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.

Virgie Evaline Coffey

Virgie was born Jun. 14, 1915 in Caldwell Co., NC to Joel Partee and Lillie Mamie Pearl Tolbert. Joel was the son of John Caroll and Nancy Evalyn Hartley Coffey and, Lillie was the daughter of Edward Alexander Tolbert and Martha Mahalia Smith.

Virgie first married Collis Monroe Sumlin, who was born Jul. 2, 1899 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Apr. 27, 1960. I have not found a marriage date for them. However, the first of their six children was born in March, 1932 making it likely they married c1930.

All of their children seem to have been born in Caldwell Co. Two sons, Monroe and Roy, are mentioned in her obituary and whose birth place and dates have not been found.

This is what I have found on their children:

Ira Dallas, born Mar. 4, 1932, married Ethel Elizabeth Foster, born Aug. 8, 1930, daughter of Charles and Flossie Hudson Foster. Ira and Ethel had at least two children: Paul and Betty.

Tracy Glenn, born Aug. 16, 1934, died Aug. 3, 2007 in Hudson, Caldwell Co. He married Ruby Alice Davis and they were the parents of at least one child, Glenn Dennis.

Monroe married Marline Oliver and, they were the parents of at least one child, Charles David.

Vergie Mary Lee, born 1939, married Charlie Dewey Arnett. They had at least two children, Lorrena Lee and Marty Lane.

Mildred Elizabeth, born 1941, married Henry William Pitts, born Nov. 2, 1937. They were the parents of at least five children: Treva Jean, Debra Anne, Rebecca Lea, Janice Kay, and Betty Sue. I have not yet found a death record for Henry or a marriage record for Mildred's later marriage to the Mr. Wright mentioned in Virgie's obituary.

Roy married Lona Dare Oliver and had at least five children: Melinda Denise, Anthony, Joseph Dwayne, Amanda Ione and Hugh Rex.

Virgie died Feb. 28, 1998 in Caldwell Co., and was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Lenoir.

Her obituary:

Vergie Sumlin Carpenter, 82, of Gateway Nursing Center, Lenoir, Died Saturday, Feb. 28, 1998, at the center.

She was born June 4, 1915, in Caldwell County to the late Partee Coffey and Pearl Tolbert Coffey. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Collis Monroe Sumlin; her second husband, Spurgeon Carpenter; and one son, Monroe Sumlin.

Mrs. Carpenter was a homemaker.

Survivors include three sons, Ira Sumlin and Tracy Sumlin, both of Lenoir, and Roy Sumlin of Spruce Pine; two daughters, Virgie Arnett of Banner Elk and Mildred Wright of Granite Falls; five stepdaughters, Blanche Huffman, Grace Lowman, Ruby Sigmon, ruth Hollar and Rita Franklin, all of Valdese; 24 grandchildren; 11 step grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 14 step great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

The funeral is 2 p.m. today at Joyceton Baptist Church with the Revs. Ed. Ford, Bill Dyson and Herman Tester officiating. The body will be placed in the church 30 minutes prior to the funeral. Burial will be in Mt. View Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be: Allen Sumlin, Dennis Sumlin, Kelly Arnett, Paul Sumlin, Joe Sumlin and Buddy Detter. Honorary pallbearers will be Tony Arnett and Brian Smith.

Virgie's second marriage was to Spurgeon Carpenter. I do not believe there were any children born to this union.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address with additions and/or corrections.