Seventh Generation

5169. Finley Hezekiah Coffey¹⁶⁸⁰⁰ was born on 20 April 1861 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.^16801,16802 Finley died of pneumonia on 4 August 1943 at the age of 82 at Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC and was buried at Bellview Cemetery in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC.^{16803,16804,16805}

"Finley H. Coffey, president of the Kent-Coffey Manufacturing Company, prominent in the manufacturing, banking and government interests of Caldwell County, was born in this county, the son of the late Drury D. and Harriet Collett Coffey, both of whom were natives of Caldwell....When he was twenty-two he opened his own store in this area, operating it until 1887 when he came to Lenoir and established a general store where Efird's is now located.

About seven years later Mr. Coffey went to Kansas and took over the management of a farm owned by his father. In 1907 he returned to Lenoir, and he, with others, founded the Kent-Coffey Manufacturing Company.

Active in the civic affairs of Lenoir and Caldwell County , Mr. Coffey has served a number of terms on the board of aldermen of the city of Lenoir ; was chairman of the county draft board during World War I, and was for many years a member of the Board of County Commissioners, serving as chairman for some time. He was a member of this board until 1928 when he entered the State Legislature where he served on the Finance Committee.

At present Mr. Coffey is president of the Kent-Coffey Manufacturing Co., president of Union Mirror Co., president of Union National Bank, vice-president of Mutual Building and Loan Association, chairman of the County Welfare Board, Vice-chairman of the State School for the Deaf and chairman of the building committee. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Kiwanis Club and an active member of the Presbyterian Church.

To Mr. Coffey, perhaps more than any other living citizen, Caldwell County is indebted for much of the progress made during recent years. During his term as a member of the county Board of Commissioners he was instrumental in establishing the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Caldwell County and in doing away with the indebtedness of the county and placing it once more on a sound financial basis. When he became a commissioner there were only two jobs in the county outside the actual operating force in the courthouse, and these were a Farm Demonstrator and one Welfare Worker. During his administration the county was given a well-rounded administrative force.

The wide diversity of Mr. Coffey's interests are well demonstrated in the offices which he holds today, and Lenoir and Caldwell County are indeed fortunate in having such a citizen as Mr. Finley H. Coffey."

Mr. Coffey was still in office at the time of his death at age 82 in 1943. Minutes of the Caldwell County Welfare Board meeting after his passing refer to him as "the beloved Chairman."

[Nancy Stonebreaker]

Finley Hezekiah Coffey was the first chairman of the Caldwell County, North Carolina Board of Public Welfare. He was also one of the county's most prominent citizens.

A 1942 article describes Finley:

“Finley H. Coffey, president of the Kent-Coffey Manufacturing Company, prominent in the manufacturing, banking and government interests of Caldwell County, was born in this county, the son of the late Drury D. and Harriet Collett Coffey, both of whom were natives of Caldwell....When he was twenty-two he opened his own store in this area, operating it until 1887 when he came to Lenoir and established a general store where Efird’s is now located.

"About seven years later Mr. Coffey went to Kansas and took over the management of a farm owned by his father. In 1907 he returned to Lenoir, and he, with others, founded the Kent-Coffey Manufacturing Company.

"Active in the civic affairs of Lenoir and Caldwell County , Mr. Coffey has served a number of terms on the board of aldermen of the city of Lenoir ; was chairman of the county draft board during World War I, and was for many years a member of the Board of County Commissioners, serving as chairman for some time. He was a member of this board until 1928 when he entered the State Legislature where he served on the Finance Committee.

"At present Mr. Coffey is president of the Kent-Coffey Manufacturing Co., president of Union Mirror Co., president of Union National Bank, vice-president of Mutual Building and Loan Association, chairman of the County Welfare Board, Vice-chairman of the State School for the Deaf and chairman of the building committee. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Kiwanis Club and an active member of the Presbyterian Church.

"To Mr. Coffey, perhaps more than any other living citizen, Caldwell County is indebted for much of the progress made during recent years. During his term as a member of the county Board of Commissioners he was instrumental in establishing the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Caldwell County and in doing away with the indebtedness of the county and placing it once more on a sound financial basis. When he became a commissioner there were only two jobs in the county outside the actual operating force in the courthouse, and these were a Farm Demonstrator and one Welfare Worker. During his administration the county was given a well-rounded administrative force.

"The wide diversity of Mr. Coffey’s interests are well demonstrated in the offices which he holds today, and Lenoir and Caldwell County are indeed fortunate in having such a citizen as Mr. Finley H. Coffey.”

"Mr. Coffey was still in office at the time of his death at age 82 in 1943. Minutes of the Caldwell County Welfare Board meeting after his passing refer to him as "the beloved Chairman."

Finley Hezekiah Coffey and Rose Frieze were married circa 1893. They lived with his parents in Jefferson Twp. Geary Co., KS on 1 June 1900. They appeared in the census on 11 May 1910 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁶⁸⁰⁶ Finley and Rose¹⁶⁸⁰⁶ appeared in the census on 13 January 1920 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁶⁸⁰⁷ They¹⁶⁸⁰⁷ appeared in the census on 6 April 1940 at Lenoir Twp. in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁶⁸⁰⁸ Rose Frieze, daughter of Jacob Frieze and Ann Woodsides, was born on 7 April 1866 in Cabarrus Co., NC. Rose died of acute nephritis on 15 June 1948 at the age of 82 at Lenoir Hospital in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC and was also buried at Bellview Cemetery in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC on 16 June 1948.^16809,16810

Finley Hezekiah Coffey and Rose Frieze had the following children: