From Proud Heritage, Volume III by DCPA. This 352 page hardcover book is available online.
Howard Cox was born December 6, 1837, in Kentucky. He with his parents, brothers and sisters moved to Missouri about 1841. They moved from Andrew County, Missouri, to Carrollton, Texas, in December 1856. Mary Jane Webb was born, November 26, 1843, in the Republic of Texas, while her family was on the way to Peters Colony from Green County, Missouri. Howard Cox and Mary Jane Webb were married August 21, 1862, in Dallas County, Texas. Their children were:
- Allen Howard, born June 9, 1864, died October 29, 1864
- Marion Whitfield, born October 4, 1865, died October 8, 1931
- Mary Rosina “Rosa”, born March 22, 1867, died February 15, 1952
- Anna Amanda, born April 12, 1869, died July 25, 1894
- Margaret Frances “Fan”, born October 6, 1871, died January 9, 1941
- Thomas Justin “Tom”, born August 29, 1872, died December 10, 1921
- Sophronia Susan “Frone”, born September 11, 1876, died August 3, 1950
- Martha Elizabeth, born August 15, 1878, died April 16, 1963
- Joseph James “Joe”, born September 4, 1880, died December 30, 1975
- Isaac Howard, born September 9, 1882, died January 4, 1968
Private Howard Cox, along with his brothers Joseph H. Cox, Jr., James Cox, and Marion Cox joined Capt. W. H. Witt’s company, N. H. Darnell’s regiment, Eighteenth Texas Cavalry, C.S.A., February, 1862, when it was organized at Trinity Mills, Dallas County, Texas. Capt. Witt’s company was reorganized in July 1862. The Cox brothers probably enlisted for six months, and it is likely that they returned home about August 1862. Marion was believed to have died while he was in the Army of the Confederate States of America.
Howard and his brothers followed their father, Joseph Harrison Cox, and his Cox ancestors in farming. Howard and Mary Jane lived in Farmers Branch from the time of their marriage until July 6, 1867, when they bought 320 acres in Collin County from Joseph, Jr. and his wife, Susan F. Cox. The first three children, Allen Howard, Marion and Rosa, were born in Dallas County, Texas. Anna, Fan, Tom, Doll, and Frone were born in Collin County, Texas.
On July 16, 1878, Howard and Mary Jane took title to 189 acres in the T. C. Williams survey from F.R. Ball and wife, S.S. Ball, in consideration for another tract of land situated in Collin County, Texas, conveyed to F.R. Ball and wife S. S. Ball by Howard Cox and Mary J. Cox, his wife, valued at $3,000.00. Howard and Mary Jane built a two-room “dog trot” frame house with a detached kitchen back of the house on Midway Road. Elizabeth, Joe and Isaac Howard were born in this home, which was remodeled and enlarged about 1900. This segment of Midway Road was renamed Cox Lane about 1940. A granddaughter sold the house about 1970. The current owner applied for and was granted an Official Historical Medallion by Texas Historical Commission. The house has never been moved from its present location on Cox Lane at the corner of Whitehall Drive, Dallas, Texas.
January 20, 1885, Rosa married John C. Smith in Dallas County. Their only son, Clarence Virginius was born October 12, 1888, and died in infancy. John C. Smith died March 31, 1894.
October 9, 1889, Marion Whitfield Cox married Allie May. Their children were Willie Clyde, who died at age 18; Annie Marion, who married William Stanley Wilroy; and Rhena Merle, who married Walter Pryor Burton. Marion and Allie Cox owned a farm across Midway Road from his parents’ farm.
February 29, 1892, Anna Amanda Cox married Clyde P. Smith. They had no children.
December 15, 1897, Thomas Justin Cox married Sallie M. Burney. Their only daughter, Helen Howard, born June 13, 1901, died in infancy. Sallie M. Cox died July 13, 1901. After Sallie’s death, Tom bought a farm in Jones County near the town of Anson.
November 17, 1900, “Frone” Cox married John Thompson Lively. Their only son, Jack, married Margaret Celestial “Honey” Grady. The Lively farm was at the corner of Midway Road and Northwest Highway. The Livelys owned Bluff View Dairy.
November 19, 1900, “Doll” Cox married Alvah Harper Daniel. Their children were Wilton Jeston, who married Myrtis Littlejohn; Rhea Cox, who married Frances Flake Billingsley; Max Alvah, who married Norbie Louise McGraw; Francis Howard, who married Jeannette Best; Joseph Milwee, who married Allyene Marie Hooker; and Alvah Harper Jr., who married Ruby Inez Choate. The Daniel farm was on Forest Lane at Inwood Road.
February 24, 1901, “Rosa” (Cox) Smith married Thomas David Elliott. They had no children; however, Martha Malone was raised by them as a foster child who was never adopted. Dave and Rosa Elliott owned a ranch west of the Trinity River in Dallas County just north of Las Colinas.
October 17, 1908, Joseph James Cox married Dorothy Adelia Martin. Their children were Mary Frances, who never married, and Dorothy Joe, who married Farel Warren.
January 11, 1909, Joseph James Cox and Isaac Howard Cox bought 110 acres in T. C. Williams Survey for $6,250, joining their parent’s 189-acre farm. Together Joe and his brother, Howard, owned Cox Bros. Dairy.
May 16, 1911, Martha Elizabeth Cox, who never married, graduated from Scarritt Bible and Training School in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a consecrated deaconess in the Methodist Episcopal Church South and was appointed to serve home missions of the church in Missouri, Florida and Texas. She retired in 1926 and returned home.
October 24, 1911, Isaac Howard Cox married Mary Eleanora Harry. Their children were Eleanor Jane Joy, who married Milton Worth Giles, and Howard Joseph, who married Mary Katharine Fisher.
Howard Cox and Mary Jane (Webb) Cox Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Celebration, August 21, 1912.
August 21, 1912, Mary Jane and Howard Cox celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a gathering of their children and grandchildren at their farm home.
Mary Jane (Webb) Cox died June 27, 1913. Howard Cox died April 1, 1916.
April 9, 1916, Thomas Justin Cox married Myrtle Jemima Lovell. Their one daughter was Margaret Jane, who married Jack Redwin Nickles.
Margaret Frances “Fan” who never married, lived with her parents and cared for them until their deaths. After her father’s death in 1916, her brother and sister-in-law, Isaac Howard (she called him Sonny) and Mary Eleanora “Ella”, moved to the Cox home with Fan. Martha Elizabeth (Elizabeth) also lived in the Cox home after her retirement from active service in home missions of the Methodist Church. Fan, Elizabeth, Sonny, Ella and their two children shared the Cox home until 1937, when “Fan”and Elizabeth built their own home on Cox Lane at the corner of Northaven Road.
Howard Cox, Mary Jane Webb Cox, their children and many of their grandchildren were members of Cochran Chapel Methodist Church. Mary Jane was the niece of Nancy Jane Cochran, who gave the land for the church on Midway Road at Northwest Highway. Martha Elizabeth Cox’s will provided The Chapel of Silence, which is part of Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church.
By Howard Joseph Cox
