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| Elsie Mahler Coffey Boyhan |
Henry Davis Coffey and his wife Lydia Susan A. Campbell were the parents of at least seven children. Clyde Elmore was their fifth child and fourth son. He was born Feb. 13, 1896, probably in Nelson Co., VA, but perhaps in Louisa. Henry and Lydia were married in Nelson county in 1885 but, by the time of the 1900 census they were residing in Louisa Co.
Clyde married the beautiful Elsie Conner Mahler, a daughter of Swiss-born Gotlieb Alfred Mahler and his wife, Ella Virginia Brooks. Gotlieb was born Apr. 7, 1862; Ella on Jul. 16, 1862. Both died in the early-to-mid 1940's in Virginia. Elsie was born in Waynesboro, VA in 1894.
Elsie and Clyde were married in Lynchburg, Campbell Co., VA on Dec. 6, 1915. They became parents of at least five children: Clyde, Jr.; Harold; Ruth; John; and Lois. Lois was born in 1926 and by 1930 Elsie and Clyde were divorced. That year, Clyde was counted for the census in Lynchburg. Children Buddy, age 12; Junior; age 14; Ruth, age 10; and John, age 8 were living with him.
In the meantime, Elsie Coffey was enumerated in Norfolk, VA where she lived with her daughter, Lois, age 4,, She was a saleslady employed to sell "rubber goods." She also apparently lived with Joseph M. Boyhan, who was enumerated as as 24-year old "seaman on ship;" he was listed on this census as a "boarder." The couple were married in Norfolk on Jul. 11, 1934 when Elsie was 40 years old and Joseph Michael Boyhan was 29. He was born in 1905 at Phoebus, Hampton City, VA to Patrick and Julia Linehan Boyhan.
Joseph died at the age of 85 in Greensboro, Guilford Co., NC. According to his death record, he was widowed and, was buried out of state. I have not found his burial place, nor have I located any information concerning the eventual fate of Elsie.
Update, July 31, 2013:
Mrs. Elsie Mahler Boyhan, 66, daughter of the late Alfred G. and Mrs. Ella Virginia Brooks Mahler, died at the residence, 2401 Early Street, East Coleman Place, on Sunday at 6:20 a.m. following a long illness. She was a native of Waynesboro and had lived in this area for 40 years. She was a member of the Pilgrim Holiness Church. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. John S. Hill of Lynnhaven and Mrs. Ruth Leonard of Lynnwood, Calif.; three sons, Clyde E. Coffey Jr. and James H. Coffey, both of Norfolk, and H. Winston Coffey of Freeport, Tex.; three sisters, Mrs. Effie Kite, Mrs. Mabel White, and Mrs. Margaret Cannon, all of Waynesboro; three brothers, Henry Mahler of Newport News, Frank Mahler and Charles Mahler, both of Waynesboro,; 10 grandchildren, one great grandchild and a number of nieces and nephews. The body was removed to the Cox Funeral Home.
I'm still searching for her burial site.
Update Apr 9, 2016 The recent find of an obituary shows that Clyde and Elsie had a son, James Howard Coffey, born c1923 in Virginia. James died in Chesapeake, VA on Jun. 4, 1995 and was buried at Chesapeake Memorial Gardens on Jan. 6. His obituary reads:
JAMES H. COFFEY SR.
Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) — Monday, June 5, 1995
James Howard Coffey Sr., 73, of the 500 block of Longdale Crescent, a retired plant superintendent, died June 4, 1995, in Chesapeake.
Mr. Coffey was born in Portsmouth. He had retired from Shell Oil Co. in 1984 after 38 years. He was a past member of Southside Lions Club. He was predeceased by his parents, Clyde E. and Elsie Mahler Coffey Sr.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma Robertson Coffey; a daughter, Sharon Coffey-Wilson of Chesapeake; a son, James H. Coffey Jr. of Chesapeake; a sister, Lois Coffey Hill of Virginia Beach; a brother, Clyde E. Coffey Jr. of Virginia Beach; a granddaughter, Lisa Alewine and a grandson, Joshua Alewine, both of Chesapeake. He will be sincerely missed by family and friends.
The graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Chesapeake Memorial Gardens by the Rev. Ernest L. Trueblood. The family will be at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Indian River Chapel, today from 7 to 8 p.m.
The photo of Elsie is credited to Paul Hill. It was probably taken on her wedding day to Clyde Elmore Coffey.
