Seventh Generation

5205. Rufus Gamewell Coffey Sr. was born on 15 December 1871 in North Carolina. He appeared in the census on 14 May 1910 in Swain Co., NC.¹⁷⁰⁹⁶ Rufus Sr. died on 9 April 1939 at the age of 67 in Granville Co., NC and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC.^17097,17098

Rufus Gamewell Coffey Sr. and Florence Faye Houck were married on 19 July 1896 in Lenoir, Caldwell Co., NC.^17099,17100 They^17099,17100 appeared in the census on 9 June 1900 in Nantahala Twp., Swain Co., NC.¹⁷¹⁰¹ They¹⁷¹⁰¹ were divorced before 25 April 1910 in North Carolina. Florence Faye Houck, daughter of Robert C. Houck and Margaret Isabelle Hood, was born on 19 February 1876 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC. She lived with her parents in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC on 25 April 1910. Florence died of a coronary thrombosis on 5 April 1943 at the age of 67 at Grace Hospital in Morganton, Burke Co., NC and was buried at Littlejohn Methodist Church Cemetery in Gamewell, Caldwell Co., NC on 7 April 1943.^17102,17103

Rufus Gamewell Coffey Sr. and Florence Faye Houck had the following children:

Rufus Gamewell Coffey Sr. and Minnie Ann Welch were married on 11 May 1910 in Swain Co., NC.¹⁷¹⁰⁵ They¹⁷¹⁰⁵ appeared in the census on 10 January 1920 in Swain Co., NC.¹⁷¹⁰⁶ They¹⁷¹⁰⁶ appeared in the census on 18 April 1930 in Swain Co., NC.¹⁷¹⁰⁷ Minnie Ann Welch was born in November 1889 in North Carolina. She lived with her parents Elbert and Emma Welch in Forneys Creek, Swain Co., NC on 29 June 1900. She appeared in the census on 4 May 1940 in Waynesville, Haywood Co., NC.¹⁷¹⁰⁸ Minnie died on 23 November 1985 at the age of 96 in Haywood Co., NC and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC.^17109,17110

Rufus Gamewell Coffey Sr. and Minnie Ann Welch had the following children:

+11226	i.	Robey Elbert Coffey.
11227	ii.	Mabel Alberta Coffey was born on 6 December 1914 in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC. She graduated in 1937 from Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Jefferson Co., TN. Mabel died on 30 December 2005 at the age of 91 in Waynesville, Haywood Co., NC and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Swain Co., NC on 4 January 2006.17111 Obituary Mabel Alberta Coffey was born Dec. 6, 1914, in Bryson City to Rufus Gamewell Coffey and Minnie Welch Coffey. Her grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. F.P Coffey and Dr. and Mrs. J.E.T. Welch. She graduated in 1935 from Mars Hill College and in 1937 from Carson Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn., with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Since 1938 she and her sisters, Helene and Ruth, operated Waynesville Hardware Company in Waynesville. Miss Coffey had a heart for poetry all her life. Her poems have been printed in numerous publications through the years. In 1994, with the help of Dr. Cordell Maddox, president of Carson Newman College, a collection of her poetry was published under the title "Beyond The Mountains." In the introduction to the book, Miss Coffey summarized the philosophy of her life when she wrote "of those whose hopes and aspirations transcend the highest peaks and venture on to heaven it can truly be said; they see beyond the mountains." She was preceded in death by three brothers; J.C Coffey, Roby Elbert Coffey and Rufus Gamewell Coffey, Jr., and one sister, Dora Helene Coffey, she is survived by one sister; Nellie Ruth Coffey Rogers, and one brother Lyle Welch Coffey, all of Waynesville and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, in the Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home. Clayton Davis and Steve C. Davis will be officiating. Burial will follow at Bryson City Cemetery at 1 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201.
11228	iii.	Dora Helene Coffey was born on 8 September 1918 in Swain Co., NC. Dora died unmarried on 15 May 1989 at the age of 70 in Waynesville, Haywood Co., NC and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC.17112,17113
11229	iv.	Nellie Ruth Coffey was born circa 1920 in Swain Co., NC.
11230	v.	Jesse Calvin Coffey was born on 19 March 1922 in North Carolina. Jesse died on 6 November 1925 at the age of 3 in Swain Co., NC and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC.
11231	vi.	Lyle Welch Coffey was born on 6 May 1926 in Swain Co., NC.17114 Lyle died in Waynesville, Haywood Co., NC on 11 July 2016 and was buried at Green Hill Cemetery in Waynesville, Haywood Co., NC in July 2016 .17115
11232	vii.	Rufus Gamewell Coffey Jr. was born on 10 August 1930 in North Carolina. Rufus Jr. died on 28 June 1978 at the age of 47 in North Carolina and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC.17116