SUMMARY OF THE CHILDREN OF LEWIS COFFEY
l. Nancy born (l8l9) Ky. Married Robert Jones in l834, widowed by l880, was parent of l2
children and in l900 lived with son, Allen, on Walnut Street in Martinsville.
2. James Wilson (l822-l889) born in Ky. Married Louisa Norman in l842. Father of 7 sons
and l daughter. Moved from Indiana to Iowa in l864.
3. Mary Ann (Polly) (l824-l876) born in Ky. Married John Cook and moved to Harrison Co.,
Missouri about l850. Mother of ten children.
4. Bettie, assumed born about l826 in Ky. and died as an infant.
5. John L. (l828-l9l0) born in Ind. Married Celia J. Norman in l849 and had l3 children.
Was a farmer in Morgan Co., Ind. l850 to l870, Marion co., Ind., in l880, Vernon Co., Mo.
l880-l885, and in Allen Co., Ks. l885 to l9l0. Served in Mexican War l846-7.
6. Moses Turpin (l83l-l9l2) born in Ind. Married Lucinda Renner in l852, reared 8 of l3
children to adulthood. Was a farmer and Justice of the Peace in Morgan Co., Ind. Served
in l48th Ind. Regt. in l865.
7. Philip B. (l834-?) Married Kathryn Anne Shellars Benjamin in Holt Co., Mo. in l858.
Had 5 daughters, lived in Gage Co., Neb. Territory in l860 and l870, in Cass Co., Mo. in
l880.
8. Delilah (l836-l866). Married Francis I. Hale, had 5 children and is buried in Harrison
Co., Mo.
9. Elizabeth (l839-l863). Married James Reedy in l863. No known children.
10. Robert Washington (l84l-l9l9). Married Margret Adeline Blair, l864. Served in 27th and
33rd Ind. Regts. l86l-l865. Had 5 children and farmed in Cumberland Co., Ill. l866 to
l9l9.
11. Lewis Martin (l844-?). Lived with his mother in l860 at age l5. Died by l887. No
information on marriage or children, if any.
-----------------------------
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
From: History of Washington County, Iowa (l887).
James Wilson Coffey, section l4, Lime Creek Township:
Among the highly respected citizens of Washington County will be found the subject of this
sketch. He was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky, May l0, l822, and is the son of Lewis M.
and Delilah (Turpin) Coffey, the former a native of Stokes County, North Carolina, born in
l798, and the latter of Pulaski County, Kentucky, born in l802. They were the parents of
ten children: Nancy, the widow of Robert Jones, resides in Morgan County, Indiana; J.W.,
the subject of this sketch; Mary A., the wife of John Cook; Bettie, deceased; John L., a
farmer in Allen County, Kansas; Moses T., a farmer in Morgan County, Indiana; Philip B., a
resident of Cass County, Missouri; Delilah, deceased, was the wife of F.M. Hale of
Harrison County, Missouri; Elizabeth, was the wife of James Reedy, both deceased; R.W., a
farmer in Cumberland County, Illinois; Lewis M., deceased. The family left Kentucky in
the fall of l827 and moved to Morgan County, Indiana where they settled on a farm of 101
acres a!
nd made their home until the death of Mr. Coffey, in l844. He was a flat-boat pilot and
each year would take a load of produce down the river to New Orleans. Mr. Coffey was an
industrious man, a careful manager, and one who possessed the confidence of all his
friends. After her husband's death, Mrs. Coffey continued to make her old farm in
Indiana her home, until her death in l873 at the age of 71 years. she was a kind mother
and one who took a great pride in her children.
The early life of our subject was spent upon the farm and in attendance upon the common
schools until the age of thirteen. He then went to work upon the public canal, remaining
at that for three years, and in the spring of l838 went with his father to New Orleans,
and afterward made one trip each year, which took from three to four months. Between
times he worked upon his father's farm until l842, when the cholera broke out and they
abandoned flat-boating. Mr. Coffey was married on the 11th of December, l842 to Miss
Louisa T. Norman, a native of Tennessee, born June 23, l826, and the daughter of James and
Sarah A. (Harrison) Norman, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of
Tennessee.
Mr. and Mrs. Coffey are the parents of ten children: Lemuel L.M., born March 6, l844, at
home; John T., born May 23, l847, was a member of the 27th Ind. Infantry, running away
from home to defend his country's flag and is now a farmer in Clatsop County, Oregon;
B.F. born January 28, l850 and James M., September 30, l853, are farmers in Clatsop
County, Oregon; Joseph L. born May l9, l856, is a clerk in the hardware store of B.W.
Nicols & Co. of Wellman, Iowa; V.H. born May 30, l858 is a clerk in a dry goods store
in Astoria, Oregon; P.D. born April 22, l86l, and Sarah D., February 11, l864, are at
home; two died in infancy.
After our subject abandoned the river, he turned his attention exclusively to farming, and
continued to live in Morgan County, Indiana where his children were all born, for a period
of thirty-seven years, or until the 9th of October, l864, when he loaded his family into a
wagon and started for Lime Creek Township, Washington County, Iowa. He had made a trip to
this county in l863, at which time he decided Iowa was the place for him to live. After
his arrival on October 24th, he bought l48 acres on section l4, Lime Creek Township, where
he has since continued to reside. He has bought and sold a number of acres since, but his
farm is now in fine condition, and is one of the best fenced in Lime Creek Township, all
fenced in 20 acre fields.
At the time of his marriage our subject had no money and was $43 in debt, but by his own
industry and good management, he has acquired a fine farm and enough of this world's
goods to live comfortably in his old age. He has held various township offices, was the
treasurer of the school district, and treasurer of the township. He is held in high
esteem by all who know him, and is a man who takes an active part in all political and
public affairs. Socially he is a member of the A.F. & A.M. Politically, he is a
staunch supporter of the principles of the Democratic Party.
------------------------
OBITUARY -- JOHN L. COFFEY
John L. Coffey was born in Morgan County, Indiana, September 2l, l828, departed this life
at his home near Moran, Kansas, June 8, l9l0, aged 8l years, 8 months, and l8 days. He
was married to Celia Jane Norman, December 27, l849. To this union were born thirteen
children, eight of whom survive him. The wife and five children having preceded him to
the Heavenly home. The remaining children live near here except one son in Martinsville,
Indiana, one near Bebee, Arkansas, and one daughter near Liberal, Kansas.
They moved from their home in Indiana to Vernon Co., Missouri in l880, thence to Allen
County, Kansas in l885, where they have since resided. Grandpa Coffey as he was
familiarly called, was a soldier in the Mexican War, having enlisted at the age of
nineteen. A private of Captain Daniel Lunderman's Co. G 4th Regt. Indiana
Volunteers, who was enrolled June l5, l847, and honorably discharged from the services at
Madison, Indiana July l6, l848. He was drafted in the services of the Civil War and
started to fulfill his place in the great struggle but receiving word on the way that they
would not be needed, he returned home.
Mr. Coffey has been a sufferer for many months and bore his affliction with great
patience, never murmuring nor complaining yet he longed to be free from his miseries of
life and death came as a sweet release. He believed in the teachings of the Bible and the
immortality of the soul. He was of a quiet and unassuming nature, generous and willing to
help those in need of his assistance, kind and patient with his family. This won him the
love and respect of all who knew him. (Iola Daily Register)
--------------------------
Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert