Philip Jeffries

Born 1875

Born in Russia

Immigrated in 1892

Married to Fannie Cooperman in 1906

Divorced in 1913

Merchant

Philip Jeffries was born in 1875 in Russia, and he immigrated to the United States when he was 17.[1]   By 1903, Jeffries arrived in Leadville and had married the recently widowed Fannie Cooperman.[2]   Mrs. Cooperman was originally married to Abraham Cooperman, but he passed away in 1902.[3]   Jeffries became the stepfather of David, Samuel, Leonard, and Nettie Cooperman.

From 1905 to 1910, Jeffries ran a grocery store at 112 West 4th Street.  In 1906, Jeffries was the proprietor of an additional store situated at the corner of 7th and Pine Streets.  In 1911, the business relocated to 216 West 4th [4] Street  where it remained until 1914.[5]   Just after the store moved in 1911, Jeffries suffered a setback when his 112 West Fourth Street building burned down causing $1,000 in damage.  Luckily, the property was covered by insurance.[6]

The Jeffries did not have a successful marriage and in October, 1913, Fannie was granted her divorce which cited “extreme and repeated acts of cruelty.”[7] The next month, Jeffries placed a notice in the Carbonate Chronicle stating that he was no longer responsible for the Cooperman’s debts.[8]   Jeffries luck continued to plummet and in March, 1914, a lawsuit from a Pueblo based grocery store to which he was indebted closed his business.[9]   Ironically, Fannie Cooperman bought out what remained of his business the next month.[10]   Afterwards Jeffries left Leadville and moved to Trinidad, Colorado.[11]