Eligah Columbus & Vina Jane Keith Coffey

Updated Nov. 28, 2010

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Eligah Columbus Coffey was a son of Lewis and Elizabeth "Betty" Watters Coffey.  These are Kentuckians who came out of North Carolina sometime in the early-to-mid 1800s.  Lewis was born in NC c1813 and was married in KY to Betty c1831.  Elijah was born in Wayne Co. (probably Eadsville) on Dec. 12, 1843.  My records show that he was the seventh of ten children; the first born in 1832, the last in 1850.  Photo, L-R Front: Roxie Amanda, Eligah Henry, Eligah Columbus & Sally Kate; L-R Rear: Nannie Sophie and Mary Lucy.


The first wife of Elijah was Mirah Emarine Freeman, born in KY on Jan. 9, 1852, died Oct. 15, 1877 in Wayne Co.  She gave him at least three children: 

Elizabeth Jane, born Jun. 8, 1870 in Pulaski Co., died Jan. 8, 1941 in Wayne Co.  She married Rolly Stewart Lair c1895.  Elizabeth was the mother of at least three children.


John Lewis, born Dec. 12, 1872 in Wayne Co.  He died there on Apr. 10, 1948.  His wife was Geneva E. Lair - probably some relation to Rolly - on Apr. 23, 1898.  She gave him at least nine children.


The last child that I have for Elijah and Mirah is Hiram Tolbert Coffey, born Jul. 27, 1876, died 1941.  He married Cordie Thomas, born Apr. 27, 1878, died Sep. 2, 1919.  She was the mother of at least six children.

Elijah took a second wife on Apr. 29, 1881 in Wayne Co.  She was Vina Jane Keith, a daughter of Joshua, and was born Dec. 8, 1863 in that county.  Before she died Vina had produced at least eight more children for Elijah.  She gave birth to her last child in Nov., 1897 and died at age 33 on Dec. 6, of that year.


These are the children of Elijah and Vina:

Edward Cullem, born 1881, died 1966; married Gertie Evana Taylor in 1903.  She was born in 1884 and died in 1955.  They were the parents of at least eight children.


James Hardin, born 1882, died 1942.  He married Lillie Abbie Mounce, born in 1889.  They were parents of at least nine children.


Joseph Joel "Joe", born 1885, died 1953.  He married Rutha Mae Lair in 1907.  She was the daughter of George and Jemima Dodson Lair.  Before she died in 1976, she had given Joseph at least eight children.


Nannie Sophie, born 1887, married William Zackary Lair, born 1908, died 1970.  The age difference is suspect.  I have no children for them.


Mary Lucy, born 1889, died 1972.  She married George Roberts in 1920 and was the mother of at least two children.


Roxie Amanda, born 1893, died 1920.  She married Joseph McClain in 1914.  I have no children for them.


Sally Kate, born 1895, died 1966.  I don't believe she ever married.


Elijah Henry "Lige", born 1897, married Mary J., maiden name unknown.  I have no children for them.

I haven't connected all of the Lairs and do not know if they were all from the same family.  I do have some additional information on the children and grandchildren of Elijah and Vina Jane that I will share. 


Contact me at the above e-mail address for more info or, to correct or add to this information.

Benjamin Franklin & Martha Cecelia Dobbs Coffey

Benjamin was born Feb. 10, 1851 in Wayne Co., KY to Nelson N. & Kissie Watters Coffey. His wife, Martha Cecelia Dobbs, was born Mar. 18, 1850 in Wayne Co. to George Washington & Lurany H. Strunk Dobbs. They were married on Dec. 5, 1872 in Whitley Co., KY.

Martha Cecelia Dobbs Coffey with unidentified grandchildren
Photo Courtesy Charles Gilbreath 

Benjamin died of nephritis on on Apr. 6, 1918 in McCreary Co. and is buried in the Coffey Cemetery at Yamacraw. Martha died there of pneumonia on Mar. 5, 1938 and is also buried in the Coffey cemetery.

Their children were:

Nelson, born c1874

Benjamin, Jr., born Wayne Co. on Feb. 16, 1876, died McCreary Co. on Nov. 15, 1855. He married Sallie Belle [?] [May?] Clark on Nov. 11, 1902 in Kentucky. Both are buried in the Coffey cemetery. They were parents of at least 11 children. Some additional information is available.

Tolbert Nelson, born Feb. 5, 1878, died Jul. 15, 1907. He married Sarah Roberts c1899 in Wayne Co. After Tolbert died, Sarah married Andrew Cader Worley on Feb. 9, 1914.

Nettie, born Jun. 10, 1881, died Feb. 20, 1973 in McCreary Co. She married George Phillips on Jan. 24, 1906. He was born c1884 in Wayne Co., and died Jul. 25, 1974 in McCreary Co.

L. Henderson, born Mar. 29, 1886 in Kentucky, died Jan. 5, 1909 in McCreary Co. He married Alice Sims Clark c1905 in Kentucky. She was the daughter of Henry and Rebecca Morrow Clark, born Dec. 5, 1887 in Kentucky, doed Oct. 26, 1979 in Wayne Co. She married second to Alex Blane Tucker in Jan., 1911.

America Florence, born Mar. 11, 1889 in Wayne Co., died Nov. 29, 1993 in Stearns, McCreary Co. Her husband was Sherman L. Corder, born c1891 in Kentucky, died Dec. 25, 1981 in McCreary Co. They were married c1922.

Maggie, born 1893, married James E. Keith.

James Perke, born Aug. 24, 1895 in McCreary Co., and died there on Feb. 14, 1929. He married Clara May Correll, a daughter of William and Rose M. Simpson Correll. They were married Jan. 16, 1924. Both are buried in the Coffey Cemetery at Yamacraw.  Clara died on Sep. 25, 1995 in Sidney, Shelby Co., OH.

Contact me for additional information on ancestors and descendants of this family or, to make corrections.

America Florence Coffey

America Florence Coffey, born Mar. 11, 18891 in Wayne Co., KY, was a daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Martha Cecelia Dobbs Coffey. Benjamin belongs to the Nelson N. and Keziah (Kizzie) Watters Coffey family.

She first married Litten Keith on May 24, 1911 in Wayne Co. After his death in 1920 she married Sherman L. Corder in 1922. Sherman died on Dec. 25, 1981 and America died in Stearns, McCreary Co. on Nov. 29, 1993.

The following appeared in the McCreary County Record on Mar. 16, 1993.

America Corder is 103 and going strong!

By Paula Vann
Record Staff Writer

This week America Corder celebrated her birthday!
What's the big deal?
She is 103 years young and still going like some 30 years her junior.
"Aunt Merk," as many members of her family call her, was born March 11 "way up on Wolf Creek," in 1890, It would be 22 years before McCreary County was born. In fact, the railroad was just punching its way into the area.

Though hard of hearing and nearly blind, America remembers what it was like. Like the time they took a skiff to Monticello.

America, born to B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) and Martha Dobbs Coffey, married Litton Keith not long after McCreary County was born. After just a few years, America lost Litton when he was killed in Mine 10 along Wolf Creek in western McCreary County.

After a time, America remarried. Her second husband was Sherman Corder. America and her husband moved to Stearns around 1925, buying a "three-room box house" on the Stearns Tower Road.

America still lives in that house. Additions have been made, but it still contains the original three rooms.

"When we moved here it was winter," smiles America. "If it hadn't been winter we'd have probably torn down the original house and built a log cabin. I never spent such a cold winter in my life," says America.

People dropped in all day last Thursday to wish America the best on her birthday. "I love having company," smiled America.

America never had any children of her own, but she has all kinds of 'children' that have adopted her through the years. Numerous nieces and nephews, their children and their children are her children, too.

America is fairly independent, despite her age. Lifeline helps her some with daily chores in and around her home, as well as help from family members.

To help celebrate her birthday, America had a fried chicken dinner which really hit her spot. A sheet cake graced the dining room table to serve visitors on America's special day. One family member was keeping record of all the birthday visitors to read to America later.

1Social Security Death Index
The photo is credited to Paula Vann
The article was contributed by Ola Jackson