Cornelius & Ailsy Elizabeth Greenfield Coffey

Betty Greenfield Coffey

Cornelius Coffey

Cornelius Coffey was the fifth child of at least 11 born to William Coffey, Jr. and his wife Margaret Robbins.  William, Jr. was a native of Yadkin Valley, born May 5, 1812 in that part of Wilkes Co., NC that later became part of Caldwell Co.  Margaret was born c1816 in North Carolina, the exact area is unknown.  He died May 8, 1893 in Buffalo Twp., Caldwell Co..  Margaret preceded him in death on Apr 26,1882.

Obituary, Lenoir Topic, Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC, May 28, 1893

To the Editor of the Lenoir Topic:  Died at his home on Buffalo, in Caldwell county, May the 8th, 1893, William Coffey, aged 81 years and 8 days.  His wife, Margaret, also departed this life April 26th, 1882, in the 66th year of her age.  The Lord blessed them with a family of twelve children of which seven remain to mourn their loss.  Brother and Sister Coffey joined the Baptist church in 1847; was soon ordained in the office of Deacon and Deaconess, which office they executed well.  They both lived consistent Christian lives.  We were present at the funeral of Sister Coffey, and remember hearing Brother Coffey express his desire to be asleep in Jesus with his companion.  Since that time his greatest delight has been in the worship and service of the house of the Lord, often expressing a strong desire to be freed from the temptations and perplexities of this, and after an illness of about 6 months he fell asleep in the full triumphs of faith and was gathered to his loved ones that had gone before.  Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.  M.C. and J.H.J.

 Cornelius was born Jul. 27, 1844 at Buffalo Creek in Wilkes Co. and died Jun. 2, 1906 in Morganton, Burke Co.  He was enumerated as a a patient at the Broughton State Hospital in Morganton in 1900.  He is buried in the cemetery on the hospital grounds, his grave marked by a simple funeral home marker.  I have not yet found his wife's final resting place.

He married Ailsy Elizabeth "Betty" Greenfield on Feb. 20, 1868 in Caldwell Co.  She was born Sep. 7, 1850 and died Jun. 11, 1928, presumably in North Carolina.

Their children, all born in Caldwell Co., were:

William Larkin, born Jun. 19, 1870, died Jan. 5, 1953 in Granite Falls, Caldwell Co.  His wife was Alice Selma Setzer, daughter of Paul and Jemina Simmons Setzer, and was born Sep. 9, 1865 in NC, died Aug. 22, 1941 in Granite Falls.  Both are buried there at Pinecrest Cemetery.  Their children were Charles Mozer; Fannie C.; Claude Augustus; Ada M.; Walter Victor; Garland Cecil; Ethel; and Lucy Jane.

Elbert Finley, born Mar. 1, 1872, died Apr. 29, 1959 in Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC.  His wife was Mary Louise Lentz, born Jul. 19, 1903 in NC, died Dec. 25, 1990 in Salisbury.  Elbert is buried at Westlawn Memorial Park in China Grove, Rowan Co.  Mary Louise is probably there as well but, I have found no record of that.  Their children were at least two:  Jack Nolan and Robert J. "Bob" Coffey.

Martha Louisa, born c1874.  Her spouse was Roy Abernathy.  No other information on either.  Their children were also at least two:  Collis Odell and Julia.

John Oliver, born c1876, died May 19, 1947 in Hinesville, Liberty Co., GA.  His wife was Eva Broce, born Jan. 4, 1881 in Bristol, Sullivan Co., TN, died Jan. 20, 1946 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH.  After John's death, Eva married Berch E. Scott of Highland Co., OK.  He was born Aug. 12, 1872 and died in Cincinnati on Aug. 4, 1943.  Both are buried at Vine Street Cemetery in Cincinnati.  John's children with Eva were:  Bruce, born c1899 in TN; Ethel, born c1902 in TN; Fred Howard, born c1905 in TN and Edna Lucille, born c1907 in NC.

Mary Etta, born Jun. 10, 1878, died Apr. 24, 1952 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.  She married on Aug. 25, 1900 in Watauga Co. to Larkin Solomon Presnell, born Feb. 10, 1870 in Watauga Co., NC to James H. and Rebecca Green Presnell.  Larkin died Jun. 24, 1941 in Caldwell Co.  He is buried at Howell Cemetery in Vilas, Watauga Co. while Mary Etta rests at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir.  Their children were also at least two:  Clarence Haskel, born 1901 and Roy Lee, born 1903, both in Watauga Co.

Annie Elizabeth, born Aug. 22, 1881, died Sep. 14, 1946 in Lenoir.  She married Aug. 25, 1901 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., to Jesse Steele Johnson, a son of James Harvel and Zelphia Almida Sloan Johnson.  Jesse was born Jan. 24, 1881 in NC and died Sep. 12, 1965 in Lenoir.  They are buried at Belleview Cemetery in Lenoir.  They were also parents of at least two children:  Nellie Clyde, born 1903 and Lewis Albert.

The last child was George T., born Jul., 1883, married Jul. 27, 1902 to Nellie Taylor in Burke Co., NC.  I have only one child for them:  Billie, a daughter, born May 28, 1908 in Lenoir.

---

Photos of Cornelius and Betty courtesy of Donna Schultz

William Leon & Marion Edna Norris Coffey

This couple married c1912, probably in Watauga Co., NC.  William was a son of William Luther and Mary Salome Moretz Coffey, born Jul. 19, 1892 in Watauga Co.  Marion was the daughter of Millard Harrison and Ida Delrea Davis Norris and was born Oct. 7, 1895, also in Watauga Co.

When William Leon registered for the draft in WW1, he did so on June. 5, 1917 in Watauga Co.  He was described as being tall with medium build, blue eyes and light colored hair.  He was 24 years old, born July 29, 1893 at Meat Camp in Caldwell Co.  Like those before him, he was a farmer and had a wife and two children.

The family appeared in both the 1920 and 1930 Watauga Co. census at Blowing Rock.  His death in August, 1963 at age 71 was ruled a suicide by "asphyxiation, drowning."  Reason for suicide is not known but "depression" was cited as contributing to his death.

He and Marion had nice children together, all born in Watauga Co.:

Homer Leon, born Jun. 29, 1913, married Polly Ersal Presnell, born Jan. 22, 1916.

Thelma Edna, born Feb. 28, 1915, died May 26, 1995 in Hickory Twp., Catawba Co.  Thelma married Odell Cletus Deal, a son of Nathan T. and Mary Elvira Shell.  He was born Jan. 2, 1904 in Catawba Co., and died there on Jan. 6, 1989.  Odell's first wife was Constance Eliza Chester, born 1908, died 1957 in Catawba Co.  He and Thelma were married in 1959 in Caldwell Co.  Thelma was a US Navy veteran of WWII.  Her military headstone marker reads S1 [Seaman First Class] US Navy, World War II.  What an adventure she must have had!  She had no known children.

Arthur Wade, born Jun. 29, 1917, married Dec. 20, 1945 to Annie Elizabeth Cohn, born Sep. 8, 1917, died Dec. 28, 2000 in Boone.

Ida Irene, born Feb. 23, 1919, married Vernon Stokes Woods, born Jan. 27, 1918 in NC, died Oct. 12, 196 in Mecklenburg Co., NC.  They were married Nov. 27, 1944 in Watauga Co.

Jewel Salome, born c1920, married Max R. Moody.  Max was born Mar. 25, 1919 in Watauga Co. and died there on Mar. 31, 2006.

Marion Helen, born Jun. 16, 1924, married Conor Jones Triplett on Sep. 14, 1946 in Watauga Co.  He died in June, 1976.

Rena Marie, born Jun. 21, 1926, married Ralph Junior Broyhill on Jan. 26, 1946 in Watauga Co.

Waymon Wayne, born Jan. 7, 1929 - no information.

Stanley Owen, born Apr. 26, 1931, died Oct. 4, 2005 in Blowing Rock.  Stanley married Betty Moody.

---

Some of the birth years for these folks were found in the 1900 census.  In many cases when a corresponding death certificate was found the birth year was +/- 1 year off the census record.  This also occurs many times when viewing WW1 draft records.  The birth year is nearly always off by +/- 1 year from headstone, census or death certificate dates.  It is a phenomena that I have noticed many times and often wondered which is the most accurate?








No. 997