Aug. 15, 1895 in MO, died Apr. 30, 1963 in Perry Co.  Alice is thought to be Charles’ second wife.

Mary Jane was born next, on Feb. 12, 1857, died Jun. 24, 1954.  She married c1885 John D. [Douglas?] Red, a native of IL, born Sep. 17, 1842.  He died Jan 30, 1908.  Both are buried at Mount Hope.  Their children were Mary S., born c1886 in IL; Julia, born Apr., 1888 in CA [sic], and Charles, born Mar. 1894 in MO.

Lucinda Elizabeth was last, born Sep. 10, 1859 in Adair Co., MO, died Aug. 7, 1937 in Perryville.  Her husband was John Calvin Welker, born Jul. 9, 1858, died Nov. 6, 1931 in Perryville.  They too are at Mount Hope.

Their children were: Ola Elma, born Mar 11, 1884; Jesse Clarenton, born Jun. 7, 1886; Clinton Oliver, born Jun. 14, 1888; Mary Ethel, born Jan. 5, 1891 and twin daughters, born Sep. 1, 1892 that apparently died at birth and unnamed.  The Missouri birth records report that Ola was the 3d child born to Lucinda and the twins were No. 6 and No. 7.  They also report that Mary Ethel was child No. 6.  If the records are correct, John and Lucinda were parents of at least eight, perhaps nine children.

I have not yet begun to research all of the children belonging to each of James and Sophia’s children.

Readers are invited to add to or correct any of this information.

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The first two children of John Calvin and Lucinda Elizabeth Coffey Welker were William E.,  and Victoria Edith.

William was born Aug., 1878, died Jun. 8, 1950, Perry Co.  William's wife was Josephine Maria Lappe, born Dec. 15, 1880 in MO, died there on Jun. 10, 1968.  Children were Rudolph and Elmo.  Wm. and Josephine are buried at St. Maurus Catholic Cemetery in Biehle, Perry Co., MO.

Victoria was born Oct., 1881 at Cinque Homme and married Joseph Baudendistel.  Joseph was born c1885 in MO and died Aug. 28, 1937 in Rulo, Richardson Co., NE.  Victoria died Jun. 26, 1988 in NE and is also buried at Rulo.  This family moved around a lot!  They were in married in MO, c1908.  By 1910 they were in North Dakota where they remained at least through 1912.  From 1914 thru at least 1917 they were back in MO but by 1921 they were in KS and remained there at least until 1930.  That year they appeared in the Irving, Brown Co., KS census on the Iowa Indian Reservation.

Their children were: John E., born c1910 in ND; Raymond S., born c1912 in ND; Victor, born 1914 in MO, died 1916 in St. Louis, MO; Lillian, born c1917 in MO; Paul, born c1921 in KS; Mildred, born c1923 in KS; Juanita B. born c1925 in KS and Wesley E., born c1927 in KS.