Joel Lawrence Coffey, Jr.

Joel Lawrence Coffey, Jr.

Joel Lawrence Coffey, Jr., was the first son and second child born to Joel Lawrence, Sr. and Myrtle Watson Coffey.

A short bio for Jr. appeared in the Watauga Democrat newspaper on Nov. 11, 2011 and relates a part of his adventures during WW2 in the European Theater of Operations. The item, written by Sherrie Norris tells how he came to earn those medals you see spread before him. His obituary provides a bit more information.

I recognize some of the decorations.  He earned the (l-r) Bronze Star medal with two oak leaf clusters; a Purple Heart for wounds that got him sent back to England for treatment; a Germany Occupation Medal; WWII Victory Medal; a Good Conduct Medal and a European Theater of Operation medal.  I have been unable to identify the  center medal.

Also shown in the photograph is his CBI or  Combat Infantryman's Badge.

Joel descends from Edward Coffey and Ann Powell through their son John and his wife Jane Graves; their son Reuben and wife Sarah Scott; Jesse and wife Peggy Edmisten; their son Reuben and Rachel Hayes; Jesse Calton and wife Nancy Raines; Thos. Carlton and wife Martha Cook and finally, his father, Joel, Sr.

Joel died Nov. 5, 2014 in Boone, Watauga Co., and was buried at Laurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery at Deep Gap, Watauga Co.

HIS OBITUARY

Obituary, The Watauga Democrat, Boone, NC, Fri., Nov. 7, 2014

Joel L. Coffey, 90, of Deep Gap, passed away Wednesday evening, Nov. 5, 2014, at Watauga Medical Center. 

Joel was born January 13, 1924, in Watauga County, a son of the late Joe L. Coffey and Myrtle Watson Coffey. He was a retired rural mail carrier and a lifetime member, past superintendent, and deacon of Laurel Springs Baptist Church. Joel served in the U.S. Army during World War II, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and received two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars. He was also a charter member of the Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Department, where he retired as chaplain. 

Joel is survived by his wife, Geraldine "Gerry" Coffey* of the home; one son, Michael Thomas Coffey, Sr. and wife, Mary Alice, of Deep Gap; one daughter, Brenda Coffey Farthing and husband, Len B., of Vilas; one step-daughter, Jane Ragan Pignolet and husband, Mark, of Braselton, Ga.; one granddaughter, Amanda Farthing Huff and husband, Todd, of Deep Gap; two grandsons, Michael T. Coffey, Jr. of Sanford, and Joel Farthing and wife, Nicole, of Vilas; five great-grandchildren, Jackson, Walker, Ella, Colt and Hattie Mae; one step-granddaughter, Amy Ragan Grady and husband, Gary, of Kettering, Ohio, as well as their children, Ragan and Riley. He is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews. 

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Gaye Warren Coffey; and three sisters, Louis Cary, Margaret Lane, and Sue Craig. 

Funeral services for Mr. Joel L. Coffey will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, at Laurel Springs Baptist Church. The body will lie in state, at the church, from 1 until 2 p.m. Officiating will be Pastor Tim Lynch. Military graveside rites and burial, provided by American Legion Post 130 and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 90, will follow in Laurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. 

The family will receive friends Friday, from 6 until 9 p.m. at Hampton Funeral Service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Laurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Stewart Rhymer, 6596 Old US Hwy 421, Deep Gap, NC, 28618; Disabled American Veterans Chapter 90, PO Box 2914, Boone, NC 28607; American Heart Association, 128 South Tryon Street, Suite 1588, Charlotte, NC, 28202; or to a charity of the donors choice. 

Online condolences may be sent to the Coffey family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com. 

Click on this Watauga Democrat link to read his story.

*Geraldine was his second wife.  His first wife was Laura Gaye Warren to whom he was married on Jul. 18, 1949.  Laura died on Dec. 10, 1966 and is also buried at Laurel Springs.

Coffey Cousins' 2014 Reunion Is Over!

Another Coffey Cousins' reunion is over!

If I have counted correctly, it was number 30; the first was held in Boone, NC in 1984.

This one was hosted in Brownsburg, IN by Donna Wolfe Hoy who was ably assisted by her husband, Jon.  A grandson, Alexander Clark also lent a hand in assuring that everything went smooth.

Nelda and I left south Louisiana on Wednesday morning, the 23d of April and headed east on I-10.  We eventually turned north on I-55 through MS, across a corner of TN through Memphis, into AR, MO and IL before finally reaching IN Thursday afternoon.

If you don't already know, the US interstate system is rapidly deteriorating and those infamous "orange barrels" were everywhere.  I'm certain those areas under repair needed it, but so did every other mile that we travelled.  I found I-55 through AR, MO and IL to be in very deplorable condition.

When we finally arrived at the Comfort Suites in Brownsburg we were met first by Donna and Jon then later by Tom Coffey, down from MN.  Arriving even earlier from Washington State was Chuck and Linda Maki and Linda's cousin, Cindy Marriott.  They descend from Reuben and Polly Dowell Coffey and had success finding ancestral cemeteries in the area.

Others attending were Nancy Scott and Kathy Whitson, hosts of last years gathering in Eureka, IL; Jean and Wayne Mower of DE; Larry and Mary Coffey of NJ; Danny and Glenda Coffey of KY.  Again, if I have correctly counted, there were 20 of us who gathered to remember previous reunions as well as Coffey ancestors.

Photo From the IHS Facebook Page

After a discussion and several proposals, we have decided to return to Tennessee for the 2015 reunion.  It appears that Mooresville in Grainger Co. will be our target with hopes of pulling a lot of Coffeys and Daltons out of the mountains to attend.  Kathy Whitson, whose Coffey ancestry is in Grainger Co., has volunteered to head up planning and arrangements.  Because she is a professor at Eureka College in Eureka, IL, she will be unable to get away until after May graduation.  So, look for the reunion to take place sometime about mid-May.

Watch for the June issue of the Coffey Cousins' newsletter for more details on the Indiana gathering and our visit to the Indiana Historical Society.

The 2013 Coffey Cousins' Reunion

L-R rear: Janet Coffey (IL), Jon Hoy (IN), Larry Coffey (NJ), Jack Coffee (LA)

Danny Coffey (KY), Middle L-R, Nancy Scott (IL), Donna Hoy (IN), Gail 

Bachman (FL), Nelda Coffee (LA); Glenda Coffey (KY), Bill Bachman (FL),

Front L-R: Kathy Whitson (hostess, IL); Ellen Coffey Mohr (NJ). and

Marguerite Coffey Yates (FL).

Dr. Kathy Whitson, a professor of English at Eureka College in Eureka, IL was hostess for the 2013 gathering.  She arranged for us to room on campus in Langston Hall.  With graduation over, the campus was ours.  I must admit, accommodations were much better than I expected.  Kathy’s roots are primarily in Grainger Co., TN.

Kathy had assembled a packet for each of us containing all of the information necessary for finding restaurants, library, and the like.  

I think for the most part the food in that part of the state was especially good.  I did learn however, not to order catfish in Illinois, especially in Eureka and expect traditional (traditional in my state, at least) boneless fillets.  My order came as a whole fish, bones and all.  It was served minus the head and “innerds,” but not well seasoned, the fish fry coating was hard and brittle, but the fish had a decent taste.

Assisting Kathy was Nancy Scott, Director of the Eureka Public Library District.  She arranged a private tour of the local library and an early peek at books, CDs and DVDs the library was selling to raise funds.

Eureka College, as most fans will know, was the Alma Mater of Ronald Reagan.  He was graduated from this small midwestern college in 1932.  The campus is beautiful with a mixture of older and more modern buildings for students and staff.  Photos (better than I could take) of the campus are available at this website.

Kathy arranged for the group to take a private tour of the Metamora (IL) Courthouse Museum, which is centered on Abraham Lincoln artifacts that have been collected through loans and donations.  The building is a state historical site and, one of only two original courthouses still existing from the time Lincoln rode the 8th circuit.  The other courthouse is located in Mt. Pulaski, IL.  The Metamora courthouse where Lincoln often worked as a defense lawyer is located on the second floor and, has been restored to its original 1845 appearance.  Our guide for the tour was Mr. Jean Myers, superintendent of this state historical site.

The traditional banquet was held on our last night in Eureka.  That event was held in the North Terrill Room of the Donald B. Cerf Center.  This wonderful building not only contains a large dining room (the President’s Dining Room) but also the campus snack bar, bookstore, and a Ronald Reagan museum. 

Our speaker for the evening was James. L. Fyke, a man of many disciplines.  In addition to having been a teacher, he was a US Marshal, appointed by Pres. Reagan; served as committeeman for the Woodford Co., IL Republican Central Committee, President of the Woodford Co. Historical Society, founding member of the Harristown Historical and Genealogical Society and, member of several other similar societies.  Mr. Fyke spoke to us about the Effects of the Frontier on American Character. This described how westward movement from the colonies shaped typical American characteristics, including a desire for independence.

We all had a wonderful time filled with laughter and fellowship.  We learned and (hopefully) taught a bit to a new cousins.  While helping Janet Coffey with her genealogy, we discovered that she and Donna Wolfe Hoy are cousins.  How neat is that!?

Great job, Kathy!  We all had a lot of fun with you and Nancy and hope to see you next year.

DNA & The Augustus F. & Betty Beard Coffey Family

The family of Augustus F. Coffey
L:R rear: Archie, Spencer, George, Benson, Robert, Blaine Dillard
L:R front:  Maude, Cena, Betty Beard Coffey, and Bonnie
Photo courtesy of Brent Coffey

I have, over the past couple of days, exchanged much e-mail with Brent Coffey of Maryland concerning his descent from Edward and Ann Powell Coffey.  The exchange resulted from his recent DNA test which does show him to be an Edward descendant.

The problem [if there is one] seems to be one particular marker in his DNA that does not match most of those in the Edward group of the DNA project.  I won't go into a discussion about DNA because I frankly do not understand enough to hold an intelligent discussion.

However, the mis-matched marker also appears in the the DNA of another tested Coffey who descends from Thomas Coffey and Elizabeth Smith; Thomas being a son of John and Jane Graves Coffey.  Brent claims descent from Thomas' brother, Reuben and his wife Sarah Scott Coffey.  So, the question raised by Coffey DNA guru Fred Coffey was how positive Brent is that he descends from Reuben and not Thomas?!

Brent tells us that he descends from Reuben and Sarah Scott Coffey through their son Joseph > Jacob Zachariah > Jesse Patterson > Augustus F. > Blaine Dillard > Blaine Dillard, Jr.

[NB:  The children of Reuben and Sally are not entirely agreed upon by researchers.  The following then may be totally irrelevant in deciding who Brent's ancestor was.]

Joseph and his wife Isabella Lindsay had another son, Elisha born about the same time as Jacob Zachariah.  Both are thought to have been born in the 1813-1815 time frame and, could be twins.  I suggested that the certain DNA marker that does not match might be a result of the possibility that Elisha and Jacob were twins.

I don't believe a consensus has yet been reached and the questions remains open.

Blaine Dillard Coffey &
Faye Dell Van Klaveren
Wedding Photo
Photo courtesy of Brent Coffey

Keeping within that family, I learned from Brent that his grandfather was Blaine Dillard Coffey, born March 4, 1915 in Avery Co., NC to Augustus F. "Gus" Coffey and wife Betty Beard.  He was the eighth of their nine children. In error, I had him married to Maude Dillinger/Dellinger in Caldwell Co., NC on Jul. 13, 1935.  As it turns out, a Dillard Coffey did marry Maude but, it was Dillard Greene Coffey, a son of David William and Martha Etta Destimonia "Dessie" Crump Coffey.*  Dillard Greene and Blaine Dillard were second cousins, both descending from Jacob Zachariah Coffey, the son of Joseph.

Blaine Dillard was married on Sep. 11, 1946 in North Carolina to Faye Dell Van Klaveren, sister to a WWII shipmate of Blaine.  She was the daughter of Dick and Tillie Van Kotten Van Klaveren, Dutch emigrants who first settled in Iowa and later moved to Texas.  Faye was born in Cotulla, LaSalle Co., TX on Feb. 19, 1928.

  Jack

---

*Readers who have a copy of my Edward Coffey Project DVD or, who have copied my research from elsewhere, should make a note of this change.

Vester Lee & Bessie Moses Coffey

Vester Lee Coffey was a son of a John Coffey and Lezie or Letha, maiden name unknown.  In 1900 this family lived in Lower Creek Twp., Burke Co., NC and consisted of:

John Coffey, born Jul., 1845 in NC and had been married for 31 years.
Lezie (Letha?), wife, born Apr., 1853 in NC; mother of 14, 9 living
Son, Monroe, born Dec., 1879 in NC
Dau, Danna, born Jun., 1882 in NC
Son, Frank, born Jun., 1884 in NC
Son, Robey, born Jun., 1888 in NC
Son, Vester, born Jun., 1890 in NC
Dau, Nettie, born May, 1894 in NC

Vester married Bessie Moses in Burke Co. on Jan. 3, 1912 in Upper Creek Twp.  In the 1920 census the family appeared in Burke Co., Lower Creek Twp., with children: Claude, Roy and Bertha.  In 1930 they were living in Morganton, Burke Co. and had an additional child, a son named Aruel [sic].

Their son Claude Lee Coffey died in 2008 and his obituary appeared in the Burke Co. News Herald, of Feb. 24, 2008:

Claude Lee Coffey

Claude Lee Coffey, 95, of Morganton, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, at his residence following a period of declining health. Born in Burke County, on Sept. 27, 1912, he was the son of the late Vester Lee Coffey and Bessie Moses Coffey. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Roy Coffey, and a sister, Lillie Mae Hollifield. Claude was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Pacific Theatre in World War II. He retired from Broughton Hospital and was a member of Oak Forest United Methodist Church. Mr. Coffey was an avid gardener and fisherman.

Claude is survived by his wife, Katie Williams Coffey of the home; daughters, Carol Lee Walters and husband, Ronald, of Gastonia, Betty Jo McMahan and husband, the Rev. Stanley, of Burnsville, and Wanda Scott and husband, David, of Morganton; a brother, Arnold Coffey and wife, Mary, of Morganton; a sister, Bertha Wilson of Danville, Va.; grandchildren, Jeffrey Walters and wife, Angie, Jennifer Stamey and husband, Donnie, Shelly Thompson and husband, Keith, Joel McMahan, Dana Dale and husband, Jason, and D.J. Scott; and great-grandchildren, Tabitha and Will Thompson and Tanner and Jacey Dale.

The funeral will be held at 6 p.m. today in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home with the Revs. Roderick Randolph and Stanley McMahan officiating. Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Burke Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday afternoon from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. before the service. At other times the family will be at the residence on Berry Street, Morganton. Memorial contributions may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690. Condolences may be made online at www.sossomanfuneralservice.com.

My problem is not knowing who John Coffey was?  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Odell Cletus & Thelma Edna Coffey Deal

Sylvannas Deal, born Nov. 1, 1832, died Jul. 30, 1899 in Burke Co., NC and his wife, Mary J., maiden name unknown, were the parents of Nathaniel T. "Nathan" Deal, born in Aug., 1862.

Nathan married Mary Elvira Shell on Mar. 27, 1884 in Lovelady Twp., Caldwell Co..  Mary was the daughter of John Tipton and Martha Bisanar [sic] Shell and, was born Aug. 22, 1867 in Caldwell Co., died May 14, 1953 in Hickory, Catawba Co., NC.

Odell Cletus Deal

Among their six known children was Odell Cletus, born Jun. 2, 1904 in Catawba Co., and who died there on Jan. 6, 1989.  Odell married first to Constance Eliza Chester in NC, c1929.  I know of one child, Robert Bernett, born Feb. 16, 1929 in Catawba Co.  Constance died on Aug. 19, 1957 in Hickory, Catawba Co. and was buried at Catawba Memorial Park on Aug. 21.

Odell then married Thelma Edna Coffey in 1959.  There were no known [to me] children.

Thelma was the daughter of William Leon and Marion Edna Norris Coffey.  She was born on Feb. 28, 1915 in Watauga Co to Millard Harrison and Ida Delrea Davis Norris.  She died on May 26, 1995 in Hickory and was also buried at Catawba Memorial Park.  Odell died on Jan. 6, 1989 in Catawba and is believed to also be buried at Catawba Memorial Park.

Dale Cloyd Norris

Anna Bell Coffey Norris

Two of Millard and Ida's children also married Coffey women. Lyman Paul Norris, born Jan., 1900, married Addie Lee Coffey, a daughter of Daniel Carlton "Dell" and Mary Jane Bodenhamer Coffey.   Dale Cloyd Norris, born Jan., 1910, married Anna Belle Coffey, sister to Addie Lee. Ida Delrea Davis was the daughter of Harvey Alexander and Mary Hodges Davis.  Millard was a son of Isaac and Amanda Spencer Norris.

Thelma was the second to oldest of the at least nine children born to William and Marion.  William was a son of William Luther and Mary Salome Moretz Coffey.  William Luther was a son of Jesse Calton and Nancy A. Raines Coffey.  Jesse Calton was a son of Reuben and Rachel Hayes Coffey.  Reuben was a son of Jesse and Margaret Edmisten Coffey.  Jesse was a son of Reuben and Sarah Scott Coffey.  Reuben's parents were John and Jane Graves Coffey.  John was a son of Edward and Ann Powell Coffey.*

Sylvannas Deal is buried at Abees Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery in Valdese, NC

Mary Elvira Shell Deal is buried at St. Lukes Lutheran Church Cemetery in Hickory, NC

William Leon and Marion Edna Norris Coffey; Millard Harrison and Ida Delrea Davis Norris; Daniel and Mary Jane Bodenhamer Coffey; andHarvey and Mary Hodges Davis are all buried at the Old Mount Pleasant-Bethany Lutheran Cemetery in Boone, NC.

---

More on these families is available on "The Edward Coffey Project" DVD or, through limited request.
Photos of Dale and Anna Bell Norris appeared with their obituaries

Joel & Martha Sealey Stapp Coffey

I received the following a couple of days ago from James Scott of Logansville, GA:

I have the complete family of Joel & Martha Sealey Stapp Coffey, all the 9 children and all the grand children and some of te [sic] [the] great grand children 53 pages in all, if you or any one you may know wants a copy it is $20 in book form. The next brother Salathiel & Elizabeth Franklin Coffey, and all 11 of their children and grand children & great grand children, and most of their children has large families, the price will be 25¢ a sheet. Also I have all of Isaiah Neburzarden & Elizabeth Hayes's family, with children & grandchildren and great grand children, they had 9 children. The 25¢ cost covers copy cost, postage, & the book form.

If anyone would like to communicate about this with James, drop me a note and I'll send his contact information.

Aldridge & Coffey

In his 1915 A History of Watauga County, North Carolina, John Preston Arthur wrote about James Aldridge who appeared in Shulls Mill, Watauga Co. c1819 and shortly married [or took up with] Betsy Calloway, an attractive daughter of one Benjamin Calloway.  The chapter in which this story appears is entitled "Some Thrice-Told Tales," so use your best judgment in deciding the accuracy of the facts cited.

Arthur wrote that James was already married and had left a wife and five children in Virginia while he hunted in North Carolina.  James persuaded Betsy to marry him and a son, Harrison Aldridge was born Dec. 15, 1821.  Six more children followed:  Jane c1824; Tempe c1825; Ellen c1828; Emeline c1835; Benjamin c1837; and Waightstill c1842.

Sometime - and probably after the birth of Waightstill - the "real wife" of James appeared in the area of Foscoe at the home of Edward Moody seeking directions to the Aldridge home.  Before day break the next morning, James was at the Moody place to buy a bushel of wheat.  He is said to have told Moody that "the cat was out of the bag at last."

Sometime between 1834 and 1836 A "fur peddler of the name of Price" had spotted Aldridge in Watauga Co.  On his return to "Big Sandy" [Kentucky, where the "real wife" had apparently relocated from Virginia] he told what he had discovered, precipitating her travel "on a fine horse" to Watauga in search of James Aldridge.

To me, this story seems a "stretch."  Given the perils of the time, a wife abandoned for some 15 years would probably have remarried within a few years, believing that her first husband had been killed.

The tale of the "real wife" is attributed by Arthur to Levi Coffey who was probably Levi Lafayette Coffey, a son of Elisha and Anna Harmon Moody Coffey.  Levi was born in Burke Co., NC c1833 and in Watauga by 1859 when he married Temperance "Tempie" Calloway, born c1844 to James and Nicey Gragg Calloway.

Anna Harmon Moody was the daughter of Edward and Frances Carter Moody. Both Edward and Frances were natives of Virginia and may have known James Aldridge prior to coming to Watauga Co.

In a footnote to this chapter, Arthur wrote:  "In his genealogical tour through Ashe in 1828, Dr. Elisha Mitchell speaks of a hunter living on the head of the Watauga River with the children of his real wife, who was then residing on the Big Sandy in Kentucky, and his own children by another woman with whom he was then living as his wife.  If this refers to James Aldridge, then Betsy Calloway had two children by him after his first wife appeared in the scene, for both Ben and Waightstill were born after 1828."*

I have not found an Aldridge in the 1840 or 1860 Watauga county census.  The 1850 census for that county enumerates Elizabeth Caloway [sic] with five children in her household:  Ellen, Emeline, Benjamin and Waightstill and William.  Within three doors of her residence was that of Harrison Aldridge.  William was not listed by Arthur as one of James' and Betsy's children.

Harrison married Jincy Clark c1845,  She was born c1827 in NC.  Harrison died on Jan. 11, 1905** in Watauga Co.  Together they raised at least nine children, one being Harrison, Jr., born Jul., 1864.  He married Mary Etta Buchanan c1886 and their son, Samuel Anthony Aldridge (1893-1966) married Lora Destomonia Coffey (1888-1967), a daughter of Joseph Reubin and Martha Elizabeth Gragg Coffey.

James Aldridge (1853-1939), another son of Harrison and Jincy, married Sarah Gragg, daughter of Johnson and Nancy Cuthbertson Gragg.  Their son, Arthur Blaine Aldridge (1884-1947) married Rosa Lee Coffey (1886-1946), a daughter of Jesse Filmore and Martha Storie Coffey.

Samuel Columbus Aldridge (1862-1941), a third son of Harrison and Jincy, married Margaret Buchanan c1884.  Their son, Horatio Acuff Aldridge (1891-1971) married Byrd Elizabeth "Birdie" Coffey on Feb. 19, 1913 in Watauga Co.

So, how does Levi Coffey relate to the Coffey women who married into the Aldridge clan?

To all three he was a double second cousin, twice removed; a fourth cousin once removed and a fifth cousin once removed.  They all descend from Edward and Ann Powell Coffey through their son John and his son Reuben who married Sarah Scott.


*According to ages given in 1850, Benjamin was born c1837 and Waightstill in c1842.  Mitchell wrote:
"In the neighborhood is a hunter who has two women living with him; to one of them he owes and to the other he graciously discharged the duties of a husband; one has 3 children, and the other one and another at hand. 'Tis a region for these irregularities. The Leather Stocking of these regions, and whom we would have had as a pilot, but that he is in the woods, has a wife living on Sandy River in Kentucky, and the children of that wife, and another woman living with him here on the Watauga."  Earlier in his writings on this topic, he wrote that he was heading for the cabin of "Leather Stocking Aldridge."  Leather Stocking seems to be a common term used in the day to describe hunters and woodsmen.


**Arthur wrote that "Harrison, in memory of a faithful dog which saved his life from wild hogs, had that dear friend buried on a ridge above the home of his son, James A. Aldridge, and requested that the be buried there also.  His tombstone, surrounded by a substantial stone wall, records the fact that he joined the Baptist Church October 22, 1870, and died January 11, 1905."

Rufus & Cordelia Jane Carroll Coffey

Front L-R: Martha, Rufus, Cordelia & Bernice
Rear L-R: James Fred, William Frank & Oma Anna

Rufus was a son of William Allen and Mary Wiseman Coffey.  He was born on Jan. 24, 1860 in Brumley, Miller Co., MO and died in Bristow, Creek Co., OK in 1931.  He and Cordelia were married in Missouri on Mar. 13, 1884.  Cordelia was born Dec. 10, 1863 in Macon Co., GA and died in Bristow in 1942.  They are both buried at Bristow city cemetery.

The children of Rufus and Cordelia were:

William Frank, born Apr. 4, 1885 in Camden Co., MO and died Mar. 31, 1966 in OK.  Frank married twice.  His first wife was Sarah Ellen Scott, born Feb. 4, 1888 in MO and died July 1, 1924 in Bristow.  They had two children together, Stella, born c1908 in MO and, Alice Jane, born Feb. 24, 1911 in Bristow.  Alice died at the age of 20 in Bristow and was buried there in the city cemetery.

Frank's second wife was Senith E. Johnson Kennedy, born Dec. 11, 1902 in OK.  In 1920 Senith and her brother Henry lived with her mother and step-father Jeff Turner in Bristow.  Senith was apparently married to a Mr. Kennedy shortly thereafter.  By 1926 she was married to Frank and so did not appear in the 1930 census as a Kennedy.  The 1930 census for Frank and Senith enumerated several children in the household:  Gordon, age 9 (born c1921); Bryce, age 7 (born c1923); John J., age 5 (born c1925) and Robert, 18 mos. (born c Aug., 1928).  It appears then from this record that the three eldest children were Kennedys while Robert was a Coffey.

 Not much has been yet discovered about the remaining children:

James Fred, born Apr. 2, 1889 in Camden Co.  He married Cora Faye Rhodes.  Of the two brothers, James is the only one for whom a WW1 draft registration has been found.  He registered in Copeland precinct, Gray Co., KS on Jun. 5, 1917.  Jeff was single and a self-employed farmer in Copeland.  He was described as being of medium build and height with blue eyes and black hair.  He was 28 years old, and gave his birth date as Apr. 2, 1889 in Toronto, MO.

Oma Anna, born Aug. 23, 1894 in Camden Co., married Ray Gustin.

Martha J., born Aug. 22, 1899 in Camden Co., died Apr. 24, 1984 in Creek Co.  She married James Floyd Webster, born Dec. 12, 1897, died Jun. 12, 1978 in Creek Co.  Both are buried at Bristow in the city cemetery.

Bernice Fanny, born Aug. 13, 1905 in Camden Co., died Sep. 18, 1983 in Creek Co.  She married Raymond L. Ramsey, born Apr. 17, 1902, died July 26, 1991.  Both are buried at Bristow in the city cemetery.

Much info is still needed: The burial place of James and his family as well as Oma Ann and her family is unknown. Neither do I have a complete list of all the grand children of Rufus and Cordelia.

Catherine Lawman Sandidge

Catherine Lawman Sandidge was the daughter of Samuel Lawman, born c1792 either in PA or VA.  Samuel often wavered between these two states in various census records.  Catherine was in the household with Samuel on Oct. 21, 1850 and again on July 12 1860 in Amherst Co.

We know that Catherine married Anderson Sandidge c1855.  She was named in the "Annual Report of the Department of Interior" 1926 as the wife of "Anderson Sandidge, first lieutenant, Tinsley's Company, Virginia Militia," and in the "Annual Report of the Commissioner of Pensions to the Secretary of the Interior" in 1924.

Another source, "Catalogue of the Officers and Alumni of The Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, 1749-1888 named Anderson Sandidge of Amherst County as "Captain, War of 1812; Farmer, Teacher, died 1859."

Catherine was identified In subsequent Amherst county census records; namely for Mildred and Daniel Rufus Coffey on Aug. 22, 1870 and widower Daniel on Jun. 24, 1880, and with Virginia on May 16, 1910 and again on Jan. 20, 1920, as mother and/or mother-in-law.

Mildred, born c1850 and Virginia, born Nov. 11, 1851 named John and Catherine Scott as their parents when they married brothers Daniel Rufus and William Henry Coffey in Amherst Co., VA on Apr. 6, 1868.

It has been reported in some well researched genealogies that both girls were illegitimate daughters of Catherine Lawman.  Other researchers have questioned whether or not the Catherine named in the marriage record was Catherine Lawman.

Both girls were in the household with Samuel Lawman in 1860 Amherst Co. along with Catherine, then Catherine Sandidge and her 2-year old son, Aman Sandidge.  As stated above, they each were married before the 1870 census was enumerated.

Census records prove that a John Scott was in Amherst county and was, in fact, a near neighbor of the Lawman family.  In 1850 he resided at dwelling/family 476 while the Samuel Lawman family was in the same district at family 510.  John was not married.

In 1860 Scott was dwelling 110/family 108, which seems to be a bit more distant from the Lawman family which was at dwelling 319/family 316.  It's difficult to judge distances when enumeration district maps are not readily available.  John was still unmarried.

The 1870 census enumeration found John living alone at dwelling 571/family 559 at Amherst Court House while Catherine, a widow, was residing with her daughter Mildred Coffey, wife of Daniel Rufus.

A marriage record for Catherine to John Scott has never been found.  We know that John had been married, but prior to 1850.  In census records from 1850 thru 1870 there was not a wife in his household. 

The girls were young, 18 and 16 respectively when they married, but it is obvious that either they, or someone who was confident of their parentage reported that John Scott was their father.

The conclusion then has to be that the girls, Mildred and Virginia, were the illegitimate daughters of Catherine Lawman Sandidge, both born prior to her marriage to Anderson Sandidge and were fathered by John Scott. 

Comments and other evidence gratefully accepted.  Contact me at the above e-mail address.

Thomas Coffey and Sarah Stokes

Marvin Coffey included Thomas and Sarah in his work on James Bluefield Coffey as a possible child of Reuben and Sarah "Sally" Scott Coffey.  He recognized that there was not complete agreement among Edward Coffey researchers that the children of Reuben and Sallly as listed in his work was accurate.

Recently, Sue Ikerd wrote to me that Thomas who married Sarah Stokes was actually Thomas Caffey, a descendant of Michael and Margaret Flowers Caffey.  Her contention was backed up with the following reasoning:

• Thomas's parents were born father Maryland, mother North Carolina, name usually spelled Caffey; named son Michael.
• Michael was born in Maryland; name usually spelled Caffey.
• Thomas's wife's mother was a Chilcuitt from Maryland.
• Hooper Caffey, grandson of Michael, married a Chilcuitt.
• John Stokes who married Jane Guerrin, was a brother of Sarah Stokes, wife of Thomas Caffey.
• Hooper Caffey was Bondsman for John Stokes and Jane Gerrin 1814.
• Thomas incurred debt to James Walker 1817 in Rockingham Co. NC (I have an original paper with this info and dates). Old family letter states family came to
• Tennessee in 1824 from North Carolina.
• Thomas lived in Guildford Co. North Carolina in 1821; appointed Brother-in-law James to recover the inheritance from deceased mother of Rockingham Co. NC.
• Stokes, Caffey's, McElroy's, Flacks, Patricks, Averetts, all lived in the same general area in Guilford Co. NC and are all connected by marriage. The June 23, 1804 will of Michael Caffey, probated Nov. 1810 in Rockingham Co.
• NC, lists wife Margaret, sons Michael, Robert, Thomas, John, and daughters Sophia, Mary, and Margaret.
• Executors were Wife Margaret and son John Witnesses were W. Payne, Waiter Good, and Charity Payne.

This information will not be updated in the on-line version of the Edward Coffey Project for reasons cited in previous blogs.  However, I will include this information in my master file and will be available on the Edward Coffey Project CD.  It has also been forwarded to Bonnie Culley for inclusion in her quarterly Coffey Cousins' Newsletter.

John Reuben and Malida Narcissa "Sis" Coffey Hayes

Just browsing my Ed Coffey Project files this morning and stumbled upon this family.  Reuben and "Sis" had at least 12 children, all born between 1876 and 1899, and from Tennessee to Missouri.

One of the children that I was digging around for was Agnes, born Jan. 12, 1895.   She was the tenth of the twelve.  Depending on which census record you believe, she was either born  in Arkansas or Missouri.  She died Jul. 10, 1978 in Snohomish Co., WA. 

Agnes married Andrew Jackson Franks, born Jan. 31, 1885 in Arkansas.  I have not found a marriage date for them, but they probably wed around 1915 or so.  As best as I can determine, they had only one child, Geraldine R., born c1918 in Washington state, and died there in 2007.  According to one report that I found, she was married to a Mr. Tackett.

Andrew registered for the draft in Everett, Snohomish Co. on Sep. 12, 1918.  At that time he described himself as having a slender build and of medium height.  He had blue eyes and black hair.  Andrew was employed as a laborer by the Wearhouser [sic] [Weyerhauser] mill in Everett.  He and Agnes resided at 3121 Broadway in that town.  In the 1920 and 1930 census records they were still residing in Snohomish Co.  In 1930 Andrew as a hod carrier* for a plaster company.

John Reuben Hayes was the son of Harmon and Martha Long Hayes.  "Sis" was the daughter of William Wesley and Gelina E. Shouse Coffey.  The Coffey line goes back to Edward through Cleveland and his wife Susan Hayes; Jesse and Margaret Edmisten Coffey;  Reuben and Sally Scott Coffey; John and Jane Graves Coffey.

Please leave a comment, or e-mail me with any corrections or additions.

*Most readers will know what a Hod is but, for those who don't, it is a three sided box used to haul bricks and/or mortar to bricklayers.  If Andrew worked for a company applying plaster he would likely have carried that material in a hod box.  A hod carrier is usually referred to as a "hoddie."  The term may be somewhat obsolete today.

James David Coffey

James David Coffey was born Nov. 2, 1837 in Monroe Co., IN and died Mar. 3, 1899 in Owen Co., IN. He was a son of Archelaus & Rachael Wilson Coffey; Archelaus a son of James D. and Hannah Alloway Strange Coffey.

James was the second child and first son born to Archelaus and Rachel. He married (date not known) Martha Jane Coffey, a daughter of Isom and Martha Smock Coffey.


Martha was born Jan. 2, 1841 in Monroe Co., IN and died in Owen Co., IN on March 26, 1899. She and James were second cousins, both descended from Reuben and Sarah (Sally) Scott Coffey.

James and Martha had at least two children: John, born c1863 of which nothing more is known. Their second child was Rosa Etta, born Mar. 8, 1868, died Mar. 22, 1920.


Rosa Etta married James Abraham Pauley, born Jun. 15, 1861 in Monroe Co., IA, and died on Sep. 30, 1943 in Albia, Monroe Co. He was the son of Solomon P. and America Smock Pauley. They had three children, one of which died young. The other two were daughters, Doris, born c1901 and Margery, born c1905.

James and Rosa are buried in Hickory Grove cemetery, Monroe county, Iowa.

James' father, Archelaus, was a native of Wilkes Co. in North Carolina who came to Monroe Co., IN with his parents in 1834. He lived there until 1860 when he moved to Owen Co. He and Rachel were married in Ashe Co., NC in 1834, the year the family departed for Indiana. For more information about Archelaus see Tales of Pioneers: History of Owen County, Indiana, Vol. II published by the Spencer, IN Chamber of Commerce in 1963.

The photographs and updated birth, marriage and death dates for the James David Coffey family are courtesy of Roxanna Crail, a great-granddaughteer of Rosa Etta Coffey Pauley.

William Fine Coffey (1830-1864)

Update Jan. 17, 2015. Some changes are highlighted, others are not.

---

William was born Jan. 28, 1830 to the union of Calvin and Elizabeth Fine Coffey. Calvin was a son of Nathan and Elizabeth Gilbreath Coffey. Nathan is in the Chesley Coffey, Jr. line.

Priscilla Howard, born 1826 in Mount Pleasant, Maury Co., TN, married William Fine on Dec. 24, 1850* in Maury Co. William died Aug. 24, 1864 in Mount Pleasant, and Priscilla on Aug. 17, 1899 in Farmersville, Collin Co., TX. William is said to have been the victim of an ambush before leaving Tennessee**. He is buried in the Howard Cemetery in Maury Co. Priscilla is thought to be buried in the IOOF cemetery in Farmersville.

Photo Courtesy of Melonie Masih

She and William were the parents of at least six children:

Calvin Jefferson, born in Maury Co. on Aug. 27, 1851, died Dec. 19, 1906 in Farmersville and was buried at the IOOF in Farmersville.  His wife was Frances Hinton.  They were married c1876.  They had two children but, only one survived to the 1900 census.  She was Sallie Bell, born in Oct., 1881 at Maury Co.

Equilla Howard, born Oct. 2, 1856 in Maury Co., died Jul. 30, 1920 in Farmersville. He married Margaret (Maggie) Elizabeth Scott - date unknown - who was born Jul. 27, 1857 in Mount Pleasant, Maury Co., TN, daughter of William Scott and a Miss Walker. Maggie died in McKinney, Collin Co. on Mar. 16, 1937. The only census record that I can find for them is dated Jan. 22, 1920, just a few months before Equilla died. Equilla is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Farmersville; Maggie is also buried there, Collin Co.   They had at least three children:  Tennee, female, born c1877; Hattie D., born c1879 and Herchel Alexander, born 1888.

Isaac Fountain, born Aug. 10, 1857 in Maury Co., TN and died Nov. 26, 1927 in Farmersville. He married Martha Asia Wilcoxson on Jan. 8, 1880 in Collin Co. Martha was born Jan. 27, 1858 in Tennessee and died Apr. 2, 1947 in Collin Co. Together they had at least five children: Ada, born Apr. 1881; Will T., born May, 1883; Dessie, born May, 1887; Emer, born Sep., 1889; and Emmet, born c1894. Emmet married Eva Carver, and had at least one child, a son named Gordon Phillips Coffey, born c1923. Isaac and Martha are buried in the IOOF cemetery at Farmersville.

William Daniel, born May 8, 1860 in Mount Pleasant, married Mary Alice Wilcoxson, likely a sister to Martha who married Isaac, on Aug. 20, 1882 in Farmersville, Collin Co. Mary Alice was born Jul. 15, 1865 in Farmersville, and died Apr. 3, 1954 in Victoria, Victoria Co., TX. They were the parents of nine children:

Webb Granville., born May. 28, 1883, died Apr. 19, 1929 in an automobile accident in Wharton, Wharton Co., TX. Webb's death certificate indicates that he was married at the time of death. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria.*

Lottie Viola, born Jun. 22, 1886 in Farmersville, died Oct. 8, 1966 in Victoria Co.. Lottie married Dave Byrd Yeary on Jan. 16, 1907 in Collin Co. Lottie died of acute myocardial failure and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria.

Clara Gertrude, born Feb. 6, 1888, died of sarcomatosis on Jul. 24, 1950 in Victoria Co. She married Herbert Edgar Evans on Jun. 2, 1906 in Farmersville. Clara is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria.

Pearl Drusilla, born Oct. 26, 1892 in Farmersville, and died there on Nov. 26,1893

Stella Eudora, born Jun. 29, 1896 at Farmersville, died Jun. 28, 1994 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino Co., CA.  She was returned to Victoria, TX for burial in the Evergreen Cemetery.  She was married to a Mr. Skinner but I have found no information for him.

Thadius Elmo, born Apr. 19, 1900, married Ruth Crawford and had at least one child, a daughter named Eleanor, born c1922.  Thadius died in MS in Mar., 1967 and was returned to Mission Valley in Victoria Co., TX for burial in the Mission Valley Community cemetery.  Nothing is yet know of Ruth.  They had at least three children:; Thad, Jr., Eleanor and William Stark.

Mary Prucilla or Pricilla, born Jul. 19, 1903, died May 20, 1998 at Goliad in Goliad Co., TX and buried at Memory Gardens in Victoria, Victoria Co.  She married a Mr. Jacobs but nothing yet known of him.

Jack Daniel, born Oct. 17, 1906 in Collin Co.  He married Dorothy Heinke c1929. Dorothy was the daughter of Arthur and Maggie Wilden Heinke. She was born Sep. 7, 1908 in Victoria, and died of Uremia on Sep 19, 1953. She is buried in Catholic Cemetery No. 3 in Victoria along with Jack who died in Oct., 1984.  They were parents of at least three:  Jack Arthur, 1931-2005; Carolyne Sue, 1935-?; and James Ross, born 1936.  Jack Arthur married Patricia Ann Everton and they had at least three children: Deborah Sue, Daniel Ross and Michael Harold.

Franklin Penn, born Feb., 1862, married Mollie Brewer in 1884 in Farmersville. Mollie was born in Apr., 1866 in Alabama. They had at least six children: Clovie, born Mar., 1886; Roy F., born Jan., 1888, married Mary Jones; Mamie, born Feb., 1891; Raymond, born Mar., 1896; William H., born c1903; and Mary Frances, born c April, 1910.  Frank died in 1956 in Fort Worth and was buried at Vernon in Wilbarger Co., TX.  Mollie died in 1945 in Vernon.  Both she and Frank are buried at Eastview cemetery in Vernon.

Please send additions and/or corrections welcomed.

---

Update Mar. 14, 2012

According to his death certificate, Webb Granville Coffey's given name was Webb.  I have seen other genealogies that report his call name was "Wibb" or "Wibbie."

His wife, Katherine Agnes Hartsell was the daughter of James Joseph and Henrietta Whitmarsh Hartsell, already married emigrants from England in 1871.  The couple seems to have first settled in MS because I find them in 1880 living in Yalobusha Co., MS.  Four of their six known [to me] children were born in MS; the last two in TX.  In addition to Katherine, there was W. J., born c1875; Charlotte H., born May 1878; Lily, born Feb., 1891.  Texas born children were John Joseph, born Jan., 1893 and Walter J., born Aug., 1894.

Katherine's death certificate reports she was born Oct. 25, 1885 in Jackson, Hinds Co., MS and, died May 13, 1964 in Victoria.  She is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria.  Until Apr. 11, 1930 Katherine was still a widow residing in Victoria.  Sometime after that she married a Mr. Holland who also preceded her in death.  I hope to find out who Mr. Holland was from the soon-to-be-released 1940 census.

James Joseph Hartsell died in Victoria, Victoria Co., TX on Aug. 22, 1941 and is buried at Farmersville in Collin Co., TX.  I have not found a death record or burial site for Henrietta.  According to his death certificate, James was born in London on Nov. 24, 1849 and was a retired horticulturist at the time of death.

Katherine's son, Lawrence Granville Coffey, born Nov. 19, 1905, was married to Issetta [sic] Marie Hadley and were the parents of at least three children:  Beverly, Sandra and Robert Lawrence.  I have not found any information pertaining to her daughter, Ruth Agnes Coffey.

William Daniel and Mary Alice Wilcoxson Coffey had at least two additional children: James Ross, born Dec. 11, 1894 in Collin Co., died unmarried on Oct. 16, 1970 in Travis Co., TX. and Edith, born c1904 in Collin Co.

Thadius Elmo and wife Ruth Crawford had at least two additional children:  Thad, Jr., born 1921 and William Start, born 1929.

This family are descendants of the mythical Chesley Coffey.

---

* Update May 5, 2015: The informant on his death certificate was his brother Thadius, who apparently gave the name Webb to authorities.  Of course, dialect could have been at play here.  The news item announcing his death names him "Webb."  His headstone reads "Wibb,"  Melonie Williams-Masihm whose grandmother was Webb/Wibb's sister, writes today that the family Bible names him Wibb and that his daughter Ruth, told others at a Coffey family reunion "a number of years ago" that his name was Wibb.

This would be a good time to find a birth certificate.

---

*Elmer C. Gilbreath, compiler, Coffee - Gilbreath - Turnbow Families (Oklahoma City, OK: (Reprint) Gene Brewington from microfilm in LDS Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Orig. Pub. 1958)

[This source gives bride's name as Driscilla Homan. It is likely incorrect. William is known to have had only one wife, Priscilla Howard]

**Howard Cemetery, Enterprise, Maury County Tennessee, online [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~maury/cemetery/HowardCem/Coffey01.htm],

COFFEY, William F., 28 Jan 1830 - Killed 24 Aug 1864. " by Major Howell and Sam Morrow two "local self styled Federals", Mason. (Co. B, 48th Term., C. S. A., married Priscilla Howard on 24 Dec 1850, She was the daughter of Willoughby & Frances [Cochran] Howard). Pricilla removed with her family of six or so children to Collin County, Texas where she lived there with her family until her death in 1899. Photo & info by Wayne Austin 4/10/04.

Reuben and Mary Jane Coffey Dellinger

Update 2-28-2011:  Sevina W. Dellinger and Eugenia Lavinia (Genie) Dellinger are the same person. I mistook an S for an L in the 1860 census. Thanks to Lloyd Coffey for pointing this out.

---

Reuben Dellinger was born Oct. 20, 1920 in Lincoln Co., NC, the son of Henry and Katherine Setzer Dellinger. Reuben was a brother to Elkanna Dellinger, born c1818, died 1865, who married Elizabeth (Betty) Godsey of Rockingham Co., NC.

Mary Jane Coffey was the daughter of Jesse and Margaret Edmiston (var.), born Oct. 19, 1827 in Caldwell Co., NC and died Apr. 11, 1859 in Yancey Co., NC. I have not found a marriage date for them, but it was likely c1846 as their first child was born in December of 1847.

Mary's father was a son of Reuben and Sarah (Sally) Scott Coffey; her mother a daughter of William Harrison and Mary Suddreth Edmiston. Reuben was a son of John and Jane Graves Coffey.

Children of Reuben and Mary Jane Coffey Dellinger were:

James Pinkney Dellinger, born Dec. 31, 1847, died Jun. 21, 1896. He married his first cousin, Mary Frances Dellinger on Aug. 24, 1872. Mary Frances was the daughter of Elkanna and Betty Godsey Dellinger. James and Mary's children were (as I have them) Astor Jane, born May 25, 1882, died Feb. 10, 1963 who married her distant cousin, Julius Adore Coffey. The second child of James and Mary was Fannie Mae, born May 3, 1884 and died Oct. 26, 1966 in Watauga Co., NC. Fannie married her first cousin, Leason Elkanah Gragg, a son of David Obadiah and Frances Dellinger Gragg.

Elkana Hunter Dellinger, born c1850 - no other information.

David R. P. Dellinger, born c1853 - no other information.

Melvin William Dellinger, born Sep. 24, 1855 - no other information.

Eugenia Lavinia (Genie) Dellinger, born 1857, died 1897, married her first cousin, Julius Calvin Coffey, a son of Zacheus (Zack) and Margaret (Granny Peggy) Coffey Coffey. They had at least eight children: Mary Adalaide, born c1880; Rachel Carathia, born Oct. 20, 1882, died Feb. 22, 1972; Reuben Zachariah, born Jun. 15, 1884, died Jun. 12, 1961; Serena Leantine, born Apr. 1887; Julius C., born May, 1889; Flavah M., born Dec., 1890; Nora Celia, born 1882, died Feb. 22, 1951; and Zack, no dates.

Sevina W. Dellinger, born c1858 - no other information.

For most of their lives Reuben and Mary Jane lived and raised their children in Watauga Co. (1850 and 1860 census). I understand that Reuben was buried in Mitchell Co., NC. Mary Jane died as a result of being crushed while grinding corn at Reuben's mill.

The following is from Toe River Valley Heritage - North Carolina, Vol. 1, Page 193:

"Kathy Gunter Sullivan writes that according to David Dellinger's," (sic) [I believe "Bible" is the missing word] "his mother Mary Jane (Coffey) died on 4/11/1859. The circumstances of her death appear in a personal journal kept by Jacob ("Uncle Jake") Carpenter. Though Mr. Carpenter's recollection of the date differs from the Bible entry, the indelible horror of that day is easily imagined. Here is Mr. Carpenter's account: "1859. Mary Dilinger ag 49 was cilde in mill her tress was cot rond shaf and mashed flat gin trane she lay 3 ours in mill for was fond Jun 11 I holp pol out Jacob Carpenter." The version in modern spelling and punctuation, reads: "Mary Dellinger, aged 49 (actual age was 31), was killed in a mill; her dress was caught round the shaft and she was mashed flat by the gin (engine) in the trane (drain/channel). She lay three hours in the mill before she was found, June 11 (actually April). I helped pull her out. (signed) Jacob Carpenter.

"Mary Jane's broken body was laid to rest in the Methodist churchyard adjacent to the graves of Reuben's parents. One family tradition is that her tombstone was erected by son David Dellinger after he became an adult, and there it stands: Mary J., wife of Reuben Dellinger, died April 11, 1859, aged 31 y, 5m, 12d.

"David Dellinger spoke of his mother to his grandchildren, who report: "Grandpa said he was only six years old when his Mother was killed in a mill, but he remembered how she would pick him up and carry him to the house when he would follow her to the mill barefooted" (Ruth Dellinger Lamkin). He recalled, too, how his Aunt Katherine (Dellinger) Carpenter had gathered Mary Jane's five bereft children into her own large brood and had mothered them along with her own."

[Update Jul. 5, 2007: Check out the Dellinger Grist Mill website]

Cuba Monroe and Minnie Elsie Suddreth Coffey

Minnie, a daughter of James Walter and Pearl Raby Suddreth, was born may 14, 1911 in Caldwell Co., NC. She married Cuba Monroe Coffey c1930 and passed away Apr. 4, 2006 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.

Cuba was a son of John Sherman and Buena Vista Coffey Coffey. John and Buena Vista were distant cousins with common links to Joseph and Isabella Lindsay Coffey, and Reuben and Sarah Scott Coffey. Cuba was born in Jan., 1910 in Caldwell Co., and died in that county in 1955.

The union of Cuba and Minnie produced seven children:

Mabel Audry, born 1931, died 1941
James Cuba (Jim), born 1932, died Aug. 30, 2003
Sarah Jane, born 1935, died 1950
Mary Alice, born 1937
Nellie, born 1939
Harvey, born 1941
Richard, birthdate not found

Sometime after Cuba died Minnie married for a second time; this time to Haywood Clay, Sr. Haywood was born May 13, 1907 in North Carolina and died Nov. 22, 1982 in Catawba Co., NC.


Obituary, The News-Topic, Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC, Thur., Apr. 13, 2006

Elsie Clay

Elsie Suddreth Coffey Clay, 94, of Rocky Rd., Lenoir, passed away Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at Gateway Nursing Center.

She was born May 14, 1911 in Caldwell County to the late Walter Suddreth and Pearl Raby Suddreth. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her first husband, Cuba M. Coffey and her second husband, Haywood Clay Sr.; one son, James M. Coffey and two daughters, Sarah Jean Coffey and Mabel Coffey.

Mrs. Clay was a homemaker and a member of Edgemont Baptist Church.

Survivors include a son, Richard (Dick) Coffey of Alamonte Springs, Fla.; three daughters, Mary A. Brantley of Eustis, Fla., Nell C. Penley and Judy Phillips both of Lenoir, N.C.; two brothers, J.P. Suddreth of Lenoir, N.C., Earl Suddreth of Beckley, W.Va., two sisters Lena Crisp of Lenoir, Lois Scarboro of Raeford, N.C.; 15 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 7, 2006 at 11 a.m. at the Roseborough Cemetery in Avery County with the Rev. Richard Yount officiating.

The family will receive friends at Pendry's Funeral Home today, April 6, 2006 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and all other times at the home of Judy C. Phillips, 2491 Clay Dr., Lenoir, NC 28645. There will be a closed casket.

Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Memorials, in addition to flowers, may be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, NC 28645.

Please send additions and/or correction to me.