John B. & Ollie Jane Kivett Coffey

Some genealogies that I have seen claim the initial B stands for Bradley while a death certificate for one of his sons names his father as John Bradford Coffey.  I'll go with Bradford until someone with good evidence convinces me it was Bradley.

John B. Coffey

Ollie Jane Kivett

John was born on May 5, 1862 in Kentucky to Ransom and Malinda A. Weaver Coffey.  Sometime over the next 24 years John moved to Union Co., TN where he married Ollie Jane Kivett on Aug. 20, 1886.*  The couple remained in Union county at least through the first part of 1900 when they appeared there in the census.  They must have returned to KY, or perhaps did not leave before 1887, for on Feb. 5 of that year their first child, Harley Albert was born in that state.

By 1903, at least, they were in Baylor Co., TX where their eighth child, Mary Lee was born on Oct. 4 of that year.  They eventually relocated to Crosby Co., TX where they remained until sometime after 1930 when John and Ollie relocated to Lubbock, TX.  John died there on Jan. 5, 1940, preceded by Ollie on Nov. 28, 1935.  Their remains were returned to Crosby Co., TX where they were buried in the Crosbyton cemetery.

Their children were:

Harley Albert, born Feb. 5, 1887 in KY, died at Fort Bayard, Grant Co., NM on Mar. 26, 1966. Harley married Dorothy D. "Dot" Griffin in Crosbyton.  She was the daughter of Adanija and Ida M. Griffin and was born to them in Colorado on Oct. 18, 1893.  She died on Feb. 15, 1995 in San Gabriel, Los Angeles Co., CA.

Obituary, Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Feb. 7, 1995

CROSBYTON (Special) - Graveside services for Dorothy G. Coffey, 101 of San Gabriel, Calif., will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Crosbyton Cemetery with the Rev. Les Griffin, pastor of Crosbyton´s First Baptist Church, officiating.  Burial will be under direction of Adams Funeral Home.

She died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1995, in the San Gabriel Valley Community Hospital.

She was born Oct. 18, 1893, in Hagen, Colo. She married Harley Albert Coffey in Crosbyton. He died March 26, 1966. She moved to San Gabriel in 1980.

She was a homemaker, and she was a recording secretary for the Farm Bureau of New Mexico. She had also worked on the election boards. A son, Kenneth died in 1941.

Survivors include a daughter, Ollie Myrtle Kapitan of San Gabriel; a brother, Lloyd Griffin of El Monte, Calif.; three grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.

Romey John, Jr.

Romey John, born Jan. 26, 1889 in Knoxville, Knox Co., TN, died Jan. 5, 1971 in Crosbyton.  He married a lady by the name of Irene O. on Mar. 26, 1915 in Crosby Co.  She was born Feb. 27, 1896 in Emma, TX** and died Jun. 26, 1986 in Redondo Beach, LA County, CA.  She and Romey had two children:  Romey, Jr., born Jan. 10, 1917 in Crosbyton and died Nov. 18,1972 in Long Beach, LA Co., CA.  Second born was Hazel Margaret or, Marguerite, born c1919 in TX.  Romey John, Irene and Romey, Jr. are all buried in the Crosbyton cemetery.

James Lonnie was born Dec. 19, 1891 in Union Co., TN and died in Melrose, Curry Co., NM in July, 1960.  He married Clara Helena Griffin, sister to Dorothy, wife of Harley Albert.  The family line between these two couples blurs a bit.  In Dorothy's obituary it is written that she had a daughter named Ollie Myrtle.  Of the eight children born to James and Clara was a daughter named Ollie M.  I have not found Harley and Dot and do not know who their children were.  I suppose it is very possible that each couple named a daughter Ollie M. or Ollie Myrtle.

The children of James and Clara were:  Verlin Albert; Ruby May; Leroy; Robert C.; John L.; Ollie M.; George H.; and Edgar L.

Following James Lonnie was a daughter, Mamie Melinda, born Jul., 1894.  No further information.

Florence Ellie, born Jan. 1, 1897 in Union Co., TN, died Apr. 1, 1957 in Crosbyton.  Florence married George Houston Strange on Oct. 9, 1918 in Ralls, Crosby Co.  He was born Nov. 13, 1894 in Tom Green Co., TX and died in Crosbyton on Apr. 19, 1981.  Florence and George had one child, a daughter Edith Jewel, born Jul. 18, 1919, died Jul. 19, 1919 in Crosbyton.  George and Florence are buried at Crosbyton and I suspect Edith Jewel is as well.

Stewart Hembree, born Oct. 21, 1898 in Union Co., died Nov. 19, 1974 in Levelland, Hockley Co., TX.  No other information.

Madie Ethel, born c1901 in TN.  No further information.

Mary Lee, born Oct. 4, 1903 in Baylor Co., TX, died Jul. 17, 1978 in Lubbock.  Sarah married a Lewis Chance.

Obituary, Crosbyton Review, Jul. 20, 1978

Mary Lee Chance, a 74-year-old Crosbyton resident, succumbed about 6 p.m. Monday in the Quaker Manor Nursing Home in Lubbock. She had been a resident of the nursing home.  Mrs. Chance was a former Crosby County district clerk.

Memorial services were at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the First Baptist Church in Crosbyton. The Rev. Bobby Rine, pastor, officiated.

Interment was made in Crosbyton Cemetery, under direction of Adams Funeral Home. Nephews served as pallbearers.

Born Oct. 14, 1903 in Seymour, the former Mary Lee Coffey was married to Lewis Chance. He preceded his wife in death in 1960.

Mrs. Chance moved to Crosby County in 1914 from Seymour. She was a member of the Crosbyton First Baptist Church.

Survivors include one brother, E. E. Coffey of Lubbock; three sisters, Mrs. Mamie Paschal of Clovis, N.M., Mrs. Willie Williams of Lubbock, and Mrs. Ethel Heathington of Ralls; and one niece whom she raised, Gloria Smith of Lubbock.

Sarah Azalee, born c1906 in TX.  She married a Mr. Read or Reid.  No further information.

William McKinley "Willie" Coffey.  According to two out of three census records, this was a daughter, born May 19, 1908 in TX.  She married Oscar Bunon Williams, born Sep. 25, 1900 in Crosbyton, doed Mar. 7, 1972 in Lubbock.  Both are buried at Crosbyton.

The 11th and last child born to John and Ollie was Edgar, born c1912 in TX.  No further information.

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Update Jul 30, 2011  Mary Lee Coffey remained unmarried until the late 40's or early 50's when she married a widower, Lewis Webster Chance.  Lewis was born Mar. 3, 1878 and died Aug. 20, 1960 in Crosbyton.  Mary Lee was born Oct. 4, 1903 and died Jul. 17, 1978 in Lubbock, Lubbock Co.  Lewis was a son of William N. and Elizabeth Hardaway Chance.  No children are thought to have been born to the Chance-Coffey marriage.  Prior to his marriage to Mary Lee, Lewis had been married to Mattie Dera Benton, a daughter of D. H. and Anna Henson Benton, for about 40 years and together they had a number of children.  Mattie was born Oct. 19, 1890 in TX and died in Lubbock on Feb. 17, 1948. Mary Lee is buried at Crosbyton while Lewis and Mattie are buried at the Ralls Cemetery in Crosby Co.

Sarah Azalee (or Asalee) married George Manning Reed and had at least one child, Gloria J. Reed, born c1929.  Mary Lee lived with George and Sarah in 1930 and their child may be the niece Gloria Smith mentioned in Mary Lee's obituary.

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*Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950: Groom's Name: John B. Coffey Groom's Birth Date: Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: Bride's Name: Ollie J. M. Kivett Bride's Birth Date: Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: Marriage Date: 20 Aug 1886 Marriage Place: , Union, Tennessee Groom's Father's Name: Groom's Mother's Name: Bride's Father's Name: Bride's Mother's Name: Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M51977-2 System Origin: Tennessee-ODM Source Film Number: 976341 Reference Number:

**I cannot find a town named Emma in TX so do not know in which County she was born. 

Photos of John and Ollie taken from headstones and posted on FindAGrave by someone using the alias "GenFreaks"  The photo of Romey, Jr. was posted by Anonymous to FindAGrave.

Jesse & Elizabeth Riffe Coffey (Follow-up)

Jesse and Elizabeth are known to have had at least 10 children.  Of those, about half of them went west from Kentucky to settle north of Dallas in Collin Co., TX.  Some of them raised their families in Anna, Melissa, and Van Alstyne while some moved just up the road to Sherman in Grayson Co.

Those who ended up in TX:

Osborn Nightingale Coffey, born Feb. 4, 1807 in Casey Co., KY, death date and place unknown.  He married Jane Bell on Sep. 4, 1829 in Lincoln Co., KY.  At least one of their sons, Finley Luckey Coffey, born July 7, 1849, went west and settled in Beaumont, Jefferson Co., TX where he died on Apr. 13, 1926.  Osborn and Jane are not known to have gone to TX but, may have!

Mary Coffey, born Apr. 25, 1808 in Wayne Co., KY, died in Casey Co. on May 29, 1842.  She married Jeremiah Vardaman on Mar. 12, 1829 in Casey Co.  After Mary died, Jeremiah and five of his seven children went to Texas.

Mary Elizabeth, the eldest, born Aug. 1, 1832, died May 1, 1877 in Texas, exact place unknown right now.  Lucy, born Nov. 13, 1834 in Lincoln Co., died Feb. 22, 1901 in Grayson Co., TX.  Third Was Ephriam Pennington born Jan. 9, 1837 in KY, died Mar. 6, 1901 in Collin Co., TX.  Patsy Jane, born Jan. 29, 1838 in Lincoln Co. was next.  She married Richard Nightingale Portman on Jan. 4, 1858 in KY.  He died in Collin Co. in 1886; she on Oct. 18, 1926.  He is buried in the Highland Cemetery at Anna while she is buried at Throckmorton cemetery in Melissa.

Following Patsy Jane was Jesse Morgan Vardaman, born Feb. 3, 1839 in Lincoln Co., died May 17, 1903, I think in Collin Co.  He married Hannah, born c1834 in KY and their first child Mary was born there in 1853.  I know of three others, George, Patsy and Betsy - the last two likely twins, born c1859 - were born in TX.

I believe the last child born to Jeremiah and Mary Coffey Vardaman was Jeremiah, Jr., born Jan. 1840, died May, 1863 in TN during the Civil War.  I've seen another genealogy that credits Jeremiah, Sr. with fathering John in 1846, KY, but that was after Mary died and I have not found him married to anyone after he death.

Minerva Coffey was Jesse and Elizabeth's sixth child.  She was born Nov. 15, 1814 in Casey Co., and died in Collin Co. on Feb. 7, 1891.  Her spouse was James H. Slaughter, born Apr. 8, 1812 in Wayne Co., KY and died in Collin Co. on Apr. 17, 1895.  They apparently did not leave KY until 1851 or 52 because their second to last child was born in KY on Feb. 1, 1851 and the last on Ma.r 19, 1853 in Collin Co.  They had at least nine children and, six are known to have survived to marry and raise their own family.

Jesse Perry was the ninth child and he was born Mar. 17, 1823 in Casey Co., died in Collin Co. on Apr. 5, 1906.  He married Tabitha Slaughter - undoubtedly some relation to James, husband of Minerva - and they had at least eight children, the last four born in TX.  Tabitha was born Feb. 14, 1822 in KY and died Aug. 26, 1909 in Collin Co.

Their eldest son was Matthew Slaughter Coffey, born c1844 in KY, died c1929 in Grayson Co., TX.  He was married in Grayson Co. to Virginia Texana Butridge, a daughter of Riley E. and Susan Watson Butridge.  Virginia was born on Jul. 31, 1854 in Sherman and died there on Sep. 27, 1949.  They raised at least five children:  Gabriella, Birdie, twins Pearl and Earl and Richard "Dick."

Matthew's brother, James Perry, Jr., was born Jan. 18, 1851 in KY and died Jan. 16, 1931 in McKinney.  James married Sally Margaret Griffin, born Sep. 1, 1864, where not known, died Jan. 30, 1943 in Collin Co.  I know they had at least one child, Malcolm T. who lived less than two years, born Oct. 4, 1876, died Oct. 1, 1878 in Collin Co.

Anna Belle Coffey, married Finley Luckey Coffey.  You can read about this family here.

Child six was William G., born c1859; seven was Galen, born Sep. 2, 1862, died Dec. 4, 1889 in Collin Co; and last was Cynthia McKinney, born Oct. 8, 1865, died unmarried on Feb. 23, 1966 in McKinney.

Most of these families are buried in the cemeteries at Anna and Melissa in Collin Co.

Click on the title link to read and earlier blog about Jesse and Elizabeth.

Corrections and/or additions welcomed!





No. 989

Richard "Dick" Nightingale and Sallie Ann Portman Coffey

Richard and Sallie left Kentucky - probably Wayne Co. - sometime between 1853 and 1855, eventually reaching Texas where they settled in Collin Co by 1870.  In 1860 they were in Grayson Co. where at least one of their children was born.  A marriage date and place has not been found.

I have been able to find eight of their children, but can really only follow one into another family generation.

Their first known child was a son, Clayton Worth, born Feb. 8, 1848 in Casey Co., died Dec. 31, 1929 in Alvin, Brazoria Co., TX.  On Feb. 18, 1875 Clayton married Martha Jane Griffin in Collin Co.  Martha, a daughter of J. M. and Margaret King Griffin was born in Georgia on Sep. 1, 1854 and died in Dallas, TX on Jan. 30, 1943.  Clayton and Martha are buried in the Highland Cemetery at Anna in Collin Co.

I know of five children for Clayton and Martha: 

Vorilla/Vorella, born Oct. 23, 1876 in TX, died Aug. 29, 1954 in McKinney, Collin Co.  She married a Mr. Rampey.  She is buried at Stony Point Cemetery in Melissa, Collin Co.

Malcolm H. "Mallie", born Jul. 16, 1878 at Valdasta in Collin Co., died Feb. 22, 1951 in Houston, Harris Co.  He was buried at Pearland's South Park Cemetery in Brazoria Co., TX.

James P., born Sep. 10, 1881 in TX, died Jan. 19, 1975 in McKinney.  He is buried at Elm Grove Cemetery in Collin Co.

Willie King, a daughter, born Feb. 6, 1887 in Valdasta, married a Mr. John.  She died on Jan. 3, 1964 at Jacinto City, Harris Co., and was buried at Stony Point.

John Cham, born Jun. 6, 1888 in Valdasta, died Dec. 1, 1970 at Denison in Grayson Co., TX.  He was buried at Cedarlawn Memorial Park in Sherman, Grayson Co.  His middle name is spelled on his death certificate as I have entered it here.  Seems to me perhaps a letter or two are missing!?

The other children of Richard and Sallie Ann were:

Jesse, born c1851 in KY
George, born c1853 in KY
John, born c1855 in TX
William, born c1858 in TX
Martha, born 1860, Grayson Co., TX
Emma, born Dec. 12, 1866 in Collin Co., died Oct. 30, 1940 in Melissa, Collin Co. and was buried at Stony Point.  She married a Mr. Moore.
Anna Lee, born Dec. 25, 1870 in Collin Co., died May 18, 1941 in Gainesville, Cooke Co., TX.  She was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Gainesville.  Anna married a Mr. Hightower.

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