Saturday, November 16, 2019

The 14 Children of James William Cox and Mary Elizabeth Mitchell - Child 11


#11
Ira Clinton Cox
1882-1954

      Ira Clinton Cox, the fifth son of James William and Mary Elizabeth (Mitchell) Cox, was born at Select, Ohio County, on January 20, 1882.  When his parents separated in 1890, he was the only child who went with his mother when she left her home.  According to family tradition, he cried so hard, his mother took him with her.  He was the only other son of James William Cox, other than my grandfather, Jasper Newton Cox, who was in the military.  I have a photo of him in his military uniform, given to me by his son, James Coy Cox of Louisville, Kentucky.  James and I corresponded for several years and we usually tried to call one another at Christmas time.

      In the 1900 census, Ira was eighteen years old, single, and was shown as a “boarder,” living with his mother, Mary Elizabeth, age 56, and her husband, John Rummel, 52, at Hartford.  The census record shows that his mother and step-father had been married four years.

     Ira Clinton, born at Select in 1882, was the second son of James William Cox to serve in the military (Jasper Newton, his brother, was first.  My grandfather was born in 1884).  

    On the 5th day of January, 1906, Ira Clinton Cox, single, enlisted at Beaver Dam, Kentucky, as a private of Company D of the 28th Regiment of Infantry in the U. S. Army, to serve for three years.  It was recorded that he born at Select, Kentucky and when enlisted, he was 23-1/2 years old, occupation was "lumberman", and he was described as having blue eyes and dark brown hair and was six feet tall. He became a sharpshooter and was listed as a good marksman on March 3, 1909.  It is presumed he received medals for these two achievements.

    Ira Cox arrived in Cuba October 8, 1906. He left Cuba on January 1, 1909 and arrived in the United States, January 5, 1909.  He was honorably discharged from the Army at the expiration of his term of service of three years.  After discharge at Fort Monroe, VA on January 6, 1909, he was said to be in good physical condition and his character was described as "Excellent" by 1st Lieutenant Tom J. Rogers, 28th Infantry, Commanding Company D.

     (James Coy Cox, his son, sent me a studio photograph of his dad in his army uniform).  The U. S. Army Register of Enlistment 1798-1914 listed Ira Clinton Cox as being discharged January 4, 1909 at sea, aboard the USA G Sumner, with excellent service record.

     He was single, discharged in good physical health.  Under remarks, it says:  "Enlisted at Beaver Dam KY, left U.S. October 8, 1906, arrived in Cuba, Oct. 12, 1906, and left Cuba, January 1, 1909; arrived in United States January 5, 1909."  Honorable discharge papers were signed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, January 6, 1909.
     
        In the 1910 census, Ira C. Cox, age 28, was living with his sister Cinderella and her husband Thomas Crowder, in Magisterial District 4, Ohio County.  Cinderella and Tom were 36 and 34, and had a little daughter, Loretta, age 9.

      On September 12, 1918, Ira may have accompanied his brother, Orlando Cox, on the day they were to register for the World War I Draft Registration. The registration on that date required all men between the ages of 18 and 45 to register for the military draft, soon after the U.S. declared war against Germany.

      Both brothers were living at Equality at the time and ran their father’s farm, as well as their own.  Ira gave his age as 36, born January 20, 1882, and stated that he was a farmer by occupation.  He listed his wife, Annie Martha Cox, as his nearest relative, also living at Equality.  He was described as being tall, with blue eyes and dark hair.  Clinton Iglehart, the local draft registrar, took his information and signed Ira’s draft registration card.

      At age thirty, Ira Clinton married Anna Martha Coy, on Christmas Eve, Dec 24, 1912, at Hartford, Ohio County.  His bride was seventeen.  She was the daughter of Hardin R. Coy and his wife, a widow Elizabeth Allen. 

      Anna had brothers and sisters:  William H., James C., and John S. Coy.  She also had half brothers and sisters, Susan B. Allen, George T. Allen, Rachel J. Allen and Asa C. Allen, who were children of her first marriage.  Anna’s half-sister, Susan B. Allen, called “Sudie” and sometimes “Bell,” married Ira Clinton’s brother, Orlando Clay Cox. 

      Together, Ira Clinton and Anna Martha had three children:

1)    Ona Mae Cox, born Aug 16, 1916
2)    Alma Ree Cox, born September 29, 1919
3)    James Coy Cox, born December 19, 1922

      By the time of the 1920 census enumeration, Ira, age 38, was living at Smallhous, Ohio County, with his wife, Anna, age 24, with two little daughters, Ona M., age 4 years, 7 months, and Alma R., age 4 months.

      Ten years later, in the 1930 census, Ira and Anna M. lived in Centertown, Ohio County, with their three children: Ona Mae, age 14; Alma Ree, age 10; and J. C. (James Coy), age 7.  Ira owned his own farm and his occupation was given as “general farming.”     

      In the spring of 1933, Ona Mae’s name was mentioned in the local newspaper, The Centertown Record:

“Mar 3, 1933 – Ona Mae Cox was among the Centertown area 8th grade
students who passed the common school test.  Raymond Robertson was
one of the test graders.” 

~.~

      The above newspaper item was quoted on page 676 of a new book about the history of Centertown, “Just Yesterday We Were Children,” which is filled with school pictures including all three of Ira and Anna’s children.  The book is filled with hundreds and hundreds of pictures, and contains over 1,000 photos, some as early as the last quarter of 1800, and goes through WWII and beyond.  Many military photos are shown of the soldiers who participated in all wars.  It was written by Beth (Chinn) Harp and edited by Helen (Allen) McKeown. I can highly recommend it to anyone who lived in Centertown or the surrounding area communities.  Many schools and many class photos, as well as churches and church members, are shown, along with the histories of each, and many communities are mentioned in extensive newspaper quotations such as the one below:

      “Sep 22, 1933 – There was a pie supper to raise money for Bunker Hill
        School.  There was profit of $13.  A lot of money during this time!”

~.~

      Ira’s army military records state that he was born at Select in 1882 and enlisted at Beaver Dam, KY January 5, 1906.  After he served out his three-year enlistment, his discharge military papers show he was twenty-three and one-half years of age, and by occupation was a “Lumberman.”  He had blue eyes, dark brown hair, and fair complexion, and was six feet in height.  His discharge papers are dated January 5, 1909.  Under “Military Record” his papers indicate that he achieved status as a “Sharpshooter” on December 16, 1907, and a few months later, after more training, he became a “Marksman” on March 3, 1908.  No doubt he received medals for these achievements.   He was single; discharged in good physical health.  Under remarks, it states:  “Enlisted at Beaver Dam, Ky., left U.S. October 8, 1906, arrived in Cuba, October 12, 1906, and left Cuba, January 1, 1909; arrived in United States, January 5, 1909.”  His discharge papers were signed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, January 6, 1909.  His brother, Jasper Newton Cox, was also stationed near Fort Monroe at one period of time while he was serving in the Army.

      Ira Cox married Anna Martha Coy, the daughter of Hardin Coy, on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1912 at Hartford.  His occupation was farming.  He was seventy-two when he died at King’s Daughters Hospital in Shelbyville, Kentucky on October 4, 1954, and was buried in Louisville Memorial Gardens.  

      As mentioned, Ira and Anna Martha had two daughters, Ona Mae and Alma Ree, and one son, James Coy Cox.  James lives in Louisville and he and I talk at least once or twice a year and have corresponded a number of times.  James visited my grandparents one summer and brought his tape recorder.  It is the only recording I have of my grandfather’s voice.  James made a copy of the taped visit for me, and I have shared it with all the members of my family.  It is a wonderful audio tape!  He took it back home to play for his aged mother, who was in a nursing home.

~.~

IRA C. COX DIES

AT SHELBYVILLE

                                    Ira C. Cox, 73, died Monday, October 4 at
1:30 p.m. at Kings Daughters Hospital, Shelbyville,
Ky. 

            Survivors are his wife, Anna Martha Cox; one
daughter, Mrs. Ona Mae Burgess; one son, J. C. Cox,
Louisville; 3 sisters, Mrs. Mary Christian, Cromwell;
Mrs. H. T. Crowder, Rosine; Mrs. J. J. Willett, Beaver
Dam; two brothers, O. C. Cox, Edinburg, Indiana;
J. N. Cox, Texas; 7 grandchildren.
           
Mr. Cox was a member of the Masonic Lodge
of Ceralvo.

            Masonic rites were administered and funeral
services were conducted by Rev. William Holliday,
Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the W. G. Hardy Shively
Chapel, Louisville.  Interment took place in Louisville
Memorial Gardens.

      Loretta Westerfield gave me a copy of the following obituary for her uncle, Ira Clinton Cox.  No date or name of the newspaper was given.
~.~
Ira C. Cox, 73, Dies
At Shelbyville Hospital
~.~

                             Ira C. Cox, 73, formerly of Ohio county, died Monday,
October 4, at the Kings’s Daughters hospital, Shelbyville,
Kentucky.

                             He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Order of
the Eastern Star at Ceralvo and of the Smallhous Baptist Church.

                             Funeral services were conducted at the W. G. Hardy Shively
chapel, 3101 Dixied Highway, Louisville, Wednesday, October 6,
by the Rev. Bill Holladay, of Centertown.  Interment was in the
Louisville Memorial Gardens.  Plumb Lodge, No. 862, officiated
at the grave.
                             He leaves his wife, Mrs. Anna Martha Cox; two daughters,
Mrs. Ona Mae Burgess, of Louisville, and Mrs. Alma Porter,
of Centertown; one son, James C. Cox, of Louisville; three sisters,
Mrs. Cinderella Crowder, of Rosine; Mrs. Mary Christian, of
Cromwell, and Mrs. Eugene Willett, of Beaver Dam; two brothers,
O. C. Cox, of Crown Point, Indiana, and Newton Cox, of Texas;
and seven grandchildren.

~.~

      I think Uncle Ira Clinton Cox was a great favorite in the family growing up with his brothers.  Uncle Netter gave his youngest son, the middle name of Orville “Clinton” and then, Uncle Netter’s oldest son, Leslie Ray, named his oldest son “Ira Clinton Cox,” after Uncle Netter’s brother, Ira Clinton, of course.  All the family pronounced it “Iry” – in both generations.
~.~

      Sad news to hear about the death of my cousin, James Cox, and I will add his obit to this story as taken from “My Computer Diary” that I have kept pretty much on a weekly basis, starting in 1996:      
“~ Sunday, August 09, 2009 ~      
     
     James Coy Cox, son of Ira Clinton Cox, was Granddaddy’s older brother’s only son.  James lived in Louisville.  He and I talked at least once or twice a year, and for a long time exchanged letters and Christmas cards every year.  He is the one who made the recording of Granddaddy and Grandmother Cox and he sent me an audio tape of the surprise visit that I shared with everybody.  Back in the 1970’s, sometime.”

James Coy Cox

COX, JAMES C., 86, passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital. He was born in Centertown, KY to Ira C. and Anna (Coy) Cox. He was a retired Mechanical Inspector with Boatwright Ordnance, (Civil Service) Ft. Knox, KY. He was a World War II Army veteran and a Purple Heart Recipient, having served in the European Theatre and was a member of the Centertown Masonic Lodge.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Ona Mae Casebier and Alma Porter. Survivors include his sons, Stephen C. Cox (Sheila) and Gregory J. Cox (Phyllis); six grandchildren; five great- grandchildren; his longtime friend and companion, Pansy L. Young.
Funeral service is 11 a.m. Friday at Owen Funeral Home, 5317 Dixie Hwy, with burial in Louisville Memorial Gardens West. Visitation is 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Expressions of sympathy to the Masonic Home of Kentucky. Online condolences: owenfuneralhome.com
Submitted by Janice Cox Brown, Coppell, Texas

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