Arthur Hill & Mary Jane Coffey Dula

I have written previously about this family.  Interested readers can find that blog here.

1910 Snippet

While attempting to reconcile their (minimum) nine children with the census records, etc., I found some of their names to be quiet different in each census.

Notice on the 1910 snippet the child Rzela enumerated after Beatrice.  In other records she is Ruby Dula or Ruby Evelyn Dula, born Jan 19, 1910.*   Ernest D. is actually Ernest Drexell Coffey Dula and he was born on Oct. 18, 1908.  This birth date was found on his death certificate.**

Following Ernest on the census is a daughter named Lena R., born in 1910.  I haven't found a birth record for her.  But, note her age is given as 3 months which pretty much coincides with Ruby's birth date.

1920 Snippet

Then, we come to 1920 where the child following Beatrice is named Rosavelt.  Again, the census taker apparently misunderstood.  She was aged 15 meaning that she was born 1904-05 time frame and must be Ruth, who was born Aug. 5, 1904.‡

By 1930, the only child left at home was Cleda, age 12.  She was born Sep. 17, 1917.†

To recap all the children:

Clyde Lester Dula

Catherine G. Coffey

Clyde Lester, born Jul. 23, 1893 in Watauga Co., died Aug. 2, 1973 in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co.  Married first wife Bertha Mae Robbins, a daughter of Joshua Rufus and Margaret Alenza "Maggie" Coffey Robbins, born Mar. 9, 1897 in Watauga Co., died Jun. 23, 1982 in Avery Co.  Their marriage produced three unnamed daughters between 1916 and 1918.  Mary Elise was born Feb. 8, 1923 and Anna Mae was born Sep. 26, 1926.  Clyde and Bertha divorced some c1930 and Catherine Gwendolyn Coffey, a daughter of Austin Blaine and Emma Mahalia "Hailey" Harris Coffey became his second wife.  Catherine was born Aug. 1, 1919 in Watauga Co., and died in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., NC on Aug. 19, 1997.  I am not aware of any children born to this union.  Clyde was 45 years old and Catherine was 19 when they married on July 4, 1939.  Both Clyde and Catherine at buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Blowing Rock.  I do not know where Bertha was laid to rest.

Julius A. Gragg

Charlotte N. Dula

Charlotte Nevada, born Jan. 21, 1895, married Julius Allen Gragg.  He was born Jun. 25, 1892 in Caldwell Co. to Julius Leander and Margaret Jane "Maggie" Henley Gragg and died on Jun. 17, 1979 in Boone, Watauga Co.  Charlotte died on Jul. 14, 1989 in Asheville, Buncombe Co., NC.  Both are buried at Boone Fork Community Cemetery in Blowing Rock.  Their children were Lester Merrill, born 1916; Wanda Lee, born 1918, died 1965, married Clarence Richard Lamkin on Mar. 23, 1939 in Blowing Rock.  He was born in 1917 at Lenoir, Caldwell Co., and died Jan. 30, 1987 in Hickory, Catawba Co.  Both are buried at Belleview Cemetery in Lenoir.  Their third and last known child was Virginia Katherine "Jackie," born Dec. 1, 1924 in Watauga Co., died Jun. 30, 1999 in Lenoir.  Her husband was Earl William Ward, born Nov. 8, 1911, a son of Miles A. and Hester Elizabeth Trivett Ward.  Jackie and Earl was married Aug. 11, 1946 in Blowing Rock.  He died Sep. 24, 2002 and they are also buried at Boone Fork.

Anthony Cory

Olive Manila, born Feb. 26, 1899, died Dec. 17, 1985.  She married at least three times.  Here first was Robert Lawrence Coleman, born to Thomas and Emmerette Wright Coleman on Feb. 19, 1891 in Watauga Co.  They were married there on May 1, 1917.  I have not found a death record for Robert.  He and Olive apparently divorced because Robert married again c1924 to a lady named Frances J. and, they had at least one child, May R., born c1928 in West Virginia.  Olive's second husband was Anthony Cory [sic], born Jul. 6, 1881 in the Syrian Arab Republic.  He died on Nov. 15, 1946 in Watauga Co. and was buried at Boone Fork.  Olive's third husband was Will Estes, born 1877 in NC, died Jan. 7, 1971 in Boone.  It appears that Olive did not have any children by either of her husbands.

Beatrice Rema was born Jul. 7, 1902 in Watauga Co., died Nov. 16, 1977 in Winston-Salem.  She married twice, first to Joseph John Teague on Sep. 21, 1920 in Blowing Rock.  He was born Jul. 27, 1895 in Patterson, Caldwell Co., to Hiram John and Julia A. Coffey Teague.  Julia and Beatrice's mother were distant cousins.  Joseph died on Feb. 25, 1961 in Durham Co., NC.  There was one known child, a daughter Ophelia Hartt Teague, born in 1921, died in 1999 in Davie Co., NC.  She married Paul Roberson Coffey, born Mar. 17, 1922 in Caldwell Co. to Charles Alexander "Charlie" and Julia Evelyn Knight Coffey.  Joseph and Beatrice apparently divorced because before his death, she married Kenneth Wilmont Lentz on Mar. 20, 1954 in Forsyth Co., NC.  He was born Feb. 5, 1884 to Adam W. and Maggie Miller Lentz and died on Oct. 13, 1963 in Winston-Salem.  Beatrice died there on Nov. 16, 1977.  Both are buried there at Salem Cemetery.

Ruth Virginia married Zenobian Michaels Koontz on Nov. 12, 1927 in Forsyth Co.  He was born Jul. 12, 1902 in Davidson Co., NC and died in Winston-Salem on May 8, 1981.  Ruth died there on Sep. 2, 1990.  She is buried at Forsyth Memorial Park in Winston-Salem; he at Wallburg Baptist Church Cemetery in Davidson Co.  They had at least two children, both daughters:  Ramona Jane in 1929 and Nancy, birth date unknown.  On Jun. 21, 1950 Ramona married Francis A. McKenna in Forsyth Co., NC

Ernest Drexell was born Oct. 18, 1908 and died in Winston-Salem on Sep. 7, 1974.  He married Jessie O. Coome on Jan. 19, 1929 in Forsyth Co.  He is buried at Forsyth Memorial Park.

Ruby Evelyn Dula

Murray Harris Coffey

Ruby Evelyn was born in Caldwell Co. on Jan. 19, 1910 and died in Guilford Co. on Apr. 13, 1999.  Her husband was Murray Harris Coffey, brother to Catherine who married Clyde Dula.  They were married in Watauge Co. on Nov. 19, 1938.  Murray died Apr. 5, 2003 in Blowing Rock.  Both are buried at Boone Fork Community Cemetery.  I know of only one child, a son M. Vern Coffey, born Oct. 5, 1939, died Oct. 3, 1990.

Lois Esther (sometimes spelled Estha) was born in Watauga Co. on Jun. 3, 1912 and died in Eden, Rockingham Co., NC on Oct. 29, 1999.  Lois married a Mr. Self.  I have been unable to find any information about him.

Cleda Elizabeth was the last child, born Sep. 17, 1917 in Watauga Co.  She married J. T. Nicholson on Aug. 24, 1939 in Forsyth Co.  I have found no other information about them.

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Rites held for Mr. Dula

Clyde Lester Dula, age 80, of Blowing Rock died Thursday in Blowing Rock Hospital after an extended illness.

Mr. Dula was born in Watauga County to Arthur and Mary Jane Coffey Dula.  He was a retired fuel oil distributor having been employed by the Colvard Oil Company for thirty-four years.  He served on the Blowing Rock Town Council for eight years and the local Recreation Commission for several years.  He also served as Elder at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church.
 
Surviving are his wife, Gwendolyn Coffey Dula of Blowing Rock; four daughters, Mrs. Elyse Milum of Lakeland, Florida, Mrs. John Broyhill of Blowing Rock, Miss Linda Dula of Blowing rock and Mrs. Mike Wilson of Boone; seven sisters, Mrs. Aileen Gragg of Boone, Mrs. W. H. Estes of Blowing Rock, Mrs. Beatrice Lentz of Winston-Salem, Mrs. Murray Coffey of Blowing Rock, Mrs. Virginia Willis of Winston-Salem, Mrs. Estha Self of Eden, Mrs. J. T. Niehulson [sic] of Los Angeles, Calif. and one brother, Ernest Dula of Winston-Salem; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church by Rev. Richard Holshouser and Rev. George Stenhouse.  burial was in the Blowing Rock City Cemetery.
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Charlotte Dula Gragg
Watauga County Native

Charlotte Dula Gragg, 94, of Asheville, and a native and former resident of Boone, died Friday, July 14, 1989, at Biltmore Manor, a nursing care center in Asheville.

She was born Jan. 21, 1895 in Watauga County to Arthur and Mary Coffey Dula.

Mrs. Gragg was preceded in death by a daughter, Wanda Lamkin of Lenoir.

Surviving are one daughter, Jackie Ward of Asheville; four sisters, Mrs. Cleda Nicholson of Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. Ruby Coffey of blowing Rock, Mrs. Estha Self of Eden, N.C., and Mrs. Virginia Finney of Winston-Salem; five grandchildren, including Barbara Lamkin Price of Lenoir, seven great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Boone Fork Community Cemetery.  The Rev. Murray Coffey and the Rev. Howard Hodges will officiate.

The family will receive friends Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m. at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home in Boone.

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*Name: Ruby Evelyn Dula Date of Birth: 19 Jan 1910 Gender: Female Race: White Birth County: Caldwell Parent1 Name: Arthur Hill Dula Parent2 Name: Mary Jane Coffey; North Carolina Birth Indexes, Roll No. B_C017_68001, Vol. 24, Page 257.

**Drexell Coffey Dula, Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., NC death certificate No. 31539 (7 September 1974).

‡Name: Ruth Virginia Dula Date of Birth: 5 Aug 1904 Gender: Female Race: White Birth County: Watauga Parent1 Name: Arthur Hill Dula Parent2 Name: Mary Jane Coffey Register of Deeds. North Carolina Birth Indexes, Roll Number: B_C102_66001 Volume: 14 Page: 70.

†Name: Cleda Elizabeth Dula Date of Birth: 17 Sep 1917 Gender: Female Race: White Birth County: Watauga Parent1 Name: Arthur Hill Dula Parent2 Name: Mary Jane Coffey North Carolina Birth Indexes, Roll Number: B_C102_66001 Volume: 3 Page: 549.

Rice Coffey

This particular Rice Coffey was born c1802 in North Carolina to Levi and Dorothy (Dolly) Edmundson Coffey.

Janine Ramsey is a descendant of Rice through his son Levi.  I believe this is the Levi born c1829 in NC, died Jul. 20, 1863 in Knoxville, Knox Co., TN from wounds received while serving with Co. G., 65th GA Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.1

Levi married Katherine Kilpatrick, a daughter of Balis Jackson and Mary E. Hunter Kilpatrick. Katherine's brother, Abner married Levi's sister, Dorothy Coffey. Abner and Dorothy had at least one son, William Riley, born Jul. 14, 1872 in Cherokee Co., and died there on Dec. 5, 1947.

Janine has been searching for the maiden name of Rice's wife, known until now only as Jane, born c1804 in NC. Janine recently sent an e-mail to which she attached a Cherokee Co., NC death certificate for Doratha [sic] Kilpatrick, born Sep. 22, 1832 in NC, died Nov. 29,1922 in Cherokee Co. Doratha's parents were reported on the certificate as Rice Coffee [sic] and Dartha [sic] Medaris. Janine believes that Dartha was Dartha Jane Medaris, the daughter of William H. Medaris and Susanna Nicholson who lived in Cherokee and Burke Counties, NC.

To add more credibility to the find, Janine included a page from the 1850 Cherokee Co., NC census showing a William Medaris family as next door neighbors to Rice and Jane. This William is about 11 years younger than Dartha, but his surname lends additional evidence.

The death certificate for Doratha indicates that her husband was Riley Kilpatrick, but this is an error. Riley was actually her son, William Riley, born Jul. 14, 1872 in Cherokee Co., and who died there on Dec. 5, 1947.

Abner and Doratha [which was likely actually Dorothy] had two additional children:  Lillie E., born c1875 and remained single and with her mother at least through the 1920 census; and Andrew, born c1876.













Congratulations to Janine for this find!

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to correct or add to this information.



1Name: Levi Coffee , Residence: Towns County, Georgia Enlistment Date: 22 December 1862 Distinguished Service: Side Served: Confederacy State Served: Georgia Unit Numbers: 417 417 Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 22 December 1862  Enlisted in Company G, Smith's Legion Infantry Regiment Georgia on 22 December 1862. Transferred Company G, Smith's Legion Infantry Regiment Georgia on 15 March 1863 Transferred in Co. G, Smith's Legion Inf. Regt. on 15 March 1862.