Adoniram Judson & Emily Caroline Rone Coffey

                                                                                                                               
Adoniram Judson Coffey, born Jan. 6, 1830 to Reuben and Polly Dowell Coffey, was  (probably) named by his preacher father for the American Baptist missionary of the same name.*  This Adomiram married Emily Caroline Rone, born Aug. 28, 1832 in NC, died in Ellettsville, Monroe Co., IN on Nov. 11, 1906.  They were married on Oct. 28, 1852 in Owen Co., IN.**  Adoniram died Apr. 7, 1882 in Ellettsville.  Both are buried at the Coffey Family Cemetery in Ellettsville.

The family farmed in Owen and Clay counties from their marriage until their deaths and, raised at least nine children there.

Edgar was their first, born Sep., 1853, died Nov. 16, 1922 in Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN.  He married Rachel A. Betts in Clinton Co., IN on Oct. 27, 1874 and had at least one child, a daughter named Pansy.  Rachel may have died at the birth of Pansy because sometime before 1880, Edgar married his cousin Sophronia Coffey, a daughter of Lewis and Harriet Powell Coffey.  Sophronia had previously married Samuel T. Howe, a Kentuckian born c1835.  She and Howe had at least two children, Ida, born c1861 and Lucy, born c1865, both in IN.  Samuel may have died in the Civil War.  Sophronia died in June, 1923 at Terre Haute and she was buried alongside Edgar, who died Nov. 16, 1922, at Highland Lawn Cemetery in that city.

Obituary, Terre Haute Tribune, Nov. 17, 1922, p2

Edgar Coffey, 69 years old, for a number of years owner of a drug store in Lafayette avenue, died yesterday evening at the home of his daughter, Mrs. George Jacobs, 68 South Twenty-first street, where he made his home.  Mr. Coffey also was interested in the Coca-Cola bottling works in Lafayette avenue [sic] for some time.  The body was removed to the Gillis chapel, where the funeral will be held.  Mr. Coffey is survived by the daughter; a step-daughter, Mrs. Ida M. Goodman, of Minneapolis; a grandson, George Edgar Jacobs; three sisters, Mrs. Ellen Faulkner, Mrs. Fay McBride, of Terre Haute, and Mrs. Lillian Harboc, of Trinidad, Col., and three brothers, Eliza [sic], Larkin and Reuben Coffey.

Obituary, Terre Haute Star, Saturday, June 23, 1923, p2

The funeral of Sophronia Coffey, 80 years old, who died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. George Jacobs, 632 Walnut street, was held at 2:30 o'clock today at the Gillis undertaking establishment.  She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. George Jacobs and Mrs. I. M. Goodman of Minneapolis; two grandchildren and one nephew.  Burial will be in Highland Lawn cemetery.

The second child was a son, Carson, born c1855.  Carson appeared in the household with his parents at the  1860 and 1870 census but, disappeared thereafter.  I have not found him in any subsequent record and I suspect he likely died in his early teens.

Ellen, born c1857 was married to Jasper Newton Falkner on Sep. 14, 1880 in Spencer, Owen Co.  Jasper was born on Mar. 25, 1846 in that county and died in Republic, Ferry Co., WA on Apr. 8, 1934.  Ellen preceded him in death on Aug. 30, 1928 at Republic.  Both are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada.  Their children were Donald Ford, born 1881; Roy Judson, born 1885; Kittie Faye, born 1888 and, Wallace, born 1889.

A son, Elzy, born 20 Aug.1859 was next.  The little info that I have indicates he married Emma Clause. He did appear in the 1920 Arkansas Co. census with his brother Larkin and in the 1930 census for that same county with a wife named Sue.  I am somewhat confused about his wife's name and other particulars of this census.  Elzy must have been married prior to this marriage since he stated that he was first married at age 34, and his wife at age 17.  He died on Mar. 22, 1937 in Decatur, Macon Co., IL but his burial place has not been found although his death record reports burial at Decatur.***

Elzy was followed by John Jay on Oct. 10, 1853.  He married c1904 to Edith Iva Hill, born Dec. 5, 1876 in IA, died Oct. 12, 1940 in Boise, Ada Co., ID.  John died there on Nov. 9, 1922.  Both are buried at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.  Their children were Ray O., born 1905 in CO; Edith Iva, born 1907 in ID; John Earl, born c1911, died Jan. 24, 1995, buried at Dry Creek Cemetery in Boise; Harold, born 1913, died Jul 30, 1939 in Lewis and Clark Co., MT, butied at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.  Their last child was Ralph H., born c1917.

Reuben, born Jul., 1866 was the sixth child.  He married c1901 to Elizabeth J. Propst, born c1878 in CO.  Their children were Helen, Faye and, Catherine, all born in CO.  In 1910 the family did appear in the Decatur Twp., Macon Co., IL census.

Lillian was next, born c Jan., 1870.  She was married c1905 to Fred A. Harlow of Massachusetts.  They had children John Frederick, Fayette, Dorothy, Doris Caroline, Lillian Trask and Carson, perhaps named for Lillian's brother.

Larkin was born in Feb., 1872 and married a lady by the name of Nancy E. Dilday.  He appeared in the 1910 Rock Co., NE as an unmarried man and later, in 1920, the Arkansas Co., AR census with his with Nancy and his brother Elzy.

The last child born to Adoniram and Emily was Faye H., born May 1874.  She married Earl McBride and had children Richard, Frederick, Paul and, Pauline.

Please contact me if you can fill in any of the blanks.

Jack

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*Wikipedia: Adoniram Judson was born in Massachusetts in 1788 and died at sea in the Bay of Bengal on Apr. 12, 1850.  He worked to form the first Baptist association in America, translated the Bible into Burmese and established a number of Baptist churches in Burma.  The name Adoniram means "my lord is exalted" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this was the name of an overseer of tribute [taxman] under the kings David, Solomon and Rehoboam. He was stoned to death when the Israelites revolted against Rehoboam's taxation.
**Indiana Marriage Records Index, 1845-1920;.Index to Marriage Records Indiana: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940:  Name: Adnoviam [sic] J Coffey Spouse Name: Emily C Rone Marriage Date: 28 Oct 1852 Marriage County: Owen  Index to Marriage Record 1850 - 1920 Inclusive Vol Source Title 3: W. P. A. Original Record Located: Compiled by Indi Book: 27 OS Page: 309
***Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch Historical Records from Illinois Department of Health. "Certificates of Death." Illinois Department of Health, Springfield, Illinois. FHL microfilm. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah:  name: Elzy Coffey titles and terms (original):  death date: 22 Mar 1937 death place: Decatur, Macon, Illinois gender: Male marital status:  race or color:  age: 77 estimated birth year: 1860 birth date: 20 Aug 1859 birthplace: Owen Co., Indiana father: Adimiriam J. Coffey father's titles and terms (original):  father's birth place: North Carolina mother: Emily C. Rhone mother's titles and terms (original):  mother's birth place: South Carolina occupation: carpenter residence: Stuttgart, Arkansas street address:  spouse: Elizabeth spouse's titles and terms (original):  spouse's birthplace:  burial date: 24 Mar 1937 burial place: Decatur Twp., Macon, Illinois cemetery: Graceland informant:  additional relatives:  digital folder number: 4008433 image number: 888 film number: 1786729 volume/page/certificate number: cn 12621 

John Nathan & Emma Mariah McGowan Coffey

John was born in Texas on Apr. 21, 1847 to William Saunders and Elizabeth Schooler Coffey.  His parents moved from Kentucky to Texas before 1850 and settled in Lavaca Co., where John was likely born.  He was there on Feb. 15, 1872 when he married Emma Mariah McGowan, born Jan. 12, 1849 in MS.  John died Sep. 13, 1919 and Emma died on Nov. 17, 1933, both in Brown Co., TX and are buried in the Zephyr Cemetery.

John and Emma were parents of at least nine children.  At least five of those grew to adulthood.

Elizabeth J., born c1873, Lavaca Co., no further information.
William Sanders [sic], born Jul. 16, 1874, died Aug. 16, 1877 in Lavaca Co.
Lucinda Collins, born Dec. 10, 1875, died Aug. 6, 1877 in Lavaca Co.
Cecil Isadora, born Sep. 4, 1877 in Schulenburg, Fayette Co., TX; died Apr. 11, 1959 at Goldthwaite in Mills Co., TX.
Martha T. "Mattie", born Feb. 9, 1879 in Schulenburg, died Jun. 25, 1949 in Brownwood, Brown Co.
Zula P., born Apr. 1, 1885 in Brown Co., died May 4, 1973 in Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., TX.
John Narvin, born Sep. 8, 1886 in Brown Co., died Dec. 8, 1918 in Zephyr, Brown Co.
Zachriah Brooks, born Jan. 1, 1889 in Brown Co., died Mar. 29, 1967 in Brownwood.
Jesse L., born Jul. 11, 1892 in Brown Co., no further information.

Cecil Isadora was the first that I know to have married.  Her spouse was Andrew Franklin Shelton, born Jan. 16, 1871 in Jackson Co., NC, died Feb. 12, 1972 in Goldthwaite, Mills Co., TX.  Both are buried at Oak View Cemetery in Mullin, Mills Co., TX.

Their children were Arthur F., born c1896; Emma Rue, born Jun. 15, 1900 in Mullin, died Aug. 11, 1957 in Bluff Dale, Erath Co., TX.  Emma married a Mr. Hancock and died in an automobile/train accident in which she suffered a severe head injury.  She was returned to Mullin and was also buried there; John Nathan, born c1902; Vada Elizabeth, born Oct. 12, 1906, died Feb. 18, 1933 in Brownwood, Brown Co., TX.  She was buried at Mullin also; William Dewey, born c1908; Homer W., born c1911; and Minnie R., born c1916.

Martha "Mattie," was married c1905 to Cecil McCutchan, born Oct., 1879 in Brown Co.  He was a son of John B. and Emma Goode McCutchan, Missouri natives who moved to TX, probably before the turn of the 20th century.  John died in 1907, Brown Co., and Emma died in 1936 at Abilene in Taylor Co., TX.  Both are buried at Zephyr in Brown Co.

Cecil and Mattie are not known to have had any children.  They were childless in the 1920 census and Cecil died on Sep. 22, 1919.  In 1920 Mattie was enumerated with an "orphan" child, Milford Tenyson, age 14.  She died in 1949 in Brownwood and was buried with Cecil at Zephyr.

Zula is named in the Texas death records as Zula K. McCown.  No other information.

John Narvin married Mollie Couch, a daughter of John Pleas and Maggie Brewer Couch.  John was born in TX and Maggie in TN.  Mollie was born on Mar. 16, 1888 in TX and died in Fort Worth on July 5, 1951.  She and John were parents of:

Effie Pearl, born Mar. 2, 1906 in Brown Co., and died in TX on May 6, 2001.  Effie married James Matthew "Jim" Jones on May 25, 1924 in Brownwood.  He was born in tX on Nov. 15, 1900 and died there on Mar. 27, 1967.  Their children were Jack R., born c1925 and Trelilita (sp?), a daughter, born c1926, both in TX.

John Pleas "Bud". born Jun. 1, 1908 in Brown Co., died Jan. 6, 1970 in Brownwood.  He married Ida Louise Hill on Dec. 7, 1930 in Brownwood.  No further information.

Annie Jessie, born Jul. 10, 1910 in Zephyr, died there of burns on Feb. 28, 1921.  She is also buried at Zephyr.

William Lynn, born Aug. 16, 1912 in Brown Co., died there on Dec. 2, 1989.  William married Sallie Venice Smith, a daughter of Thomas Greenberry and Sarah Jane Williams Smith.  She was born in Cottle Co., TX on Oct. 11, 1911 and died in Brown Co. on Mar. 8, 2004.  Both are buried at Zephyr.  Thomas and Sarah are buried at the Breckinridge cemetery in Stephens Co., TX.

Narvin Wayne, born Oct. 3, 1914 in Zephyr, became a Naval officer.  He married Bonifa A. Williams, a dauther of Russell B. and Lanie R. Williams, on Apr. 11, 1941 in El Paso Co., TX.  Narvin died on Sep. 17, 2005 in Graham, Young Co., TX.  Bonifa died there on Oct. 27, 1994.  I know of one child, Charles Noel, born Dec. 30, 1937 in El Paso Co.  There is an unexplained gap of four years between his birth and his parents marriage date.

Their last child was Lee C., born c1917 in Brown Co.  No further information.

Zachariah Brooks, born Jan. 1, 1889 in Brown Co. and died there on Mar. 29, 1967.  He married Kate Marie "Katie" Graves on Apr. 30, 1911.  Katie was born July 5, 1895 in Red River Co., TX and died in Zephyr on Oct. 5, 1984. Both are buried at Zephyr.

Their children were:

Cecil Franz, born Mar. 12, 1912 in Brown Co., died Feb. 27, 1997.  His spouse was Lee Frances Lunsford, born Oct. 5, 1923, died Dec. 16, 1948.  They too are buried at Zephyr.  Frances was a daughter of Marvin A. and Clara Mae Ramsey Lunsford.  No further information.

Allie, born c1915.  No further information.

Lowell W. "Toss", born Nov. 21, 1918 in Brown Co., died there on Sep. 6, 2002.  He is also buried at Zephyr.

The last known child of John and Emma was a daughter, Jessie L., born Jul., 1892.  No further information.

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Update Jul. 23, 2011:

The McGowan surname seems to have evolved to McCown.  I have seen some death records where it was spelled McCowan but, for the most part, the family appears to have been a bit more consistent with the McCown spelling.

Emma Mariah McCown was a daughter of James P. and Lucinda Isaacs McCown. Her sibling, Zachary Taylor McCown married Sarah Texanna Perkins c1869 in TX and, their son, Ivan Lynn McCown was the husband of Zula Coffey, mentioned above.  Zula was born Apr. 1, 1885 in Brown Co., TX and married Ivan c1902 in TX.  He died Jun. 9, 1940 in Zephyr, Brown Co., TX and is buried at Zephyr Cemetery with Zula.

Dr. Erval Richard Coffey

Dr. Erval R. Coffey*

Erval Richard Coffey, second son of Dr. Richard Nightingale and Mae A. Gano Coffey, was born Dec. 31, 1896 in Jackson Co., MO.

Dr. Richard Coffey was a son of Dr. William A. and Elizabeth Hill Coffey of Madison Co., KY.  Dr. William Coffey was a son of Dr. Rev. Richard Nightingale and Margaret Catherine McCormick Coffey, originally of Amherst Co., VA then of Lincoln and Madison Counties in KY and finally of Platte Co., MO.

This family descends from Edward and Ann Powell Coffey through John and Jane Graves Coffey, Willian and Elizabeth Osborne Coffey and Osborn and Mary "Polly" Nightingale Coffey who settled in Casey Co., KY.

Erval was a graduate of the University of Kansas where he was active in sports.  After graduation he began a career in the US Public Health Service, eventually becoming Assistant Surgeon General.  He served overseas and was once appointed to Thailand under the Foreign Economic Assistance Act.  He had been Regional Director of the PHS in Washington DC prior to his appointment.

According to an article rife with typographical errors, and which appeared in the Memphis World on Dec. 26, 1950, Erval married Catherine Ann Borchdt [sic] of Chicago and were the parents of three daughters and a son.  In a later undated article found here, [clicking this link will download a PDF] Dr. Coffey eventually accepted an appointment at the regional office of the PHS in New York City.  Upon retirement he accepted an appointment as Health Officer for the city of Greenwich, CT.  He died in April, 1968 in Pinellas Co., FL.

Very little information has been found for Dr. and Mrs. Coffey, probably due to their travel and overseas work.  After he registered for the draft in 1917 he entered the US Army.  I found one source1 that reports him serving at Camp Funston in one of the Divisional Cantonment Training Camps at Fort Riley, Riley Co., KS.  Prior to that he resided at #7 Jackson Bldg in Lawrence, KS, which I presume was a dorm on the University of Kansas campus.  The Cantonment camps were among the first places in the US where the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic began.

The last time I found him in a census record was 1910 while he was still living with his parents in Barber Co., MO.

His draft registration card described him as being tall with medium build, brown eyes and light brown hair.

He and his wife were found on a List of first class In-Bound Passengers at San Francisco, arriving on the SS President Cleveland from Yokohama, Japan on Mar. 6, 1953.  Dr. Coffey was then 56 years old and Catherine was age 52.  Catherine listed her place of birth as Illinois.

I have not yet found Catherine's birth date, which from the passenger list I estimated to be 1901.  I am still searching for a record of their marriage, Catharine's death date and where they are buried.  Her maiden name as printed in the Memphis paper is also suspect.

Erval's older brother, Dr. George McDowell Coffey continued his family's medical service tradition as a dentist.  He married Helen Marjorie Miller and died in Grant Co., KS in 1969.

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Update:  July 5, 2011
Jack Coffee,

Good morning. I am the first grandson of Dr. & Mrs. Erval Richard Coffee as described in your blog. 

Just wanted you to know that I am hosting a small family reunion of their direct descendants at a gathering in Old Town Alexandria, VA in late October. We are expecting: the two surviving daughters (Germaine Sava and Beverly Burns); most of their children/grandchildren; and, the children/grandchildren of their deceased children (Richard Coffee, Bargara Vogt). We're expecting about 30+ folks from the DC/Maryland/VA area, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, Norway and Thailand.

Just wanted to pass the news to you. 

RICHARD A HESS
1338 UNION ST, #6, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109
CELL: +1 808 292 9086

GOOGLE VOICE: +1 202 596 6314
SKYPE: +1 415 644 5233; ID: hessrick
hessrick@gmail.com
http://www.google.com/profiles/hessrick

I received the following e-mail today:






1The Graduate Magazine [Univ of KS], Oct., 1917, Vol. XVI, Page 217
*Photo credit National Library of Medicine

Lost Cousins!

Actually, they were not lost.  They knew where they were.

For years I have been searching for descendants of my G-pa Coffee's sister, Sarah Ellen Coffee Hill Sutton.  Many of them wandered out of Arkansas and west into California during the depression.  Somewhere along the way their paper trail vanished!

Imagine my surprise and happiness when a few days ago a new cousin on the west coast contacted me, writing that one of Sarah's Sutton daughters was her grandmother.  The new cousin had found my personal genealogy website.

Information that my new cousin offered has opened up a whole new search path (new names, locations, etc.) for me.  As a result, I've been able to find more census records for some of the family.  I now know her mother's maiden name, where she came from, and other details.

She also sent about a dozen photographs gleaned over the years from other family sources.  All of them were of her parents, grandparents and Sarah Ellen.  What a treasure!

Sarah had one son from her Hill marriage.  I have very little information about those cousins, but continue to search for them.

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On another subject:  If any regular readers are wondering about my extended absences from the blog, I can only tell you that I'm working on projects other than Edward Coffey.  There have been very few discoveries over the past few years, so I found myself searching for obituaries, attempting to tie those folks into those already in my Ed Coffey project files.

There have been a few corrections submitted now and again, but nothing that I considered really significant.  And frankly, participation by readers has been next to nothing!  I offered an opportunity for readers to co-edit the blog, but received only one promise to help. 

I will continue now and again to post info here as it becomes available, but those posts will likely be few and far between.

Also, I will continue to update the Edward Coffey Project CD with changes and new found info as it becomes available.

The offer to co-edit is still on the table.