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Rev. WILLIAM J. CODER, a Methodist Episcopal minister born about 1785, place unknown, resided in north central Pennsylvania in the early 19th century. He preached and taught school in Nescopeck, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe), Carbon County, Pennsylvania, and Port Carbon, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. On 31 December 1831 William was certified as a local deacon by the Methodist Episcopal Church Sunbury Circuit [Northumberland County, Pennsylvania] for 1832. William had 7 sons: WILLIAM CODER, ROBERT CODER, DAVID J. CODER (1812), GEORGE H. CODER (1814), ELISHA B. CODER (1820), NELSON H. CODER (1822) and one son name unknown.
Around 1838 William, along with a group of neighbors and family members, went west to Havana and Sherman Townships, Tazewell County [later Mason County], Illinois. At least one of William’s sons, GEORGE H. CODER, remained behind in Danville, Pennsylvania.
The History of Menard and Mason Counties, Illinois (1879) refers to William as both preacher and physician. William was ordained a local elder in 1839 in the Sangamon District of the Illinois Methodist Church.

I have found no mention of William’s wife’s name. Her first name may have been Harriet, as David and George each named his oldest daughter Harriet. In the 1840 census William and his wife had 4 of their sons living with them in Illinois. According to records, David, Elisha and Nelson were in Havana, Illinois and George was in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. It is unknown at present which son was the fourth one in Havana.

William died on 15 December 1841, in Mason County, Illinois. His estate was administered in April of 1842 by his neighbors Robert Faulkner, Thomas K. Faulkner, and William Hibbs.
Any information would be appreciated. I am also willing to share what information I have. I especially am interested in learning:
-where William was born and who his parents were
-who his wife was
-information on William and Robert, his sons
-the identity of the 7th son

Patte Kelley

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