Seventh Generation

5978. John Wesley Coffey was born on 28 January 1878 in Watauga Co., NC. He lived with his parents in Globe Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 16 June 1880. He lived with his parents in Globe Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 9 June 1900. John died on 17 March 1962 at the age of 84 in Linville, Linville Twp., Avery Co., NC and was buried at Tate Famiy Cemetery in Linville, Avery Co., NC on 19 March 1962.^19902,19903

Obituary, unknown date, unknown newspaper

J. W. Coffey

John Wesley Coffey, 84, a retired carpenter, died Saturday night in his home near Linville after a lingering illness.

Mr. Coffey was a native of Watauga County, and had lived in Avery County for 50 years.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Monday in People's Methodist Church at Linville.

The Rev. Harold Brown, the Rev. Millard Lambert and the Rev. Murray Coffey officiated. Burial was in the Love Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Hundley, Boyd and Douglas Coffey, Floyd Greene, Charlie Pittman and Timmy Hartley.

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Kizzie Hartley Coffey; five sons, Francie of Lenoir, Ira of Linville, Edgar and Avery of Charlotte and Reid of Raleigh; four daughters, Mrs. Dick Cooke of Linville, Mars. Opal Hartley of Washington, D.C., Mrs. Robert Powers of Charlotte and Mrs. Rex Abernathy of Largo, Fla; two sisters, Mrs. W. W. Collins, and Mrs. Emory Young of Blowing Rock; 26 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren.

Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

John and Mary were married on 14 April 1898 in Kings Creek Twp., Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁹⁹⁰⁴ They¹⁹⁹⁰⁴ were divorced before 1930. Mary Laura Dula, daughter of Thomas Wesley Dula and Laura E. Laxton, was born in 1873 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC. She lived with her parents in Burke Co., NC on 22 June 1880. She lived with her parents in Burke Co., NC on 22 June 1900. Mary lived with her son Frenis in Kings Creek Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 22 April 1930. Mary died of cardiac failure on 20 April 1944 at the age of 71 in Burke Co., NC and was buried at Kings Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Lenoir, Kings Creek Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 22 April 1944.^19905,19906

John Wesley Coffey and Mary Laura Dula had the following children:

John Wesley Coffey and Nancy Kizzie Ann "Kizzie" Hatley were married on 9 October 1902 in Boone Twp., Watauga Co., NC.¹⁹⁹⁰⁷ They¹⁹⁹⁰⁷ appeared in the census on 25 April 1910 in Watauga Twp., Watauga Co., NC.¹⁹⁹⁰⁸ They¹⁹⁹⁰⁸ appeared in the census on 10 January 1920 in Linville, Linville Twp., Avery Co., NC.¹⁹⁹⁰⁹ John and Kizzie¹⁹⁹⁰⁹ appeared in the census on 3 May 1930 in Linville, Linville Twp., Avery Co., NC.¹⁹⁹¹⁰ They¹⁹⁹¹⁰ appeared in the census on 2 April 1940 in Linville, Linville Twp., Avery Co., NC.¹⁹⁹¹¹

John Wesley Coffey moved from Coffey's Gap to Linville and settled on what is now part of the Linville Golf Course (No. 9 Green). Most of his children were born at Coffey's Gap except maybe Reid. He lived in the house until it was washed away in 1916, at which time he and his family moved to what is known as fisher Cottage, right below the old Lenoir Hotel. John Wesley was a carpenter working in the woodworking shop in Linville; later he operated a service station where Willie Townsend's station now stands (City Service Station). One of the grandchildren remembers hearing Kizzie sing a Dutch sons; in fact, Wilma can still sing it exactly as her grandmother sang it to her and she still wonders what it says. The Hatleys were of Dutch extraction having come by way of England to America.

John Wesley's children had a variety of interests and talents, especially carpentry. Ira and Avery (Joe) followed carpentry as a profession; Edgar lived in charlotte where he worked in a chemical plant. His wife Margaret was engaged in the antique business. Delana and Dick's story is told in "The Jack Cook Story" in Volume 1, page 46. Recently Delana had developed a keen interest in travel. Opal still lives in Manassas, Virginia, when she and son Jimmy are rearing his two children. Jimmy works for United Airlines where he has been employed most of his working live. Avery J. lives in Ohio where he works as a carpenter. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy. Reid (d. 1981) worked in a printing office in Raleigh [in prison] and his wife Zula Mae was a store clerk. Adell and her husband live in Largo, Florida, where Rex retired from the exterminating business.

John Wesley's son Ira is still active though he may be semi-retired. He has put into practice some advice given him by Dr. Tate to the effect that one sure way to shorten one's life is to quit working. Like some of his sons, he had tried his had at golf, but did not take himself seriously. He helped build the Linville Golf Course and the present structure of Eseeola Lodge working for Linville Improvement Company and later Linville Resorts. In 1940 he began working away from home, first in West Virginia and Kingsport, then twelve years for Industrial Installation in Greensboro. His home in Linville shows the skilled work of a true craftsman. He and Gladys brought their children up in the Evangelical Methodist Church in Linville, and though Gladys confesses she does not like to read, she is an avid reader of the Bible. One afternoon in April they counted eleven great grandchildren and welcomed a visit from the youngest, Gregory Carson Coffey (Michael and Susan's son). Ira still does carpenter work and they raise a garden.

Ira's children show also a variety of interests. Wilma and Floyd worked in Hampton's store in Linville for four or five years, worked at Greene's Food Center for 23 years, worked in Montezuma, managed Smithey's store in Lenoir and have now spent 14 months at Baster's Laboratories. Son Joe is Assistant Manager at Lowe's in Burlington and is a licensed electrician; daughter Jane works at Baxter's and her husband Bill teaches karate (has his black belt); son Jimmy works in Patient's Accounts at Cannon Memorial Hospital and his wife Connie is Avery County Home Extension Agent.

Douglas served in the Korean War; he then worked as a meat cutter at the Newland Supermarket (Hoilman's) and as a carpenter at GFCO. He and Hundley bought the Texaco Service Station at Invershiel, but Hundley soon sold out to Doug who now owns the building (formerly owned by Agnes Morton). His son Michael works with him at Invershiel. Morris spent four years in the Navy, then studied electronics at Maryland Tech and now works for AT&T in Tennessee; they live in Johnson City. Michael and Morris are twins. Doug's son Lyndon had open heart surgery living only to age 13; daughter Sharon Dianne is a junior in high school.

[Avery Heritage Family Album - The Coffey Family; no other details available] Nancy Kizzie Ann "Kizzie" Hatley, daughter of William Monroe Hatley and Eliza Ann Sides, was born on 15 February 1882 in North Carolina. Kizzie died of a coronary occlusion on 28 July 1962 at the age of 80 at Cannon Memorial Hospital in Banner Elk, Avery Co., NC and was buried at Tate Famiy Cemetery in Linville, Avery Co., NC on 30 July 1962.^{19912,19913,19914}

John Wesley Coffey and Nancy Kizzie Ann "Kizzie" Hatley had the following children: