Webster Abbott

Webster Abbott was born in Hopkinton, St. Lawrence Co., NY on Nov. 18, 1821 and died on Dec. 31, 1878 in Clark Co., WA.  He married Mary Louisa Coffey, a daughter of Joel and Sarah Mackey Coffey,

Joel was a descendant of Chesley Coffey, Jr.

He and Sarah were married on Apr. 9, 1818 in Maury Co., TN.  The first four of their 8 children were born in TN; the last four in Booneville, Cooper Co., MO, which includes Mary Louisa, born Aug. 9 1833.

Although I have not yet found a marriage record for Mary Louisa and Webster Abbott, they very likely married in MO before the families headed west to the Oregon Territory.  Their first child was Alice Ella, born Oct. 16, 1856 in Colorado* and died Nov. 21, 1863 in Camas, Clark Co., WA.

The remainder of their children were born in Washington Territory/Washington State and upon death are thought to have been buried at Fern Prairie Cemetery in Camas:

Malinda C., born 1858, died young
Lucetta Caroline, born May 15, 1858, died Nov. 19, 1863
Flora May, born Sep 1, 1861, died Nov. 18, 1863
Mary Alabama "Minnie", born 1864, died Jul. 22, 1880
Robert Edward, born 1867, died 1868
Henrietta Mackay, born Jan. 24, 1869, died Nov. 18, 1940 at Portland, Multnomah Co., OR.
Webster G., born Oct. 2, 1871, died Aug. 20, 1942 at Steilacoom, Pierce Co., WA

Mary Louisa Coffey Abbott died on Aug. 19, 1922.

Mrs. Mary L. Abbott

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary L. Abbott were held this afternoon at the St. Luke's Episcopal church at 2 o'clock, Rev. Charles Powell, officiating. Interment was made in the Fern Prairie Cemetery.Mrs. Abbott, aged 89 years, was born in Boonesville, MO., in 1833, and came West with her husband in 1858. In 1859 the family homesteaded a tract of land in the Mill Plain district. She went to the Blanchett home for the Aged about two weeks ago and she died here Saturday afternoon.The surviving relatives include a daughter, Miss Henrietta Abbott of Portland and a son, Webster Abbott living on the home farm in the Mill Plain district.

Vancouver Evening Columbian (Vancouver, WA), Monday 21 Aug 1922 Page 6**

I haven't yet found any descendants of Henrietta or Webster.  The line may have ended with their deaths. And, I am not certain that all of the Abbotts are buried at Fern Prairie.  Alice has her own headstone while Lucetta and Flora share one.  Malinda does not have a headstone.  The remainder of the family appear on a single stone, which may indicate their actual burial site within the cemetery is unknown.

Photos by Bonnie at Find-A-Grave 
*1860 Wash Terr Census
**Obituary

Chesley Shelton Coffey Revisited

My first blog about Chesley Shelton Coffey can be read by clicking on the title link.

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Hardly any information has been found to document the ancestry of Chesley Shelton Coffey.

One source* describes him as a son of Joel Coffey and his wife Sarah Mackey.  It is difficult finding this particular Joel in the US census record.  He is believed to have been born in TN in 1789 and married Sarah Mackey in Maury Co., TN on Apr. 9, 1818.1

This Joel - a son of Chesley and Margaret Baldwin Coffey - made the trek from Cooper Co., MO to the Oregon Territory c1850, and after he reached age 60. He was in Vancouver [Oregon Territory, now in Clark Co., WA] as early as 1855.  Sarah died in Cooper Co., MO,  Joel Died Dec. 10, 1855 and was buried at Fern Prairie Cemetery in Camas, Clark Co., WA.  Joel and Sarah are said to have had at least eight children, including Chesley Shelton, particulars unknown.

Headstone Chesley S. Coffey

I have often wondered if their Chesley Shelton was the same Chesley born in Maury Co., TN in 1816 and died in Fayette, Jefferson Co., MS in 1869.  That Chesley married Miss. Mississippi Davis of Oct. 20, 1850 in Jefferson Co.  Their children were:

Chesley Shelton, Jr.; no particulars
Charles Clark, born c1853, married Olive S. Bullen and had children Anna and Sidney.
Jane Elizabeth, born Jan. 28, 1859, died Jul. 8, 1860, buried Jefferson Co.
John Mott, born Oct. 31, 1861, died Sep. 9, 1915, buried Jefferson Co.
Edgar Nathan, born May 14, 1869, died Nov. 28, 1922

Edgar married Carrie Watkins (or, Watson?) Campbell, born in MS on Jun. 24, 1869, died Nov. 18, 1955.   He was in the US Army when I found the family in the 1910 census; he reported his occupation as Lt., US Army.

Their children, with the exception of one, were born in MS.  The names are as copied from the 1910 Jackson, Hinds Co., MS census record:

Edgar N., Jr., born c1890
Mamie, born, born c1892
Chesley S., III, born c1893
Ruth, born c1898
Robert (William), born c1899
Carroll E., born c1908 in IA

The only child that I have searched for to date is Ruth.  She married Lew Morris c19223 and in 1930 resided in Spokane, Spokane Co., WA with her husband and one child, Robert, born c1828 in WA.  Lew was a native of Washington but his parents were born in Oregon.

With the family that year was Carrie, Ruth's mother.  She was age 60, a widow and worked as a dressmaker.

Carrie, Edgar Nathan and his younger brother, Chesley III are buried at Fort George Wright in Spokane.  I am told that this is now part of Fairchild AFB.

Chesley III was also a military man, having entered the US Navy prior to WW1.  He died Oct. 1, 1918 and I have found no information yet about where he died or otherwise indicates he perished as a result of military action.  His marker is inscribed "Gunners Mate 2CL."  The family is in cemetery section 2, site 15.

Caroline's parents were Robert W. and Anna Cordelia Girault.  Anna was first married to James Davenport c1857 in MS, then married Robert Wickham Campbell on 28 Feb. 1860 at Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., MS.  Robert was first married to Nannie P. Burch of MS on Jan. 22, 1852.  She was born in Jefferson Co. in 1836 and died there in 1858.

There are several instances of Campbell-Wickham unions in Richmond and in Powhatan Co., VA.  The Watkins name appears among the first settlers of VA after Jamestown.  Some of the later generations moved into the MS Territory prior to the Civil War.  Robert and probably also Caroline are descended from those Virginia families that came into that territory.

Corrections and/or additions welcomed!

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Request for Leave of Absence

May 25, 2011:  The original of this document is privately owned by and available for purchase from Shawn Harrington.  Anyone wishing to purchase the document can contact him at harrington.shawn@gmail.com.  I understand that it will soon be placed for sale on E-bay.

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*Dr. Marvin Coffey book, James Bluford Coffey his Ancestors and Descendants in America

1 Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm.  Name: Joel Coffee Spouse: Sarah Mackey Marriage Date: 9 Apr 1818 Marriage County: Maury Marriage State: Tennessee:

2 Lewis, Wm. Terrell, Genealogy of the Lewis family in America (Louisville, KY: Courier-Journal Job. Print Co., 1893), Page 122: Sarah Mackey, daughter of Wm. L. Mackey, was born in Rutherford county, N. C., in 1795. She married Joel Coffey, had three children, and died in Missouri. The names of her children are as follows: William; Chesley and Derrindia.

3 The Crescent of Gamma Phi Beta, (Univ. of Idaho Chapter) Vol. 21, No. 1, edited by Lindsey Barbee, pub. Geo. Banta, Mehasha, WI, Jan., 1921, p75, "Engagements: Ruth Coffey, ex-'22 to Lew Morris, Sigma Nu."

Sarah Mackey, wife of Joel Coffey

While working on another project [Stratton], I discovered several new [to me] pieces of information about the parents of Sarah Mackey, wife of Joel Coffey.  This Joel is said to be a son of Chesley Coffey, Jr., and his wife Margaret Baldwin.

Sarah was the daughter of William Lewis Mackey and Elizabeth Ashbrook. 

"William Lewis Mackey, the youngest [of Alexander and Susannah Lewis Mackey], was born in Rutherford county, N.C., about 1773.

Elizabeth Ashbrook, whom he married in Rutherford county, N.C., about the year 1792, was born in 1769 in Rutherford county, N.C.

Wm. L. Mackey was about six feet in height, of fair complexion, with black hair and blue eyes, and weighed one hundred and sixty pounds. After his marriage he remained in Rutherford county until after the birth of his two eldest children. In 1795 he emigrated to Tennessee through the wilderness without a road or a guide, in company with one or two other families, and settled in Christian county. From thence he moved to Robertson county, then to Smith, then to Bedford, and finally settled in Maury county, where he died in 1862 or 1863. He worked a short time at Tuscumbia, Ala., and helped to put up the first log-cabin that was built at that now flourishing city. While engaged in putting up this log-cabin, above mentioned, he cut his knee with an ax.

After his death the following obituary notice was published at Columbia, Tenn.:

William Lewis Mackey, the subject of this obituary, was born in Rutherford county, N.C., near what is called 'the foot of the mountain,' in 1773.

Death is at all times fearful to behold, in whatever form he may appear, yet he may be dissolved of many terrors by a holy, consistent life. Such was the case with the present subject. He was a worthy citizen, upright in all his dealings - in a word, an honest man, the 'noblest work of God' Though not a member of the church, he entertained no fears of hereafter, but spoke often, calmly and with resignation of his departure. Having lived the life of a good man, the king of terror was disarmed, and he could look with an eye of faith to the haven of eternal rest, where, free from the trials of earth, the 'weary find rest and the wicked cease to trouble' It is a source of unmistakable gratification to his surviving friends to feel, after having fought the battles of life, he is at rest, and that if faithful they may one day meet the kind friend on the banks of everlasting deliverance, in the pure realm where parting is unknown. May each member of his family be constrained to follow in his footsteps, imitate his worthy example in all things, emulate his noble virtues, and, when called hence, may no fears arise, no lowering clouds obscure the horizon, but with the armor of faith sustain by hope the peaceful anchor of the soul. May they launch their barks on the tempestuous waves, feeling sure of safely anchoring at home."

"Obituary of Mrs. Elizabeth Mackey.


Died, In Maury county, Tenn., on the 17th of January, Mrs. Elizabeth Mackey, wife of William L. and mother of Alexander Mackey, Jr., in the eighty-seventh year of her age. The deceased was a native of North Carolina, where she embraced the Christian religion and connected herself with the Baptist church, in the faith of which she died, confidently anticipating a blissful immortality beyond the grave. A Friend"

Unfortunately, I was unable to find a death year for Elizabeth.

Click on the title link of this blog to read a previous entry for Joel and Sarah Mackey Coffey.



Source for this information is Lewis, Wm. Terrell, Genealogy of the Lewis family in America (Louisville, KY: Courier-Journal Job. Print Co., 1893)

More Joel Coffey Family Photos

These photos are also courtesy of Theresa Masters.  The first is a wider view of the Coffey family plot at Fern Prairie.  The second is a closer shot of the monument marking the burial site of Alexander Lewis Coffey, a son of Joel and Sarah Mackey Coffey.

Alexander was born Mar. 15, 1831 in Booneville, Cooper Co., MO, and died Aug. 8, 1913 in Vancouver, Clark Co., WA.

Alexander's death certificate:

Please contact me if you have any information on the descendants of Alexander. 

Joel and Sarah Mackey Coffey

I have received some really nice photographs of the headstone for Joel Coffey, son of Chesley, Jr. They were sent to me by Theresa Masters of California:






Theresa tells me that Joel's headstone was broken and in poor condition.  The cemetery commissioner at Fern Prairie, Mr. Will Zalpys, had the good piece preserved and set into another headstone that was placed where the original marker had stood.  I think you'll agree that it is a beautiful stone!

For some, it may be difficult to read the obverse inscription in the photo.  It reads as follows:

Joel Coffey
1789 - 1855

Joel Coffey was born June 15, 1789 in Wilkesboro, TN, the son of Chesley Coffey and Margaret Baldwin.  His wife, Sarah Mackey, died in 1851 in Boonesville, MO.  He took his children; Amanda, Elizabeth Angeline, Alexxander L., Terrel Mackey, and Mary Louisa across the Oregon Trail, arriving in Clark County, WA in 1852.  Coffey received a 160 acre land grant in Fern Prairie.  Shortly before his death, his daughter Elizabeth married into the Van Vleet family.  He was laid to rest in what is now known as Fern Prairie Cemetery.

This cemetery was first the Van Vleet family plot, adjacent to their farm.  Joel was the first recorded burial.

You can read more about Joel and his family by clicking on the title link.  Van Vleet information can be found here.

Contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or to correct any of this information.

Elizabeth Angeline Coffey

Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of Joel and Sarah Mackey Coffey. Joel was born Jun. 15, 1789 in TN and died Dec. 10, 1855 in Vancouver, Clark Co., WA. He married Sarah Mackey on Apr. 19, 1818 in Maury Co., TN. Sarah was born 1795 in Rutherford Co., NC, the daughter of William Lewis Mackey and Elizabeth Ashbrook.

Elizabeth was born May 8, 1836 in Booneville, Cooper Co., MO and died Apr. 12, 1905 in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR. She married Lewis Van Vleet (marriage record not found). Lewis was born Oct. 21, 1826 in New York and died Apr. 15, 1910 in Washington.

From a website owned by the Port of Camus-Washougal [1] I learned that "Lewis Van Vleet, who established a DLC (Donation Land Claim) in Fern Prairie, was a U.S. Deputy Surveyor and Clark County Representative in the Territorial Senate." The Lewis and Elizabeth Van Vleet home, located at 202 NE Graham St., Portland, Oregon is on the National Historic Register.

The Van Vleets had at least five children:

Lois, born Dec. 25, 1856, died May 13, 1857

Harriet Lewis, born Nov. 17, 1858, died Nov. 16, 1863

Sophia Louisa, born Oct. 30, 1862, died May 30, 1913. From the same website mentioned above, I learned that "Louisa Van Vleet Spicer Wright , was one of the first women doctors in the state of Washington. She was born in 1862 at her parents' "Oak Grove Farm" in Fern Prairie. In 1885 she graduated from medical school [at] Ann Arbor, Michigan. The land on which this park is located was given to Louisa by her father. In 1901, Louisa married James W. Wright, a widower."

Lewis, Jr., born May 18, 1875, died Aug. 30,, 1957

Felix F., born Jan. 11, 1878, died Nov. 26, 1919. From an undated paper by an unknown author I found that Felix was murdered in Newman, Stanislaus Co., CA. He apparently attempted to intervene in an argument between a friend and Ed Newson, an officer in the Newman Police Department. Newman first beat Felix then when he called for help, Newman shot Felix three times. The subsequent Coroner's inquest determined that Felix was murdered. Felix left a wife and eight children.

Lewis, Elizabeth and all of the Van Vleet children are buried in the Fern Prairie Cemetery [2] at Camas in Clark Co., WA.


[1] http://www.portcw.com/parkersLanding.htm
[2] Fern Prairie Cemetery Burial Records, Cemetery Dist. #1, PO Box 969 Camas, WA 98604 online [http://www.rootsweb.com/~wafpc/p54.htm], accessed [downloadable pdf containing all burial records]

Thanks to Nathan Reynolds of Longview, WA for information about the Fern Prairie Cemetery website.

Joel Coffey

There are at least 23 men in my Coffey database named Joel. There are undoubtedly more, and many researchers have a difficult time keeping them separate. This is especially true when there are cousins in the same area and all were born around the same time.

The Joel I am writing about today was born Jun. 15, 1789, probably in Tennessee and died Dec. 10, 1855 in Oregon or perhaps in Camas, Clark Co., WA. He married Sarah Mackey, daughter of William Lewis and Elizabeth Ashbrook Mackey, Apr. 19, 1818 in Maury Co., TN.

Joel is said to be the son of Chesley, Jr. and Margaret Baldwin Coffey. Chesley, Jr. implies that there was a Chesley, Sr., but no one has ever been successful in location Chesley, Sr., or even proving his existance.

Some research that I have seen indicates that Joel took his family to Oregon in 1852 where they settled near Vancouver in what is now Washington state. Some writers claim that he and Sarah were parents of 10 children, but a number of them died young. Three of the children are said to have been buried in the family plot with Joel in Camas. Two of their children, twins Terral M. and Alexander L., born Mar. 15, 1831, are said to have become "noteworthy." Terral went to Umitilla Co., OR where he became a prominent farmer near Pendleton. Alexander became the county surveyor in Adams Co., WA.

In his book Genealogy of the Lewis family in America, published 1893 in Louisville, KY, William Terrell Lewis wrote that "Sarah Mackey, daughter of Wm. L. Mackey, was born in Rutherford county, N.C. in 1795. She married Joel Coffey, had three children and died in Missouri. The names of her children are as follows: William, Chesley and Derindia. After the death of Mrs. Sarah Coffey and her three children, Mr. Coffey moved to Oregon."

In addition to the three children named above, others most often described as being those of Joel and Sarah are:

Alexander L., born Mar. 15, 1831, died Aug. 8, 1913
Terral Mackey, married Mary E. Patterson, was born Mar. 15, 1831
Mary Louise, married Webster Abbott, was born 1833, died 1922
Elizabeth Angeline, married Lewis Van Fleet, was born May 8, 1836, died Apr. 12, 1905

Did Sarah Mackey die before the family left for Oregon? If so, who was the mother of the remaining four children?

Contact me with additions or corrections.