Bob described Archie as:
...a man that typifies mountain people everywhere; a person who has faced hardships and danger without losing faith; a person who has endured the changes of time and natural disasters only to become stronger in character and in faith. Archie Coffey is a mountain man and nothing, not economic hard times or natural disasters can separate him from his mountain home and way of life.Archie provided a first hand account of how he and many of his family and friends climbed Jonas Ridge on Aug. 13, 1940 to escape the Wilson Creek flood that destroyed Mortimer, NC and nearly destroyed Edgemont.
There are a number of Coffey men named Archie that came out of Avery and Caldwell Counties, but I believe the Archie mentioned in Heafner's work is Archie L. Coffey, born in Wilson Creek Twp on Feb. 25, 1911, died Jan. 25, 1986* in Lenoir. His parents were Augustus F. "Gus" and Betty Beard Coffey. Archie's wife was Buena Adeline Silver, a daughter of David Alonzo "Lonnie" and Rose Zenea Norman Coffey.
You North Carolina Coffey descendants should read this one-page "tour" of the area. Click here, or on the blog title to read.
* Death Record: Name Archie Coffey Gender Male Burial Date 28 Jan 1986 Burial Place Edgemont, N.C. Death Date 25 Jan 1986 Death Place Lenoir, Caldwell, North Carolina Age 74 Birth Date 23 Feb 1911 Birthplace Avery, N.C. Occupation Postmaster/Owner General [store] Married Spouse's Name Betty Moore Minyard Coffey Father's Name G. F. Coffey Father's Birthplace Mother's Name Betty Beard Coffey Mother's Birthplace Indexing Project (Batch) Number B06346-3 System Origin North Carolina-EASy Source Film Number 1991199 Reference Number v 0B cn 581
