Willie Newton Coffey

There is no doubt that Willie Newton Coffey was a son of Mathew and Emily Troxell Coffey.

Willie was born in Kentucky in 1903, probably in Wayne Co.  He was in that county in 1910.  In 1920 he and his family lived in McCreary Co.  

Mathew, the father, was born to Henry Baker Coffey and Sarah Elizabeth Dobbs in June of 1875, married Emily, a daughter of Jacob and Salena Steel Troxell in about 1896.

Between Oct., 1896 and Jan., 1917 Emily and Mathew had at least six children. They were: Sarah Jane; William "Willie"; Salena, who is said to have married Lark Bell in about 1924; Sallie; Ed Lincoln, born 1911, married Edna Hatfield; and Goldman, born in 1917.

Willie is something of an enigma.  I write that with some misgivings because he may have been no puzzle at all over his lifetime* and did not try to hide from the law.

A newspaper article appeared in the Lexington  (KY) Herald in July, 1946 announcing the arrest of Willie Newton Coffey in Birmingham, AL for killing his father, Mathew Coffey, in Wayne County in 1928.  It was reported that "shortly before the elder Coffey was slain, his son had escaped from a Wayne county jail where he had been held on a "drunkenness charge."  

That was the first and last article that I have been able to find in any KY newspaper so it is not possible for me to tell you if he was tried, convicted and jailed, or if found innocent or not guilty of his father's death.

News Item, The Lexington Herald, Lexington, KY, Thu., Jul. 11, 1946, Page 9, Col. 4

Arrest Suspect in 1928 Patricide

Monticello, Ky., July 10 (AP) - County Judge S. E. Anderson announced today the arrest of Willie Newton Coffey, 44, wanted in Wayne county for the past 17 1/2 years in connection with the slaying of his father.

Judge Anderson said Coffey was picked up on a disorderly conduct charge at Tarrant, Ala., a Birmingham suburb.  He said Birmingham police notified Wayne county officials that Coffey admitted he fatally shot his father, Matthew Coffey, in 1928.

"Coffey hadn't been seen in Wayne county since then," declared the judge, adding that a murder indictment had been returned in March, 1929, against Coffey.

The judge said Sheriff J. J. Gibson would go to Frankfort, probably Thursday, to get a requisition for the extradition of Coffey from Alabama to Wayne county.

Judge Anderson said that shortly before the elder Coffey was slain, his son had escaped from jail where he had been held on a drunkenness charge.  The judge said Coffey had been quoted as saying he fired as his father was about to attack his mother.

What I do know is in 1930 a William Coffee [sic] appeared in the McDowell Co., WV census with Minnie Jane Carter Coffee.  He was 26 years-old; Minnie was also 26.  With them was Helen Blaylock, a five year-old step-daughter to Willie.  Willie was employed as a coal digger.

There is a 1938 marriage license in  McDowell Co. that tells us he and Minnie were married on Oct. 14 of that year.  The application tells us that he was born in Crossville, TN, and named his parents as George and Mary Coffey**.  Minnie named her parents as Ernest and India Carter.

The 1940 census for Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL includes William [sic] and Minnie as well as Gladus [sic], a daughter, age 8, born WV; Hershel, a son, age 7, born WV; and William J., a son aged eight months, born in AL.  The step-daughter Helen was no longer with the family.  

Gladys, born in Matewan, Mingo Co., WV, had at least three children:  Lynda Sue Coffey, born KY in 1950; Glynda Gaye, born 1955 in Birmingham and Viola Coffey, born 1965 in McCreary Co.  Glynda Faye died by drowning in 1970 at Birmingham where she had been taken by her grandfather, Willie Coffey to visit relatives.  The obituary reports she was survived by sisters Viola and Lynda as well as a half-brother, Robert Lee Pearson, all of Stearns, KY.

Willie died in Jan., 1973 in McCreary Co. and was buried at Sherd Dobbs Cemetery in Whitley City.

Minnie died Feb. 7, 1986 at Somerset in Pulaski Co., KY.  She was 84 years-old.  Her obituary reports that she was the daughter of Lee and India Carter.  Her husband, William "Willie" Coffey preceded her in death in 1972.  A daughter, Helen Thompson, granddaughter Glynda Coffey, two brothers, Robert and Walter Carter and one sister, Gertrude Sloan also preceded her in death.  She was survived by children Herschel Coffey and Elsie Reynolds of Birmingham, AL; William, Jr. of Wayne Co., KY; Gladys Coffey and Lynda Dobbs of Sterns and a brother, Ray of WV.

Minnie is also buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Comments, corrections and additions welcomed.

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*Apparently, the law was not actively searching for Willie from 1928 until 1946 for killing his father.  It was only after he was arrested near Birmingham for "disorderly conduct" in 1946 and perhaps volunteering information about killing his father that he was returned to Wayne County to face the law.  Certainly, with all of the people who went back and forth between KY and WV to work in the coal mines, someone would have known and reported the whereabouts of Willie to the KY authorities.

**Well, he may have tried somewhat to misdirect any leads to his birthplace and involvement in the death of his father.

Coleman & Rosa "Rosey" Burks Coffey

A reader recently wrote asking about the Coleman Coffey family of Wayne and McCreary Counties in KY. Until now I had not written much, if anything in my blog about Coleman.  The following represents what information I have found.

Additional information about connecting families can be found at the following links:

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2011/11/sheridan-l-sherd-sarah-sally-coffey.html

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2010/11/sheridan-l-sherd-dobbs-sarah-sally.html

http://coffeycousins.blogspot.com/2007/11/truesdell-coffey-1941-2007.html

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Coleman was the eldest son of Henry Baker and Sarah Elizabeth Dobbs Coffey.  According to information found on his death certificate he was born Nov. 8, 1869 in KY and died in Co-operative, McCreary Co. on Oct. 26, 1948 and was buried at  Sherd Dobbs Cemetery in Stearns.

Rosa or "Rosey" was a daughter of Benjamin Richard and Rebecca Jane Vaughn Burks.  According to her death certificate, Rosa was born Apr. 30, 1875 in Wayne Co. and died in McCreary Co. on Mar. 18, 1942.  She too is buried at Sherd Dobbs Cemetery.

Info provided by others report that Coleman and Rosa were married on Mar. 1, 1891 in KY but, omits the county.  They are said to have had at least nine children, all born in Kentucky between 1892 and 1913.

William Gaines was the first, born Feb. 25, 1892, died Jul. 20, 1963 in McCreary Co.  His first wife was Kizzie Coffey, born May 19, 1901 in McCreary Co., died there on Apr. 8, 1949.  She the daughter of George Washington Coffey and wife Margery "Sis" Troxell and, first cousin to William; their father's were brothers.

To them was born Harrison, Mar 2, 1919, died in Pulaski Co., KY on Aug. 16, 1983, and buried at Sherd Dobbs; Bertie, born c1922 and Martha, born c1926.  I know nothing more about these children.

Both William and Kizzie are buried at Sherd Dobbs.

William married second to Alice Phillips, a daughter of Pate and Elizabeth Cox Phillips.  According to her obituary and the 1940 McCreary Co. census, Alice was born c1935.  She died on Oct. 9, 1978 in Springfield, Clark Co., OH and was buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Alice Coffey, 43, Springfield, Ohio, died Oct. 9 in Springfield.  Funeral services were conducted Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. at Hickman Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Earl Davis officiating.  Burial was in Sherd Dobbs Cemetery.

She was born in 1935 in McCreary County to the late Pate and Elizabeth Cox Phillips.  Her husband, Gaines Coffey, preceded her in death.  She lived here for many years and was a homemaker.

Survivors include her children, Gaines Coffey, Jr., Somerset, Mrs. Bertha Carroll, Covington, Dean and Linda Coffey, both of Dayton, Ky., and Herman Mark Hughes, Smithtown.  One brother, Lloyd Phillips, Cincinnati and two sisters, Flossie Clark, Dayton, Ky., and Lola Irvin, Eaton, Ohio.

Hickman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

The child Herman Mark Hughes may be a step-son from a marriage subsequent to the death of William in 1963.

The second child born to Coleman and Rosa was Ada J., born May 4, 1896, died Jan. 15, 1971 in McCreary Co.  Her husband was John Sherman Dobbs, a son of Stephen Tolbert and Mary Gregory Dobbs.  They were married in KY on Oct. 8, 1912.  Sherman was born Aug. 11, 1885 in Wayne Co. and died in Oneida, Scott Co., TN on Dec. 23, 1968.

Sherman Dobbs, life long resident of the Cooperative community, died Saturday December 23,1968, in Scott County Hospital, Oneida, Tenn.

Mr Dobbs, 82, a retired coal miner, had been ill for more than a year. The deceased was born August 11, 1885, in Wayne County, the son of the late Tolbert Dobbs and Polly Ann Gregory Dobbs. He was a member of the New Haven Baptist Church at Cooperative.

Surviving are his wife, Ada Coffey Dobbs, one daughter, Mrs. Lillie Bell, Muncie, two sons, Dewey Dobbs, Muncie and Roy Dobbs, Cooperative; two brothers, Jeff Dobbs, Monticello, and Albert Dobbs, Cooperative.

Funeral services were held on Christmas Day at 1 o'clock in the afternoon with Rev. Robert Jones and Rev. Earl Davis officiating. Burial was in the Sherd Dobbs Cemetery with Hickman Funeral Home in charge. His grandsons served as pall bearers.

I have their children as:  Roy, born Oct. 30, 1913, died Apr. 26, 1988 in Pulaski Co., KY; Lillie, born Sep. 16, 1915 in Wayne Co.; Dewey, born Oct. 13, 1917 in McCreary Co.; an unnamed child born Nov. 1, 1926; Ida Dester, born and died Mar. 20, 1932 in McCreary Co.; and Hubert, born Feb. 28, 1938, died Oct. 20, 1936 in McCreary Co.

The third child was Sarah E., born Mar. 14, 1898, died Apr. 1, 1984 in McCreary Co.  Her husband was Rhodes Bell, born Mar. 6, 1893 in KY, died Nov. 8, 1977 in Oneida, TN.  Both buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Two children following Sarah was Rosie, born c1902 and Henry, born c1904.  No further information.

Lona was child number six.  She was born on Apr. 30, 1905 and died Jun. 12, 1989.  She married Thomas Gregory, perhaps some kin to Mary Gregory Dobbs, wife of Stephen Tolbert Dobbs.  Thomas was born Feb. 26, 1903 and died May 23, 1967 in McCreary Co.  He and Lona are buried at Sherd Dobbs.

Their children, all born in McCreary Co. were:  Austin, born Jul. 10, 1926, died Dec. 6, 1958.  His wife was Juanita Roberts; Ray, born May 28, 1928, died Feb. 8, 2000 in Clermont Co., OH; Betty M., born c1935; Ina, born c1937; Lona, born c1939 and Donald Lee, born Mar. 24, 1948, died Aug. 22, 1997.

Child seven was Wilburn, born Jun. 7, 1908, died Mar. 16, 1977 in Pulaski Co.  He married Roxie Gregory, a daughter of Obie and Laurie Dobbs Gregory.  Roxie was born Feb. 12, 1910 and died in McCreary Co. on Sep. 29, 1978.

Eva, born Jan. 14, 1912, was child number eight.  I have no other information on her.

The last child was George H., born Aug. 24, 1913, died Mar. 27, 1967.  George married Lucy Haynes on Dec. 28, 1946 at Hill Top in McCreary Co. I am told that Gary T. Coffey, born Mar. 30, 1962, died Apr., 1962 was one of their children.  Lucy is said to have married Lee Sosh after the death of George.  She died on Jun. 14, 1991 and is buried at Sherd Dobbs.  Lucy was the daughter of Albert L. and Cora Tucker Haynes

Corrections and additions welcomed!