Family name has been listed as Coffee in older census & marriage records plus other documents. Coffey seems to be in the newer records so both spellings are correct.
William L. Coffey was the son of Lewis Elbert and Hester (Hettie) Gravitt Coffey.
Bill had worked for the railroad for several years doing various jobs of working in leather and ironworks. One night in 1905 as he was walking home from work he was going through the tunnels between Harriman and Oakdale a train came along apparently he didn't hear the whistle blowing and there was no place for him to go once he saw it. He was killed instantly according to doctors reports. When it got late g-grandma Nancy got her oil lantern, telling her oldest children to take care of the others then went out to search. After a long walk she came upon the train with several men standing around talking & trying to keep her away. She fought her way through and held his body until they came to move him to the nearest funeral home or home depending on what they had in the area at that time. Needless to say that would be devastating. She sued the railroad & fought they for several years. She eventually took it to the Supreme Court but she finally won the case.
William L. Coffey was the son of Lewis Elbert and Hester (Hettie) Gravitt Coffey.
Bill had worked for the railroad for several years doing various jobs of working in leather and ironworks. One night in 1905 as he was walking home from work he was going through the tunnels between Harriman and Oakdale a train came along apparently he didn't hear the whistle blowing and there was no place for him to go once he saw it. He was killed instantly according to doctors reports. When it got late g-grandma Nancy got her oil lantern, telling her oldest children to take care of the others then went out to search. After a long walk she came upon the train with several men standing around talking & trying to keep her away. She fought her way through and held his body until they came to move him to the nearest funeral home or home depending on what they had in the area at that time. Needless to say that would be devastating. She sued the railroad & fought they for several years. She eventually took it to the Supreme Court but she finally won the case.
Family name has been listed as Coffee in older census & marriage records plus other documents. Coffey seems to be in the newer records so both spellings are correct.
William L. Coffey was the son of Lewis Elbert and Hester (Hettie) Gravitt Coffey.
Bill had worked for the railroad for several years doing various jobs of working in leather and ironworks. One night in 1905 as he was walking home from work he was going through the tunnels between Harriman and Oakdale a train came along apparently he didn't hear the whistle blowing and there was no place for him to go once he saw it. He was killed instantly according to doctors reports. When it got late g-grandma Nancy got her oil lantern, telling her oldest children to take care of the others then went out to search. After a long walk she came upon the train with several men standing around talking & trying to keep her away. She fought her way through and held his body until they came to move him to the nearest funeral home or home depending on what they had in the area at that time. Needless to say that would be devastating. She sued the railroad & fought they for several years. She eventually took it to the Supreme Court but she finally won the case.
William L. Coffey was the son of Lewis Elbert and Hester (Hettie) Gravitt Coffey.
Bill had worked for the railroad for several years doing various jobs of working in leather and ironworks. One night in 1905 as he was walking home from work he was going through the tunnels between Harriman and Oakdale a train came along apparently he didn't hear the whistle blowing and there was no place for him to go once he saw it. He was killed instantly according to doctors reports. When it got late g-grandma Nancy got her oil lantern, telling her oldest children to take care of the others then went out to search. After a long walk she came upon the train with several men standing around talking & trying to keep her away. She fought her way through and held his body until they came to move him to the nearest funeral home or home depending on what they had in the area at that time. Needless to say that would be devastating. She sued the railroad & fought they for several years. She eventually took it to the Supreme Court but she finally won the case.
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