Ninth Generation

18392. Jessie William "Bill" Coffey was born on 1 September 1916 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC. Bill died on 16 May 2004 at the age of 87 at Caldwell County Hospice in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC and was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC on 19 May 2004 .^{45456,45457,45458,45459}

Obituary, The Watauga Democrat, May 19, 2004

Mr. William “Bill” Coffey, 87, of Haven Circle, Lenoir, died May 16, 2004, at Caldwell County Hospice.

He was born Sept. 1, 1916 in Caldwell County, to the late Charlie and Julia Knight Coffey.

Mr. Coffey was a member of Central Baptist Church and was retired from the N.C. Department of Transportation. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Edith Phillips Coffey; two sons, Greg C. Coffey and Jerry C. Phillips, both of Lenoir; two daughters, Barbara Coffey Gragg of Morganton and Sherry P. Emory of Raleigh; a brother, Ralph Coffey of Fresno, Calif.; and two sisters, Martha Jane Coffey and Effie Coffey, both of Lenoir.

He is also survived by six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Julia Knight Coffey; a son, Gerald Wayne Coffey; and a daughter, Sandra Coffey Greene; and four brothers and one sister.

Services will be conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Pendry’s Chapel, with the Rev. John Jernigan officiating. Burial will follow in the Blue Ridge Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. at Pendry’s Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Caldwell County Hospice, 902 Kirkwood Street, Lenoir, N.C. 28645.

Pendry’s Funeral Home in Lenoir is in charge of the arrangements.

Jessie William "Bill" Coffey and Edith Daisy Phillips were married on 1 December 1943 in Burke Co., NC.⁴⁵⁴⁶⁰ Edith Daisy Phillips, daughter of James Phillips and Louise Nelson, was born on 18 September 1919 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.⁴⁵⁴⁶¹ Edith died on 21 March 2008 at the age of 88 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC and was buried at Blue Ridge Memorial Park in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC on 24 March 2008.⁴⁵⁴⁶²

Obituary, The News-Topic, Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC, Mar. 23, 2008

Edith Coffey

Edith Daisy Phillips Coffey, 88, of Lenoir, passed away Friday, March 21, 2008 at her residence.

Mrs. Coffey was born September 18, 1919 in Caldwell County to the late James Phillips and Lonsie Nelson Phillips. She was a homemaker and a seamstress and was a member of Central Baptist Church.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband William “Bill” Coffey; her daughter Sandra C. Greene; her son Gerald W. Coffey; her sisters Lilly Hartston and Bea Holman; her brothers Clyde Phillips and Blaine Phillips; and her grandson David Gragg.

Survivors include her son Gregory Coffey of Lenoir; her daughters Barbara C. Gragg and husband Ronnie of Morganton, and Sherry Emory and husband Steve of Wake Forest; six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Services for Mrs. Coffey will be held Monday, March 24 at Pendry's Chapel at 2 p.m. with the Rev. John Jernigan officiating. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from noon-2 p.m. prior to the service.

Pallbearers will be Greg Coffey, Jeffrey Gragg, Scott Gragg, Brian Icenhour, Christopher Coffey and Jacob Coffey. Honorary pallbearer will be Steve Emory.

Memorials may be made to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St. NW, Lenoir, NC 28645.

Pendry's Funeral Home and Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements.

Condolences may be placed online at www.mem.com When someone is identified as a natural leader, certain images come to mind. First thoughts are of a no-nonsense, tough-minded, dedicated and disciplined person. This description accurately fits Mrs. Edith Phillips Coffey who was indeed a born manager. She will be remembered as being highly organized, practical and realistic. She was a person who always carried a strong sense of duty with her throughout her life. Possessed with traditional “old school” morals, Edith was an individual who clearly communicated to those around her just who she was and what she was all about. Everyone acquainted with Edith knew her as a well-respected woman who was a stable force in her community.

Edith was born on September 18, 1919 at Caldwell County in North Carolina. Her parents were James and Lonsie Phillips. Edith was raised in Caldwell and Watauga Counties, where she grew up like a gypsy after her father died when she was 12. Her mother, Grandma Lonsie, liked to move around alot, she was very restless, but was a good mother. Even as a youngster, Edith learned to be objective and decisive. Her faith in the principles of authority and dependability was something that she carried with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Edith was able to put her natural abilities to work. She was a bit like the sergeant of the family, helping to make sure that the others did what they should do and that they avoided those things they weren’t supposed to. In other words, she liked to organize and direct. Edith was raised with four siblings. She had two brothers; Blaine and Clyde and two sisters Lilly and Bea, they were extremely close. Edith often spoke of making music, playin th guitar and mandolin together. Edith had an inborn appreciation for the order in the family, allowing for the oldest members to be the most respected and to take on the most responsibility. For Edith, this was a natural order of life, one she gladly embraced.

Edith's matter-of-fact attitude about most things was developed during her childhood. As a young girl, Edith enjoyed being part of teams, and organizations and groups of other kids who shared similar interests. Edith's memorable achievements included jumping out of a window at school to get away from a teacher!

Edith was sociable and approachable. Because she was always so straightforward in how she approached relationships, friends and family knew that what they saw was always what they got. She enjoyed the camaraderie of being with a group of friends. When Edith was a member of a group, her interaction worked to keep the others grounded. She wasn’t afraid to confront her friends and, when necessary, she challenged them to stick to the task at hand. Those close to Edith came to expect her high standards of performance. Later in life, she became friends with Frances Armentrout.

An objective and conscientious individual, Edith reveled in the security of her family. On They were married prior to World War II and started a family of their own, working throuygh the tough times while her husband was away for four years during the war. One of Edith’s most endearing qualities was her uncanny ability to remember important dates and anniversaries, and her unending enthusiasm for organizing a celebration for her family and friends.

Edith was ever watchful of her children. She worried about them and was deeply concerned for their development as they grew up. She maintained a firm hand in their upbringing. Edith would give her stamp of approval to their requests, as long as she could see how they might benefit. She also had the ability to enforce the rules as needed to ensure that her children were properly raised. Edith was blessed with four children, they were spaced out in years, but was very close in heart. Her children could never have asked for a better mother and friend who didn't fit into any mold. She was one of a kind and lived her life her way!, two boys Butch and Greg and two girls Barbara and Sandy. Edith lost her son Butch and her daughter Sandy. Through all the bad times, Edith always kept her sense of humor and had an indomitable spirit, she was tough, but never mean, loving, patient, kind, very artistic, always optimistic and always smiling. They were also blessed with six grandchildren, Jeff, David, Scott, Brooke, Christopher and Angel.

Being a hard worker who praised efficiency, Edith was always striving to make improvements where they were necessary. She was able to analyze situations and problems, keeping everything and everyone on track. An excellent project supervisor, Edith was a person who could quickly make decisions based on the information available. She worked cooperatively and expected the same from her colleagues. In both her personal and professional environments, Edith upheld her standards. Her primary occupation was a homemaker. Edith was a team player who certainly lived out the motto of “give me a job, and I will get it done.”

Edith approached her leisure time in the same manner that she approached her life. A person who enjoyed being neat and orderly and one who understood the nature of things, she appreciated the hours she was able to devote to her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were sewing, crafts and music. She could play th piano, organ, guitar and mandolin. She could paint, draw, even do cartoons. She could sew anything and had made apple head dolls and two are in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D. C. Edith was content to enjoy her favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Faith was important to Edith. She held high moral standards and was worried about the moral decay she saw around her. For that reason she held deep spiritual beliefs that she was willing to share. She was a member of Central Baptist Church.

When it came time to travel or take a vacation, Edith used her scheduling expertise to make sure everyone and everything was ready to go. That also meant that she made certain no single person was overworked in putting the trip together. Edith had a knack for making sure that everyone who was involved had their specific tasks and that those tasks were completed. Favorite vacations included going to the mountains in Blowing Rock and Boone.

Edith was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Edith’s favorites was Trudale, a very fat cat. They were best friends for 14 years and still counting.

When Edith’s retirement finally arrived in she never retired only age slowed her down., she was well prepared. She used her critical evaluation skills to make sure that every detail had been preplanned and attended to. In many ways, Edith loved retirement. It provided her with the opportunity to catch up with her friends, attend functions and group outings, and tackle new interesting activities.

Edith passed away on March 21, 2008 at at home in Lenoir, NC. Congestive heart failure. She is survived by Barbara Gragg and Greg Coffey. Services were held at Pendry's Chapel. Edith was laid to rest in Blue Ridge Memorial Park.

All who knew her would agree that Edith was a pillar of the community. She lived her life with her feet firmly on the ground. She had a strong work ethic, was pragmatic in her thoughts and acts, and constantly sought the means for self-improvement. She was willing to share her ideas and knowledge for the benefit of others, so that they could accomplish more in their lives. Mrs. Edith Phillips Coffey did her best to ensure that her family, friends, loved ones, co-workers, and everyone whose life she touched was given the chance to become a better person. [Author Unknown]

Jessie William "Bill" Coffey and Edith Daisy Phillips had the following children: