"Nute" Gragg

This genealogy may be way off base, but appears to be somewhat accurate.  Readers with better knowledge of "Nute" are invited to submit corrections.

Updated Oct. 20, 2011

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Newton "Nute" Gragg, sometimes referred to as Isaac Newton Gragg, was born May. 13, 1879 in Caldwell Co., NC to William "Billie" and Phoebe Shell Gragg.  He died May 26, 1956 in Bob White, Boone Co., WV and was buried at White Cemetery in Julian, Boone Co., WV.*

It is believed that Newton married and fathered a child, perhaps two, with Ada Coffey, a daughter of Eldelano "Lano" and Mary E. Austin Coffey.  One child is thought to have been Lloyd Gragg, perhaps sometimes referred to as Lloyd Coffey.  He was born c1909 in Caldwell Co., and died there in 1979**. Ada's death certificate does give her name as Ada Gragg and the widow of the late Newton Gragg.

In 1930, Ada, age 44, was enumerated as a Coffey in the Walter Adams household in Catawba Co. Walter's wife was Sarah Jane Coffey, a daughter of Rabon Scott and Margaret E. Hollander Coffey and Ada's cousin. With "Ader" in this census were two Coffey men, Foy [sic] [Floyd], age 25 and Loyd [sic], age 23.  If Nute was the father of Lloyd then this entry may suggest that he fathered both boys.  Floyd was born Dec. 16, 1907 in Caldwell Co.**

Lloyd married Epsey or Epsie Magdelene Coffey on Aug. 16, 1936 in Wilson Creek Twp., Avery Co.***  Epsie was the daughter of Thomas Newton "Black Tom" and Ella Mae Loudermelt Coffey, born Jun. 21, 1916 in Caldwell Co., died Feb. 25, 1989 in Lenoir and was buried at White Springs Cemetery in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co.  Lloyd died in 1979 and was likely to have been laid to rest at White Springs as well.  Lloyd and Epsie were divorced in July, 1964 in Caldwell Co.¹

Update 10/20/2011:  Lloyd Coffey of Taylorsville, NC sent me a photo of Lloyd's grave marker.  He is buried in the Globe Community Cemetery at Globe Baptist Church, Caldwell Co.³

"Nute," as he seemed to be popularly known, appeared as a boarder in the Nannie Young boarding house, Wilsons Creek Twp., Avery Co. in 1910. He married Della V. Hall, a daughter of Franklin Ellis & Alia Louella Greer Hall on Oct. 12, 1915 in Mortimer, Wilson Creek Twp.² Della was born Jun. 10, 1890 in Granite Falls, Caldwell Co., and died Sep. 3, 1959 in Bim, Boone Co., WV. She is believed to have been buried at the White Cemetery as well. I am aware of one child, Bonnie, was born c1918.

In 1918, Nute was in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC where he was registered for the WW1 draft. His registration card describes him as short and stout with blue eyes and bald. In 1920 he and Della were in Forneys Creek, Swain Co. and in 1930 they were in Boone Co., WV.  Nute's death certificate reports cause of death as a "cerebral hemorrhage" and Della's as a "cerebro vascular accident."  I guess both are the same cause and more commonly known as strokes.

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*"West Virginia Deaths, 1853-1970." Index, FamilySearch, 2009. Digital copies of originals housed in County Courthouses throughout West Virginia. www/familysearch.org. name: Nute Gragg death date: 26 May 1956 death place: Bob White, Boone, West Virginia gender: Male age: estimated birth year: 13 May 1879 birth place: Globe, N. C. marital status: spouse's name: father's name: Billy Gragg father's birthplace: mother's name: Phoebe Shell mother's birthplace: occupation: Logging street address: residence: cemetery: White Cemetery burial place: burial date: 28 May 1956 film number: 571246 digital folder number: 4228482 image number: 58 source: County Records reference number: v 4


**Caldwell County, North Carolina Register of Deed's Index Search, Wayne L. Rash, Register of Deeds online [http://rod.co.caldwell.nc.us/Resolution/search_menu.asp], accessed variously, Lloyd Coffey, Death Register, Book 66, Page 100, parents Ada Coffey Gragg and Newtin Gragg.  Floyd Phillip Gragg Date of Birth: 16 Dec 1907 Gender: Male Race: White Birth County: Caldwell Parent1 Name: Newton Gragg Parent2 Name: Adar Coffey Roll Number: B_C017_68001 Volume: 4 Page: 114


***North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979, digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org).  Groom's Name: Lloyd Gragg  Groom's Birth Date: 1909  Groom's Birthplace:  Groom's Age: 27  Bride's Name: Epsey Coffey  Bride's Birth Date: 1916  Bride's Birthplace:  Bride's Age: 20  Marriage Date: 16 Aug 1936  Marriage Place: Wilson Creek Twp., Avery, North Carolina Groom's Father's Name:  Nute Gragg  Groom's Mother's Name:   Ader Gragg Bride's Father's Name: Tom Coffey Bride's Mother's Name: Eller Coffey Groom's Race: White Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: White Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M75218-2 System Origin: North Carolina-EASy Source Film Number: 1689135 Reference Number: No. 94


¹North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. North Carolina Divorce Index, 1958-2004. Raleigh, NC, USA: North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, 2004.  Primary Name: Epsie Gragg Spouse's Name: Lloyd Gragg Divorce Date:13 Jul 1964 Divorce County:Caldwell


²North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979 , digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org).  groom's name: Newton Gragg groom's birth date: 1880 groom's birthplace: groom's age: 35 bride's name: Della Hall bride's birth date: 1895 bride's birthplace: bride's age: 20 marriage date: 12 Oct 1915 marriage place: Mortimer, Wilson Creek, Nc groom's father's name: groom's mother's name: Phoeba Gragg bride's father's name: Ellis Hall bride's mother's name: Hall groom's race: White groom's marital status: groom's previous wife's name: bride's race: White bride's marital status: bride's previous husband's name: indexing project (batch) number: M74476-1 system origin: North Carolina-EASy source film number: 590350 reference number: Cn 165


³"Lloyd Gragg's grave marker is located in the Globe Community Cemetery at Globe Baptist Church in Caldwell County, North Carolina. This information should help with your blog about 'Nute' Gragg. Lloyd caddied during the summer months at Blowing Rock Country Club in Watauga County, North Carolina during the middle 1960's. I also caddied there during those summers and spent many hours talking with and getting to know Lloyd on those occasions that we caddied together. At that time he used the name Lloyd Gragg. I was also aware at that time that Lloyd was married to my father's double first cousin Epsey Coffey Gragg." [Lloyd Coffey, Taylorsville, NC, 10/20/2011]

Dr. William Bower & Mrs. Alice M. Bostwick Councill

Dr. Councill was a son of Jordon and Sarah "Sallie" Bower Councill, Jr.  He was born on Feb. 22, 1829 in Boone, Watauga Co., NC and died there on Nov. 3, 1899.  He married Alice Margaret Bostwick, a daughter of Jefferson and Marguerite Ballard Bostwick on Jul. 7, 1854 in Sumter Co., SC. Alice Margaret was born on Dec. 1, 1832 in Sumter Co., and died on Jan. 10, 1935 in Hickory, Catawba Co., NC.

They were parents of at least six children:

Jefferson Bostwick Councill, born Oct. 3, 1855
Judge William Ballard Councill, born Aug. 11, 1858 in Sumter Co., died Apr. 1, 1940 in Hickory, NC
Margaret Francisco Councill, born Feb. 10, 1861
Mary Virginia, born Jan. 12, 1862, died Oc. 1, 1897 in Boone, Watauga Co.  This daughter married Thomas Finley Coffey.  I wrote about his family and children in 2006.
Isaac Lenoir Councill, born Mar. 25, 1864
Emma Augusta Councill, born Jun. 19, 1866

In addition to Mary Virginia Councill's marriage into the Coffey family, Her brother, Judge William Ballard Councill also married a Coffey.  His wife was Mary Elizabeth Coffey, a daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Mary Elizabeth "Mollie" Greer Coffey*.

They were married on Jun. 27, 1894 in Boone, Watauga Co.  She was born Aug. 14, 1871 in Boone and died Aug. 28, 1965 in Hickory, NC. Judge was an attorney in Boone, and later served in the North Carolina State Legislature.  He was elected Judge of the District Superior Court in 1900 and served until 1910.  He was elected to the North Carolina Senate in 1912.  Both are buried at the Oakwood Cemetery in Hickory.

Their children were:

Howard Folk, born May, 1895; Gordon Stuart, born Oct., 1896; William Thomas, born Sep. 14, 1898, died Apr. 15, 1947 in Catawba Co.; Stedman C., born c1903, died Mar. 11, 1957 in Catawba Co.  His wife was Marion Elizabeth Epps  who likely descended from the colonial-era Epps of Virginia.  Following Stedman was Alan Ballard, born c1905, died Sep. 12, 1923 in Catawba Co.; and Elisabeth Agnes, born c1907.

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*More is now known about Thomas Jefferson Coffey and I will present that in a future blog.

Joseph DeCalb Coffey

Joseph was the son of Levi Lafayette Coffey and Temperance Calloway.  He was the father of Luther and Ora by a yet unknown spouse, and who were written about in the two previous blogs.

Joseph's middle name as been found spelled as DeCalb and DeKalb.  I haven't a clue what the correct spelling is.  He was born Jan. 24, 1863 in Shulls Mill, Watauga Co., and died Dec. 30, 1939 in that same place.  He married Lutittia [sic] F. Walters on Apr. 9, 1899 in Watauga Co.  Lutittia was born Sep. 17, 1879 in Ashe Co., NC and died in Boone, Brushy Fork Twp., Watauga Co.

The death certificate reveals that Joseph suffered from epilepsy and probably died from that.  Lutittia died of a coronary thrombosis.  Both are buried at the Byrd Cemetery at Foscoe in Watauga Co.

This family lived their entire lives within Watauga Co. and raised at least three children together.  They were:

Dewey C., born Aug., 1898

Virginia Dare, born Nov. 23, 1906, died Nov. 7, 2003.  Virginia married Noa Franklin Church c1925 in Watauga Co.  He was born apr. 26, 1899 to Squire Monroe Church and his wife Sarah Eveline Greer.  Noah died Apr. 13, 1988 in Watauga Co.  I haven't yet found their burial location.  Their children were James F., born Sep. 27, 1925 and Dewey Roger, born Aug. 2, 1927.  There were other children born to them after 1930 but not listed here.

The last child that I know of born to Joseph and Lutittia was Vesta Verdola, born Mar. 2, 1909, died of "accidental poisoning by strychnine" on Dec. 22, 1915.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or correct any of this information.

Ellis Empsey Marshall Coffey

In this photo, L-R, is: Herman Herbert Coffey, born Apr. 3, 1902, died c1919; Ellis Empsey Coffey, and Josie Ella Coffey, children of Henry and Sarah Jane.

I have previously written about the parents of Ellis, Henry Kelly (Caleb) and Sarah Jane Gragg Coffey. Ellis was the seventh of 10 children of Henry and Sarah, and was born Sep. 18, 1895 in the Globe township of Caldwell Co., NC.

Ellis married Zora Alice Phillips (marriage date not found, but probably c1920). She was born Dec. 8, 1896 in Ashe Co., NC and died Dec. 24, 1928 in Watauga Co. Her death occurred just about eight months following the birth of Edna Faye, leaving Ellis alone with five children, all under seven years. Zora was buried at Brown's Chapel in Watauga Co.

Sometime shortly after Zora's death he married Hettie Taylor, born Mar. 7, 1907, died Jul. 29, 1972. She is also buried at Browns Chapel.

There were three known children born to this union: John Thomas, born Mar. 4, 1933; Dorothy Louise, born May 1, 1937; and Dan Graham, born Apr. 13, 1939.

The birth record for the first child gives Hettie's surname as Taylor. The records of the next two gives her name as Hettie Harrison. She may have been previously married.

I did find a birth record for a male child born to Hettie Taylor and Ellis Harrison in 1933. This is likely a name entry error because their son John Thomas, was born that year. The given name Ellis for Mr. Harrison is also a bit too coincidental.

Ellis died Apr. 7, 1965 in Watauga Co. His headstone reveals that he was a WW1 veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart medal.

Ellis and Zora were parents of at least five children:

Arthur Henry, born Feb. 8, 1921, died Jul. 16, 1993 in Jefferson Davis Parish, La. In 1930 he was still living with his parents in Watauga Co. I have no further information.

Herman Eugene, born Jun. 20, 1922 in Watauga Co., died Mar. 6, 1989 in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., NC. He married Sally Kate Greer (marriage date not found, but probably late 1940s). Together they were the parents of at least three children: Sam Curtis Coffey, born Oct. 10, 1950; William Ellis Coffey, born Oct. 27, 1952; and Martha Jean Coffey, born Jul. 24, 1957, all in Watauga Co. Sally Kate was the daughter of Arnet and Hazel Snow Eggers Greer and was born Jul. 24, 1930 in Watauga Co.

Twins Ida Mae and Ella May, born Mar. 1, 1924. [Larry Williams, in an e-mail on Nov. 7, 2010, informed me that Ida and Ella were the same person: "Mama disliked Ila (or Ida) so much that when she was grown she listed her name as Ella."

Edna Faye, born Apr. 20, 1928. Edna married Quinton Jones Wheeler on Dec. 6, 1947 in Watauga Co. I have found only one child for them: Mary Adinia Wheeler, born Jul. 17, 1950 in Watauga Co.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or correct any of this information.

Photos courtesy Mary Ann Sherfey Westerman