COFFIN, Samuel

COFFIN, SHAFFER, OLIVER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/20/2006 at 08:12:36

"Fairfield Daily Journal", Fri., July 25, 1913

OLDEST IOWA MASON IS DEAD... Samuel COFFIN. Funeral held from the residence at Broadway and Second Streets.... The remains were taken to Davenport at 5 o'clock this afternoon to be cremated and the ashes scattered, in deference to a request of Mr. COFFIN placed in writing several years ago. He was a friend of the late Joshua M. SHAFFER who was an advocate of cremation and whose own body was cremated.

...... He was one of the "Forty-niners" who sought their fortunes across the wilderness in California. Later he was a "freighter" on the Old Oregon Trail and through Idaho and finally settled in Portland, Oregon. Mr. COFFIN was born in Catskill, New York, Dec. 16th, 1832.... Having made a fortune in gold mining in the west, Mr. COFFIN went south. During the Civil War he was buying cotton in Georgia. The river wharves at Atlanta were piled high with his cotton when General Sherman arrived.... He lost a fortune and returned north.... Besides his wife and stepdaughter he is survived by one cousin, Moss COFFIN of Loveland, Colorado. A member of the Masonic Order 60 years... The building now occupied by the feed store of J. W. OLIVER & Son was erected by Mr. COFFIN... He died Wed. night....

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.