Eighth Generation

11226. Robey Elbert Coffey was born on 1 April 1912 in Bushnell, Swain Co., NC.³²⁵⁷⁴ He registered for the WWII draft on 16 October 1940 in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC.³²⁵⁷⁵ Robey Elbert was arrested and jailed on 23 August 1943 for firing into the home of J. B. Nixon.³²⁵⁷⁶

News Item, The Greensboro Daily News, Greensboro, NC, Aug. 23, 1943, Page 9, Col. 4

Man Jailed for Taking Shot At Draft Board Head

Byrson City, Aug. 22. - (AP) - Robey Coffey, of Bryson City, was arraigned before U. S. Commissioner W. O. Calhoun Saturday and charged with an attempt to shoot J. B. Nixon, of Bryson City, chairman of the Swain county selective service board.

Unable to post bond of $10,000 Coffey was still in jail here Saturday night. Date for a regular hearing had not been set.

He was arrested by an agent of the federal bureau of investigation and Sgt. T. A. Sandlin and Glenn Roberts, of the state highway patrol.

Patrolman Roberts said that August 19 after he had been placed in class 1-A by the draft board, Coffey fired a rifle from his home into the home of Nixon. The officer stated that he removed a bullet himself from a screen door of the Nixon place. Coffey and Nixon live across the road from each other.

Roberts said when the officers went to arrest Coffey they found him locked in his home.

Robey died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 15 July 1969 at the age of 57 at Haywood County Hospital in Waynesville, Haywood Co., NC and was buried at Bryson City Cemetery in Bryson City, Swain Co., NC on 18 July 1969.^32577,32578

Robey Elbert Coffey and Edna Cordelia Abernathy were married. Edna Cordelia Abernathy was born on 14 April 1914 in Tennessee. Edna died in Asheville, Buncombe Co., NC in November 1991 and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Enka, Hominy Twp., Buncombe Co., NC in November 1991 .³²⁵⁷⁹

Edna Abernathy Coffey, 77, of 199 Swannanoa Avenue, West Asheville, died Sunday in an Asheville hospital.

She had lived in Buncombe County most of her life. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, the Professional Sales Club and Carolina White Shrine No. 1. She was a volunteer with the American Red Cross. She was co-owner, with her husband, of the Coffey Hardware in Bryson City. She retired from Ivey's Department Store, after 25 years of service.

She was a daughter of the late James D. and Bertha Mashburn Abernathy. She was the wife of Roby E. Coffey, who died in 1969.

Surviving are a daughter, Edith Moore of the home; three sisters, Beulah Wilson of Asheville, Daisy Hall of Candler and Mae Palmer of Murphy; and a granddaughter.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Chapel of Groce Funeral Home. The Rev. Jordan "Buddy" Corbin will officiate. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.