The older man on the left is Lewis T. Coffer, the widower
of Amanda Cofer (correct spelling), the woman murdered by Indians
near a deep gully/embankment leading to the Leon River. Mr. Coffer
returned to Alameda Cemetery near the end of his life (near the
time of this photo?) to mark his beloved's grave, an iconic moment
in Alameda history.
Oral tradition holds that Amanda's grave is the Alameda Cemetery's
first. The woman on the back row, second from the left, is Sarah
Gordia. Sarah is a full-blooded daughter of Lewis and Amanda.
Given that her facial features are so different from her father's,
we may surmise that her mother Amanda, also a young woman at the
time of her death, may have looked similar to her daughter Sarah.
The original of this photo has graciously (and miraculously) been
donated to the Alameda - Cheaney Room at the Eastland County Museum
by Bruce and Betty Coffer.
Submitted by Jeff Clark - [email protected].