William Nathan & Ruth Allagura Coffey Livingston

William and Ruth were born born in Indiana in the year 1860;  he in August, she in December.  They were married in Owen Co., IN on Oct. 16, 1883 and two children were born to them in that county.  The first was Harry Clyde, born Apr., 1885; second was Glen Earl, born Jan. 9, 1887.  Both were born in Spencer.

By at least 1893 the family was in Oregon where third son, Frank W. was born in Aug. of that year.  The fourth and apparently last child, a son named Wallace Neil, was born in Oregon on Apr. 4, 1896.

William was a musician - which instrument is not known to me - and seems to have most often played in theaters.  During the silent film era pianists often accompanied the film being shown, adding drama, suspense and the like to films as they played to the audience.  This might be the type of musician that William was or, he could have been a classical musician and played with orchestras for actors on stage.  Later in life (1940) he gave his occupation as "manager" of the "musicians union hall" in Portland.

William died in about 1946 but I have not found his exact death date or place of burial.

Ruth, the 6th of 11 children was born to Wiley H. and Harriet Newell McDonald Coffey in Spencer in Dec., 1860.  Wiley, a son of Elijah and Mary Abby "Polly" Dyer Coffey, was born in Indiana in 1823 and died there in 1879.  Harriet was born in Indiana in 1830 and died there in 1912.  Both are buried at the Wylie [sic] Coffey Family Cemetery in Clay Twp., Owen Co., IN.  Her middle name, Ruth's middle name, Allagura is a mystery to me.

The first of Ruth and William's sons was Harry Clyde, born in Spencer, IN in 1885, was married in Oregon c1909 to a lady named Bertha.  Harry died in 1961 in Portland and I have no other information about him or his family.

Second son was Glen Earl, born 1887 in Spencer, died in Portland in 1952.  Glen worked quite a bit in garment houses, cutting cloth and sometimes worked as a tailor.  Sometime after 1930 and before 1940, he married a lady, recently divorced, by the name of Goldie Smith Winter.  Goldie said that she was born in Minnesota in 1904 and married a Mr. Winter with whom she had a daughter, Jean Winter, born c1929 in Oregon.  In 1930 Jean and her mother lived in Portland with her grandfather, William Smith.  Goldie's mother was deceased but, we know from the census record that she was born in Norway.

In 1940 only the child Jean was in the household with Glen and Goldie.  Goldie died in May, 2000 in Multnomah Co.  Glen had died some years previous, in 1952.  Glen apparently enjoyed traveling.  His name appears on a 1927 ship manifest arriving from Cherbourg in France at a port in Quebec, Canada.  He was traveling alone and, returning to his home at 828 Division St. in Portland.

Frank W. was the third son, born in 1893.  He was apparently married twice.  The first wife was a lady named Rosa and they were married c1920.  There is an Oregon death record for a Rosa Livingston who died in Coos Co., OR on Sep. 24, 1928.  When Frank died in 1963, his death record reported wife as Margery.  There is a grave marker for a Margery Livingston, born 1907, died 1979, at the Lincoln Memorial Park in Portland.

Wallace Neil was the last known child born to William and Ruth.  He came along in 1896 and died in 1964. His wife was named Harriett.  Wallace served with the US Navy during WW1 and is buried at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

As can be seen, I haven't a lot of information on any of the sons and their families.  I would like to hear from anyone who can add to or correct any of this information.  I am particularly interested in locating their burial sites.

Jack

Update June 7, 2013

William Nathan and Ruth consistently appeared in the Portland, Multnomah Co. OR census record from 1900 through 1940.

According to Oregon Death Records at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZW3-M3F, Ruth's other given name was Altazara.

Harry Clyde Livingston married Bertha F. Seely in Oregon in c1909.  They apparently had only one child, a son named Paul Vane, born in 1914, died in 1998, Multnomah Co.

Glenn Earl Livingston married Goldie Smith who had previously been married to a Mr. Winter.  She had only one child, a daughter named Jean Winter, born c1929 in OR.

Frank W. married perhaps three times.  First wife was Rose, born c1896 in OR. They appear in 1930 census for Portland.  He is also thought to have married a lady by the name of Margery and another by the name of Alberta May.  He and Alberta appear in the 1940 Multnomah Co. census.  Frank died in 1963.

Wallace Neil married a lady by the name of Harriet. When he registered for the draft in Apr., 1942, he named "Mrs. W. N. Livingston" as someone who would always know his address.  She could have been either mother or wife.  Wallace died on Mar. 14, 1964 and is buried at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.  I have found no other information about Harriet.

Wallace is the only member of this Livingston family for whom a burial place has been found.  See Find A Grave memorial 3909438.

Liston Pancoast Coffey

Liston Pancoast - an odd combination of names - was born to Albert G. and Elizabeth F. Goodhue Coffey on Feb. 7, 1869 in Russell Co., KY, a descendant of the alleged-to-be-mythical Chesley Coffey.  About 1885 in KY he married Jennie Louise Morris, the daughter of Elijah P. Morris.

Elijah's wife and Jennie's mother was Nancy Coffey[1], a daughter of George W. Coffey of Russell Co., KY.  George is also believed to be descended from Chesley through Chesley's alleged (there's that word again) son, Joel who married Martha Stepp, or Sealey.[2]  Joel and Martha's son Cleveland, who married Jane Witherspoon was George's father.

Liston and Jennie moved to the Oklahoma Territory sometime before 1900 and can be found in the McElroy Twp, Pawnee Co. census that year.  I haven't located them in 1910 but, in 1920 they were in Idabel, McCurtain Co., OK.  Liston is said to have died in Paris, Lamar Co., TX on Dec. 15, 1930.  According to Harris[1] he was a resident of Idabel at the time of his death.  I have not been successful in locating his burial site but, he is likely buried with Jennie.

Jennie was born in KY in 1861 and died in Antlers, Pushmataha Co., OK on Feb. 20, 1958.  She is buried at the Odd Fellows cemetery in Antlers.

There were at least four children born to the union of Jennie and Liston:

Edith[1], born Mar. 5, 1891 in Burnside, Wayne Co., KY, died Nov. 26, 1949 at Antlers.  She married John J. Ledford of Bucktown, Hardin Co., TN is about 1914. Children were Lenore, James Morris and Kenneth Thurman.

Ruth[1], born Sep. 22, 1895 in Pawnee, Indian Territory, OK.  She married Walter Henry Baker, born 1894 in Carter Co., OK, on Nov. 8, 1920 in Idabel.  He died in Logan Co., OK in 1988.  Ruth died in Paris, TX in 1939.  Children:  Kathryn Elizabeth and Gwendolyn, both born in Carter Co., OK.

George Leighton[1]. born 1899 in Pawnee, died in Idabel in 1927.  He married Vida Valerian Russell of Bodcaw, Nevada Co., AR on Nov. 8, 1920 in Idabel.  George is buried at Greenhill Cemetery at Muskogee, OK. Sometime before 1940 Vida remarried.  Her second husband was George R. Orenbaum of TX.  Children with George were:  George, Jr., 1921-2006; Bessie Jeanne, born 1923, married Homer Cantwell and Vida Lucille, married Jack Ernest Collier.

The fourth child born to Liston and Jennie was Liston, Jr.[1] on Oct. 133, 1902 at Pawnee.  He married Mildred Vera McDonald on May 17, 1928 at Idabel.  She was born to Elmer and Florence McDonald in 1908 at Octavia in Le Flore Co., OK.  Liston, Jr. died on Dec. 12, 1976 in Bryan Co., OK; she on Oct. 7, 1884 at Pittsburg Co., OK.  Both are buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Antlers, OK.

According to Mildred's obituary, she and Liston owned and operated the Coffey Funeral homes in several counties in SE Oklahoma.  Apparently, the family moved from time to time to the towns where the businesses were located, not staying long in any town.  In 1948 they moved to Antlers where they remained until death.  Their children were Wallace, Liston Ray, Frances, Patsy Ruth and Charlotte Kay.

Corrections and/or additions welcomed!

Jack

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[1]Descendant Report, Jan. 3, 2005, Cheryl Harris to Fred Coffey (FredCoffey@aol.com), cc: Jack Coffee.  Cheryl wrote:  "I haven't had success tracking siblings and half-siblings of Liston Pancoast Coffey. There is a family photo circa 1910 with a man reported as 'Uncle Fred' who has a strong resemblance to Liston. But, except for a James F. brother, no explanation for 'Fred' and only vague reference to him moving to Eddy, Texas (although there was an Eddy, Oklahoma very close to where the family was living in Pawnee, Oklahoma at that time)."  Cheryl also commented that Liston, Sr. may have been married prior to Jennie.  She reported that he had sired an unnamed child about 1875 in KY and cited a 1918 death date for the child.

[2]Joel and Martha are mentioned in The Georgians, Genealogies of Pioneer Settlers, by J. H. Austin.

Joel's will (probate) dated 1789 Wilkes Co., NC.  Children listed as James, Joel, Cleveland, Nathan, Katy, Jane and Celia.  See North Carolina will book C, page 321.

A Joel Coffey was named as one of the buyers from the estate sale of Robert Patrick in Surry Co., NC in Feb., 1778.  Robert Patrick apparently died between 1774 and 1777.  He was on the 1774 tax list of Benjamin Cleveland and again in 1775.  He was not listed on the 1777 tax list.

Marvin Coffey wrote in his work that DAR has always listed Joel as born 1730, and married in 1753 to Martha Sealy, born 1737.  Nebuzaradon, their youngest son, was born in 1780 meaning that Martha would have been aged 52 at his birth.

A number of researchers have theorized that Joel married Martha Sealey who died, and he then married Martha Step.  Others have the opinion that Joel married a widow by the name of Mrs. Martha Step Sealey while another group has said that Sealey was a nickname for Celia which was the middle name of Martha.  Another thought is that Joel was born much earlier, about 1750.

Joseph is not listed in Joel's 1789 will (Wilkes Co., NC Will Book I, p260) but does appear in other researcher's work.  He could have been born to Joel's first wife and died before the will was made.  Joseph has also been reported to have gone to Kentucky quite early, and already otherwise provided for by his father thereby not making the will.  And, even if Joel had only one wife, Joseph could still have died quite young.  Marvin noted that there was a Joseph Coffey on early tax records of Adair Co., KY.

Martha Step's father was named Joseph so it appears logical that Joel and Martha would have given a son that name.  A daughter Celia was referred to as Sealy in Joel's will.  Marvin's research did not uncover any Sealy families in the same county that the Coffeys lived in Virginia or North Carolina.

As far as can be determined, a record of Chesley and Jane Cleveland has never been found.  Researchers should be aware that much controversy exists over the existence of Chesley and Elizabeth Cleveland Coffey.  Additional controversy surrounds their child Joel.  Family information contained here should be taken lightly, and independent research used to confirm or refute connections.