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Emeline was a native of Virginia, who was born circa 1825. Whether she was enslaved or not is unknown and how she and her sister got to Buffalo is also unknown. She, and her sister, Sarah arrived in Buffalo in the late 1830s or early 1840s. The 1850 census shows Emeline living with William Qualls and his family. William's wife, Adelaide was the daughter of Peyton Harris. The 1860 census shows Emeline and Sarah running a boarding house, where they also lived, at 381 Michigan Street.

An early member of Michigan Street Baptist Church, Emeline is believed to have joined in about 1842. The church was founded in 1836. In 1908, Mrs. Mary B. Talbert wrote the history of the church, which was based in large part on the memories of Miss Coy.

Emeline died on January 28, 1905. Newspapers carried a short obituary of Emeline. She was recognized as an early member of the Michigan Street Baptist Church, the church's oldest member, and President of the Ladies Auxiliary Society. She was a member of the Phyllis Wheatley Club. She was also said to have lived with Mary B. and William H. Talbert at their home at 521 Michigan Avenue.

She is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.