Person:Matilda Reece (3)

Where Was Matilda Born?

According to the Comstock Funeral Homes Records, Matilda was born in Franklin, Indiana.^[1] Note, they do NOT say Franklin County. According to Find A Grave,^[2] a less than reliable source, Matilda was born in Franklin County, Indiana. Since no citation is given, one can only presume that the "Franklin" of the Funeral Homes Records has somehow been transformed into Franklin County -- unjustifiably, since there are also many towns in Indiana named Franklin.

Not Franklin County, Indiana

A Reese/Reece family did live in Franklin County, Indiana, including a William Reese/Reece, son of Hiram and Elizabeth Reese, who was born about 1833 in Kentucky, married a Sarah Linton in 1852, had two sons (Albert and George), and who died during the Civil War in 1863. He is not the father of Matilda, nor is there any indication of any connection between the two families. Nor is there any indication that Matilda's parents, William and Elizabeth (Dunn) Reece, ever lived or visited in Franklin County, Indiana.

Franklin in Johnson County, Indiana

According to her grandson, Basil Everett Coffrin, Matilda was born in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana.^[12] Matilda's family had strong ties to Franklin, Johnson County and neighboring Shelby County, Indiana, beginning with William Reece's father, and continuing well past Matilda's birth. Matilda's parents also had on-going ties to Franklin, Johnson County, and presumably were living in or near there in March 1863 when they received a letter from Matilda's Aunt Julia Dunn.^[13] after a visit. In her letter, Julia DunnJulia says she is "getting homesick a ready I want to see my Babys pretty bad", and also asks about the health of "Aunt Tilda". Julia's "Babys" were probably Matilda's younger siblings, Martha and Ferdinand. The family continued to live there through March 1867 when Julia wrote another letter to William and Elizabeth, mentioning family members known to live in Johnson and Shelby Counties. They probably continued to live there until they moved to Missouri, as suggested in a letter written by Matilda's sister Ann to their Aunt Jane Reece Dunn, of Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana.

Based on original family correspondence and her grandson's family memory, if Matilda was born in Franklin, Indiana, it was most likely the town of Franklin, in Johnson County, Indiana.

Clinton County, Indiana

In spite of the funeral home records and family memory, Matilda's parents were probably living in Clinton County, Indiana when Matilda was born. They were there in 1856 (based on tax records) and in 1860.^[3] It's likely that they moved to Johnson County, Indiana soon after Matilda's birth and after the 1860 Census, and this is the family memory that is recorded in family and funeral home records.

Everett, Orrin, Eva, Basil, Matilda with Melissa, Harry

Graveston, Matilda and Orrin

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Phillips, Sarah Lemen. Comstock Funeral Home records : Unionville, Missouri, 1916-1991. (Kirksville, Missouri: Simpson Printing, c1994)
   p. 80 .

   Coffrin, Matilda, buried Coffrin Cemetery, widow
   b. 28 Jul 1859, Franklin, Ind, d. 22 Jul 1940
   Father William Reece – Reese
   Mother Elizabeth Dunn OH

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Find A Grave
   Memorial# 76511507.

   Matilda Elizabeth Reece Coffrin
   Birth: Jul. 28, 1859, Franklin County [wrong], Indiana, USA
   Death: Jul. 22, 1940
   Burial: Coffrin Cemetery, Putnam County
   She was the widow of Orrin H. Coffrin and the daughter of William Reece-Reese and Elizabeth Dunn (born OH [wrong])
   Spouse: Orrin H. Coffrin (1857 - 1930)
   Children: Harry Cleveland Coffrin (1885 - 1958)

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Kirklin township, Clinton County, Indiana, in United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M653)
   HH 921, Family 906, p. 215.

   William Reece, 40, male, farmer, Real Estate = [blank], Personal Estate = $150, b. Indiana
   , Elizabeth, 35, female, b. IN
   , George G., 9, male, b. IN, attending school
   , Ann J., 7, female, b. IN, attending school
   , Nancy A., 4, female, b. IN
   , Julia, 2, female, b. IN
   , Matilda E., 1, b. IN

4. ↑ Sherman Township, Putnam County; FHL #0552300, in Putnam, Missouri, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   HH 98, Family 98.

   Reese, Wm., age 50, farmer, value of real estate [blank], value of personal estate - $300, born IN, eligible to vote
   , Elizabeth, age 45, keeps house, born IN
   , Angeline, age 15, b. IN
   , Nancy, age 14, b. IN, attends school
   , Julia L., age 12, b. IN, attends school, cannot write
   , Matilda, age 11, b. IN, at school, cannot write
   , Martha, age 9, born IN, attends school
   , Ferd B., age 8, born IN, at school
   , Ida M., age 6, born IN

5. ↑ Union Township; FHL #1254711, in Putnam, Missouri, United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   HH 276, Family 278.

   Coffrin, Erin [sic] H., 22, farmer, b. MO, father b. Canada, mother b. KY
   , Matilda, 19, wife, keeping house, b. IN, both parents b. IN
   , Bazzel [sic], 6/12 (b. Jan), son, b. MO

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 Union Township, ED 124; FHL #1240884, in Putnam, Missouri, United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   HH 81, Family 81.

   Coffrin, Orin, head, white male, born September 1857, age 42, married 21 years, born Missouri, father born Canada, mother born Kentucky, farmer, able to read, write, speak English, owns farm with mortgage.
   , Matilda, wife, white female, born July 1859, age 40, married 21 years, 5 children (5 living), born Missouri, both parents born Missouri, able to read, write, speak English
   , Basil, son, white male, born January 1880, age 20, single, born Missouri, both parents born Missouri, farmer, able to read, write, speak English
   , Harry, son, white male, born [April] 1885, age 15, single, born Missouri, both parents born Missouri, at school
   , Evert, son, white male, born October 1889, age 10, single, born Missouri, both parents born Missouri, at school
   , Eva, daughter, white female, born Ocotber 1889, age 10, single, born Missouri, both parents born Missouri, at school
   , M[ar]ssa, daughter, white female, born August 1892, age 7, single, born Missouri, at school

7. ↑ Union Township; FHL #1374819, in Putnam, Missouri, United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   HH 149, Family 150.

   Coffrin, Orin, age 52, married 31 years, born MO, father born Canada, mother born KY, farmer, general farm, self-employed, owns farm with mtg.
   , Matilda C., wife, age 50, 5 children (5 living), born IN, father born IN, mother born IN, occupation quilt[er], at home, self employed

8. ↑ Union TownshipUnion Township, in Putnam, Missouri, United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   HH 96, Family 96.

   Coffrin, Orrin H., head, white male, age 62, married, able to read and write, born Missouri, father born Canada, mother born Kentucky, farming on general farm, owns farm free of mortgage
   , Matilda E., wife, white female, age 60, married, able to read and write, born Indiana, both parents born Indiana

9. ↑ Union, Putnam, Missouri, in United States. 1930 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T626)
   HH 67, Fam 67.

   Coffrin, Orin H., head, owns home, has radio, white male age 72, age 21 at first marriage, able to read and write, b. Missouri, fa. b. English Canada, mo. b. Kentucky, speaks English, farmer, Gernaral farm, not a veteran
   , Matilda E., wife, white female age 70, age 20 at first marriage, able to read and write, b. Indiana, both parents b. Indiana, speaks English

10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Phillips, Sarah Lemen. Putnam County, Missouri cemeteries: information obtained by stone readings and additional data from Unionville Republican; readings to 1980 inclusive. (Kirksville, Missouri: Simpson Printing, c1990)
    p. 155.

    - Coffrin Cemetery, Union Township
    Coffrin, Matilda (Reese) wife.of Orrin H., b. 28 July 1859, d. 20 July 1940

11. ↑ Unionville, Putnam, Missouri, in United States. 1940 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T627)
    HH 140.

    113 West Washington St
    Coffrin, Matilda E., 80, widow, 6th grade education, b. IN, lived same place 5 yrs ago, not employed, not looking for work, income from other sources; owns home valued at $700

12. ↑ ^12.0 12.1 Coffrin, Basil Everett, "Cofferin Ancestry", TS, 9 Sep 1990.

    "Matilda Reece, my grandmother, was born July 28, 1859 in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. On January 31, 1879, she married my grandfather, Orrin Hennes Coffrin born June 22, 1857 in Putnam County, Missouri. She died July 22, 1940 and Orrin Coffrin died on September 19, 1930. Their burial place is Putnam County, Missouri."

13. ↑ Reece and Dunn Family Letters