Robert W. Coffey (1845-1929)

A reader recently wrote to ask for any information about Mary Ann Bennett who married Robert W. Coffey of Adair Co., KY.

Robert was a son of Zidner and Morgana "Ann" Keltner Coffey and was born c1845 in Adair Co., KY.  Researchers believe that he was married at least three times between 1868 and 1890.  

Robert first married Mary Ann Bennett in Adair Co. on Aug. 13, 1868.  In 1870 the couple lived in East Fork, Metcalfe Co., KY and in 1880 they were in Gradyville, Adair Co.  They apparently had no children that survived much beyond birth because there were none to appear in the household at either census.

We believe Mary Ann died sometime after 1880 because Robert was subsequently married on Feb. 12, 1890 to Sally Catherine Compton in Adair Co. 

They remained married for nearly 30 years and were the parents of at least two children:  

Maggie Pearl, born Dec. 31, 1890 in Adair Co. and died there on May 1, 1937.  Maggie married Curt Stephens of Metcalfe Co. on Apr. 12, 1924 in Jeffersonville, Clarke Co., IN.  She was 33 years old and very likely had been previously married.  There are no known children.

William Zidner, born 1892 in Columbia, Adair Co., died in Ohio on Dec. 18, 1961.  He married three times.  His first was to Maggie Helm, born 1892 in Columbia, Adair Co., died 1972 in Butler Co., OH.  They are known to have had one child, Eunice Katherine, born 1925, died in Hamilton Co., OH in 1983.

William's second wife was Louise Estel DeBolt on May 27, 1919.  She was a native of Wetzel Co., WV and no children are known.  Third marriage was to Lydia A. Williams in c1922 OH.  She was born there in 1895 and died there in 1991.  Again, no known children.

It is thought that Robert was married again, and after Mary Ann in the period between 1880 and 1890.  This thought arises from the fact that in 1900 Robert reported that he had been married three times.  In the household that year was Lillian M. Coffey, age 16, born Mar., 1884 and enumerated as Robert's daughter.  Maggie and William were also included in this census.

My reader believes that Lillian married Charles M. Bragg in 1906.  Others, like me, believe Charles' bride was Lillie Mae, the daughter of Cyrus C. and Parthenia "Emma" Wheat Coffey.  In the marriage record to Charles, she was named Lillie May.

Please contact me if you have any information that might be helpful in determining whose daughter married Charles M. Bragg.

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*There is a marriage record dated Jul. 1, 1882 for an "R. W. or Robert W. Coffey" in Taylor Co., KY, situated some 30 miles distant from Adair Co.  On the license abstract, the groom's birth year is way off leading me to believe this is not the R. W. we are looking for.  The bride of record was Martha Taylor, age 19.

William Zidner & Louise DeBolt Coffey

William was a son of Robert W. and Sally C. Compton Coffey. He was born April 8. 1892 in Columbia, Adair Co., KY and died on Dec. 18, 1961 in Gallia Co., OH. It appears - if I interpret correctly - from the marriage record (below) that Louise was born April 2, 1884 in Wetzel Co., WV. Her parents were John and Ida Boughner DeBolt.  They were married on May 27, 1919 in Akron, OH.

Robert W. Coffey was a son of Zidner and Marganna Keltner Coffey; Zidner, a son of Ananias and Jane Hindman Coffey of Green and Adair Counties in Kentucky.

William stated on the marriage record that he was employed by the Goodyear company in in Akron. Louise gave her occupation as a "domestic." From the marriage record we find that William had been previously married and divorced. My records show that he was first married to Maggie Helm, probably c1914, which produced a child, Eunice Katherine Coffey, born Feb. 14, 1915 in Ozark, Adair Co., KY., and died May 27, 1983 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH.

Louise was also apparently previously married because the record reads that she was "once restored." I take that to mean that her maiden name had been restored after a divorce.

This information and copies of the marriage record were generously donated by Melissa Barker

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Update Mar 8, 2012


Additional investigation of William and his families became bit muddled recently when I discovered that Louise had been married not once before William, but apparently twice before.

The 1920 census shows us that in the household with William and Louise were two LeMaster children; Harry and Cody.  In the above marriage record, Louise told that she was previously married to a Mr. Graves, they had divorced and she had her DeBolt maiden name restored.

While checking on who the LeMaster children were, I discovered that Louise had been married earlier to Fenton C. Lemaster and in 1910 the family lived in the Spencer district of Roane Co., WV.  Children in the household were Harry F., age 10, Bessie S., age 8, Ethrelda (?), age 4 and, Cody L., age 4 mos.

At some point between 1920 and 1922 Louise and William apparently "split the blanket."  In 1930 she appeared in the Akrom, Summit Co., OH census as a widow.  In the household with her was son Cody, age 20.  Sharing the household was her other son, Harry, with wife Erica and daughters Eleanor and Catherine.

In the meantime, and c1922, William appears to have taken a third wife, Lydia A. Williams.  They had at least one child, Mary F., born c1925 in OH.

William died on Dec. 18, 1961 in OH and was buried at Saint Nicholas Cemetery in Eureka, Gallia Co., OH.  Lydia was born on Sep. 22, 1895 in OH and lived until Aug. 2, 1991.  She too is buried at Saint Nicholas.