Colbert Larkin Coffey lived a tragic life. He fathered at least seven children and lost most of them early in their childhood and, then lost his wife, probably while giving birth to one of those children.
He was born to Newton and Sarah Meridith Coffey in Adair Co., KY. He married Catherine Ellis in KY in 1829 and by 1830 they were living in Montgomery Co., IL. In Aug., 1838 they were able to purchase land in Bond Co., IL and settled on 80 acres, 40 in the SW/4 of the NE/4 of S7, TS6N, R2W and, 40 in the SE/4 of the SW/4 of S6, TS6N, R2W. He and Catherine had perhaps six children.
Catherine died n Montgomery Co., IL in 1847 and was buried there at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Coffeen.
At least four of their children died as infants, including a daughter named for her mother. Speculation is they all died of Cholera¹ and perhaps three of them did. Catherine the mother and daughter Catherine likely died as a result of complications from childbirth.
The children were:
James W., born 1833, married a lady named Nancy, died 13 Oct 2897 in Cleveland Co., OK. He was buried at Independence Cemetery in Norman, OK. Nancy died in OK on Aug. 28,1899 and was also buried at Independence.
Joseph, born c1834, died c1842.
Catherine, born 1836 in IL, died in IL, Montgomery Co., in 1847.
Elizabeth J., born 1837 in IL, died in IL, Montgomery Co., Filmore Twp. Married Edward Lynn. She died in 1923 and was buried at Glendale Cemetery in Fillmore Twp., Montgomery Co., IL. Edward was born in 1835 and died in 189 and is also buried at Glendale Cemetery.
Nancy, born 1842 in IL died in Montgomery Co. in 1847.
Colbert Larkin, Jr., born c1845 in IL; died there in 1848.Several of Colbert's children with Catherine are buried at Mount Moriah.
Shortly after the death of Catherine, Colbert married Permilia "Milly" Allen in Bond Co., IL.² She was the daughter of Hector and Nancy Miller Allen.3 Together they had a son, Andrew, born c1848 in Montgomery Co.
Following the death of Colbert in Jan., 1849, Milly married a third time, this time to the widower, Jacob Layerly [sic]. Her first husband had been Jacob Davis to whom she was married in 1840 at Rockbridge Co., VA. Jacob died in 1846 in either Montgomery or Bond Co., IL.
Together they had several children and the family appeared in the Montgomery Co., census of 1860.4 The family remained in IL at least through 1880 but, by 1900 were residing in Eastland Co., TX. Milly is said to have died there in 1908 but I have not found a death record for her. Neither have I been successful in locating her or Jacob's burial place. I have also been unsuccessful in learning the proper spelling of the surname which has hampered the search.
I will continue to work on this family.
Additions and/or corrections are welcomed.
Sources:
¹Laudie, L. (2009). Mrs. Coffey. In Milly, Nancy, & Florie 1825-1955 of Rockbridge County, VA(No ed., pp. 30-35, 99-100). Independence, MO: Two Trails Publishing.
²16 Jul 1847. Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp. Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Film 1317522
3Laudie, L. (2009). Mrs. Coffey. In Milly, Nancy, & Florie 1825-1955 of Rockbridge County, VA(No ed., pp. 30-35, 99-100). Independence, MO: Two Trails Publishing. [The complete book can be found at http://tinyurl.com/m3u4pz4]
4"United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MX4D-QVB : accessed 08 Aug 2014), Jacob Layerley, N 2/3 Of T 7 N R 2 W Of 3d P M, Montgomery, Illinois, United States; citing "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," Fold3.com; p. 217, household ID 1587, NARA microfilm publication M653; FHL microfilm 803214.
