Descendants of Robert Coleman of Nansemond County Virginia 1684-1930

Chapter 38. Descendants of Allie Almeda (Alma) Coleman and Lafayette (Fate) Eustice of Bledsoe and Sequatchie Counties of Temmessee

By permission, the text below is excerpts from a book, The Colemans of North Hamilton County Tennessee by Cy Yarborough.
Editor's notes are my additions based on reports people have given me or I have researched - Wes Coleman

(414) Allie Almeda "Alma" Coleman was born 07/15/1877, in Bakewell, TN. She grew up in Bakewell fatherless as her father died when she was 5 years old.

Very little is known of Alma because she died as a young woman. She married Lafayette (Fate) Eustice on 11/11/1894, in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Fate was born 5/21/1873, in Ducktown, Tennessee. Alma and Fate lived next door to Alma's mother and brothers and sister during the brief years they were together before Alma's death.

Alma died 8/15/1904, at the age of 27 years, 1 month. She and Fate had been married less than 10 years at the time of her death. They had 4 children.

Fate remarried on 09/6/1906, to Cate Barnes. They had several more children.

Alma's family apparently gave or sold Fate the land he had lived on with Alma after he remarried so that he should have a place to raise the children. An entry in the Hamilton County deed book shows that B. F. Coleman and heirs transferred to Lafayette Eustice and wife 14 acres on 9/14/1906.

Fate died 1/28/1934, at the age of 60. He was buried in the Soddy Cemetery.

(414) Alameda (Alma) Coleman and husband Lafayette Eustice had the following children:

(1100)  1.  Buelah May Eustice (Varner),          b.  3/17/1896, in Bakewell, TN
(1101)  2.  Ace Leroy (Bud) Eustice,              b. 11/14/1899, in Bakewell, TN
(1102)  3.  Tilda Eustice (Davis),                b.  1/07/1901, in Bakewell, TN
(1103)  4.  Mamie Eustice (Penney),               b.  2/18/1903, in Bakewell, TN

(1100) Buelah May Eustice (Varner) was born 3/17/1896, in Bakewell, TN. She grew up in the Bakewell and Soddy areas and married Walter Varner on 2/6/1913. Walter was born 5/?/1884, in Soddy, the son of George and Caroline Varner. Buelah and Walter likely lived in the Soddy area all of their married lives. Buelah passed away in 1981.

(1100) Buelah May Eustice and husband Walter Varner had seven children:

(1104)  1.  Garry Varner,                            b.      2/1914
(1107)  2.  Ollie Varner (Dunham),                   b.      11/1915, in Soddy, TN
(1105)  3.  Walter Varner,                           b. 11/05/1923, in Soddy, TN
(1106)  4.  Wallace Varner,                          b. 11/05/1923, in Soddy, TN
(1108)  5.  Edd Simpson Varner,                      b.      c1926
(1109)  6.  Vernon Varner (Smith),                   b.      c1928
(1110)  7.  Barbara June Varner (Edwards) (Worley),  b.      c1929, in Soddy, TN

The family is found in the 1920 U.S. Census of Hamilton County, TN, 3rd District, on microfilm Series: T625, Roll: 1744, page: 199 dated Jan 16, 1920:

Varner, Walter, head, 36, Beulah, wife, 23, Garry, son, 5 yrs 11 months, Ollie, daughter, 4 yrs 2 months.

(1104) Garry Varner was born about Feb 1914. He grew up in Soddy, married and had 5 children. He died prior to 1989 and his widow still resided in Soddy about that time.

(1105) Walter Varner was born 11/5/1923, in Soddy, TN. He grew up in Soddy and married Carolyn Mysinger on 9/25/1953, in Catoosa County, GA. Carolyn was born 9/5/1936, in Soddy. They made their home in Soddy and had 3 children.

(1106) Wallace Varner was born 11/5/1923, in Soddy, he is the twin brother of Walter Varner. He married Mary Arwin Mysinger of Soddy. They have 1 child.

(1107) Ollie Varner (Dunham) was born about Nov 1915. She was raised in Soddy. Ollie married Unknown Denham. They divorced and Mr. Denham died prior to 1989. Ollie resided in Soddy at that time. She had 4 children.

(1108) Edd Simpson Varner was born and raised in Soddy. Edd married the former Shiela Daughtrey. They have no children.

(1109) Vernon Varner (Smith) was born in Soddy, she married Wallace Smith and they now live in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They had 4 children.

(1110) Barbara June Varner was born and raised in Soddy. She married 1st Kenneth Edwards. She married 2nd Robert Clyde Worley. She had 4 children.

(1101) Ace Leroy "Bud" Eustice was born 11/14/1898, in Bakewell. Bud grew up in the Bakewell-Soddy area and was educated there. He married Ethel Upton on 12/23/1919, in Soddy. As far as Cy learned, Bud and Ethel lived their entire married lives in Soddy. Bud earned his livelyhood as a coal miner and rock mason.

Bud died on 4/21/1980 at the age of 81 years, 5 months and 7 days. Ethel was still living in late 1980s and made her home with her daughter in Cleveland, TN.

(1101) Ace Leroy "Bud" Eustice and wife Ethel Upton had two children:

(1111)  1.  Bernice Elizabeth Eustice (Barker) (Cofer), b. 02/05/1922, in Soddy, TN
(1112)  2.  Mildred Sevena Eustice (Barnes),            b. 01/27/1924, in Soddy, TN

(1111) Bernice Elizabeth Eustice (Barker) (Cofer) was born 2/5/1922, in Soddy, TN. She grew up in Soddy and married Fred Kelly Barker on 2/28/1942, in Dalton, GA. Fred was born 1/1/1910. They divorced later and Fred died 12/23/1959.

She married second William Ralph Cofer, on 7/11/1949, in Rossville, GA. He was born 12/2/1914, in Georgetown, TN. They presently make their home in Cleveland, TN.

Bernice had one child by her first marriage.

(1112) Mildred Sevena Eustice (Barnes) was born 01/27/1924, in Soddy, TN. She grew up in Soddy and married Erhardt Barnes on 11/19/1949, in Chattanooga, TN. Erhardt was born 1/21/1917, in Chattanooga. Mildred and Erhardt presently make their home in Chattanooga where Erhardt is a well known certified public accountant. They have 1 child.

(1102) Tilda Eustice (Davis) was born in Bakewell on 1/7/1901. Tilda lost her mother when she was only 3 and was raised by her father and stepmother. Tilda grew up in the Bakewell-Soddy area and married Floyd A. Davis on 06/15/1919, in Soddy, TN. Floyd was born 12/01/1900, in Soddy.

To my knowledge Tilda and Floyd lived in Soddy all their married lives. Floyd is no longer living. Tilda continues to make her home in Soddy.

She and Floyd had 7 children.

(1103) Mamie Eustice (Penney) was born 02/18/1903, in Bakewell, TN. She was only 12 years old when her mother died and has little or no recollection of her. She grew up in the Soddy-Bakewell area and married Thomas Jefferson Penney on 09/08/1922, in Hamilton County, TN.

As far as I know Mamie and Tom lived in the North Hamilton County area most, if not all of their married lives. Tom died 6/24/1967, in Sale Creek, TN, at the age of 63. Mamie presently makes her home in Soddy.

(1103) Mamie Eustice (Penney) and husband Thomas Jefferson Penney had two children:

(1113)  1.  Evelyn Louise Penney (Musgraves),     b. 8/26/1924, in Soddy, TN
(1114)  2.  Ella Joy Penney (Johnson) (Durham),   b. 11/5/1929, in Soddy, TN

(1113) Evelyn Louise Penney (Musgraves) was born 8/26/1924, in Soddy, TN. She grew up in Soddy and attended local schools. She married George Musgraves, Jr. who was born in Chattanooga. They presently make their home in the Chattanooga area. George is now retired. They have 2 children.

(1114) Ella Joy Penney (Johnson) (Durham) was born 11/5/1929, in Soddy, TN. She married 1st Alvin C. Johnson, deceased. She married 2nd Vernon Lee Durham. She has no children.

Descendants of B. F. Coleman I's "third family."
First row, L. to R.: Walter Varner, Lewis Priddy, Wallace Varner, Martha Gross Coleman, third wife of B. F. Coleman I (seated in chair), Ed Varner, and Vernon Varner.

2nd row, standing L. to R.: James Burke Priddy, Jr., Buelah Eustice Varner, holding her daughter Barbara June Varner, Garry Varner, Edna Posey Varner holding son Orval Varner, Margaret (Maggie) Coleman Priddy, Mitchell Priddy and Ollie Varner.

Oct 19, 2008