Nellie Mae Dawson

Brief Life History of Nellie Mae

When Nellie Mae Dawson was born on 24 March 1894, in Rising Sun, Polk, Iowa, United States, her father, Lewis Edwin Dawson, was 25 and her mother, Louise May Brady, was 22. She married John Coleman Coffey on 21 May 1912, in Raton, Colfax, New Mexico, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. She lived in Long Beach Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States in 1940 and Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States in 1940. She died on 17 March 1980, in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California, United States, at the age of 85.

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Family Time Line

John Coleman Coffey
1889–1961
Nellie Mae Dawson
1894–1980
Marriage: 21 May 1912
Emma Beatrice Coffey
1913–1997

Sources (9)

  • Nellie Herchetroth in household of Albon Herchetroth, "United States Census, 1930"
  • Nellie Mae Dawson, "Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939"
  • Nillie Mae Herchelroth, "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952"

Spouse and Children

World Events (8)

1896 · Plessy vs. Ferguson

A landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities if the segregated facilities were equal in quality. It's widely regarded as one of the worst decisions in U.S. Supreme Court history.

1906 · Great San Francisco Earthquake

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook San Francisco for approximately 60 seconds on April 18, 1906. A 1906 report by US Army Relief Operations recorded the death toll for San Francisco and surrounding areas at 664. Later reports record the number at over 3,000 deaths. An estimated 225,000 people were left homeless from the widespread destructuction as 80% of the city was destroyed.

1917

U.S. intervenes in World War I, rejects membership of League of Nations.

Name Meaning

English: patronymic meaning ‘son of Dawe’, from the Middle English personal name Daw(e) (see Daw 1 and 2), which is sometimes a pet form of David (see 2 below) but more generally of Rauf or Raw (i.e. Ralph ), of which Daw(e) is a rhyming form. Alternatively, the patronymic could mean ‘son of Daud(e)’, another Middle English pet form of Ralph evidently used interchangeably with Dawe. Dawson is one of the most numerous patronymics.

Scottish: patronymic, ‘son of Dawe’. In Scotland Dawe is a diminutive of David (compare 1 above).

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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