Seventh Generation

5178. William Noah Coffey¹⁶⁸⁶² was born on 10 December 1874 in Collettsville, Caldwell Co., NC.¹⁶⁸⁶³ He registered for the WWI draft on 12 September 1918 in Madison, Dane Co., WI.¹⁶⁸⁶⁴ He appeared in the census on 4 April 1930 at Wisconsin State Prison in Waupun, Chester Twp., Dodge Co., WI.¹⁶⁸⁶⁵ He appeared in the census on 5 April 1940 at Wisconsin State Prison in Waupun, Chester Twp., Dodge Co., WI.¹⁶⁸⁶⁶ William died at Wisconsin State Prison in Waupun, Chester Twp., Dodge Co., WI on 11 June 1962 and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Waupun, Chester Twp., Dodge Co., WI in June 1962 .¹⁶⁸⁶⁷

In Jan., 1927 an article appeared on the front page of the Sarasota [Florida] Herald-Tribune concerning the murder of Hattie Hales Coffey. It seems that her husband, William N. Coffey was a bigamist who had been arrested for her murder which authorities thought to have taken place either in Lancaster, Grant Co., WI or, Eagle Point Park near Dubuque, IA. Some of her body parts were later found buried along with the knife that Coffey eventually admitted using to dismember her body, in a place called Ritter's Woods near Lancaster. William was later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison at Waupun.

Several other articles have been found in the Milwaukee Journal, beginning in Jan., 1927. One such article produced the confession that William wrote for authorities:

"On the early morning of Oct. 9 Mrs. Hales and I were lying in separate couches side by side. The ball bat and the small car hammer were lying by her left side. I reached over and got the bat and struck her on the head. I then lost control of myself absolutely. I seized the hammer and hit her with it, I cannot tell how many times. I murdered her and am willing to pay the price. I have tried my best to conceal the crime.

"I killed her because I wanted to be free from her to cover up my sins with her. I killed her, Hattie Hales, in the woods about five miles southwest of Platteville near the Platteville-Dubuque road, where the body was found Friday, Jan. 28, 1927. (Signed: William Coffey)"

Another article in the Milwaukee Sentinel of Jan. 26, 1927, revealed that William had previously served two and a half years of a three year term in prison for larceny when a woman, aged about 72, accused him of stealing from her. He was 21 at the time and plead guilty to the charges.

William Noah Coffey and Alberta Ellen Winnek were married on 25 June 1903 in Lawrence, Douglas Co., KS.¹⁶⁸⁶⁸ They¹⁶⁸⁶⁸ appeared in the census on 21 April 1910 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire Co., WI.¹⁶⁸⁶⁹ They¹⁶⁸⁶⁹ appeared in the census on 13 January 1920 in Madison, Dane Co., WI.¹⁶⁸⁷⁰ William and Alberta¹⁶⁸⁷⁰ were divorced in 1927. Alberta Ellen Winnek, daughter of Frederick G. Winnek and Ellen Martin, was born on 21 July 1877 in Chelsea, Suffolk Co., MA.¹⁶⁸⁷¹ Alberta resided in Madison, Dane Co., WI in 1923.¹⁶⁸⁷² She appeared in the census on 8 April 1930 in Chicago, Cook Co., IL.¹⁶⁸⁷³ She appeared in the census on 18 April 1940 at 616 Harold St. in the household with her son Douglas Winneck in Mamaroneck, Rye Twp., Westchester Co., NY. Alberta died in Los Angeles Co., CA on 22 January 1960 and was buried at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles Co., CA in January 1960 .^16874,16875

It has been and remains difficult to determine the real surname of Alberta Ellen. It is recorded as Minnek in the marriage record to William Coffey. In her death record her mother's maiden name was given as Martin but a father's name was not given. After she was divorced from William Noah Coffey she moved to Chicago and became known as Alberta Ellen Minnek and her children's surname was changed from Coffey to Minnek. When her son Douglas was married, the record shows that his father was William Minnek but, a marriage record has not been found for Alberta's marriage to a Minnek with any given name.

William Noah Coffey and Alberta Ellen Winnek had the following children: