Morgan M. & Nancy Day Mays

Morgan M. Mays was born c1819 in North Carolina and died in that state c1849.  His spouse, Nancy Day, was born there in Mar., 1818  and died there c1900.  In 1880 and 1900 she lived with her children; first with daughter Sarah and her husband, James Bartlett Robbins in the Blue Ridge Twp., and later with her daughter Martha, widow of Wiley Hamby.

Nancy and Morgan were parents of at least five children (per 1900 census) but I have only three:  Martha J., John Larkin and Sarah.

Martha married Wiley Hamby, born c1836 in NC and had at least one child, a daughter named Lucinda, born c1859 in Caldwell Co.  In 1860¹, Wiley and his family lived at Fort Defiance in the Buffalo District of Caldwell Co.  He apparently died during the Civil War because he never appears again in any census.

John Larkin was born in Caldwell Co. in 1843² and married Nancy Jane Cozart on May 23, 1866³ in that county.  Nancy was born Dec. 7, 1843 and died Feb. 17, 1915 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co.  Both she and John are buried at the now abandoned Mays Cemetery at Buffalo Cove.†

Their children were:

William M., born c1866
John Larkin, Jr., born May 22, 1869, died Feb. 29, 1936 at Neva in Johnson Co., TN
Columbus F., born c May 1870, at Patterson, Buffalo Twp.
Sarah C., born there c1873
Mary J., also born there in c1876; Julia, born there c1878, and
Burton, born Jun., 1881

John, Jr. is the only one for whom I have descendants.  He married Margaret V. (Virginia?) "Maggie" Coffey in Caldwell Co. in 1891‡.  Maggie was a daughter of Smith W. and Charity Elizabeth Redmond.

Laurence Coffey in his book gave her name as Elizabeth Baker Redmond.  However, in an e-mail to me in 2007, Carolyn Curtis wrote:

Elizabeth was born 6/25/1836 and died 5/20/1912. She was not married prior to her marriage to Smith Coffey on June 25, 1854 (that was her 18th Birthday). According to the Caldwell County Court of Pleas and Quarter Session, Volume II – January Term 1848, Elizabeth, an orphan child of 11 years of age, was bound to Lucinda Baker (that is where the Baker name originated) until age 18, at which time she was give her freedom, $6.00, a new suit of clothes, a bible and she was to be taught to read and write.

So, we still do not know where the Redmond surname came from, but I have "heard" speculation that she could have been Indian, hence "Red man."  In any event, Maggie was their fifth child and third daughter.

Maggie and John Larkin had at least six children:

Nancy E., born Oct., 1892
James Thomas, born Apr. 29, 1894, died Nov. 17, 1961 in Asheville, Buncombe Co., NC
An unnamed child born Dec. 21, 1897, died Dec. 25, 1897
Winford John, born Dec., 1898
Pearl M., born c1901
Oscar L., born c1904

John Thomas married Waudie Brazil Brewer, a daughter of Emanuel (or Manuel, found both ways) Brewer and Lydia A. "Liddy" Shook.  They were married in Watauga Co. on Dec. 22, 1917.  James Died Nov. 17, 1961 in Asheville and Waudie died there on Oct. 12, 1989.  They are buried at the Mars Hill cemetery in Madison Co., NC.  I know of one child, a daughter Helen Bonita, born Jul. 23, 1922.

John and Maggie are buried at the Coffey Cemetery in Shulls Mill, Watauga Co.   Coffey Cemeteries in NC and especially in Caldwell Co. are numerous.  I believe this one is located on the Old Turnpike Road (State Road 1568) near the present day Hounds Ears Club.

I would be interested in learning who the other children of John and Maggie married.

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¹1860 Caldwell Co., Buffalo Dist., Fort Defiance PO, Page 138, dwelling 1049, family 979, W. A. Hamby, age 24, male, farmer, $20, born NC; Jane, age 19, female, born NC; Lucinda, age 1, female, born NC
²Caldwell Co. Birth Register, Book 13, Page 252
³Caldwell Co. Marriage Register, Book 3, Page 169
†Copies of death certificates in my possession
‡Caldwell Co. Marriage Register, Book 9, Page 57
Other sources: Headstone photographs and census records

Jesse Calton & Julia Elizabeth Hollifield Coffey

Jesse Calton was born Mar. 27, 1867 at Coffey's Gap in Watauga Co., NC to George Washington "Wash" and Matilda "Tilda" Coffey Coffey.  Wash was the son of William Clayton and Sarah Greene Coffey while Tilda was the daughter of Jesse Calton and Nancy A. Raines Coffey.  William was uncle to Jesse, their common ancestor being Jesse and Margaret Edmisten Coffey.

Julia Hollifield was born Mar. 31, 1873 in Watauga Co. and died Jul. 11, 1957 in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co.  She and Jesse were married May 7, 1892 in Watauga Co.  Her parents were Wiley and Mary Ann "Annie" Reid Hollifield.  Another daughter, Flora Ellen Hollifield married Reuben Finley Coffey on Dec. 14, 1893 in Caldwell Co.

Jesse and Julia were parents of at least nine children:

George Wiley, born Mar. 20, 1890, died Jan. 25, 1948 in Wilkes Co.  He married Ida Belle Norman on Apr. 11, 1912 and they were parents of at least nine children.  Ida was born in 1886 in Lenoir and died there in 1974.

Charles Alexander "Charlie" was born Jul. 2, 1894 in Caldwell Co., and died May 17, 1966 in Lenoir.  He married Julia Evelyn Knight on Sep. 4, 1915 in Watauga Co.  Julia was born Sep. 13, 1896 and died Jan. 21, 1981.  They were also parents of at least nine children.

Annie, born Feb. 16, 1896, died Jul. 4, 1976. No other information.

Thomas Leroy "Tom", born Oct. 13, 1898, died Feb. 11, 1974 in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co.  Tom married Alice Sanders on Jul 19, 1919 in Watauga Co.  She was the daughter of Eve and Emma Sumlin Sanders of Caldwell Co.  Alice died Feb. 24, 1962 in Blowing Rock.  They were also parents of at least nine children.

Ella, born Feb. 22, 1901, died Jul. 15, 1983 in Morganton, Burke Co., NC.  Ella married a Mr. Smith.  No other information.

Rev. Harley Clint, born Jul. 11, 1903 in Upton, Caldwell Co., died Mar. 5, 1972 in Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., NC.  He married twice, first to Dovie "Texie" Bolick on May 8, 1927 in Watauga Co., and second to Myrtle Thelma Andrews on Nov. 20, 1930 in Winston-Salem.  I know of only one child, a daughter Claudine, born to his union with Myrtle.  Texie died of dysentery after a little over a year of marriage, on Jun. 16, 1928.  Myrtle, a daughter of William M. and Manarky Victoria Shook Andrews died Nov. 13, 1979 in Valdese, Burke Co., NC.

Pearl Nevada, born Feb. 8, 1906, died Feb. 25, 1993.  She married first James Samuel Day on Apr. 22, 1923 in Watauga Co.  James, a son of James Mordichi and Annie Marie Reid Day, was born Aug. 5, 1899 in Watauga Co. and died there on Mar. 13, 1956.  She later married James' brother Spencer who died in Caldwell Co. in 1965.  Pearl died Feb. 25, 1993.

William Glenn, born Apr. 11, 1909, died Feb. 24, 1977 in Alexander Co., NC.  He married Annie Rivers "Nannie" Coffey, a daughter of Jesse Cleveland and Eliza Loudermelt Coffey.  Nannie was born Jan. 1, 1910 in Avery Co., NC and died Apr. 15, 1952 in Boone, Watauga Co.  I know of one child, Jerry Guy Coffey, born Sep. 12, 1933, died Jan. 25, 1998.  Jesse Cleveland and Jesse Calton were first cousins.

Bertha Vienna, born Sep. 2, 1912, died Jan. 14, 1970 in Blowing Rock.  She was the second wife of Adren Reece Moody, born Dec. 6, 1909 in Watauga Co., died Sep. 12, 1968 in Blowing Rock.  Adren was the son of Arthur C. and Rota Marticia Estes Moody.  He and Bertha were the parents of at least two children:  Teresa Geraldine, born May 7, 1932, died Jan. 8, 1994 and Catherine Elizabeth, born May 7, 1935, died Jan. 23, 1993.  Adren's first wife was Edna Porter with whom he had at least one child, Louise born Nov. 15, 1928.

Please contact me to add to or correct any of this information.

Roby Monroe Coffey Family

Roby Monroe Coffey was a son of George Washington "Wash" and Matilda "Tilda" Coffey Coffey.  Wash and Tilda were distant cousins.  Roby was the ninth of the 11 children born to Tilda, and first saw light on Mar. 20, 1881 in Ashe Co., NC.  He died on Oct. 1, 1955 of a coronary occlusion and was buried in the Boone Fork Baptist Church Cemetery in Watauga Co., NC.

On Sep., 12, 1918, Roby registered for the draft in WW1 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.  He was described as being 37 years old, tall with blue eyes and dark colored hair.  He was a farmer and resided at Shulls Mill in Watauga Co. with his wife.  He did not mention the number of children in his household, but by that date, should have been the father of at least six children:

Roby Monroe Coffey Family

Lena, born Dec. 13, 1903, died 1979, married George Norvell Fox Aug. 10, 1927 in Carter Co., TN.  George was born May 7, 1902 in Watauga Co., the son of John Lee and Jodie Ella Shook Fox.

Lelia Nancy, born May 20, 1906 in Caldwell Co., died May 7, 1969 in Lenoir.  She married Ralph Washington Jones on Jul. 31, 1926 in Watauga Co.  He was born Jun. 1, 1906 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Jul. 14, 1987.  Both she and Ralph are buried at Harris Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery in Hudson, Caldwell Co.  They had at least three children, all now deceased:  George Sylvester, born Jun 3, 1927, died Jun. 9, 1946; Thelma, born Jan. 29, 1930, died Dec. 14, 2006 as Mrs. Claude D. Payne, and Peggy Ann, born Dec. 4, 1948, died Apr. 5, 1960.

Bina Lee, born Jun. 29, 1909 in Caldwell Co., died Jul. 10, 1999 in High Point, Guilford Co., NC.  She married her distant cousin, Troy Talmadge Coffey, on Nov. 3, 1928 in Carter Co., TN.  Troy was the son of George Calvin and Louisa Elizabeth Curtis Coffey.  Troy and Bina had at least one child, a son Wayne Lewis, born Oct. 9, 1929, died Sep. 24, 1999.  Troy was born Mar. 4, 1906 in Watauga Co., and died Apr. 18, 1995 in Thomasville, Davidson Co., NC.

Lottie Merle, born Feb. 12, 1912 in Caldwell Co., died May 3, 1998 in Culpeper, Culpeper Co., VA.  She married Ralph James Moore on Jan. 21, 1928 in Watauga Co.  Ralph was born Apr. 4, 1908, a son of Wiley Hill and Ellen Hodges Moore.  After Ralph died, Lottie married Herbert Hensley who also preceded her in death.

Cora Lee, born Oct. 18, 1914 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Dec. 31, 1990.  She married Earl Boyd Miller, a son of Daniel Lafayette and Emma Coleman Miller, in 1932, Caldwell Co.  Earl was born Dec. 24, 1911 in Caldwell Co., and died in Hudson, NC on Oct. 15, 2006.  Earl was buried at Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Hudson.  Cora is also presumed to be buried there.

Ruth, the sixth child, was born Dec. 31, 1916 in Caldwell Co.  she married Edward R. Cook on Aug. 29, 1936 in Watauga Co.  No further information is known.

It is not clear to me where the other children in the family were when this family-style photo was taken.  Because the first six children were only girls, the children in the photo have to be:

Frank E., on the right, born c1919

Boyd Ray, on the left, born Mar. 26, 1923.  Boyd married Mary Elizabeth Hayes.

Margaret Allena, the "babe in arms," born Apr. 7, 1926, died Feb. 10, 1990.  Margaret married John Wellington Ford on Jul. 12, 1941 in Watauga Co.  John was born in North Carolina on Jan. 8, 1925 and died in Lenoir on Sep. 7, 1980.  According to his obituary, John was buried in the Ford Cemetery in Caldwell Co., white Margaret was buried in the Bolick Family cemetery in the Globe, Caldwell Co.  There were at least two children born to them:  John, Jr., born Sep. 20, 1945, died Dec. 9, 1996; and Della Mae, born Dec. 23, 1947, died Mar. 12, 1995.

Please contact me to add to or to correct any of this information.

The headstone and church photos are courtesy of Connie Coffey Dorsey.  The Roby Coffey family photo is courtesy of Margaret Coffey Farley.