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.

Keltner and Coffey in Adair Co., KY

The Keltner and Coffey families have a history in Adair County. , KY.  I have not attempted to assemble all of the Keltner Clan but have tried to connect them to the appropriate Coffey families.  Corrections to this blog will likely be required as I did a bit deeper.  Reader comments are welcomed.

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I believe it was Michael and Sarah Rogers Keltner, originally of Virginia, who are primarily responsible for the Adair Co. Keltners.  They had at least three children, two of which married into the Coffey Clan of Adair Co. and a granddaughter of the third who also married a Coffey.

Their first was Sarah who married Robert W. Price on Nov. 9., 1824 in Adair Co.  Their daughter, Lucy W., born Jan., 1841 in that county, and there married Thomas G. Coffey on Mar. 24, 1864.  Thomas was a son of Zidner and Margana [sic] Keltner Coffey.  Morgana was a daughter of Michael and Sarah and was born c1809 in VA.  Zidner and Morgana were married on Jan. 20, 1831 in Adair Co.

John Richard Keltner is the second child I found who married a Coffey.  He married Mary "Polly" Coffey, a daughter of Ananias and Jane Hindman Coffey on Dec. 2, 1829.  Mary died on Feb. 15, 1901 in Adair Co.  I have not yet found a death date for John, who was born c1804 in VA.  They had at least one son, Curtis Luther Keltner, born Dec. 6, 1851, died Mar. 26,1943 in Adair Co.  Zidner was a son of Ananias and Jane.

Obituary, Adair County News, Feb. 27, 1901

Mrs. Mary Keltner (nee Coffey) was born in Green county, Ky., on Dec. 14, 1815. At the age of 14 she was married to John Keltner and removed to Adair county where she lived until her death, which occurred on 15th day of Feb., 1901. Her husband was born in With [sic] [Wythe] county, Va., and at the time of his death lacked only a few days of being 96 years of age.

Mrs. Keltner was the mother of eleven children, five of whom died when they were quite small.  At the time of her death she had 48 grandchildren, 147 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren, making a total of 218, including her own children. "Aunt Polly," as she was familiarly called, was a member of the M. E. Church South, and during her long and eventful life lived a consistent Christian. Her last years were spent at the home of her son, C. L. Keltner, who cared for her as a loving son should. She was near 86 years old, and will be greatly missed.

Morgana is mentioned above.  She and Zidner had a number of children;12 in alI I believel.  One of their daughters, Sarah Ann, born c1835, married Joseph Price on May 13, 1853 in Columbia, Adair Co.  Joseph was born c1828 and is likely some relation to Robert W., also mentioned above.

Keltner Chart No. 1

A daughter of Robert W. and Sarah Nancy Keltner Price was Lucy who married Thomas G. Coffey, another son of Zidner.  Thomas G. was born Jan., 1841 in Adair Co., and died there on Mar. 10, 1924.  Lucy was born in Jan., 1841 and died in Adair Co. on Feb. 16, 1916.  The town listed on their death certificates was Keltner.

Lucy and Thomas G. Coffey are buried at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Columbia, Arair Co.

Keltner Chart No. 2

Curtis Luther Keltner is buried at Morris Chapel UMC Cemetery in Weed, Adair Co.  His death certificate reports burial at Morris    Chapel in Columbia.

Keltner Chart 3

Zidner Coffey

Miscellaneous information for Zidner Coffey.

Son of Ananias "Nias" and Jane Hindman Coffey.  Married Marganna (Ann?) Keltner Jan. 20, 1831 in KY.  Died Jul. 23, 1869.  He is probably buried in Adair Co. where he lived most of his adult life.

Children, all born in Adair Co.:  Martha Jane, born c1831; William A., born 1832; Sarah Ann, born c1835; John Davis, born c1836; Ardena, born c1838; Thomas G., born c1841, died Jan. 7, 1878 in Adair Co.; Elizabeth, born c1842; Robert W., born c1843, married Sally C. Compt[i]on, had child William Zidner, born 1892 died 1961 in OH; Ellen, born c1845; Sophia, born c1846; Andrew Jackson "Jack", born Jan., 1848, died 1928, married Dorinda Frances "Drindy" Rogers.  Children were James Wesley, Dorather (?); Minnie, Bennie, Cassius Curl; George R., Lorzy (?), Gideon and Lula; Mary, born c1849.

Jun. 15, 1810, Zidner born in Wayne Co., KY; no other details.

1840 Adair Co., KY census, page 32.  Age and Sex:  21001/110001

1850 Adair Co., KY census, page 23, dwelling/family 323, 5 Aug 1850, 1st Dist. Coffey, Zinder 40 M KY Farmer; 500; Ann 41 F VA XY; William 17 M KY Farmer A; S.A. 15 F?KY A; John B. 14 M; KY A; Ardena 12 F KY A; Thomas 9 M KY A; Sophia 8 F KY A; Ellen 6 F KY;
Robert 7 M KY; A. J. 4 M KY; M. 1 F KY.
 
14 May 1853 in Adair Co., KY, bond Sarah Ann Coffey and Joseph Price.  Zidner was surety.

27 Apr. 1865, Adair Co., KY, Sophia Coffey married William R. Willis at the home of Zidner Coffey.

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.