My Genealogy Hound

COL. W. M. COFFEE, one of the leading prominent farmers and stock-raisers of Ballard County, Ky., was born August 22, 1823, in Maury County, Tenn.; he is the twelfth of fourteen children, seven boys and seven girls, born to Nathan and Elizabeth (Gilbreath) Coffee; his paternal grandparents were Chesley and Mary (Baldwin) Coffee; on his mother’s side there were Hugh and Nancy (Cleveland) Gilbreath. His parents hailed originally from North Carolina, at an early day moved to Adair County, Ky., and in 1803 moved to Maury County, Tenn. The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm, entered Jackson College at Columbia, Tenn., in 1841, and graduated in the year 1845; began the study of law the same year of his graduation, reading in the office of Judge Gilchrist Porter in Bowling Green, Mo., and was admitted to the bar in 1847. In February, 1849, he moved to Blandville, Ballard Co., Ky., farmed and practiced his profession till 1853, in which year he was elected to the State legislature from the counties of McCracken and Ballard, after which he devoted his time and energies to farming and the mercantile business, which he followed till the year 1861; and when Ballard County was entitled to a separate representative he was nominated in June, 1861, by a Democratic convention, and was elected to the legislature without opposition. He resigned in October, 1861, and joined the Southern Confederacy. After the war was over he returned to his home in Ballard County, Ky., and engaged in farming and stock-raising, and established the first drugstore in the county, at Blandville, which he has run with success, and by his energies and business qualifications has accumulated quite a handsome amount, as well as educating and graduating three of his sons in fine professions. He was married in February, 1849, to Betty Ann Oakley, of Ballard County, Ky.; she was born in Lincoln County, Mo., and was a daughter of C. A. and Susan (Grimes) Oakley. To this union were born eight children: Eugene A. (now dead), Isaac N. (druggist in Cairo, Ill.), Dr. W. O., Luella (now Neal), Sallie D. (now Straughn), Sid J. (druggist in Blandville, Ky.), Jeff Davis (farmer), and Carrie S. Subject and wife are members of the Christian Church, and he has been a member of the Masonic fraternity and the I. O. O. F. since his maturity. He owns over 1,000 acres of good land and quite a number of thoroughbred cattle.