Biography of Herman N. Coffinberry, page 978.  History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Herman N. Coffinberry, train master and traffic manager of the third, fourth 
and seventeenth  district of the eastern division of the Wabash Railway, was 
born in Sherman Township, St. Joe Co., Mich., April 23, 1846, a son of S.C. 
Coffinbery, an attorney of Constantine, Mich.  Our subject’s educational 
advantages were limited.  At the age of fourteen years he was employed by 
John Putnam in his native county and worked as a farm hand at $10 per month 
for ten months, after which he spent a few months in his father’s office.  
In 1861 he went to Three Rivers, Mich., and worked as a mason for four 
months, and from there to Adamsville, Mich., where he worked two years for 
Hon. George Redfield. He than returned to Constantine, Mich., and was first 
employed in the freight-house of the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana 
Railroad Company for one year, after which he had charge of the freight and 
ticket office until 1870.  He then returned to Three Rivers, Mich., and 
took charge of the station there for the same company until February, 
1873, when he went to Cleveland and was revising clerk in Addison Hill’s 
freight office three months.  His health failing him he went of Osage, 
Iowa, where he remained till 1875, and during that time he was engaged in 
the mercantile business.  He was also Deputy U.S. Marshal some time.  He 
returned to Constantine with his stock of goods and carried on the business 
at that place a few months. In the spring of 1876 he went to Wabash, Ind., 
and was engaged as master of transportation for the Cincinnati, Wabash & 
Michigan Railroad, and in the fall of 1878 entered the employ of the 
Wabash Railway Company, taking charge of the  yards at Fort Wayne until 
the fall of 1881, when he came to Butler, assuming the duties of his 
present position.  March 20, 1878, he was married at Wabash, Ind., to Miss 
Elizabeth, daughter of William Ditlor.  They have two children---William H. 
and John B.  Mr. Coffinberry has been a Mason for eighteen years, and a 
Knight Templar fifteen years, and has recently had the Consistory degrees 
conferred upon him.  His father was formerly Grand Master of Michigan and 
at one time held the office of Grand High Priest of the chapter.


Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com