Ivy James McCoy Sr. and Addie Watson McCoy were born in central St. Helena Parish in 1895 and 1904 respectively. Both grew up as part of subsistence farming and timber production families that were the economic mainstay of the 3500 or so souls who lived in the region in that era.
Both migrated to Baton Rouge as young adults in search of opportunities unavailable in ,St. Helena Parish. Ivy found work as a hardware salesman and, aside from his adventure at soldering in WW 1, would make it a livelihood he would pursue all of his working life. Addie attended LSU in Baton Rouge for a year or so and found work as a secretary for a local businessman.
Ivy was drafted into the US Army in early 1917 and ,after training as an artillery specialist, shipped out to France with the legendary, mid western "Rolling W" 89th Division . He participated in and survived the battle St Mihiel in the autumn of 1918 and was decorated twice for his valor in combat.
He returned home to Baton Rouge in 1919 , met and married Addie Watson and began a journey that was to span over 50 productive years as a devoted family man and skillful hardware salesman . They had and raised four children, Mary Alice, Warren Watson, Ivy James Jr. and John Kent.
This blog is a tribute and testimony of their passing thru a life filled with horrendous challenges , triumphs and inevitable failures that included surviving the rigors of a world war, a devastating economic depression that almost destroyed the world as they knew it and thru it all, nurturing four offspring in a caring and loving manner that, in no small way, enabled us to succeed in our own right.
Thank you Mom and Dad from your most grateful children for so unselfishly giving of your time and energy in providing us with an environment that enabled us, in no small way, to meet our own challenges and life choices.
Mary Alice, Warren Watson, Ivy James Jr. and John Kent McCoy
Addie and Ivy McCoy Slideshow--click to open--click on slide show and full screen options & press Esc on your keyboard to exit full screen mode
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| Ivy-Addie McCoy Story |