Mystery Monday

Tracking down Clifton Coon’s Sibling
Edward M. Coon

There are mysteries in genealogy research, some will be solved and others will remain mysteries. It has taken a while for that fact to sink into my way of thinking; but I finally got it! I won’t find every family member in a family unit. There are some who will be elusive forever. There are some that are there staring you in the face waiting to be discovered and placed in their rightful place in the family tree. I have discovered there seems to be more mysteries found in researching the matrilineal lineage than the patrilineal lineage. If only there was someone to talk to from the maternal line family members to help in solving some of these mysteries; however, there isn’t so research continues until all avenues have been exhausted using available records.

What happened to Edward M. Coon? Where did he go after 1930? When did he leave Oak Grove, Louisiana? Or did he? He was living with his two nephews in 1930 West Carrol Parish. While researching the siblings of Clifton Coon everything was going along smoothly until the youngest son of Edward Z. T. and Janie Coon came along. Edward M. Coon was the last child born to this couple. Janie isn’t found on any records after the 1880 census; and on the 1900 District 92, Beat 1, Lincoln County, Mississippi census, Edward age fourteen shows up. The census shows that Edward was born August 1885. Edward Z. T. has another wife Colferna, and step-daughter Nancy H. Coward living in the house with him, his sons Sephus and Edward. Where is Janie? What happened to Janie?

Edward is listed on the 1900 census with his family, but isn’t found on the 1920 census. After using various approaches while searching on Ancestry, Family Search, and Google I concluded he wasn’t on the 1920 census. Possibly he was on the move when the census taker came around because he is living in West Carroll Parish in 1930. E. M. Coon is single, forty-four years old, a farmer, renting a home and has two boarders living with him – George D. Coon, son of Clifton, Edward's brother, and Henry Hampton, son of Edward's sister Martha Sophronia. Edward apparently filled out an application for Social Security October 1942. His applied for Social Security using Eddie Murray Coon and parents Edd Coon and Janie Mason, and his birth date was 10 August 1883. His place of birth was Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Mississippi.

The Social Security Application and Claims was the last record Edward M. Coon was found on. His death information is unknown. Family trees on Ancestry show that his death date was 1930 and 1935, and he died in Jasper County, Mississippi. There is no proof of either the date or the place of death. Research is ongoing for Edward M. Coon youngest brother of Clifton Columbus Coon, Martha Sophrona, Sarah Caroline, Berkley Martin, Harris C., and Cephus (Sephus) Coon.

There are records being placed online at a rapid pace and it is possible records to prove the conflicting birth and the death information will eventually show up in the updated records. Until then Edward M. Coon has his place in the family tree with his parents Edward Zachariah Thomas Coon and Jane Ann Mason, and his siblings. 

Morris Clifton Coon son of Clifton Columbus Coon and wife
Mary Lavenia Ramsey Coon and the brother of Alma Lavenia Coon..
Clifton was the brother of Edward M. Coon.
This photo is from the author's private collection.