Edmund Paza Gragg

Updated 6.16.2014 - See footnote 1
Updated same date - See footnote 2


I touched on Edmund Paza Gragg and his family in an earlier blog.

According to his death certificate¹, his father was William E. Philyaw, a son of Moses and Lucinda Ann "Lucy" Holden Philyaw.  His mother was Nancy "Nicey" Coffey, a daughter of Joseph and Isabella Lindsay Coffey.  At Edmund's birth, Nancy was the widow of William Obediah Gragg, often referred to as "Revolutionary Bill" Gragg.

Edmund Paza Gragg Family
Photo contributor unknown*

Edmund was born on Mar. 5, 1850 in Caldwell Co., NC and died in Rabun Co., GA on Dec. 21, 1920.  He married Mahuldah Vasty, maiden name unknown, c1870.  She was born Feb. 9, 1952 in NC and was likely married to Edmund there.  She died on Dec. 22, 1925, five years and one day after the death of Edmund.  Both are buried at Flat Creek Baptist Church Cemetery at Clayton in Rabun Co.

She and Edmund were parents of seven boys and one girl.  Margaret was born in Feb., 1872 and appeared with her parents in Rabun Co. through the 1910 census.  In 1910 she appeared as a widow.  Two children with surname Jones appeared in the Edmund household as "grandsons."  In 1920 both grandsons were still with Edmund but, no mention of their mother.

John Newton Gragg was the eldest son, born Jan. 19, 1873 and died Jun. 22, 1961.  John married Della Gosnell on Feb. 11, 1906 in Rabun Co.  She was born Jun. 18, 1878 in GA and died there on Mar. 31, 1962.  She and John are also buried at Flat Creek.  They had at least two sons, Elbert, born c1907 and Gordon H., born Sep. 13, 1909, died May 18, 1999 and buried at Flat Creek.

Edmund Paza Gragg Family Identified
Click on images to enlarge

Daniel L., next eldest, was born in Jul., 1877.  He married Texie Shed on Mar. 31, 1901 in Habersham Co., GA.  She is likely a sister to Missouri Shed, below.

Elijah L., born Feb., 1879, died Mar. 18, 1958 in GA and buried at Flat Creek.  His wife was Missouri Shed, born in Habersham Co., GA in 1881.  They were married in that county on Dec. 17, 1902.  I haven't yet found a death date or place for Missouri.  Their children were:  Winona, Harley, Chester, Roy and Ora M.

Albert J., born Apr., 1882, married Sarah Benfield on Dec. 24, 1905 in Rabun Co.  One known child, Lee, a son, born c1908 in Rabun Co.

Miles McKinney, born Jun. 15, 1884, died Dec.22, 1949 in Clayton, Rabun Co. He is also buried at Flat Creek**.

Burgess Greenville, born Apr. 16, 1888, died Jun. 24, 1970 in Clayton.  He married Alpha Omie Smith, date not yet known, who was born Jul. 10, 1887, probably in GA, died Sep. 21, 1965 in GA.  Both are also buried at Flat Creek.  They had at least one child, a son, Burgess Ray, born Aug. 21, 1922, died Sep. 13, 1922 in Habersham Co.  He was buried at Clarkesville, Habersham Co. at the Macedonia Cemetery.

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¹I have not personally seen the death certificate. The info was told to me by another researcher.  There is a copy of the certificate and an obituary on Ancestry.au but they are too small to read and access is prohibited without additional subscription fees.  I do not believe anyone can read the parents of Edmund on the certificate displayed on Ancestry.au.

²The Gene & Gale McCoy Family Tree at Ancestry.com provided a readable death certificate as well as the surname and parents of Edmund's wife, Mahuldah Vasty Gragg, daughter of Ellis and Margaret Gragg.

*For proper credit, please notify me if you are the owner/contributor of this photograph.

**See Flat Creek Cemetery at Find A Grave

Edmund Paza Gragg Death Certificate
Thanks to Gene & Gale McCoy Family Tree
at Ancestry.com

Coffey & Wilson in North Carolina

Ron Wolden and I began exchanging e-mails a few weeks ago.  He is in search of his Coffey and Wilson ancestry.  Ron would like to know more about his Wilson side.

Jordan H. Wilson was his 3d great grandfather who married Nancy Baker c1832 in NC.  Jordan was born sometime between 1798 and 1811 in Burke Co., and died in Caldwell Co. on Apr. 10, 1892.  He married Nancy Baker, born c1806 in Burke Co., died Dec. 16, 1894 in Caldwell Co.  Both are buried at the Lindsay Cemetery near Collettsville, in Caldwell Co.

Jordon and Nancy had at least six children:

Joseph Coleman Wilson, born Jun. 11, 1834 in Burke Co., died Mar. 18, 1884 in Caldwell Co.  Joseph married Martha Lindsey (var.) in Caldwell Co. on Jan. 15, 1861.

Robert Monroe Wilson, his 2d great grandfather, was born Apr. 26, 1837 in Burke Co. and died Jun. 29, 1920 in the Mulberry township of Caldwell Co.  He is buried at Harpers Chapel Cemetery in Patterson.  He married Susan Caroline Coffey c1862.  She was the daughter of Athan and Mary McGuire Coffey, born Oct. 6, 1845, died Jan. 23, 1949 in Mulberry Twp.

Robert and Susan's children were at least six:  Joseph J., born c1865; Mary Addie, born c1866, married John A. Lutz c1895; Annie J., born c1875; Nina Victoria, born c1879, married Flaveous Josephus Sherrill.  He was born in the Yadkin Valley on Oct. 15, 1875, died May 29, 1959 in Washington State.  He and Nina were married Mar. 25, 1900 in Patterson Twp.  I do not have death or burial information for Nina.   R. Athan, born Oct., 1881 and Martha C., born Aug., 1884.

Other children of Jordan and Nancy were:  John Alexander., born c1840, Burke Co., died 1919 in Caldwell Co.; Mary Jane, born c1844; Nancy P., born Jun. 17, 1847, died Sep. 8, 1899, buried at Lindsay; Laura, born Aug. 10, 1850, died Mar. 28, 1870 and also buried at Lindsay.

Ron tells me that Jordan's name first appears on an election list of voters in Lenoir, NC who submitted ballots at White's Election Ground on Johns River, Aug. 13, 1835.  In 1838 he enlisted as a Private in Co. D. of the Burke Co. Volunteers during the Cherokee Removal.  Sons Joseph Coleman and Robert Monroe had already been born.  Jordan's actual birth is likely to be somewhere between 1798 and 1811 in Burke Co.  Ron speculates the 1811 date may have been used at the 1838 enlistment to make him appear to be younger in order to serve.

Page 1 of Jordan's Will

His wife, Nancy Ann Baker was the daughter of John Menefee and Lucenda Puett Baker. In 1840 the couple lived in the Beaverdam District of Cherokee Co.

The executor of Jordan's will was his son, John Alexander Wilson.  Named heirs were M. E. Shell, R. T. Wilson, R. M. Wilson, J. W. Wilson, J. L. Wilson, Minnie Wilson, Mary M. Greene, Jesse Wilson and W. H. Lloyd.  The Shell and Lloyd portions appear to be payment for preparing the will.

R T., Robert Theodore Wilson, Minnie Wilson and Jesse (Hasty) Wilson were children of his son Joseph Coleman.  J. L. Coleman may be Joseph's son Lafayette and J. W., his son John.  Ron says that Mary M. Greene is a bit confusing since Joseph Coleman's daughter Mary was only 13 at the time and Jordan's daughter Mary had the middle name Jane.  But, Mary Greene is probably one of the two.  However, Mary Jane is known to have married M. M. Slagle.  R. M. Wilson is probably Robert Monroe.

[Jordan and Nancy were in Lower Creek Twp., Caldwell Co. in 1850; Beaverdam Dist., Cherokee Co. in 1860 and in Patterson Twp., Caldwell Co. in 1870.  I haven't found them in 1880.  Ron also mentioned in his e-mail the marriage of Joseph Coleman Wilson to Martha Lindsey, a daughter of Grief Lindsey and Mary Elizabeth Coffey.  This is a union that I do not have recorded and, pretty much unsure who the parents were of Mary Coffey.  Click to contact Ron via e-mail.]

  Jack

Allen F. Sherman & Susan Virginia Hamilton Coffey

Allen was born on May 27, 1866 in Rockbridge Co., VA to Jesse C. and Nancy F. Allen Coffey. Jesse was a son of double first cousins, Garland and Nancy Coffey Coffey,  Garland was a son of William and Betsy Giles Coffey; Nancy a daughter of William's brother Rueben and his wife Nancy Giles, a sister to Betsy.

There were at least 12 children born to Jesse and Nancy and Allen was the sixth.  He married Susan, a daughter of Jacob and Susan Virginia Ramsey Hamilton on June 24, 1891 in Rockbridge Co.  Allen died on Apr. 13, 1913 in Lima, Allen Co., OH and was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in Bluffton, Allen Co.  Susan died in Cairo, Allen Co., OH on Sep. 23, 1912 and was buried at Cairo East Cemetery at Cairo.

She and Allen were parents of at least eight children:  John Henen, Jacob "Jake" William; Susan Emily; Minnie Bell; Anna May, Forest Allen, Naomi Pearl; and George Robert.  All of the children were left orphans at the death of Allen and some spent their early days in an orphanage in Ohio.  Information by other researchers that I have found on Ancestry.com shows that Anna and George were left to orphanages upon their father's death, but it is likely that at least Susan through George spent some time in one.

John Henen was born Aug. 29, 1892 in Augusta Co., VA and died in July, 1962 in Michigan, probably in Adrian, Lenawee Co. where he last appeared in the 1930 census.  His wife was Minnie A. Lowery, born in Ohio, 1894, to whom he was married on Jun. 20, 1914 in Sand Creek, Lenawee Co.  Their children were:  Wesley Allen, born Dec. 27, 1915 in MI, died Apr. 8, 1996 in Toledo, Lucas Co., OH; Coleman, born Feb. 11, 1918 in MI, died there on Jul. 22, 1995; Gatha, born c1920 in Allen Co., OH and John, Jr., born c1924 in MI.  John registered for the WW1 draft on Jun. 5, 1917 in Adrian and was then described as being of medium height and build with dark brown eyes and hair.  At the time he resided with his wife and one child at 627 S. Center in Adrian and was employed by the Adrian Steel Casting Co. as an iron worker.

Jacob "Jake" William was born May 9, 1894 at Union Twp., Scioto Co., OH and died unmarried on Feb. 20, 1971 in Lucas Co., OH.  In 1920 he was found residing with his sister, Minnie B. Hilyard in Lima.

Susan Emily was born in Jan., 1896 in Virginia and died July 20, 1964 in Allen Co.  She married Francis L. Merricle on May 27, 1916 in Allen Co.  Francis was born Sep. 4, 1896 in Allen Co., and died in Lima on Jan. 8, 1953.  He was buried at Memorial Park in Lima.  I suspect that Susan is also there but cannot confirm that.  I know of only one child, Aline Virginia, born Jun. 22, 1919 in Lima and tragically died there on Aug. 11, 1919.  Her death certificate gives the cause of death as strangulation while nursing.  She is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Lima.

Minnie Bill Coffey
Photo Courtesy of Shirley Houk

Minnie Bell was born in June, 1898 in Virginia and married Milton A. Hilyard, born c1897 in OH.  They were found in the 1920 census for Lima, Allen Co.  At the time, Milton was a machinist in a locomotive factory.  Her brother Jake, age 25, was living with them at the time.

Anna May was born Nov. 24, 1903 in Alleghany Co., VA and died on Dec. 16, 1993 at Gig Harbor in Pierce Co., WA.  She married Leo Albert Lind on May 20, 1939 in Pacific Co., WA.  Leo died on Jan. 24, 1991 in Tillamook Co., OR and is found at the Willamette Crematory in Tigard, Washington Co., OR.  Anna May was also cremated and her ashes can be found at the Tacoma Mausoleum in Tacoma, Pierce Co.  WW2 enlistment records show that Anna May entered the US Women's Army Corps on Dec. 2, 1942 at Portland, OR.

Forest Allen was born Sep. 15, 1906, probably in VA, died on May 17, 1959 in Allen Co.  He married Rosalie E. Hoffman, born in 1918, died 1993.  They are buried together at Gethsemani Cemetery in Lima.

According to information found on Ancestry.com, George Robert was born Feb. 23, 1911 in Virginia and died May 10, 1967 in Lima.  After his father died he was placed in the Allen County Children's Home in 1913 from which he was taken in 1915 by the John W. Miller family and eventually adopted by them in 1927, at which time he became George Robert Miller.  An obituary found on Ancestry reports that he was survived by his wife Lucille as well as sisters, Mrs. Naomi Helm, Mrs. Minnie Hilyard and Mrs. Raul [Almeda] Duff.  Almeda was a natural child of the Miller's and married Raul Duff in Mercer Co., OH on Nov. 27, 1902.

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Bibliography:

"Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/). Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories throughout Ohio.

"Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/). Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories throughout Ohio.

"Washington State County Marriages, 1858-1950," database, FamilySearch, (http://familysearch.org), from the Washington State Archives. Digital copies of originals housed in County Auditor Offices in various counties throughout Washington.

Ancestry.Com.

Fridley, Beth. "Augusta County, Virginia, Birth Records, 1862-1875".

Gethsemani Cemetery (Lima, Allen Co., OH). Grave marker data.

Lynn Coffey, editor, "Backroads," privately published newspaper, published at Love, Nelson Co., VA, 1981-2006.

Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records. Michigan Deaths, 1971-1996.

Michigan Marriages 1868-1926.

OH. Franklin Co.. Columbus. Vital Statistics. Ohio Department of Health. Death certificate.

Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, 1938-1944, and 1958-2002.

Oregon Death Index, 1903-98.

Rockbridge County Marriages 1853-1896, VA State Archives, Reel 43; Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.  Obituary Index.  Online [http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/].  Accessed various.

Social Security Death Index, Master File.

State of Florida. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998. Florida: Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records.

United States Federal Census.

US World War II Army Enlistment Records.

World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

Murder of James Hardy Coffey

According to the book, Until He Is Dead: Capital Punishment in Western North Carolina History, by James Thomas Rusher, and published by Parkway Publishers, Boone, North Carolina, 2003, Ernest Reid Coffey was the first and only person ever convicted of first degree murder in Avery Co., NC.

He was accused of and sentenced to death for the assassination of his uncle, James Hardy Coffey. James was the younger brother of Reid's father, John Wesley Coffey. They were sons of Thomas Avery and Louisa E. Gragg Coffey.

During the evening of April 5, 1936 someone fired a single shot from a 12 gauge shotgun into the living room of the Hardy Coffey home, near Linville, NC, killing Hardy, a deputy sheriff in Linville. At the time, Linville was a resort area and Hardy was responsible for assuring the homes of absent owners were safe from thieves.

Reid Coffey, and some of his pals, were known trouble makers in the area and circumstances of the day and evening of the murder made him the prime suspect. The author's description of the law, the background and sentiment of the people of those days in North Carolina are not discussed here, but Coffey researchers should find the book to be a valuable connection for their library.

The author dissects the trial quite well, pointing out discrepancies in testimony, the appeals process and the then governor's commutation of the death sentence as well as the eventual release of Reid from prison. Intermingled in all of this are described the efforts of Reid's father to see that his son did not unfairly die for a crime of which he believed his son to be innocent.

To my knowledge, no one else was ever charged with the murder of James Hardy Coffey.

This murder was not the first tragedy to affect this family. Thomas Avery Coffey was a son of Austin and Mary A. Blalock Coffey. Before her marriage to Austin, Mary had given birth to two illegitimate children: William McKesson (Keith) Blalock in 1837, and Mary in about 1842.

When she and Austin married, Austin raised the children as his own. During the Civil War Keith fancied himself a Yankee and made plans to help the Union cause. He and his wife, Malinda Pritchard joined the Confederate army - she disguised as a young boy - and both hoped to defect to the Union side whenever their CSA unit was near or engaged with a unit from the Union side.

According to history however, their CSA unit was sent to an area of NC where action was limited. Malinda was discovered to be a female when during a skirmish she was shot in the shoulder. She was discharged and a month later Keith was discharged. He is said to have undressed and rolled around in poison ivy. The result was that he became so sick the CSA had to let him go home.

Upon his return home, he and some of his henchmen began to transport Union recruits through the Confederate lines. Between August, 1864 and February, 1865 Blalock's gang became responsible for a reign of terror that resulted in many deaths, including his own uncle William Coffey, brother to Austin. Elisha Coffey, Keith's cousin and probable son of Joseph and Isabella Lindsay Coffey, is said to have been a member of Keith's "bushwacker" gang.

As that war is often described, it was really brother against brother, father against son.

Click on the title to read an earlier blog about James Hardy Coffey.

Cuba Monroe and Minnie Elsie Suddreth Coffey

Minnie, a daughter of James Walter and Pearl Raby Suddreth, was born may 14, 1911 in Caldwell Co., NC. She married Cuba Monroe Coffey c1930 and passed away Apr. 4, 2006 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.

Cuba was a son of John Sherman and Buena Vista Coffey Coffey. John and Buena Vista were distant cousins with common links to Joseph and Isabella Lindsay Coffey, and Reuben and Sarah Scott Coffey. Cuba was born in Jan., 1910 in Caldwell Co., and died in that county in 1955.

The union of Cuba and Minnie produced seven children:

Mabel Audry, born 1931, died 1941
James Cuba (Jim), born 1932, died Aug. 30, 2003
Sarah Jane, born 1935, died 1950
Mary Alice, born 1937
Nellie, born 1939
Harvey, born 1941
Richard, birthdate not found

Sometime after Cuba died Minnie married for a second time; this time to Haywood Clay, Sr. Haywood was born May 13, 1907 in North Carolina and died Nov. 22, 1982 in Catawba Co., NC.


Obituary, The News-Topic, Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC, Thur., Apr. 13, 2006

Elsie Clay

Elsie Suddreth Coffey Clay, 94, of Rocky Rd., Lenoir, passed away Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at Gateway Nursing Center.

She was born May 14, 1911 in Caldwell County to the late Walter Suddreth and Pearl Raby Suddreth. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her first husband, Cuba M. Coffey and her second husband, Haywood Clay Sr.; one son, James M. Coffey and two daughters, Sarah Jean Coffey and Mabel Coffey.

Mrs. Clay was a homemaker and a member of Edgemont Baptist Church.

Survivors include a son, Richard (Dick) Coffey of Alamonte Springs, Fla.; three daughters, Mary A. Brantley of Eustis, Fla., Nell C. Penley and Judy Phillips both of Lenoir, N.C.; two brothers, J.P. Suddreth of Lenoir, N.C., Earl Suddreth of Beckley, W.Va., two sisters Lena Crisp of Lenoir, Lois Scarboro of Raeford, N.C.; 15 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 7, 2006 at 11 a.m. at the Roseborough Cemetery in Avery County with the Rev. Richard Yount officiating.

The family will receive friends at Pendry's Funeral Home today, April 6, 2006 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and all other times at the home of Judy C. Phillips, 2491 Clay Dr., Lenoir, NC 28645. There will be a closed casket.

Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Memorials, in addition to flowers, may be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, NC 28645.

Please send additions and/or correction to me.

Enoch Coffey

Enoch Coffey, born c1812 in Burke Co., NC, was a son of Joseph and Isabella Lindsay Coffey. Joseph and Isabella were parents of at least nine children and Enoch was the first son and second oldest child. Enoch died in 1893.

His first wife was Prudence Gragg with whom he likely had a child or two. However, I have been unable to determine which of his children were by Prudence and which were born to his second wife, Martha Calloway.

Between those wives he fathered at least seven children:

Lucinda, believed born Sep., 1829
Levi, born c1837
Mary, born c1838
Sarah A., born Jun., 1840
Joseph, born c1843
Elizabeth, born c1846
Martha, born c1848

Lucinda is thought to be the Coffey child enumerated in the household with Enoch's sister, Matilda Verlincia Coffey Perkins in the 1850 Johns River, Caldwell Co., NC census. Verlincia had married James Thaddeus Warsaw Perkins in about 1843. He apparently died before 1850. The widow Valencia and her children were in the Johns River district up until 1880. The Lucinda Coffey enumerated with that family in 1850 was seven* years old, indicating that she was born in 1843. However, in each of the following three available census records, she gave her age as 49 (1880), 71 (1900) and 78 (1910), indicating that she was born (on average) in 1830. Based on this large descrepancy it is quite possible that Lucinda with Verlincia in 1850 is not the Lucinda who married 1) Stanhope Whisenant/Whisenhunt and 2) Francis M. (Frank) Herald.

I have not yet found any family information on Enoch's next two children, Levi and Mary.

Sarah married Johnson P. Gragg in 1866 in Caldwell Co. Johnson had previously married Nancy Jane Cuthbertson c1847. Nancy and Johnson had a number of children, several of which married their Coffey cousins. I do not yet know if he sired any children by Sarah.

Joseph married Nancy J. Gragg. I have not yet determined who Nancy's parents were.

The last two of Enoch's children have not yet been researched.

Please send additions and/or corrections to me at the above e-mail address.

*Ben Coffey brought to my attention that what I read in the 1850 census as a very large 7 for Lucinda's age is actually a very large 17. This explains the discrepancies in her age over the next few census years.