DNA & The Augustus F. & Betty Beard Coffey Family

The family of Augustus F. Coffey
L:R rear: Archie, Spencer, George, Benson, Robert, Blaine Dillard
L:R front:  Maude, Cena, Betty Beard Coffey, and Bonnie
Photo courtesy of Brent Coffey

I have, over the past couple of days, exchanged much e-mail with Brent Coffey of Maryland concerning his descent from Edward and Ann Powell Coffey.  The exchange resulted from his recent DNA test which does show him to be an Edward descendant.

The problem [if there is one] seems to be one particular marker in his DNA that does not match most of those in the Edward group of the DNA project.  I won't go into a discussion about DNA because I frankly do not understand enough to hold an intelligent discussion.

However, the mis-matched marker also appears in the the DNA of another tested Coffey who descends from Thomas Coffey and Elizabeth Smith; Thomas being a son of John and Jane Graves Coffey.  Brent claims descent from Thomas' brother, Reuben and his wife Sarah Scott Coffey.  So, the question raised by Coffey DNA guru Fred Coffey was how positive Brent is that he descends from Reuben and not Thomas?!

Brent tells us that he descends from Reuben and Sarah Scott Coffey through their son Joseph > Jacob Zachariah > Jesse Patterson > Augustus F. > Blaine Dillard > Blaine Dillard, Jr.

[NB:  The children of Reuben and Sally are not entirely agreed upon by researchers.  The following then may be totally irrelevant in deciding who Brent's ancestor was.]

Joseph and his wife Isabella Lindsay had another son, Elisha born about the same time as Jacob Zachariah.  Both are thought to have been born in the 1813-1815 time frame and, could be twins.  I suggested that the certain DNA marker that does not match might be a result of the possibility that Elisha and Jacob were twins.

I don't believe a consensus has yet been reached and the questions remains open.

Blaine Dillard Coffey &
Faye Dell Van Klaveren
Wedding Photo
Photo courtesy of Brent Coffey

Keeping within that family, I learned from Brent that his grandfather was Blaine Dillard Coffey, born March 4, 1915 in Avery Co., NC to Augustus F. "Gus" Coffey and wife Betty Beard.  He was the eighth of their nine children. In error, I had him married to Maude Dillinger/Dellinger in Caldwell Co., NC on Jul. 13, 1935.  As it turns out, a Dillard Coffey did marry Maude but, it was Dillard Greene Coffey, a son of David William and Martha Etta Destimonia "Dessie" Crump Coffey.*  Dillard Greene and Blaine Dillard were second cousins, both descending from Jacob Zachariah Coffey, the son of Joseph.

Blaine Dillard was married on Sep. 11, 1946 in North Carolina to Faye Dell Van Klaveren, sister to a WWII shipmate of Blaine.  She was the daughter of Dick and Tillie Van Kotten Van Klaveren, Dutch emigrants who first settled in Iowa and later moved to Texas.  Faye was born in Cotulla, LaSalle Co., TX on Feb. 19, 1928.

  Jack

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*Readers who have a copy of my Edward Coffey Project DVD or, who have copied my research from elsewhere, should make a note of this change.

Edward Coffey and Peter Coffey Descendants DNA Analyzed

THE MRCA OF EDWARD AND PETER:


We have been working with two major lines of Coffey/Coffee ancestors, and DNA tells us that they are clearly related. There is a MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) back there somewhere. We are of course talking about the "Edward Group" and the "Peter Group".

Do we have information on when this MRCA might have lived? Yes we do, but our perception has changed as new information develops. I want to lead you through the following exercise, exploring the development of our understanding:

Consider two of the tested individuals: We have "Luther Coffey" who descends from Edward, and we have "Carol Coffee" who descends from Peter. Both of these individuals have 67-marker tests, and they differ from each other at only two markers – a "genetic distance" of two. There is no doubt that they are related.

These three paragraphs begin an analysis by Fred Coffey, the Coffey Cousins' DNA guru.  Click on the title link to read the entire article.

DNA Can be Fabricated

This doesn't look good!

New York Times
DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show

Published: August 17, 2009

Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence, undermining the credibility of what has been considered the gold standard of proof in criminal cases.

Click on the title link to read the complete story.