Rice Abner Coffey

Rice was a son of Alexander Hamilton and Nancy E. Weatherly Coffey. He was born in Bedford Co., VA on Dec. 24, 1833, and died Apr. 9, 1896 in Scottsboro, Jackson Co., AL. He was married to his first cousin Mary Ann Coffey, a daughter of Benjamin B. and Mary E. Roach Coffey on Oct. 29, 1857. Rice was buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Scottsboro. Alexander Coffey was a son of Rice and Sarah (Sally) Bradford Coffey.

Rice and Mary Ann had three children: Theodosia, born Aug. 1, 1858; Nancy Elizabeth, born May 23, 1861, died May 16, 1918; and Mary Ann, born Dec. 31, 1863, died Dec. 21, 1921. Spouse Mary Ann died Mar. 28, 1864 in Roaches Cove, AL at age 21 years.

Rice married a second time to Sarah Jane (Sally) Helton on Sep. 11, 1870. She waas born Jul. 5, 1851 in Stevenson, Jackson Co., AL,, and died Apr. 22, 1930 in the same place. Sarah Jane was buried in the Helton Cemetery in Jackson Co. She and Rice were the parents of nine children:

- Pleasant Hamilton, born Mar. 9, 1873, died Oct. 27, 1927; married Mary Ann Wynn, born Sep, 6, 1884, died May 2, 1935 on Oct. 21, 1903. Children: Pleasant Lee, born May 30, 1905; Alva Avery, born c1908; Truett, born c1914, and Mark Raymond, born c1916.

- Angelina (Lina), born Sep. 30, 1875, died 1953; married Rev. Willis Walter Lee, born Jul. 11, 1869 in Rome, Floyd Co., GA, died Dec. 13, 1935 in Harlingen, Cameron Co., TX. Children: William Rice, born Jan. 12, 1903, died Jun. 1, 1931; John Samuel, born May 16, 1904, died Jul. 12, 1919; Willis Walter, Jr., born Sep. 7, 1905, died Aug. 17, 1982; Dallas Powell, Sep. 29, 1907, died Mar. 29, 1999; Ruth, born Jan. 14, 1909, died May 3, 1911; Ralph Barrett, born Aug. 18, 1912, died Jan. 1997; Frank Coffey, born Apr. 23, 1914, died Feb. 28, 1917; and Howard Cecil, born Dec. 28, 1916, died Oct. 16, 1997.

- Rice A., born Aug. 13, 1877, died Oct. 23, 1878

- Weightstill Avery, born Dec. 7, 1878, died Mar. 27, 1950; married Venue Lava Meeker on Jun. 8, 1904. She was born Jul. 29, 1881, died Sep. 9, 1905. They had one child, born Aug. 5, 1905, died Nov. 29, 1905. Weightstill remained a widower for many years before remarrying c1925 to Mary V., LNU. There were no known children from this marriage, and no known descendants from either marriage.

- Sarah Belle (Sallie), born May 9, 1881
- Arcina Elvira, born Sep. 20, 1882
- John Napoleon, born Oct. 7, 1885
- Emma Veral, born Oct. 31, 1886, died Jul. 12, 1887

- Charles Helton, born Feb. 11, 1889, died 1946; married Nannie Ellison, born c1889, died Dec., 1937 in Jackson Co. Children: Rice, born c1914, and Evelyn Louise, born about Dec., 1915.

Sources: Descendants of Rice Abner Coffey, Al Carhart who cited "Diary of the Home and Doings of the Family of Willis Walter & Angelina Coffey Lee; Sarah Frances Johnson of Houston, TX; family papers provided by Sandra (Lee) Durrett; Howard and Milly Stokes of Sugarland, TX. Other sources include the United States Federal Census for various years through 1930.

Cemetery Photos can be seen here.