New Found Family

Going back to last week.
On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, Jim questioned me about the Coleys of Wayne County, North Carolina and if I wanted to visit. We would do it if it was on the way to Vanessa's House who lives in Fayetteville, NC and if it was not raining too bad. We questioned a few people in the area regarding location, we called Vanessa, looked on the map and decided to go. We were also looking for at least one of the three Coley Cemeteries.

We went to Fremont, NC in Wayne County. Fremont is "The Daffodil Town". We found a cemetery, but it was not any of the Coley Cemeteries. The first thing we saw was a headstone that said,

"BENTON"

     "The Daffodil Town" ~ A daffodil is any of the numerous varieties of Narcissus plants having showy often yellow

flowers with a trumpet-shape crown. Fremont was

chartered in 1862. It is a small, Rural town located in

Eastern North Carolina. In 1958, Bugs Barriger, a writer

for the "News & Observer, penned Fremont,

"The Daffodil Town" in an article about

 Fremont's daffodil gardens. Several years later,

the town began celebrating the arrival of spring

and the blooming yellow flower by honoring

 it annually at the  'Daffodil Festival".

It is the 4th Saturday in March each year

Back to the cemetery.  After we left, we saw a lady and Jim explained that I, his wife was a Coley and that we were seeking family. She said her name was Annie Coley. We met her mother, Margaret Coley, her Aunt, Christine Deloris Coley and she said that her father was John R. Coley. Annie is actually Annie Coley-Lane. After sitting in their home, I called Philadelphia to speak with Aunt Diane and Aunt Sis and obtained additional family information. Aunt Diane gave me names and Aunt Sis gave me telephone numbers of Grandma Coley's side of the family.

After talking to these Annie & her family, it was determined that this was not my family ( I still think that there is a distance connection)

Annie said that I look like the other Coleys.  She tried to contact someone by phone who she said knows everything. Being unsuccessful on the telephone, she decided to take us there. First we met Lucille Coley and her husband. She was not familiar with any of the names Aunt Diane gave me and suggested David Coley. We went to his house, however, he was not home. His wife Ellen Coley suggested while waiting for David to return in about 10 minutes to try Rosa Coley next door.

Ding, Ding, Ding, ~ We hit the jackpot. Once I said that my grandfather was Coy Sr. and that he had a twin named Roy, a brother named Foy, a sister named Alberta who lived to be 105 years old and another sister but Aunt Diana could not remember the name, Rosa said, " I think we are kin. Her name was Estell and my father was Thomas. Rosa is my second cousin. She is 80 years old and is one of fourteen children. She has a sister living who is 92 years old. There is longevity hope for me.