Clara remained unmarried and caring for her father, Ebenezer Rice "Eben" Coffey until his death in Austin, Delta Co., CO in 1935.Eben was a son of James Asbury and Louisa Adelade Ferris Long Carnahan Coffey. Louisa was only 20 when she married James Asbury leading me to believe that she was married but once, and that her parents did give her that unusually long name. She, born in Wayne Co., KY, and James, born in Gallatin Co., IL were married on Dec. 27, 1849 in Saline Co., IL.
Eben married Iola Kreigh in about 1887, where I do not know. He was born in Harrisburg, Saline Co., IL c1851, she in Iowa in Feb., 1862. With the exception of one brother, their daughter Clara and all of her siblings were born in OK.
Clara was almost 40 years old when her father died. She must have been on the courting end of a relationship with Harry Gilbert, an Englishman born there in about 1883 because they were married and had their first child, a daughter named Iola in 1935 or 1936. Their second child, a son named Harry was born c1937, both in Colorado. They had been married just a couple of years when Harry died in 1937.
After waiting all those years to marry then losing her husband after about two years, must have been devastating for her. Clara remained a widow for the next 59-60 years. In 1940 she appeared in the Delta, Delta Co., CO census with her children. A neighbor was her brother Oscar Kreigh Coffey and family. Clara died at age 100 in 1996 in Delta Co. and was buried at Cory Cemetery in that town. Husband Harry is buried there with her.
Eben and Iola's other children were:
James Luther, born Jun. 16, 1889. I lost him after 1900 in Benton Twp., Beaver Co., OK. But, I believe he is the James L. Coffey in the 1910 Pueblo Co. census as a patient in the "Woodcraft Hospital and School for the feeble minded." I believe also that he was the James Luther Coffey who was registered for the WW1 draft in CA on Dec. 31, 1918 (late registration). He was then apparently a patient in some CA institution. He was part of those "Indians, Prisoners, Insane, in Hospitals" who were registered late. He signed the card in his [apparently] own hand as James Luther Coffey.
After James came Sarah Louise, born in Aug., 1891. She lived with her parents until she was 18 and then disappeared from the census. Brother Eben Ruble, born Nov., 1894, remained with his parents until 1920 and then disappeared.
Oscar Kreigh, born Aug. 28, 1898 in KS, bird May 30, 1982 in Delta Co. Oscar married Mary E. Neff on Mar. 23, 1921 in CO. She was born in MO in 1902 and died in Delta Co. in 1972. The two children that I know of are Robert L., and Roy. Robert L. died in Colorado in 1981 and is buried at Cory Cemetery.
The last child was Mary A., born May, 1900. She was with her parents until 1920 and then disappeared.
Updates and/or corrections welcomed.
