#3 husband of-Mary Ann Russell, Coble.Married Feb. 1862 in MO.
Henry Franklin Coble was born Oct. 13, 1819 in Lincoln County, Tennessee, the oldest of 9 children of Peter and Margaret (Summers) Coble. The family migrated to southwest Missouri, in and around the Dade, Lawrence, Newton County areas in about 1834, when Henry was about 16 years old.

On April 21, 1844, Henry married Catherine Holt in Green County. Little is known of Catherine, but to this union was born 3 boys, Peter Nicholas, John Marion and Alfred Luther.
Catherine died of complications of the youngest son, Alfred Luther. Shortly there after, about 1855, Henry moved to what was then Ozark county, before Douglas county was established, to be near Catherine's relatives for assistance in rearing the three boys.

Even with the assistance of the neighbors and relatives, raising a family and providing a livelihood for the family was too much for Henry alone. In 1858 he chose as his second wife Lavina Jane McQuerter Turnbull and to this union was born a daughter, Margaret Frances and a son, Abraham Marling Coble. Henry with his new family made and excursion to the Boston Mountains of Arkansas in search of prosperity, but prosperity was not to be found there. He lost his second wife, with now five children to rear. The older boys were now old enough to help out with the family chores while Henry provided the livelihood.

Soon thereafter, the Civil War became a reality and Henry, along with Peter Nicholas, his oldest son enlisted in the famous Capt. Moses L. Alsup's Co. "H" 46th Regiment, Mo. Volunteers, and Henry was promoted to the rank of Corporal in charge of all the "Coble Clan". There were several of the Coble boys, brothers, uncles, nephews and cousins. Some of the clan were killed at the "Battle of Vera Cruz", and others were wounded, but Henry and Peter Nicholas escaped virtually unscathed.

During the war Henry married the third time, a war widow, Mary Ann (Russell) Owens whose husband had been hanged by the Confederates in the early part of the war. She was the daughter of Wiley and Lucinda Russell and the widow of William Owens of the Rockbridge area.

This marriage was quite productive and to this union were born eight children; Absolum, Christopher, Lucinda, David Wain, Newton, Lawtisha, Nancy and Tennessee. At the age of 70 years, Henry applied for and after considerable haggling by the Bureau of Pensions, was granted a war pension of $12 per month until his death on Feb. 17, 1897.

Henry Franklin Coble was laid to rest in the Hale Cemetery west of Dora, in Ozark County.

submitted by; Linda Jennings