James Thomas Coffie

COFFIE TROBAUGH

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 21:46:33

Woodbury County History 1984

James Thomas Coffie
By Janis Johnson

James Thomas Coffie, son of T J Coffey (mother’s name unknown), was born in County Cork, Ireland, on May 18, 1863, and was brought to the United States. Around 1870, his grandmother brought his sister and brothers, Susan, William Patrick and baby Samuel to the States. James Thomas married Sarah A Trobaugh, daughter of John Thomas Trobaugh, who died when his boat capsized in the Mississippi Riber while returning home fform the Civil War, and Elizabeth (Stroud) Trobaugh. Sarah was born in Bulls Gap, Tennessee, on December 12, 1861. James Thomas and Sarah and their first child, a daughter, Jennie, came form Mohawk, Tennessee, and settled on land southwest of Sergeant Bluff in a section generally known to theold timers as ‘Weedland’. They had six children: Jennie, May 18, 1883; William, June 12, 1885; James T, August 16, 1887; George, February 8, 1890; John F, January 18, 1892, who died at the age of ten months; and Fred, born September 12, 1893.

Jennie married Will Lesher and moved to Lester, Iowa. They had seven chidlren: Bernice, of Denver, Colorado; Harold and J Lesher, of Colorado; Esther and Lillie, livng in California; Ruth and Saly of Rock Rapids, Iowa. Jennie died October 15, 1965.

Will married Grace Demory of Indianola, Iowa, and had one daughter, Wilma Grace. The mother passed away in childbirth in 1922. Grace married Thain Green and lives in Des Moines. They have two sons, Demory and David. Will passed away in 1928.

James T ‘Jim’ married May Foy of Sioux City in 1909. They had three chidlren. Their son, James G ‘Jamie’ served in World War II, seeing action in France, and was a prisoner of war in a German camp for many months. Virginia married Ed Christensen, a former Sergeant Bluff resident and son of Mr and Mrs Peter Christensen. They have two daughters, Jackie and Tena, and son, Ray. Their home is in Long Beach, California. Plyllis married Harold Smith of California. They have two sons, Jim and Larry, and are now living in Ashland, Oregon. Mary Coffie died in 1947. Jim was in real estate and construction business most of his life. He built the Virginia Apartments, which were named after his daughter and are located on Morningside Avenue, in Sioux City. James T Coffie died May 28, 1969.

George C never married. He died in Sioux City on December 2, 1974.

Fred T was reared in Sergeant Bluff but migrated to Wyoming where he was in the ranching business for several years. He served in World War I in the Marien Corps. He married Fern Rossiter of Tabor, Iowa, and they were the parents of four children: Mary, Frederick R, Joyce and Patricia. Fred T and Fern are still living in San Lorenzo, California.

James Thomas Coffie passed away in 1893 of injuries received in a disagreement with another local resident.

After the death of her first husband, James T Coffie, Sarah A Coffie married his brother, Samuel C Coffie (Neil) who was alos born in County Cork, Ireland, on September 7, 1870, and was brought as an infant to this country by his grandmother. To this marriage were born five sons: Samuel L, April 20, 1896; Jess M, October 7, 1897; Bert L, October 30, 1899; Elmer H, July 6, 1902; and Raymond, July 8, 1906.

Samuel L married Phyllis Swanberg of Kingsley, Iowa, and they had three chidlren: Joan, and twin daughters, Marilyn Jean ‘Mary’ and Nancy Jane. Nancy passed away in infancy. Joan and Mary are graduated of Sergeant Bluff High School and both attended the University of South Daktoa. Joanmarried Wallace Karley of Sioux City. They are the parents of four children: Mara, Kendra, Kenton and Brent. Mary married Robert Ellingosn and they had four children: Blake, Link, Brad (who passed away at the age of four), and Traci. Mary later married Norman Ruby, who passed away in January 1982. She is now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, wehre her husband was a pilot. Sam served in World War I and was a member of the American Legion. He and wife wife farmed in the Sergeant Bluff area. Sam passed away December 3, 1959. His wife, Phyllis, lives in Sergeant Bluff and still owns the family farm.

Jess M grew to manhood in Sergeant Bluff and in 1991 married Marian Turley of Sergeant Bluff. After their marriage they moved to Newcastle, Wyoming and homesteaded. Three years later they came back to Sergeant Bluff and faremd, and in recent years, they also bred and ran thoroughbred horses. They also developed the area of housing known as Pioneer Valley Addition, on part of their farm, which borders Lakeport Road. Jess served on various committees throughout the years, including three terms on the Sergeant Bluff School Board. They are parents of five chidlren: Darwin Turley, April 20, 1920; John Adair, December 14, 1926; Robert Merrill, January 8, 1928; Janis Ann, July 6, 1929; and Janene Mdarian, November 20, 1936. John passed away in infancy on January 7, 1927. All members of this family, including Jess and Marian, are graduates of Sergeant Bluff High School and are members of St Joseph Catholic Chur at Salix.

Darwin is a graduate of Iowa State College and took part in many judging projects, naming as a member of winning livestock and grain judging teams for which he received two scholarships. He has served on committees for Red Cross, Farm Bureau and various civic functions. He has been an active bowler and served in the United States Air Force and also managed the Coffie Construction Company. Darwin presently lives on the family farm. Robert attended Morningside College. He was a member of the Air National Guard and engaged in aerial photography. Robert was a licensed pilot and also was licensed to use aerial communications. He and Darwin had worked together in establishing the Coffie Construction Company and were engaged in that work at the time of his death, while a passenger, in a plance crash on May 12, 1951.

Janis attended Briar Cliff College and married George A Johnson, son of Mr and Mrs Ralph Johnson, of Sergeant Bluff. Janis is a licensed real estate broker and has been active in the Real Estate business for several years, presently associated with Homeland Realty. George is working for Heifer Project International and also raises livestock. They live in their home in Pioneer Valley.

They have five children: Debbie, born May 7, 1951, who lives with her husband, Stephen Semonell and daughter, Jodi, in West Covina, California. Robbie, born April 8, 1952, and her husband, Bradley Van Auken, live in Salix, along with their two daughters, Amity and Raina; Libbi, born October 6, 1957, and her two daughters, Danika and Britni Weidert, live in their home in Pioneer Valley Addition; Matthew, born February 4, 1959, married Judy McKenna. Matt and Judy and their son, Aaron Matthew, live on North Shore Drive in South Sioux City, Nebraska. Peggy, born March 18, 1966, is a senior at the new Sergeant Bluff High School, which is directly across the road from the Jess Coffie family farm.

Janene attended Iowa State College and married Richard C Watson, son of Mr and Mrs George Watson, of Sioux City. They are living in Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC where Dick, a Colonel in the Army Reserves, was stationed at the Pentagon until recently being transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas. Janene breeds, trains and runs thoroughbreds in that area, keeping up the family tradition. They have one son, Robert Merrill, born February 14, 1964, who with his wife, Sandy, and daughter, Crystal, live in the same area.

Jess passed away May 16, 1974. Marian still lives on the family farm, which Janene name ‘The Coffie Grounds’.

Bert L Coffie was one of the students who graduated from high school from the church, just prior to the time the building presently known as the Middle School, was built. He then went to Newcastle, Wyoming, where he also homesteaded. Later he came back to Iowa. He served in both World War I and II, and was employed by the Veterans Administration. Bert died December 14, 1960.

Elmer H Coffie married Esther Brink of Sioux City in 1925 and they are parents of two children, Jean and Ted. Jean married Vincent Burns and has a son, Vincent, Jr, and daughter, Sarah Lind. Elmer worked in business in the Sioux City and Omaha area and lived in Omaha at the time of his death, August 17, 1958. His wife, Esther, lives in Muncie, Indiana, where her daughter, Jean, also lives.

Raymond Coffie spent several years in Chicago after completing high school and after coming back to Sioux City, married Elsie Fransseen of Sioux City in 1931. They have a daughter, Shirley, and a son, Cecil Franseen. Shirley married Robert Seaton and they had four childen. She is presently living in Sioux City, as is her mother, Elsie. Ray was an advertising salesman for KCOM Radio Station at the time of his death on May 6, 1961.

Samuel and Sarah lived on thehome place for over fifty-six years. Sarah passed away in August 1949, and Samuel C died in 1941.