William Noah Coffey, Bigamist & Murderer

William Noah Coffey
(After arrest)

William Noah Coffey was born Dec. 10, 1874 in Collettsville, Johns River Twp., Caldwell Col, NC to Israel Boone and Catherine Emma Spainhour Coffey.  Catherine was born in NC in 1845 to Noah Spainhour and wife Elizabeth Ann Mason.  Israel was a son of Daniel Boone and Clarissa Estes Coffey.  Daniel was the son of William Coffey who married Annie Boone, daughter of Jesse and Sarah McMahan Boone.

Nothing spectacular appears to have happened in the life of William Noah to have brought him any national notoriety until 1926. In a fit of what might be described today as a "mid life crisis," he met and illegally married a 53-year old widow by the name of Hattie Hales who was described as a buyer for a department store. In 1927 he was accused of bigamy and murder of Hattie.

When he registered for the WW1 draft in 1918, he described his job as a publicly employed credit collector.  He had married Alberta Ellen Winnek, born in Massachusetts in 1877, in Kansas on Jun. 24, 1903*.  They had three children:  Douglas Fredwill Coffey, Alberta Ellen Coffey and Miriam Martin Coffey.  After her divorce from William, she and her children began using the surname Winnek.

While searching archived newspapers, I found William on the front page of the Jan. 30, 1927 edition of the Sarasota [FL] Herald-Tribune.  The article was written after he had been arrested for the murder of Hattie Hales Coffey in Lancaster, WI.  This article indicates that he eventually confessed to her murder and led authorities to the place where he had killed her, cut her body into pieces and buried them in shallow graves at various locations in a place known as "Ritter's Woods," aka "Bratton's Woods."

William Noah Coffey
 (in front of automobile)

In an attempt to find more information about William, I located the June, 2014 History and Politics blog by Dennis A. Wilson in which he described receiving a cardboard box with photos of William and various locals searching the area where he had confessed to having killed and buried Hallie.

William was convicted of the murder and sentenced to prison at Wisconsin State Prison at Waupun, Dodge Co., WI.  He died there in June, 1962 and was buried at the Waupun state cemetery.  In 1965 his remains were relocated to the Calvary Cemetery at Waupun in Fond du Lac, WI.

He was my third cousin, twice removed.

It remains difficult to determine how Alberta Ellen spelled her maiden name.  It is recorded as Minnek [sic] in the marriage record to William Coffey.  In her death record her mother's maiden name was given as Martin - explaining where Martin comes from in daughter Miriam name - but a father's name was not given.  Alberta's Find-A-Grave memorial tells us that her father was Frederick Gideon and Ellen Mary Martin Winnek [sic].

After she was divorced from William Noah Coffey and moved to Chicago, she became known as Alberta Ellen Winneck [sic] and her children's surname was also changed to Winneck.  When her son Douglas was married, the record shows that his name was Winnek and his father was William Winnek but, a marriage record has not been found for Alberta's marriage to a Winnek of any spelling and with any given name.  Perhaps she also changed the name of William N. Coffey to William Winnek to satisfy some procedural requirement for supplying a father's name.

Douglas Fredwill Winnek - Isabel White Marriage License

The Coffey family appeared in the 1910 census at Eau Claire, Eau Claire Co., WI; 1920 in Madison, Dane Co., WI and in 1923, the city directory for Madison shows them residing at 33 N. Carroll St.  In 1930, Alberta was living in Chicago, Cook Co., IL with her two daughters. Her surname was spelled Winneck.

In 1940, Alberta resided with Douglas and his wife and children at 616 Harold in Mamaroneck, Rye Twp., Westchester Co., NY.  The surname was spelled Minnick [sic].  Douglas gave his occupation as "inventor." He died in 1999 and his remains were cremated and scattered into the Pacific off Point Cabrillo, Monterey, CA.  His Find-A-Grave memorial spells his surname Winnek.

When Douglas married for the second time in 1935, his surname was spelled Winnek.  He reported on the license application that he had been previously married and had obtained a Mexican divorce a few weeks prior to taking his second bride, Isabel White in Cuyahoga Co., OH.  That and the fact that he had two years of college training are likely reasons he was not present in the 1930 household.  He has not yet been found in 1930.

Daughter Alberta Ellen married Albert Rosenheck.  He died in 1985, probably in NJ.  She died in 2006, also probably in NJ.  Both are buried at Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnaminson, Burlington Co., NJ.

The last child, Miriam Martin, married twice.  According to CA marriage records, her first husband was Jacob Anton Wassenberg and they were married on Apr. 10, 1938. He died in 1950 and was buried as Andreas Anton Wassenberg at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles Co., CA.

Her second husband was William Dennis Stoltz, born 1917 in PA, married Jun. 19, 1954 in Los Angeles Co.  He died at Riverside, CA in 1997.  Miriam preceded him in 1978.  They too are buried at Green Hills.  On the certificate of marriage to Stoltz, she named her father as William Coffey and mother as Alberta Winnek.

Wm Dennis Stoltz-Miriam M. Coffey Marriage Certificate

I suspect the actual surname was some variation of Winneck. and I have recorded it as Winnek in my file for this family.

Corrections and additions welcomed.

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* "Kansas Marriages, 1840-1935", index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FW21-GPB : accessed 19 December 2014), William N. Coffey and Alberta Minnek, 24 Jun 1903; citing Lawrence, Douglas, Kansas, reference p 444; FHL microfilm 1,547,792.

Photos are courtesy of an used with permission of Dennis A. Wilson

William & Anna "Annie" Boone Coffey

William was one of the sons of Thomas and Sarah "Sally" Fields Coffey.  He was the second of 10 children born to that couple and the first of eight sons.  Bible records provided in 1990 by Mary E. Thornburg, tells us that William was born "November 29th in the year of our Lord 1782," and died May 22, 1839 in Wilkes Co., NC.  He was buried there at the Rufus Baptist Church Cemetery in the Mulberry Community, now part of Caldwell Co. (Lat: 36.00080, Lon: -81.64390).

Mary's Bible records tell us that William married Annie Boone on Oct. 16, 1804 in Boone, Watauga Co., the daughter of Jesse Boone and his wife Sarah McMahan.  Annie appears to be the sixth of at least eight children born to Jesse and Sarah.  She was born Jul. 26, 1785 in Burke Co. and died in Caldwell on Jan. 16, 1876.  She is also buried at the Rufus cemetery.

At least six children were born to William and Annie, the first being Daniel Boone Coffey, born Nov. 12, 1805 in Burke Co., died Jan. 21, 1862 in Caldwell Co.  Daniel married Clarissa Estes on Sep. 11, 1834.  She was born Jul. 18, 1817 in Burke Co., died Jul. 17, 1884, probably in Caldwell Co.  They were parents of at least nine children:  1) Emily who married her first cousin (once removed) Charles Lewis Coffey, a son of McCaleb and Elizabeth "Betsy" Collett Coffey; 2) Drury Dobbins who married Harriet Elizabeth Collett on Aug. 25, 1859; 3) Martha Ellen who married Elijah L. Moore on Oct. 12, 1858 in Caldwell Co.; 4) Sophronia Tate who married Henry Clay Coffey, brother to Charles Lewis; 5) Jonah, born May 9, 1843 in Caldwell Co.  He may have died in infancy; 6) Israel Boone, born Apr. 19, 1845 in Caldwell Co., died Jul. 10, 1920 in Topeka, Shawnee Co., KS, married Catherine Emma Spainhour of North Carolina on Sep. 19, 1867 in Caldwell Co. 7) Julia, born Aug. 3, 1847; 8) Hezekiah, born 1852; 9) Celia, born Nov. 7, 1855, died Apr. 15, 1858.

Second born to William and Annie was Wilborn on May 14, 1807 in  Burke Co.  He married Sarah "Sallie" Cottrell on Jan. 2, 1832 in Caldwell Co.  Sallie was born May 1, 1812 in Wilkes Co. and died in Caldwell Co. on Mar. 25, 1894.  Wilborn died on Nov. 27, 1897.  Both are buried at the Rufus cemetery.  They were parents of at least eight children:  1) William Rufus, who married Harriet E. Moore on Dec. 4, 1856; 2) Thomas Milton, born c1835, died Aug. 12, 1863 on the Gettysburg battlefield; 3) Myra Emeline, born c1836, died before 1860; 4) James Grayson, born 1839, died Aug. 24, 1863 at the Union POW camp, Davis Island, New York Harbor, NY; 5) Minerva Jane, born Dec. 20, 1844, died Oct. 10,1934 and who married the Rev. John H. Nelson, born May 19, 1841 in Caldwell Co., died May 22, 1915; 6) John Calvin, born Apr. 30, 1848 in Caldwell Co., died in Mulberry Twp., Caldwell Co. on Feb. 27, 1930.  He married Nancy Caroline Tuttle, born Jan. 10,1854 in Caldwell Co., died Mar. 10, 1939 at Lenoir, Caldwell Co.; 7) Finley Patterson, born Apr. 30, 1848 in Mulberry Twp., died in Lenoir on Apr. 13, 1937.  His wife was Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Tuttle, born Sep. 11, 1851 in Caldwell Co, died Apr. 20, 1931 in Lenoir.  Nancy Caroline and Mary Elizabeth Tuttle were sisters, daughters of Robert G. & Lucinda Puett Tuttle. 8) Charlotte Caroline, born Dec. 2, 1851 in Caldwell Co., died Mar. 18, 1944.  She married Jesse Richmond Moore on Oct. 21, 1869 in Caldwell Co.  He was born Mar. 16, 1849 in Globe Twp., Caldwell Co. and died in the Mulberry Twp. on Sep. 13, 1921

William and Annie's third was Gilliam, born May 21, 1810, died Jan. 8,1910 in Patterson Twp., Caldwell Co.  He married Mary "Polly" Moore on Jan. 2, 1832.  She was born c1820 in Burke Co. and died in Caldwell Co. on May 26, 1871.  They were parents of at least six:  1) Harvey N., born 1837, died 1912, married Jane Cochran; 2) William Elbert, born 1839, died 1912 at Morganton, Burke Co.  His wife was Margaret Anne Kinkaid, born 1837 in Burke Co., died Dec. 22, 1921 in Morganton.  Margaret had a child after William died and whose father is not known to me.  She and William Elbert had at least six children:  Mary, William Alvin, Lula Eloise; Annie Jane, Harvey Macan, and Maggie Lee. 3) Harriet E., born Sep. 6, 1843 in Cedar Valley, Caldwell Co., died Dec. 12, 1937 in Elizabethton, Carter Co., TN.  Harriet's spouse was James Brown Blair to whom she was married on Oct. 7, 1866 in Caldwell Co.  James was born in Cedar Valley on May 1, 1844 and died in Carter Co. on May 24, 1920.  They had at least eight children:  Henry Lee, Gilliam Colbert, Harvey, John Caldwell, Job W., Mary E., Hatibel, and Lillie M. 4) Celia Adeline, born c1847, died before 1910.  Her husband was John Wesley Estes and they were married on Dec. 2, 1868 in Caldwell Co.  Their children were at least eight:  Benjamin G., Albert Lafayette, Horace Herndon; John C., Victor Scotland, Emma E., Homer Roy, and May C.  This family left NC sometime after 1880 and journeyed west to Iowa where Emma was born and then to Idaho where May was born.  5) Cordelia Adaline, born Jan. 10, 1853, died Jul. 9,1918.  She married John Boone Gragg on Dec. 17,1 877 in Caldwell Co.  He was born Feb. 15, 1856 in Caldwell Co., and died in Globe Twp., on May 23, 1937.  Both are buried at the Job Moore cemetery in the Globe.  Their children were at least seven:  William Hardie, Charlie, Stella Victoria, John Vernon, Laurance Dillard, Mamie, and Horace Milton.  Child 6) was Emma, born c1855.  Unfortunately, nothing else has been found for her.

The fourth child of William and Annie was Celia, Jun. 29, 1813 in Burke Co., died in Wilkes Co. on Jul. 12, 1899.  She married Hezekiah Curtis, a son of Samuel and Susanna Cottrell Curtis, on Dec. 26, 1833 in Wilkes Co.  Hezekiah was born May 16, 1810 in Wilkes Co., and died there on Jan. 20, 1901.  Both are buried at Mountain Park Cemetery in Wilkesboro, Wilkes Co.  Their children were Darcus, Judson, Larkin Junius, Julia, Finley Patterson, Caroline L., and Martha Gertrude.

The fifth and last child born to William and Annie was Calvin on Sep. 30, 1819.  He died Apr. 2, 1847 after a short marriage to Mary Greene in about 1839-40.  Four children were born to Calvin and Mary:  Harrison, Alexander, William and Patterson Vance.  William also died on the battlefield at Gettysburg.

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This is quite a long blog and I hope that I have not made it too complicated to follow.  Many of these folks have been written about in previous blogs.  Use the search window in the sidebar to look for them.  To assure accuracy, place "quotation marks" around the name your are searching for.  All of these, plus all of their known (to me) ancestors and descendants are present on the Edward Coffey Project DVD.  Readers can also use the "Search Also For" links at the bottom of each blog.

Spainhour Coffey

Spainhour Coffey was a son of Larkin and Lessie Bauguess [sic] Coffey, born Feb. 28, 1912 in Wilkes Co., NC.  He died on May 30, 1981 in Yakima, Yakima Co., WA.

Spainhour, as a given name, is unusual.  I suspect that it comes from Catherine Spainhour who married Israel Boone Coffey in Caldwell Co. on Sep. 19, 1867.  Israel was a very distant cousin of Spainhour, their common ancestor being Thomas Coffey, a son of John and Jane Graves Coffey.

Spainhour married "Toots" Norman on May 31, 1934 in Benton Co., WA. So far, I have not been able to locate any information on "Toots," and would like to know more about her.

Please contact me if you can tell me more about "Toots."