1. James Ralph¹ Cox was born September 1886, and died May 16, 1948. He married Beulah J. Hall Bef. 1911, daughter of J. Hall and Elizabeth Franklin.

Notes for James Ralph Cox:

According to family information provided by Reuben Sylvester Abbott, James Ralph Cox was born James Ralph Nelms/Nealms in Water Valley, Mississippi. At the age of 12, after a fight with his step-mother, he crossed the Mississippi River to Harrisburg, Arkansas, Poinsette County. He worked in a sawmill and did some logging. He had one arm almost severed (maybe left arm) -- He had a bad scar and his hand turned in. He married Beulah Hall when he was 26 years old. He died of scirosis of the liver. Mama Cox (Beulah) was a diabetic, and died of heart disease in 1969.

Betty Cox Dexter: "On May 16, 1948, with no invitations or previous announcements, relatives from Earle, Harrisburg, Greenwood, Memphis and everywhere else began to assemble at the plantation home of Mama and Papa Cox. Of course Papa Cox was sick and had been for some time, but no one knew that this was the day for his Homegoing. It was announced at the Assembly of God Church in Clarksdale that morning that we would all go to his home and have a prayer meeting with him that afternoon. When all had arrived, we knew that Papa Cox was in very serious condition. The doctor was summoned and came and tapped his enlarged stomach to drain away the pressure, but he left us with the message that he had done all he could.

"The walls of his room were lined with relatives and friends. James, Rubin and Buck had gone again for the doctor. You could almost hear the flutter of angels wings as they came to usher Papa Cox into the presence of God on that day. As Aunt Bessie went over to close his eyelids, people were rejoicing because the presence of God was so prevalent there that hour. Of course we are human and soon our hearts were saddened because we had not only lost our Dad, we had lost an understanding friend. He was one that you could go to with problems, and he could somehow help you to solve them and soon it was as if the problems had never been. He was a pal that you could share your joys with, and he rejoiced with you. Though this has been some 25 years ago (at this writing), I still miss him and there are times when I wish I could go to him and ask him for his advise that he could give with all manner of wisdom."

Children of James Cox and Beulah Hall are:

2. Ina Faye² Cox (James Ralph¹) was born September 12, 1911 in Harrisburg, Arkansas, and died January 13, 1954 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. She married Rubin Lonzo Abbott, son of James Abbott and Minnie Williams.

Notes for Ina Faye Cox:

Betty Cox Dexter: "On January 12, 1954, Faye called Pastor and Mrs. Wolfe to come to her house to go over the books of the WMCs. You see, Faye was the secretary of this organization. When they got there they knew that Faye was very sick and insisted that she wait about the books and see about getting the doctor to see her. She told them that she felt that she should go over the books with them and be sure everything was in order before she got the doctor. After some time, the Wolfes knew that everything was fine as far as the WMC books were concerned. But things were not so good with her condition. She was sent to the hospital and stayed overnight. Sometime later in the morning of the thirteenth, Mama Cox called me on the telephone and told me Faye was not doing well. I called Sylvester, who lived around the corner from me, and Rubin who was at work. Soon after our arrival at the hospital room, we saw life ebbing from here and we had to bid her goodbye. Sister Faye, though she was our sister, mother, wife, aunt... -- was known as the sweetest Christian that ever was. Never was she disgruntled as many of us often get. She always had a hearty laugh with anyone who came by. She didn't have any strength to do a lot of things, but she always had a smile to give you. You never quite get over the vancies left when people like this are missing."

More About Rubin Lonzo Abbott:

Social Security shows spelling of name as "Ruben"

Children of Ina Cox and Rubin Abbott are:

Notes for Mildred Elizabeth Cox:

Sandra Kaye Perry Liberto:
"    Mother died almost three weeks from the day she entered the hospital.  She shared her love for Jesus with everyone and asked every nurse to pray with her.    On the eve of her death, mother spent time praying with family members.,   She asked Jesus to forgive her for her sins and thanked him for caring for her.  In the early AM on the day mother died, September 30, she asked the night nurse to pray with her.   Mother had a long prayer and slipped into a fitful sleep.   Later in the morning the doctor increased mother's medicine and she went into a more restful sleep.   In the late afternoon it became apparent that mother was slipping into eternity. She was surrounded with family. We slipped out to get the on call nurse. The nurse was a beautiful woman of God and she gathered us round mother's bed and we read from mother's bible, then the nurse led us in singing Oh I want to see Him, look upon His face, there to sing forever of his amazing grace, on the streets of glory, let me lift my voice, cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice.   With that mother opened her eyes, looked to heaven and breathed her last breath.
     I remember that when Daddy died the last conscience moment he had was to pray with our pastor.   I sure hope the family legacy holds on and that when I die my testimony is as full and rich as those that have gone before us."

Children of Mildred Cox and George Perry are:

Notes for James Richard Cox:

Betty Cox Dexter: "(Four days before his death) On January 17, 1951, a Wednesday night, there was a testimony service at the Clarksdale Assembly of God Church. This is almost a thing of the past, but they were vital to our Christian experiences in the beginning. I shall never forget James' testimony that night. He seemed a bit discouraged. But he had a ringing testimony. After stating that he had been undergoing some severe tests (I don't know what they were; maybe Rosie or some others know) he said, 'But I thank God for the word of God that said "and having done all to stand, stand therefore": This scripture is found in Ephesians 6:13-14. So he said I am standing in the Lord, knowing that He will take care of me, and give me strength to stand.

"On January 18th, Buck (Dexter)'s father died suddenly with a heart attack. We had gone to Earle for his funeral on Sunday, the 21st. Returning home to Clarksdale on that cold, January afternoon, a car crowded us off Highway 64, just out of Earle. James, Mama Cox, Rosie, Rubin, Rickie, Bess, Jackie and I were involved in the terrible tragedy that took James from us. I was pinned underneath the car -- and from this point, I saw James over in a ditch, his legs writing from one side to another, and Mama Cox had gone to him. She laid his head in her lap and there (you may be sure) she was calling on God in James' behalf. A miracle here is the fact that Mama Cox had a broken back. We have never fully understood why the Lord saw fit to take James. But we don't need to understnad, we just need to hold his hand."

Children of James Cox and Rosie Drew are:

Children of Kathleen Cox and James McGregor are:

Notes for Betty Ernestine Cox:

Betty Jacqueline Dexter: "Around 4:00 the morning the Mother died she woke up in a lot of pain and Donna and I gave her some medicine and got her calmed down then we got on either side of her bed and talked to her about our life and our wonderful heritage.  I began singing to her "Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace coming down from the Father above", we read to her from the Psalms and loved on her and then we verbally released her to the Lord.  It was just a few hours before she stepped from this life to the other."

Children of Betty Cox and Donald Dexter are:

8. Reuben Sylvester³ Abbott (Ina Faye² Cox, James Ralph¹) was born June 08, 1930, and died July 19, 1993 in Arley, Alabama. He married Wanda Beryl Weeks in Clarksdale, Mississippi, daughter of Leon Weeks and Eva Higginbotham.

More About Reuben Sylvester Abbott:

Burial: July 1993, Arley First Baptist Cemetery, Winston County, Alabama

Children of Reuben Abbott and Wanda Weeks are:

Notes for James Thomas Abbott:

Deborah Abbott Jolley:  "Daddy was diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery to attempt to remove it about a year before he died.  The cancer was not operable, so they decided to treat him with chemo and radiation.  He had one chemo treatment before he left the hospital, but God healed him of the cancer after he got home!  Although the cancer had disappeared,  his chemo and radiation treatments were continued.  He enjoyed about six months of very good health (although he did it without that wonderful hair), but in November of 1992, the cancer returned. One song that was popular at the time was "He'll do it again" - and he and our family sang it, just knowing that God was going to give him back his healing.  I understand now that God gave him his healing for a purpose, and I believe that was to allow the rest of the family time to be able to cope with his home-going.  Daddy's last days in the hospital were horrible and wonderful.  Most of our immediate family (which includes Aunt Wanda and Uncle Sylvester's family) was with him at the end, and we talked to him, prayed with him and sang to him and with him.  We sang "He'll do it again" - and we understood that God knew how much we were all hurting, but that he had a way to fix this for us - by taking Daddy to heaven, away from the pain, and keeping him there until we could join him."

More About James Thomas Abbott:

Burial: May 05, 1993, Blytheville, Arkansas

Children of James Abbott and Carolyn Weeks are:

26. Deborah Ann⁴ Abbott (James Thomas³, Ina Faye² Cox, James Ralph¹) was born September 02, 1953 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. She married C. B. Jolley May 19, 1972 in Blytheville, Arkansas.

Child of Deborah Abbott and CB Jolley is:

Children of James Thomas Abbott, Jr. and Clarinda Frye are:

30 i. Amber Rashell⁵ Abbott, born September 19, 1980.

31 i. James Thomas⁵ Abbott, III, born September 24, 1982.

32 i. Joy Celeste⁵ Abbott, born March 1, 1988.