| Note |
- Thomas M. Coffey was born in Missouri in 1855 and graduated from theTheological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He moved to Iowa and married Lillie May Hathaway on the 5th of July,1883. Reverend and Mrs. Coffey had their first church in West Grove,Iowa and had churches in Jessup and Dow City, Elk Point and Hot Springs,South Dakota. Six children were born to Thomas and Lillie. Grace Coffey French, AllenCoffey, Inez Coffey Noonan, Maud Coffey Hooper, Myna Coffey Meyer, andPaul Coffey. Maud lives in Sundance, Wyoming and Paul in Rapid City,South Dakota. In 1904 the ‘Coffey’ moved from Hot Springs, South Dakota to Hulett,Wyoming. They arrived in Aladdin by train and then on to Hulett by teamand wagon. They settled first on the Dick Bush place east of Hulett andlater filed on a homestead on the Belle Fourche river. Reverend Coffey and the parishioners organized the 'First BaptistChurch' of Hulett in 1904 and he preached there until 1908. The churchwas built in 1898-1899. (Reverend Coffey was a retired minister anddid missionary work. He came to Alva in 1905). The family moved to the homestead before the house was built and lived ina hastily constructed barn for a few months. The barn had a wood floorin a half of it, a dirt floor in the rest. The outside of the barn hadboards applied vertically with batten over the cracks to keep out thecold. The barn was heated with a wood burning stove and heater. Water was carried , by handfrom the Belle Fourche river, one-fourth mile away. The barn had nobathroom, of course, and the outside toilet was 'King of the Prairie'. Lillie was an accomplish cook and did sewing for many people in theneighborhood. Most of the time she was paid with fresh meat, vegetablesor whatever the customer could give her. She would spend a week at atime at each place making dresses and clothes for each family. Mrs. Coffey also was an Artist and took art course in Bloomfield, Iowabefore she was married. She did much China painting too. Many of herfriends received these as gifts. Grace, Inez, Maud and Myra all taught country schools in and around thearea. Inez taught in the Moorcroft school for many years. Paul and Allen were carpenters and remodeled and built many homes aroundBelle Fourche and Spearfish, South Dakota. While on the ranch the Bell Post Office was constructed by the Coffeyfamily. They operated it from the 18th of June, 1907 until the 25th ofSeptember, 1915. It’s interesting to note that the only money they received from theirwork was from the cancellation of the stamps. Sometimes they might makeas much as 10¢ a day and sometimes not. Post cards were a penny andletters were two cents. The Post Office was closed in 1918. The family moved to Spearfish, South Dakota in 1928. Reverend Coffeydied in July of 1930. Mrs. Coffey lived many years in Spearfish and diedin November of 1950. This account is found on page 113 & 114 and was compiled by Mrs. PaulCoffey and stated in the book - 'Pioneers Of Crook County 1876-1920',by the Crook County Historical Society, Crook County, Wyoming, copyright1981.
|
1855 - 1930 (75 years)
[1]