For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 398
J. F. COFFIN....On of the well known residents of Conesville is J. F. Coffin, who for eleven years now has been engaged in the mercantile business here. He is a native of the Hawkeye state, having been born in Louisa county on the 13th of July 1872, a son of J. P. and Flora M. ( Hines ) Coffin. The parents were both born in the Empire state, but came west in 1865 and located on a farm in Louisa county, Iowa where they continued until the father passed away in 1890, and since that time Mrs. Coffin has resided with her children. She is now sixty-one years of age. Mr. Coffin was a good manager and capable business man and at the time of his death had acquired two hundred acres of finely improved land. They were the parents of the following children : Lena, the widow of A. C. Bebb, of Kansas City ; Minnie, who married James Smith and is residing on the old homestead in Louisa county ; Cora, the widow of Warren Keyes, of Des Moines, Iowa ; J. F. , our subject ; and Pearl, who died when very young.J. F. Coffin remained a member of his father's household until the latter's death, after which he lived with his sister until he was twenty-three years of age. His educatoin was acquired in the common schools of Louisa county and later he began clerking in a mercantile house, gaining as much and varied information as he could along general merchandise lines in order that he might be able to embark in business for himself later on. This he did in 1900 in Conesville, Iowa, being one of the two merchants in the village, and his carefully selected goods, courteous treatment of customers and fair dealing is bringing him a constantly growing trade.
On the 28th of February, 1900, Mr. Coffin established a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Nettie D. McKee, of Muscatine county, who was born on the 2d of November, 1872, in Louisa county, Iowa. Her parents Leander and Deborah ( Hall ) McKee, were natives of Ohio and Michigan, respectively. They came west in 1852 and settled on a farm in Louisa county and continued to live there until Mr. McKee retired from farming in 1879 and engaged in handling grain and live stock for about twenty-five years and then withdrew entirely fron business and two years later, on the 17th of January, 1909, he passed away. Mrs. McKee is still living at the age of sixty-seven and makes her home with her children. They were the parents of four sons and four daughters : Eva B., who died in infancy ; Flora B., the wife of G. W. Tipton of Conesville, Iowa ; Mattie N., the widow of J. E. Jean of Cedar Falls, Iowa ; Mrs. Nettie D. Coffin ; John W., of Snyder, Oklahoma ; William S., of Muscatine, Iowa ; L. R., who is a graduate of Iowa State Teachers College of Cedar Falls and lives in Conesville ; and Byron L., of Muscatine.
Mr. and Mrs. Coffin have six children : Nellie E., who was born of the 7th of February, 1901 ; John F., born on the 25th of March, 1903 ; Gaylord M., born on the 13th of December, 1905 ; Clarence C., born on the 12th of June, 1907 ; Burton L., born on the 12th of January, 1909 ; and a daughter born February 21, 1911.
The family always attend the Reformed church, of which the parents are members. Mr. Coffin is a member of the Mutual Brotherhood Association of Conesville and also of the Merchants Life of Burlington, Iowa. Ever since he acquired the full rights of citizenship he has been identified with the republican party. He takes an active interest in local politics and has served as township trustee and also as treasurer of the school board. He is highly esteemed in the community where he lives not only because of his fine business ability, but owing to his personal worth.
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