Austin A Coppinger

1810 - 1881  (71 years)

• Name	Austin A Coppinger
  Born	1810	Tennessee, USA
  Gender	Male
  Died	1881	Whitwell, Marion County, Tennessee, USA
  Person ID	I823	Main
  Last Modified	23 Mar 2006

  
  

  Father	Walter Coppinger,   b. 1790, Tennessee, USA ,   d. 1850, Whitwell, Marion County, Tennessee, USA  (Age 60 years)
  Mother	Rachel Tussey,   b. 1794, Virginia, USA
  Married	1809	Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA
  Family ID	F188	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Millie Lassiter
  Last Modified	23 Mar 2006
  Family ID	F1882	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 1810 - Tennessee, USA Died - 1881 - Whitwell, Marion County, Tennessee, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  
  

• Notes

  There is a great deal of information regarding Austin and his descendents at http://bellsouthpwp.net/r/i/riosmith/austina.htm. This information doesn't jibe with the information in the 1880 US Census. Which lists the following information for Austin: A. A. COPPINGER Self M Male W 70 TN Grocier TN TN Nellie COPPINGER Wife M Female W 60 TN Keeping House TN TN Margret MARTIN Other S Female W 26 TN House Keeping TN TN A. C. MATHES Other S Male W 9 TN TN TN Moses E. WALKER Other S Male W 26 TN Grocier TN TN riosmiths data lists Richard Austin Coppinger b 20 Nov 1870 as the son of Austin and Virginia Hannah Dove (b 1844) but there is no Richard and A.A's wife is listed as 60 and not 36. I think there may be a generation missing in riosmiths data perhaps. riosmiths Austin A descendency: (2.) ** Austin A. Coppinger Born 1810 Tennessee Died 1881 Whitwell , Tennessee He married Amelia " Millie " Lassiter born 1821 died 1863 Marion Co , TN No children came from this union . After the death of Millie , Austin married Virginia Hannah Dove born 1844 She was born in Tennessee , daughter of James Dove and Nancy Ridge. Virginia was a maid in Austins home prior to the death of Millie . Austin A. Coppinger thrived in Marion County . He had extensive land holdings and owned a grocery store and a tavern in Jasper , Tennessee . Children of Austin A. and Virginia Coppinger : (1.) Richard Austin Coppinger born Nov 20,1870 - went missing 1903 After completing a cattle drive to McMinnville , Tennessee , Richard " Dick " Coppinger wrote home to his family that he'd earned more than expected . He wrote that he had purchased a new saddle horse , a new sewing machine for his wife , and had enough money left over to pay off the home place . He was never to be seen or heard from again . Over eighty years later , the family recieved a phone call from an old man stating that as a boy he worked at the coke ovens in Dunlap , Tennessee. He remembered Richard " Dick " stopping by the ovens one evening to see some friends ( Dick had worked at these ovens for a time.) and got involved in gambling with the men. The old man reported that Dick was playing the big shot and showing off his earnings when several men jumped him. It was told that he was beaten to death , robbed , and his body was burnt in one of the coke ovens. Soon after the call , the old man passed and no one can be sure if his story is reliable or not. Richard was known to have worked in a saw mill , coal mining , and a guard at Inman Prison. As a young man he worked in his fathers store and tavern . He married Sidonie Isebelle Cunningham May 30,1886 . Sidonie Isebelle Cunningham Coppinger Born March 2 , 1869 Died May 18 , 1943 Children of Richard A. and Sidonie Cunningham Coppinger : (1.) Nancy " Bessie " Elizabeth Coppinger born Aug 14,1887 - died Nov24,1916 Born Aug 14,1887 Marion Co , TN Died Nov 24,1916 Bessie married Rufus Lackurgas Sanders on Nov 4,1906 . Rufus L. Sanders was born Feb 22,1859 and died Dec 1,1933 . ( Rufus went by " RL " , very few who knew him knew his whole name. Lackurgas is pronounced " la-cur-gus". Info provided by his daughter Martha Violet . ) Bessie grew up in Dunlap , Tennessee where she met her husband . She was a seamstress who made her own clothes , including her fancy hats , and was an accomplished organist . She was stricken with pellagra at a young age and died suddenly in Knoxville , Tennessee . Children of Bessie and Rufus Sanders : (1.) Charlotte Narcissus Sanders Born :Dec. 23,1906 - Died : ? (2.) Roberta Isabelle Sanders Born :May 18,1909 - Died : ? Married : Frank White (3.) Martha Violet Sanders Born :Dec. 22,1911 - Still living (4.) Georgia Verdena Sanders Born :Aug. 8,1914 - Died : Dec. 18,1919 (5.) Ivory Jewel Sanders Born :Feb. 29,1916 - Died : May 24,1940 (2.) John Coppinger born Nov 10,1889 - died 1899 (3.) Pearl Ellen Coppinger born May 18,1890 - died 1915 (4.) Sarah Katherine Coppinger born April 4,1893 - died May 22,1967 Married : William Henry Harrison White (5.) Delia Mae Coppinger born April 20,1895 - died Jan 23,1931 Henry Clay White BORN : June 14,1893 DIED : Feb. 22,1923 (6.) Anna Bell Coppinger born Oct 3,1898 - died Jan 5,1922 Married : Bee McKinley White (7.) Eugene Henry Coppinger born May 1,1901 - died Nov 10,1985 Born in Sequatchie County , Tennessee , Gene's early life was one of hardship. His Father came up missing when he was only 2 years old , his mother, then pregnant with another son , worked in a boarding house/Hotel in Dunlap , and he had 5 older sisters. He was working in the coal mines by the time he was 9 , first as a water boy , then taking care of the fans that ventilated the mine shafts , and moving up to caretaker of the mule teams before he reached his teenage years . His mother remarried when Gene was 7 to Edward " Ed " Cowles , a paper hanger who had immigrated there from England . ( The two had met when Ed was hired to remodel the interior of the hotel . ) Even with the hardships , I never knew Gene to complain , he always talked of those days with fond memories , almost a " Tom Sawyer " way of childhood , running the hills and mountains , creeks and streams , hunting and always learning the ways of the forest , but very responsible to the needs of the family . He has passed on to me many wonderful and adventurous stories of his childhood . By the time he reached early adulthood , prohabition had started and he was well versed in the art of moonshining . While working in the mines and moonshining on the side , Gene still found the time to enjoy life , teach the the skills of making corn liquor to select relatives , and marry ( Dolly ) . However , the marriage didn't last long , ending in divorce . With little formal education , he was quite the mountaineer and knew the surrounding area as well as anyone could . He was well known , very much respected , and called many of the local politicians... " friends " . And once again Gene had many tales of adventure from this period of his life . On the evening of Dec 24,1935 Gene married Pauline Barker in Rossville , GA . The occaision is remembered as taking place outside in a falling snow on Christmas eve with Pauline wearing a beautiful blue dress . Paulines father , Gilliam Van Barker , had for a short time in the past been married to one of Genes older sisters and the families had known each other for many years . Gene and Pauline (circa 1935) Gene and Pauline resided on Suck Creek Mnt. Marion Co , TN. The " old house " as we call it was on a farm with a creek and water fall . With no electricity or running water , the family did have some modern conveniences... a gasoline powered washing machine and a kerosene powered refridgerator . For many years the family visited the old place which has since burnt . Gene continued working in the coal mines and moonshining until 1942 . The state had been aquiring land on Suck Creek for a game reserve and had made several offers to buy the Coppingers' land , relocate them , and give Gene a job with the state . Coming home one day after a mine had caved in he decided he'd had enough and took up the states offer . He moved his family closer to the main road , with all the modern conviences of the day , atop the mountain . ( Their old driveway is now " Coppinger Road " .) The family remodeled the home , built a barn and smoke house , fenced in pasture land , cultivated a large garden and vineyard . He worked for the Tennessee Department of Forestry as a ranger at Prentice Cooper State Forest for 26 years . Children of Gene and Pauline Coppinger : (1.) Christine Louise Coppinger (2.) Jerry Eugene Coppinger (3.) Janet Juanita Coppinger (4.) Carol Patricia Coppinger (8.) Vester Leroy Coppinger born Feb 2,1904 - died Sept 7,1997 " Roy " Married : Georgia On April 16 , 1941 Roy shot and killed his moonshining partner Paul Barker . ( Roy was the brother of Pauls twin sisters husband , Eugene Coppinger . ) As the story goes ... The Sheriffs office could not seem to catch Paul and Roys Moonshining operation . A deputy told Paul that Roy was going to turn him in and did the same to Roy . Roy went to talk to Paul about it . Paul was on his porch when Roy pulled up and without warning Paul fired a shotgun at Roy hitting just behind Roys head . Roy always kept his revolver under his leg while driving and without thought or hesitation fired back killing Paul instantly . Roy was arrested for murder but found not guilty by reason of self defense . He later did time , however , for moonshining . Until the day he died in 1997 , Roy spoke of the incident with regret and wished he had taken the time to think before he fired . It hurt him all of his life Isebelle remarried ( May 18 , 1907 an Englishman ) Edward Cowles , born 1853. They had 1 daughter , Edna Cowles , born Jan 25 , 1908 - died June 25 , 1921. ( 13 years old ) Edna Cowles