The Proeger Family · Generation 4 — Earl's great-grandparents and their siblings

Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman

Wife of Joseph Franklin Coffman · 1888–1970

Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman

Probable

Wife of Joseph Franklin Coffman · 1888–1970

Born
at Higginsport, Brown County, Ohio
Sources
3

Research status

Research status: PROBABLE as the wife of Joseph Franklin Coffman. The evidence is strong: the index of a daughter’s obituary names her parents as J. F. Coffman and Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman, his 1966 obituary names his wife as Laura, and the 1940 Kauffman-Coffman family book names her as his wife S1748S1742. It stays Probable because every record is an index or a compiled book: no image has been read and no marriage record has been found.

Evidence: The index of the Texas death records gives Lora Matilda Coffman, born 25 July 1888 at Higginsport, Ohio, died 28 October 1970 at Wichita Falls; the Social Security Death Index agrees on the dates; the index of a daughter's obituary names her parents as J. F. Coffman and Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman (S1748); her husband's 1966 obituary names his wife Laura (S1742). The evidence is strong. Weak or missing: Every record is an index, and no image has been read; no marriage record and no obituary of her own have been found; that she was his second wife, married in 1910, rests on the 1940 Kauffman-Coffman family book alone. Not yet confirmed. Know more? Confirm or correct this →

Life in the order the records give it

Death1970
Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman died on 28 October 1970 at Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas. She was born at Higginsport, Brown County, Ohio, on 25 July 1888. The dates and places are from the index of the Texas death records; the Social Security Death Index agrees on the dates S1748.
Death
The death index names her parents as Joseph Franklin Maxwell and Evalyn Fiscus. They are not in this record and have no cards.
Death2026
History of this card. 12 Oct 2026
card written when she was added to the family tree as the wife of Joseph Franklin Coffman, from the Texas death index, the Social Security Death Index and the index of a daughter’s obituary (S1748). 12 Oct 2026 — her stepson Joseph Franklin Coffman Jr. now has a card and is named as a stepson (S1753).

Open questions what is probable, weak or missing — confirm or correct it

Probable
Probable confirm or correct → Wife of Joseph Franklin Coffman. The 1940 Kauffman-Coffman family book, page 567, calls her his second wife and puts the marriage in 1910; no marriage record has been found, and the year rests on the book alone S1748. Her husband’s son Joseph Franklin Coffman Jr. (1908–1990) was born before that marriage, and the index of his California death record gives his mother’s maiden name as Stanley: he is her stepson, not her son S1753. Her children are not named here.
Weak or missing
What is weak or missing: every record is an index, and no image has been read; no marriage record has been found; no obituary of her own was found in a search on 6 October 2026; the year of the marriage and her place as second wife rest on one compiled book. Know more, or think this is wrong? Use “Add to this record”.

In the record Generation 4 — Earl's great-grandparents and their siblings

Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman · Sources

Citations

Sources cited on this card

3 of the record's sources are cited here. The numbering is the record's own; the full list, with where else each is cited, is at Sources.

  1. S1742Index and obituaries — Joseph F. Coffman, 81, Wichita Falls, Texas, January 1966. FamilySearch: Texas death records index (K7DS-V7K). Newspapers.com: Wichita Falls Times, 13 January 1966, p. 18 (image 780825514), printed again in the Times Record News, 14 January 1966, p. 2 (image 775860349); Abilene Reporter-News, 13 January 1966, p. 21 (image 762347021). Index and machine-read text read on 5 October 2026; no image read. Probable Death index: Joseph Franklin Coffman, both parents named. Obituary: Joseph F. Coffman, 81, retired packing-company salesman, died Wednesday 12 January 1966 at Wichita Falls; born 13 September 1884, a native of Abilene; at Wichita Falls since 1958; 23rd and Grace Street Church of Christ; burial at Crestview Memorial Park, Wichita Falls. Survivors include his wife Laura, a sister Mrs. Sue Atchley of Dudley, and brothers J. Lee of Abilene and Jim of Dudley. ⚠ Index and machine-read text only: no image has been read. The Abilene notice prints his age as 82 and his brothers as Jay Lee Coffman and J. D. Coffman. “Native of Abilene” is the only source for his birthplace. His wife Laura is taken to be Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman, whose dates are in S1748. His daughters and sons are in the notices and are not named here. Serves the cards of Joseph Franklin Coffman, Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman, Sue Mary Coffman Atchley, Jesse Lee Coffman, James David “Jim” Coffman, David Emily “Dee” Coffman and Mary Jane “Mollie” Wright.
  2. S1748Indexes — Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman, Higginsport, Ohio, 1888, and Wichita Falls, Texas, 1970. FamilySearch: Texas Deaths index (K36S-3GN); Social Security Death Index (J1GK-S3X); obituary index of a daughter (QKWQ-P23C). Kauffman-Coffman genealogy (1940), p. 567. Index text and a compiled book; no image read. Probable Death index: Lora Matilda Coffman, born 25 July 1888 at Higginsport, Brown County, Ohio, died 28 October 1970 at Wichita Falls; parents Joseph Franklin Maxwell and Evalyn Fiscus. The Social Security Death Index agrees on the dates. The daughter’s obituary index names her parents as J. F. Coffman and Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman; the daughter is not named here. The 1940 book calls her the second wife of Joseph Franklin Coffman, married in 1910; no marriage record has been found, and no obituary of her own was found in a search on 6 October 2026.
  3. S1753Indexes and family book — Joseph Franklin (J. Frank) Coffman Jr., Texas, 1908, and San Diego County, California, 1990. Kauffman-Coffman genealogy (1940), p. 567. FamilySearch: 1930 census index (HLJ5-7W2); California Death Index (VP9H-33B); Social Security Death Index (JB75-CZW). Index text and a compiled book; no image read. Probable Family book: born 10 November 1908, a son of Joseph Franklin Coffman. 1930: in his father’s household. California Death Index: born 10 November 1908 in Texas, died 24 June 1990 in San Diego County, mother’s maiden name Stanley. The Social Security Death Index agrees on the death. ⚠ Index and compiled book only: no image has been read and no birth record has been found. The family book alone gives his mother’s first name, Pet. His wife and children are not named here. Serves the cards of Joseph Franklin Coffman Jr., Joseph Franklin Coffman and Lora Matilda Maxwell Coffman, his stepmother.

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