Eighth Generation

11957. Boyd Ray Coffey was born on 26 March 1923 in Watauga Co., NC.³⁴⁵⁶⁵ He lived with his parents in Hudson, Hudson Twp., Caldwell Co., NC on 8 April 1930. Boyd enlisted in the US Army on 16 March 1943 at Camp Croft, Spartanburg Co., SC.³⁴⁵⁶⁶

Boyd served with Co. A, 27th Armored Inf. Battalion, 9th Armored Division and survived the Battle of the Bulge to be one of the first Americans to cross the Rhine River. Boyd died on 21 October 2009 at the age of 86 at Culpeper Regional Hospital in Culpeper, Culpeper Co., VA and was buried at Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper, Culpeper Co., VA on 24 October 2009.^34567,34568

Obituary, The Watauga Democrat, Boone, Watauga Co., NC, Oct. 26, 2009

BOYD COFFEY

Boyd Ray Coffey, 86, of Culpeper, Va., died Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at Culpeper Regional Hospital with his children and grandchildren by his side. He was born March 26, 1923 in Blowing Rock, the eighth of nine children to the late Robey Leroy [sic] and Annie Lee Wright Coffey.

Boyd entered the United States Army in 1943 at the age of 20. He served as Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, Company A, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, 9th Armored Division during World War II, spending most of his military career in Germany, France and Belgium. He engaged in several battles, received the Purple Heart and was awarded the Bronze Oak Leaf cluster for outstanding service. Boyd endured eight days of hell in the Battle of the Bulge where he was one of only 13 men in his platoon that survived to cross the Rhine River. After moving his family to Culpeper in 1950, he became a building contractor for 40 years. He loved hunting, baseball, bluegrass music and dancing.

He is survived by six children, Sue Butler and her husband, Dick, Boyd Thomas "Bob" Coffey and his wife, Mary, Jerry Steven "Steve" Coffey and his wife, Shirley, James Scott Coffey and his wife, Diane, Dennis Wayne Coffey and his wife, Donna, and Douglas Dayne "Doug" Coffey and his wife, Bonnie.

Additional survivors include seven grandchildren, Michael Richards, Chris Richards, Melissa Brill, Amy Woodward, Lorrie Maley, Matthew Coffey and Sarah Tompkins, and eight great grandchildren, Anna Richards, Dalton and Chase Richards, Lexi Leavell, Morgan and Wyatt Tompkins and Justin and Ashley Deane and a special friend, Dorothy Scroggins.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Coffey, a grandchild, Tommy Coffey, and his siblings, Lena Mae, Ruth, Lottie Merle, Aileen, Bina, Lela, Roy and Cora Lee.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 23, 2009 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Found and Sons Funeral Chapel, 850 Sperryville Pike, Culpeper, Va.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 2 p.m. at Found and Sons Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Mike Vaughn officiating.

Interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery with military honors provided by the Culpeper American Legion Post #330 and Culpeper V.F.W. Post #2524.

Pallbearers will be Chris Richards, Michael Richards, Matthew Coffey, Dennis Coffey, Steve Coffey and Doug Coffey. Honorary pallbearers will be Scott Coffey, Bob Coffey, Tony Tharpe and Paul Fincham.

An online guestbook is available at www.foundandsons.com.

Found and Sons Funeral Chapel of Culpeper is handling the arrangements.

Boyd Ray Coffey and Mary Elizabeth Hayes were married on 23 February 1946 in Boone, Watauga Co., NC.³⁴⁵⁶⁹ Mary Elizabeth Hayes, daughter of Jessie Dean Hayes, was born on 30 June 1926 in Triplett, Watauga Co., NC.³⁴⁵⁷⁰ Mary died in Culpeper Co., VA on 13 July 1977.

Boyd Ray Coffey and Mary Elizabeth Hayes had the following children: