The 14 Children of James William Cox and Mary Elizabeth Mitchell - Child 2

#2 - Susanah Miranda Cox

1863-1910

      Susanah Miranda, born July 18, 1863 was the second child of James William and Mary Elizabeth Cox.  She was named after her two grandmothers – Susannah Miranda Cox and Susannah C. Acton.  When she was eighteen, Susannah, called “Susie,” married John Henry Stewart, twenty, September 13, 1881.  He was the son of John F. Stewart and Catherine R. Douglas. Susie’s name is written in her father’s Bible as “Susanah M. Cox.”

      During the next twenty-five years, this couple had eight children of whom only five lived to maturity.

1)      Oscar Newton, born July 1882; died age 60, 1943

2)      Minnie, born Oct. 1885; died age 33, 1919

3)      Azro B., born 1883 and died the same day.

4)      Elza Wayne, born 1887;  died 1899, age 11 years

5)      Estill L., born 1890; lived two days.

6)      Roy Thompson Stewart, born Nov. 1892, (who grew up and married my

grandmother’s sister, Ella Mae Smith);  died 1971, age 78

7)      Warren C. Stewart, born Sep. 1894; died 1916, age 22,

8)      Ethel Catherine Stewart, born Jan. 1897; died 1946, age 49

When the census taker visited the Cromwell community in 1900, he stopped at the home of John Henry and Susie M. Stewart.  John was thirty-eight and Susie was thirty-six, and they said they had been married eighteen years.  Susie had borne eight children, five of whom were living at the time.  Children listed in the home were Oscar N., 17; Minnie F., 14; Roy T., 7; Warren C., 5; and Ethel C., 3.  John Henry’s occupation was farming.

By the time of the 1910 census, the family was living at Rosine, and Oscar and Minnie no longer lived in their parent’s home.  More than likely they had married and started families of their own.  Three children, Roy T., 17; Warren C., 15, and Ethel C., 13, were still living at home.

The census of 1910 was taken in April, and at that time, Susie had been ill for several years.  Four months later her condition worsened and she died August 26, 1910.  She was only forty-seven at her death, and she and John Henry had been married almost twenty-nine years.  She was buried in Fairview East Cemetery, Ohio County.  It was a very sad occasion for the entire family.

Her obituary was found in the Hartford Republican, dated Friday, September 2, 1910 on page five and another mention under the community of Select, dated September 4:

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SELECT

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                        “Sept. 4 – Mrs. Susie Stewart, wife of J. H. Stewart, died at her

 residence this place Thursday night, August 25^th of consumption.

 She was a member of the Christian church and was a good

 Christian woman. 

She leaves a husband and five children, and a host of friends to

 mourn her loss.”

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“In Memory

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                                    Susan M. Stewart, daughter of J. W. and Mary E. Cox,

                        departed this life Aug. 25, 1910, after being a great sufferer for

                        five years.

                                    The deceased was married to J. H. Stewart, Sept. 16^th,

                        1881, to this union was born eight children, six sons, and two

                        daughters.  Three sons and two daughters survive her, three

                        sons having preceded to the world beyond.  She was 47 years

                        of age at the time of her death.  She joined the church at Old

Fairview in early girlhood and lived a consistent member of the

same.  She had been a member of the church at Select, since the 

disbanding of the church at Old Fairview.  She was buried at the

Keown burying ground next day in the presence of a large

congregation of friends and relatives. 

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Birch Shields,

who preached the funeral sermon from Rev. 21-4, after which

her remains were laid to rest to await the resurrection morn.”

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      John Henry later remarried Ida Luck on December 23, 1919, who helped make a home for his three children who were still in their teens.

      Loretta Westerfield sent me the following news clipping from one of the Ohio County newspapers regarding Roy T. Stewart, son of John Henry and Susie Cox.  I want to include it here because my grandfather in 1962 suggested I write his nephew, Roy Stewart, to ask for some information on my grandmother’s grandfather, Thomas Smith, who died in the Civil War.  Roy T. Stewart married my grandmother’s sister, Ella Jennie Smith.  Roy’s letter was prompt and it gave me several clues to follow up that I had not known before.  I still have that letter written by hand on old-time, lined tablet paper.

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Cromwell Lodge No. 692

Roy T. Stewart, Master

                       Cromwell Lodge No. 692,  Cromwell,  met  on  St.  John’s  Day,

                        December 27, 1939,  and  elected  and  installed  officers  for  the

                        ensuing year.  Those so chosen were:

                           Roy T. Stewart, master; R. C. Burgess, senior warden, Hudanll

                        LeMasters, junior warden; Otha West, treasurer. The new secretary,

Bro. Past Master Elmer Embry, acted as installing officer.  Bro. 

Past Master R. C. Burgess then installed Bro. Embry as secretary and the

following appointed officers:  H. N. Phelps, senior deacon; D. Nelson,

junior deacon; Owen T. Wallace, senior steward;  J. W. Martin, junior

steward; Clarence James, chaplain, and Hilley Kessinger, tiler.

   Our new worshipful master, Bro. Roy T. Stewart, is an ardent Mason,

is taking the duties of his office seriously and members of the lodge 

confidently look forward to a year of progress under his capable

guidance.  He will have the support of a loyal corps of officers, eager

to assist in helping the lodge to prosper.  An increased attendance of 

our members will be highly pleasing to officers of the lodge and spur them

on to greater achievements .

   Stated meetings of Cromwell Lodge are held on the 4^th Monday each month, and we welcome visiting.  Craftsmen.-E Embry, secretary.

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My aunt told me that Roy Stewart was a mail carrier in Ohio County for many years, and also that he liked to sing.  I believe she said he sang with a group and she mentioned, too, that he was a friend of Bill Monroe, who came to their house on several occasions.  At one time, I am fairly certain that my grandfather said that their farm adjoined the farm of Bill Monroe’s father as they were growing up.  He had several tales he told us about the Cox and Monroe boys.

Submitted by Janice Cox Brown, Coppell, Texas