Nathaniel Hayes & Louisa Jane Ellis Coffey

Nathaniel Hayes & Louisa Jane Ellis were married on Feb. 28, 1854* in Rowan Co., KY.  His marriage records his name as Hays and omitted Nathaniel.  In a few census records he was enumerated as Hays, or a variant thereof, and in others he was Nathaniel H.  In 1860 he was enumerated as Hayse Coffey, Jr.

His father was John Hayes Coffey and his mother was Mary "Polly" Burkett who were married on Feb. 7, 1815 in Staunton, VA.**  John was born in Wilkes Co., NC in 1793 and Polly was a native of VA, born there c1798.

Louisa was born in Dec., 1836 in KY to Clayton and Martha Ellis.

Hayes and Louisa became parents of 14 children, all born in Russell Co.***  It appears that less than half of them lived to adulthood.   Their first four children, all daughters, failed to survive.  Mary J. was born on Aug. 1, 1855; Emma E., born Apr. 22, 1857; and Martha A., born Dec. 16, 1858, did not appear in the 1860 census.  Amanda Frances, born Jul. 20, 1860 died on Oct. 3, 1861.

The first to survive to adulthood was Francis Wolford "Frank," born Mar. 11, 1862, died Dec. 18, 1940 at St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO.  His wife was Hannah Frances Sharp and they were married c1883.  He is buried at St. Joseph Memorial Park Cemetery in Buchanan Co.  Frances was born Jul. 24, 1859 in Russell Co., and died Nov. 9,1936 in Washington Twp., Buchanan Co.  She is also buried at St. Joseph.

Elijah Grant Coffey

Elijah Grant was born Aug. 27, 1864 and died on Oct. 10,1940 in Russell Co.  He married three times, first to Martha Shearer in about 1884.  She was born c1867, died c1889.  Two children, Florence Jane (1887-1951) and Ella (1889-1924) were born to this union.  It appears from death dates that Martha died giving birth to Ella, or shortly thereafter.

The second wife was Marticia Kimber, daughter of William and Martha Kimber.  She was born in Nov.,1867 and died c1904 in Russell Co.  They were married c1891.  Five additional children were born:  John B., born Jun., 1892; Bertha, born Mar. 17, 1894, died Feb. 4, 1942 at Creelsboro; Exra, born Sep., 1895; Warren, born Sep., 1899 and Thadeus, born c1903.  It appears that Marticia also died shortly after giving birth to the last child.

Elijah's third wife was Ida A. Antle, born Jul., 1873 to Jacob and Elizabeth Hammond Antle.  They were married very shortly after Marticia died but the first child I find for them wasn't born until c1910.  Perhaps there were earlier births that did not survive.  Those I know of were Lizzie, born c1910; Nettie, born c1912; Bessie, born c1913 and Josie, born c1915.

Elijah is buried at Kerns Cemetery in Russell Springs, Russell Co.  I have not found death dates or burial sites for his three wives.

Following Elijah was Nancy Ellen, born Feb. 8,1866, died Mar 8, 1918 in Russell Springs.  I do not believe she ever married and at death was buried at Crocus in Adair Co.  Two more daughters followed Nancy:  Ruth J., born c1868 and Rosetta, born c1870.  I have found no additional information on these two girls.

Josephus was next born on Jul. 2, 1870.  He died on Oct. 18, 1936 in Russell Co. and was buried at the Holt Cemetery in Russell Springs.  I know only that his wife was Bertha, as given on his death certificate.

Fielding followed Josephus on Jun. 21, 1873, died Jun. 2, 1957 in Berea, Madison Co., KY.  His wife was Delia, born Jun. 2, 1877, died Oct. 17, 1910.  Both are buried at Kerns.

There are birth records for two unnamed males born to "N. H. Coffey" and "L. J. Ellis."  The first record reports the birth of an unnamed male on Dec. 5, 1875 in Russell Co. and, the second of an unnamed male on Dec. 8, 1875 in Adair Co.  This is somewhat confusing for me because I can't imagine that the family would move at such a time in their life.  Louisa reported in 1910 that she had given birth to 14 children and, without both of these unnamed children, her total would have instead been 12 births.

The 14th child born to Hays and Louisa was Harlan on Mar. 15, 1877.  His wife was Larcy or Lorcy E., last name unknown, who was born on Jun. 18, 1882 in KY.  They were married there c1898.  Children I have for them are: Frank, c1902; Sammy, c1905; Alma, c1906; Ruth, c1908; Rufus, c1915 and Carrie, c1917, all in Russell Co.  Harlan died on Jun. 27, 1945 in Jamestown, Russell Co.  Larcy's death date has not been found.  Harlan and his wife are buried at the Lawless Cemetery, just outside of Jamestown.

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*"Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979, 1839-1960," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/.
**Lyman Chalkley, Compiler, Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia: Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, 3 Vols (Rosslyn, VA: The Commonwealth Printing Co., 1912), [Chalkley is probably incorrect.  There is a marriage record for this couple in Botetourt Co. for same date.  See Virginia Historic Marriage Register by John Vogt and T. William Kethley, Jr., 1984]
***The Family appeared in every available Federal census for Russell Co. from 1860-1900

Lorenzo and Eliza Corder Coffey

Lorenzo was born c1832 in North Carolina to Larkin and Catherine H. Wilson Coffey.  Not too much info has been found for Lorenzo.

Eliza Corder, born c1830 in Indiana, was a daughter of John Candler and Martha "Patsy" Allen Corder.  Patsy's parents were David and Elizabeth "Betsy" Coffey Allen.  Betsy was a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Smith Coffey; Thomas being a son of John and Jane Graves Coffey.  Another son of David and Betsy, John Allen married Eliza Coffey, a daughter of John Franklin and Hannah Wilson Coffey.  John Franklin was also a son of Thomas and Elizabeth Smith Coffey.

Lorenzo and Eliza had at least two children; Wayland E. or Waland, born Dec., 1854 in Indiana and, Nora E., born 1878 in Indiana.

Wayland married Clara Risdon on Dec. 22, 1875 in Owen Co., IN.  Clara was the daughter of James and Ellen Risdon who emigrated to New York as a family from England on Jun. 3, 1858 aboard the Ocean Monarch.  Although Clara always claimed to have been born in England, and was born some two years before their arrival, she was not found on the passenger list with her parents.

Clara and Wayland had at least three children:  Norman L., born Apr., 1877, Nora E., born Nov., 1878 and, Iva A., born Jan., 1888. 

Norman married Estella M. Dowell on Feb. 3, 1900 in Owen Co., IN.  Their children were:  Lawrence, born c1902; Loyd F., born c1904; and Arthur, born c1906.  All were born in Indiana.

Nora married Alva Preston Christy c1903 in Indiana.  Alva was born in Nov., 1872 in Indiana and had been previously married to Essie Sharp c1892 in Indiana.  Essie gave birth to one son, Clyde Wallace Christie and apparently died at or shortly after his birth. On Jun. 9, 1900 Alva was a widower with one child, Clyde Wallace Christy, born Aug., 1893.  Both resided in the household with Essie's parents, George Parks and Martha S. Allen Sharp and was enumerated as their son-in-law and grandson, respectively.  With Nora, Alva fathered at least two additional children:  Corliss W., born c1904 and Clara Faye, born c1909, both in Indiana.

I have no information on the child Iva A.  She appeared with the family in the census of 1900 as a 12-yr old female, born in Jan., 1888.

Many of these families and their descendants are buried at the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Ellettsville, Monroe Co., IN.

I would like to have more information about this family, and especially Lorenzo and his Corder wife. I need to know when and where they died, and perhaps where they are buried.

Please drop me a note if you can help!

William M. Coffey and Martha Jane Sharpe

Continuing a bit with the family of Annie Lou Coffey who married Horry Thomas Austin:

Annie's father was William M. Coffey, born Dec. 1, 1855 in Buffalo Creek, a part of Wilkes Co., NC that later became Caldwell Co.  He was a son of William, Jr. and wife Margaret Robbins Coffey.  Annie's mother was Martha Jane Sharp, a daughter of James and Mary Ann Luellan Sharp and found in the upper division of Wilkes Co., NC in 1860.

The children of William and Martha Jane Sharp Coffey were:

Millard Cicero, born Feb. 1879, Caldwell Co., died Feb. 4, 1962 in Gastonia, Gaston Co., NC.  He is buried at Gaston Memorial Park in Gastonia.  Millard married Fannie Davis c1898 and together they had at least four children:  Purnell; Michael Luther; Clinard Yates; and Millard Reeves.

Richard Andrew, born May 16, 1880 in Caldwell Co., died Jan. 8, 1954 in Lincolnton Twp., Lincoln Co., NC.  He married Edna Laura McFadden c1907.  She was born Jul 13, 1887 in Rutherford Co., NC and died Aug. 30, 1967 in Hickory, Catawba Co.  Her parents were John W. and Regina Dellinger McFadden.  Richard and Edna are buried at River View Cemetery in Lincolnton.  Their children were William Glen; Dennis Dixon; Mary Lou; Alice; and Claude Wilson.

James Thomas, born Sep. 18, 1881 in Caldwell Co., died Apr. 10, 1962 in Lincolnton.  He married Celia Hix c1912.  She was born c1890 in NC and died before 1930.  He is buried at River View.  Children were Pervey; Vance, Juanita and one unnamed child.

Jesse Lawrence, born Jun. 19, 1883 in Lincoln Co., died Dec. 6, 1942 in Patterson Twp., Caldwell Co.  He married c1905 Estelle Virginia "Stella" Austin, a daughter of George Thomas and Sarah Isabell Simmons Austin.  Stella was born Mar. 31, 1883 in Patterson Twp., and died Sep. 24, 1959 in Lenoir.  Both are buried at the Yadkin Baptist Church cemetery in Lenoir.  Children were:  Floyd Jasper; Annie Lee; Carson A.; Carl; Esther Ruth; Geneva and Vurley L.

Bessie followied Annie Lou.  She was born in Feb., 1892 and married James Marvin Laney c1907.  Their children were Laurence; Lavonia; W. Blair; and Floyd Dure.

Bertha M., born Jul. 29, 1893 in Lincolnton, died there on Mar. 1, 1974.  She married Edward Brown.  I know of only one child, Helen, born c1918.  Bertha is buried at Southside Baptist Church cemetery in Lincolnton.

Gertrude G., born Apr., 1896 and Ruth E., born Nov., 1898.  I have not yet found any marriage or family information for these two daughters.

Please drop me a note if you can add to or correct any of this information.