Memories of the Coes 1: Introduction

Elizabeth Ann Coe, namesake of both grandmothers, Elizabeth Ann Smith Prentice , who died in 1846, and Elizabeth Ann Sornberter Coe, who died in 1887, was born Oct. 9, 1862. My father, Albert Coe, was the son of Ezra Coe, an early settler in the county, who took up land there. In a house built shortly before the birth of my father, 1837, were born my father, his two younger brothers and all of my father's five children. The deed of the farm I have seen, - brother E.F. Coe had it - it was bought of the Dutch Patroon (?) to whom it was originally granted. Father sold the farm in 1872. It has since passed though the hands of several men. It was last bought by Donald Woodward, who built a tower on a light hill-top, and name the place The Tower. The house is still standing, very much as originally built, I believe. 

A book entitled "Robert Coe, Puritan," was re-published after our marriage in 1884, giving the Coe ancestry. I believe our marriage is included in this book. Arthur has made a complete record to this present date, 1935, of the descendants of Father and Mother, entitled "Ancestors and Descendants of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice." I need, therefore, add little to our ancestry, as there is a pretty complete record there of. 

We lived on The Old Farm until I was 10 1/2 years old. Then in the spring of 1873 we moved to Le Roy. 

I was not a healthy child. They say I had "inflamation of the lungs" three times before I was old enough to remember. Through my school days I was very susceptible to lung trouble. I think we children had the usual mild child hood diseases, chicken pox, mumps, whooping cough and measles. The measles we have particular reason to remember. Mary, who was eleven years older than I, and at the time in school in Le Roy, had them first. Father went to Le Roy, our trading place, and when he got home found with the other mail, a letter saying Mary was sick with the measles at her boarding place in Le Roy. He hitched the horses to the sleigh and went back the five mile and a half, to bring her home. She was never well after that. Before she had got over it, Ezra, we three younger children and mother, all came down with it. Mother was very sick, had pneumonia, and they feared for her life. I remember very distictly while I was sick, they left me well wrapped up close to a fire, and they seemed very merry while eating dinner. I was so hot and itchy and generally wretched,_ I begged to be taken back from the stove and they replied that it was good for me to be warm!

I was older when I had what I remember as Spotted fever. I believe it was an epidemic of Spinal Meningitis. I was seriously ill. I think there were quite a number of deaths from it in the vicinity. I do remember that there were times when I lay awake at nights - thinking how terrible it would be if father or mother of Mary should die. Evidently this was after Mary was taken sick and it was feared she had tuberculosis. We always called it consumption in those days. The most I remember of the Spotted fever is that my tongue was quite swollen, almost to the roof of my mouth, and they used ice and raw beef steak to treat it. Brother E.F. remembers going for ice for me. It must have been in the early spring, for my childish heart was filled with ectasy as I heard the song sparrows in the dawn. There has seldom been a time when I first heard them in the spring that the memory of that far away day did not stir me. 

I was not an active child. I believe this was because I was never strong, and tired so easily. There were tall locust trees in our front yard. Some of them survive. We children had our swing in one of them, and I loved to sit in the swing and dream. Not so often I indulged in swinging on the gate, which was not encouraged in us children, - "not good for the hinges." We sometimes went to the woods, - I enjoyed the wildflowers. A few times I wandered back over the farm sometimes to the hill where the Tower now stands. There on a favorable day one could see over long distances. I think I was never there on a good day as I can not remember seeing anything interesting from there. I believe as a child I appreciated birds, and flowers and trees and the beauty of the sky and the music of the winds. I remember I delighted in a thunderstorm. We had a wood shed with one side open, as was very common in those days, and I would stand and watch the rains descend and the lightning flash, and sing at the top of my voice. I think one favorite was "Like the sound of many waters Rolling on thru ages long - "

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Patty's notes on this entry. 

Elizabeth Ann Coe - daughter of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. Born on October, 9, 1862 in Pavilion, Genesee County, New York. She married Charles Joslin Call on November 5, 1884 at her parents home in Le Roy, Genesee County, New York. She died on November 3, 1956 in Zephyrhills, Pasco County, Florida.

Elizabeth Ann Smith Prentice - daughter of Newton Smith and Deborah Reeder. Born in 1802 in Pennsylvania (probably in Luzerne County). She first married ----- Graham. Before 1833, she married Southwick Prentice between 1830 - 1833. She died on May 2, 1846 in Wyoming County, New York. She is referred to in family records as Betsey Ann Smith Prentice.

Elizabeth Ann Sornberger - possible daughter of John Sornberger and Deborah Rau (my current working theorey). Born  on April 11 1795, probably in Amenia, Dutchess County, New York. She married Ezra Coe on April 18, 1818 in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. She died on November 9, 1888 in Le Roy. 

Albert Coe - son of Ezra Coe and Elizabeth Ann Sornberger. Born February 17, 1827 in Pavilion. He married Deborah Prentice on December 31, 1850 in Pavilion. He died on April 26, 1907 in Le Roy. Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice had five children: Mary Isadore (1851-1924), Ezra Frank (1852-1942), Elizabeth Ann (1862-1956), Clara Addie (1864-1950), and Carrie Evelyn (1864-1948). 

Ezra Coe - son of Jesse Coe and Olive Roberts. Born on February 6, 1796 in Connecticut. He married Elizabeth Ann Sornberger on April 18, 1818 in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. He died on June 18, 1869 in Pavilion. 

E.F. Coe - Ezra Frank Coe - son of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. Born on December 26, 1853 in Pavilion. He married Sarah Frances Ward on November 7, 1883 in Pavilion. He died on January 6, 1942 in Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida. 

Ezra Coe deeds - Ezra Coe first appears in the Genesee County deed books in 1831 when he purchased land from Jared Miller and his wife Betsy in Covington on May 2 1831. 

Two years later, on November 13, 1833, Ezra purchased land in an unnamed part of the county from members of the Willick family of Amsterdam, United Netherlands. I believe this is deed Elizabeth is referring to. 

On April 1 1873, Albert and Deborah Coe sold the land at Pavilion to Samuel Sprowl for $ 11,000.

 On January 1, 1875, Albert Coe purchased several tracts of land in Le Roy from Margaret C. Andross for $ 10,522. 75. Based on the purchase price, my guess is this is the land in the Elizabeth says they moved to in 1873 after the sale of the land in Pavilion. I don't have dates for when they moved, or why the purchase date is in 1875. 

Donald Woodward - Probably Donald Woodward (1893-1959) son of Orator F Woodward and Cora Lucina Talmage. As of 1930, he was living in Le Roy. 

Robert Coe, Puritan - Robert Coe, Puritan: His Ancestors and Descendants 1340 - 1910 by Joseph Gardener Bartlett. You can download a copy of Robert Coe Puritan at https://archive.org/details/robertcoepurita00bartgoog

Arthur - Charles Arthur Call. Son of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe. Born on October 8, 1885 in Stafford, Genesee County, New York. He first married Bertha May Hotchkiss on July 28, 1909 in Gainesville, New York. He later married Anna Frances Mayer on July 8, 1947. He died on August 1, 1962 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York. He was the author of Ancestors and Descendants of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. 

Ancestors and Descendants of Albert Coe & Deborah Prentice - Genealogy research book by Charles Arthur Call. The book was printed in several versions of the years as more information about the family became available. The 1922 version containing just the ancestor charts is available for download at https://archive.org/details/ancestorsdescend00call/page/n3/mode/2up. Later versions included "Anecdotes" which provided more information than in just the charts. A 1952 version of the Anecdotes listed as Compiled, Edited and Printed by Charles Arthur Call, Elizabeth Coe Call and John D. McEwan is available for download at https://archive.org/details/anecdotesofances00call/page/n5/mode/2up

Mary - Mary Isadore Coe - daughter of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. Born on October 14, 1851 in Pavilion. She married George W. Sperry on May 7, 1879 in Le Roy. She died on December 4, 1924 in Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio. 

Ezra (see E.F. Coe above)

we three younger children - Elizabeth Ann Coe, Clara Addie Coe and Carrie Evelyn Coe - the three younger children of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. 

Brother E.F. (see E.F. Coe above)

"like the sound of many water Rolling on thru ages long - " - The words to the hymm "Like the Sound of Many Waters" were written in 1902 by Fanny Crosby. It is unlikely then that this was a hymm Elizabeth Ann Coe sung during her childhood. The words to the hymm can be seen at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/i/k/liksound.htm

Next Post in the Memories of the Coes: Child Duties