Thomas was the son of Solomon Coy and Mary Kintigh Coy Turney.

David Coy's web link below has a great deal of information about the Kintigh family.

Thomas Coy was very active in the local I.O.O.F. One of the proud family memrobilia is the sword and hat from the marching uniform of his lodge.The sword has his initials engraved on the blade.
It seems that my two brothers have these items, each has one of the items.I know my younger brother David treasures his one item of COY history.I know that my older brother Tom,loves his few family mementos. I am just happy that they will stay in the family and continue to tie the present genrations to our past ones.

Thomas Coy Owner of his Concrete Company

The concrete business that Thomas Coy owned primarily built bridges in Northwest Ohio,Northeast Indiana, and Southern Michigan.They mostly replaced bridges that had been made of wood, and the wood was rotting and concrete would be used to make them last longer.

His company did also replace foundation work under barns and homes.This was really hard work becasue the building would have to be jacked up and replaced,by hand and back lf men.No modern equipement existed during this time period.

photo to be added

Thomas was the host of many of the checker games on his front porch.

LINK-Nice color Map of the Williams Area that they lived in.

Thomas Ellsworth Coy and Margaret Odell "Della" Koch

(photo above )Thomas Ellsworth Coy of Evansport,Defiance Co.,Ohio.This photo was taken on their 40th Wedding Anniversary.
Thomas married Margaret O'Dell "Della" Koch (b)Aug.13,1864.

They married- May 18,1882-Stryker,Defiance Co.,Ohio.

Thomas and Della did not travel more than 75 miles or so in thier life from their homestead.
This little joke below has been our family giggle for years.

"Thomas used to say,my son John has been around the world.He has been to Stryker,Bryan and Archibald.
These towns are only about 25 miles in distance.I suppose in his day,if you had to walk or ride your horse. You had been Around the World.Also,there is no son John.

Della was the daughter of Andrew Koch(b)1825 of Bavaria and Mary Margaret Kline (b)1843 of Pennsylvania.Up to this point we only know of Della's brother John, who was 2 years difference in age.

It is believed that Andrew Koch came to America during the 3rd wave of German immigrants about 1850-1860, eventually settling in Henry County where he met Della's mother, Mary.
Little is known about who Andrew Koch who he traveled to America with, or the even name of the ship.
The only other document we have found about Andrew Koch is a Civil War Record, Private , age 36 on April 23,1861-Company D,14th.Inf. Regiment of Ohio -Col.James B.Steedman

I have found new info about her mother's side of the family,KLINE's(Kleine) in Henry county,Freedom Township. Della's grandfather would have been Joseph Kline(42yr)-PA, and his wife Sarah(39yr)-PA , with 5 children according to the Census of 1850 link below.These 5 children would be Della's Aunt's and Uncle's.(Ln297)Harman-17yr,Mary M.-7yr,James K.-5yr,Abraham-3,Sarah A.-1yr.
Also I found her grandfather's brother Harman Kline and his family listed in Freedom Twp. with them.Her Uncle had 10 children listed.
I also found land records to support her grandfather Joseph Kline having 160 acres of land in Freedom Twp. in 1837.(5S/8E/sec.32:6S/8E/sec.5) his brother Harman Kline had 80 acres near him.(6N/6E/sec.28)in 1835

1850-Henry Co.,Freedom Twp.

Children of Thomas and Della:

All the kids were born in Evansport,Defiance Co.,Ohio

Bertha (b)March 26,1883
Gertrude (b)Oct.13,1888
Edward (b)Oct.29,1890
Clela (b)Oct.29,1891
Clara (b)Feb.24,1893
Lavina (b)Aug.14,1894
Martha Mae (b)May 10,1896
Elmer Ellsworth (b)July 3,1902

Thomas and Della's Grandchildren

Bertha "Bertie" married Ora W.Fyke,they have 2 children

Gertrude "Gertie" married John Marion Curtis in 1909,and they have 8 children

Edward marries Edna Stitsel,and they have 2 children

Clela "Keke"-never marries

Clara marries Clyde E.Tobias -unknown children

Lavina "Viney" marries Albert Henry "Bert"Gansmiller-they have 2 children

Martha Mae "Mar" marries Guy Meyers they have 4 children

*Elmer marries Margeret Ferne Trehearne, they have 2 children that live

Martha Coy Myers family and Elmer Coy family eventually move to Comstock,Kalamazoo,Mi. to raise their families

In the COY BOY book,Della had told tales about when young Thomas would get paid from a concrete job,he would go to town to buy his children a little something.
Thomas would bring his girls a sack of candy to share,but oh his little Elmer would get a sack of nails to pound into the ground.
Elmer,my grandfather must have thought he had brought him toys to play with.This was a GREAT gift to Elmer.

A later story is told of little Elmer outside making a bunch of racket,and when his mother came around the side of the house to see what the commotion was about ,little Elmer at 4yr of age had been sawing and hammering on the side of the house.Elmer then says "It's O.K. mamma, I'm going to build you a new house"!

Della Coy remarried to a man named George Craig on June 26,1931.George moved Della, and Clela to Pittsford,Hillsdale Co.,Mi.
After George died Della moved to Comstock,Mi to be near her son Elmer,and daughter Martha May (Coy)Meyers. Della passed away April 4,1951 at the age of 86, and was buried in the New Evansport Cemetery next to her 1st husband Thomas Coy.

Della Koch Coy Craig lived out her days in Kalamazoo,Mi. Her home was a little house that sits on the street behind where my Aunt Marilyns home is today.

Her children Elmer and Martha Mae lived close enough to check in on her everday.
Her son son Elmer used to bring her coal to warm her home.

The coal of course used to make the windows very dingy. But Della had a little stool that she would sit by the window, and everyday she would watch the sunset thru the smeared windows.

My father Eugene "Genee",Della's grandson,would make his grandma Craig his last stop on his paper route,just so he could stop by to visit awhile with her before returning home for the day.

My father was a boy of about 14yrs. old when she would often ask this rather perplexing question.
"Where have all the long days gone Genee".My dad said it probably wouldn't have mattered what he had answered, she would have thought it was the right answer because whatever her Elmers boy said it would have been okay.

I just cried the other night as I re-read the way my father had told of her tired old face,with the sun gleaming off it, as she would look out those coal streaked windows,as if just watching the rest of the days pass by,one by one.
(This story is told in my COY GIRL book,written by Eugene Coy)

My father and My Aunt Marilyn have told us many times how ALL of the family from Thomas and Della would get together for a huge family reunion in Aug.down on the farm in Evansport.
My father and Aunt were very close to several of the aunts and cousins.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Great-Aunt Mar, who ended up living across the street from Aunt Marilyn.I also got to meet Ella Mae,one of Great-Aunt Gerties girls.I'm afraid most of this family had passed away by the time my brother David and I were born,or old enought to even speak ourselves to these people,who would be Great-Aunts and Uncles to us.