Seventh Generation

5922. John Wesley "Happy John" Coffey was born on 6 August 1877 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.⁷²²⁵ He lived with his parents in Globe Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 12 June 1880. He lived with his parents in Globe Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 13 June 1900. John died of pneumonia on 5 March 1967 at the age of 89 at Blowing Rock Hospital in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co., NC and was buried at Boone Fork Community Cemetery in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co., NC.^{19396,19397,19398}

John Wesley "Happy John" Coffey and Ella Adelaide Henderson were married on 9 February 1901 in Watauga Co., NC.¹⁹³⁹⁹ They¹⁹³⁹⁹ appeared in the census on 11 May 1910 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁹⁴⁰⁰ They¹⁹⁴⁰⁰ appeared in the census on 12 January 1920 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁹⁴⁰¹ Happy John and Ella¹⁹⁴⁰¹ appeared in the census on 2 April 1930 in Watauga Co., NC.¹⁹⁴⁰² They¹⁹⁴⁰² appeared in the census on 25 April 1940 in Watauga Twp., Watauga Co., NC.¹⁹⁴⁰³ Ella Adelaide Henderson, daughter of John James Henderson and Mary L. Chapel, was born on 19 August 1880 in North Carolina. Ella died of pneumonia on 12 May 1971 at the age of 90 at Blowing Rock Hospital in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co., NC and was buried at Boone Fork Community Cemetery in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co., NC.^{19404,19405,19406}

According to an article in The Blowing Rocket of May, 2006 by Thelma Ann Coffey Catterton, a granddaughter of Ella. Ella Adelaide Henderson had a brother named Henry Henderson. Henry had a son named Sherman who had given some jewelry to a girl. They subsequently broke up and Sherman wanted his gifts returned.

William Henderson and Mary Etta Coffey Gragg had a son named John Albert Gragg. John was a large fellow and had advised the girl to keep the jewelry. That caused a fight between Sherman and John, with John getting the better of the contest when he had Sherman down and was choking him to death.

It was then that Sherman drew a knife from his pocket and cut John on the leg. According to the article, the knife would likely cut a major artery because John bled to death on the spot.

The incident was called self-defense and Sherman went free.

Another brother to Ella was John Henderson who was married. The wife was of the Democratic persuasion while the Coffey and Henderson families were Republicans. The story goes that John refused to vote Democratic so his wife and her brother shot and killed him. The wife remarried and neither she nor her brother were ever convicted.

John Wesley "Happy John" Coffey and Ella Adelaide Henderson had the following children: