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Minister John Willis Burton Cox

Minister John Willis Burton Cox

Male 1825 - 1899  (73 years)

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  • Name John Willis Burton Cox 
    Title Minister 
    Nickname Burt 
    Birth 19 Dec 1825  Rutherford County, Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death 24 Apr 1899  Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial Laughlin Cemetery, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I616  Thompson
    Last Modified 4 Jul 2023 

    Father Arthur Willison Cox,   b. 25 Nov 1784, Baltimore, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 24 Jul 1865, Mercer, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years) 
    Mother Susannah M Laughlin,   b. 10 Jan 1787, Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Jul 1862, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 75 years) 
    Marriage 17 Dec 1807  Washington, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    Married:
    • Also seen marriage date as 15 Jan 1807
    Family ID F224  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Mary Jane Rockhold,   b. 26 May 1838, Carroll, Carroll County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 May 1925, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 87 years) 
    Marriage 23 Oct 1856  Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • Soon after they were married Burt and Mary took a baby boy by the name of Sam B. Baker to rear. Son of Sarah C. Cox Baker, to raise. He was a few years older than Jarrett Cox, who was born July 27, 1857.
    • Burt and Mary also took to rear Tom Qualls and Tobe Molen.
      Tom Qualls became a very rich man as riches were reckoned in his day, $75,000 or more.
      Tobe Molen moved to Oklahoma about 1900. He worked on a farm for awhile then went to the oil wells or fields to work. He studied the oil business, learned how to find and map oil fields. He worked in both the United States and Canada. The last we heard of Tobe he was on an oil exploring trip in western Canada.

    Married:
    • U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 about Mary Jane Rockhold
      Name: Mary Jane Rockhold
      Gender: Female
      Birth Place: MO
      Birth Year: 1838
      Spouse Name: John Willis Cox
      Spouse
      Birth Place: TN
      Spouse Birth Year: 1825
      Marriage
      Year: 1856
      Marriage State: MO
      Number Pages: 1
    Children 
     1. Jarett Madison Cox,   b. 27 Jul 1857, Mercer, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 31 Jul 1938 (Age 81 years)
    +2. Nancy Ann Cox,   b. 05 Jan 1859, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 03 Feb 1937, Rawlins County, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 78 years)
     3. Elwysey Eleanor Cox,   b. 21 Nov 1860, Mercer, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 Aug 1913 (Age 52 years)
     4. Lloyd Porter Cox,   b. 03 Sep 1862, Mercer, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 Oct 1932 (Age 69 years)
    +5. Jasper Alexander Cox,   b. 17 Oct 1864, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Jan 1919 (Age 54 years)
    +6. Elizabeth Jane Cox,   b. 20 Apr 1866, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Nov 1898 (Age 32 years)
    +7. Mary Viola Madora Cox,   b. 18 Mar 1869, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Jul 1934, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)
    +8. Thomas Willis Cox,   b. 02 Mar 1872, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 04 Sep 1960, Imperial, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 88 years)
     9. Tipton Burton Cox,   b. 30 Oct 1876, Mercer, Mercer County, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Jan 1880 (Age 3 years)
    Family ID F214  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Jul 2023 

  • Photos
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox Family
    John Willis Burton Cox Family
    Front: Reverend John Willis Burton Cox, Virgil Brown and Mary Jane (Rockhold) Cox. Back: Mary Viola Madora Cox, Elizabeth Jane (Cox) Brown and Elwysey Eleanor Cox.
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox and Family
    John Willis Burton Cox and Family
    Back: Mary Viola Madora Cox, Elizabeth Jane (Cox) Brown and Elwysey Eleanor Cox.
    Front: Reverend John Willis Burton Cox, Virgil Monroe Brown and Mary Jane (Rockhold) Cox.
    Cox Family Dinner
    Abt 1913 (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.)
    Cox Family Dinner
    Abt 1913
    With some names added (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.)

    Documents
    1880 United States Federal Census Record - Sommerset, Mercer County, Missouri - Page 15
    1880 United States Federal Census Record - Sommerset, Mercer County, Missouri - Page 15
    1860 United States Federal Census Record - Somerset, Mercer County, Missouri - Page 102
    1860 United States Federal Census Record - Somerset, Mercer County, Missouri - Page 102
    John W B Cox in the US Civil War Draft Registrations Records 1863 to 1865
    John W B Cox in the US Civil War Draft Registrations Records 1863 to 1865
    John W B Cox in the US Civil War Draft Registrations Records 1863 to 1865
    Listed second from the bottom
    Arthur Willison Cox and family 1850 Census
    Arthur Willison Cox and family 1850 Census
    Arthur Willison Cox and family 1850 Census

    Headstones
    John Willis Burton Cox Tombstone
    John Willis Burton Cox Tombstone
    J.W.B. Cox
    Died
    April 24, 1899
    Aged
    73Y. 4M. 5D.
    Husband of M.J. Cox

    Histories
    John Willis Burton Cox Family
    John Willis Burton Cox Family
    Mercer County Pioneer Traces Vol I, Page 213, Wyona (Ivan) Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    John Willis Burton Cox
    Information taken from "Our Ancestors" by Dora Cox Mostert and "Rambling Through the Life and Times" by Wyona Ivan Cox.

  • Notes 
    • 1860 Census on file.
    • Tombstone reads "JWB Cox died Apr. 24 1899 aged 73y 4m 5d".

      Also found notes stating John W B Cox was born in Kentucky.

      He was licensed to preach in 1873 and ordained into the Baptist Church in 1875.

      Obit:
      Obituary
      J.W.B. Cox was born December 19th, 1826, and departed this life April 24 at 6 o'clock, 1899, aged 73 years, 4 month and 6 days. He was born in the state of Tennessee, and at the age of 11 years moved to Jackson Co., MO with his father and mother and seven brothers and sisters, he being the seventh. James the oldes, Jarret T. Mary Ann, Hugh P., Elisabeth Jane, Sarah C., Margaret E. and J.W.B. Cox are the names of the family of Wilson and Susannah Cox and they have all passed away except Margaret, who is only waiting for her lord to call her home.
      At the age of 17 J.W.B. Cox moved to Mercer Co., where he made his home until God called him away. He joined the Baptist Church in the year of 1871, was licensed to preach the gospel in 1873 and was ordained about 1875. He was married to Mary Jane Rockhold in the year of 1856. He has left his companion 4 boys and 3 girls and 15 grandchildren. Two of his children had gone on before to a better land, one in infancy and the other, Elizabeth J. Brown, who has preceeded him about 5 months, and died so happy in Jesus and having her friends stand around her bed and her **ther hold her Bible open so she could look on its sacred pages to the last. But how soon does a generation pass away? J.W.B. Cox was loved by all. He was a minister of the Gospel in word and deed. No one ever came to him for aid but what he would help them. He was a Good Samaritan to all, his house was open to receive the orphans and he was a father to them all. How sadly he will be missed by al and especially at home when they gather around the dear old family altar at night, oh, then, how he will be missed! Yet his works will follow him for how can we ever forget who have heard his kind exhortations and warnings and prayers.
      His sufferings were very great during his illness of nine days but he shouted and praised God all day the day he took sick. He said from the first day of his sickness that he would not get well and he has gone to his erernal rest.
      The funeral sermon was preached by J.R.Nordyke and J.D.Houston from Job 14:1 to a large concourse of people.
      Weary toiler thy work all done And they soul into glory gone, Eternal life with its crown now won, God giveth the rest. Rest from all sorrows and watching and fears, Rest from all possible sighing and tears, Rest through God's endless wonderful years, At home with the blest.
    • Burt Cox worked at many trades. He was a good woodsman; handy with an axe, saw and other wood working tools. He was a brick maker and he and his boys made thousands of bricks which were used for buildings round about. He was also a carpenter, bricklayer and cabinet maker. However, that did not use up all of his time.
      When he was 35 years old, he became very much interested in religion. He wanted to do more in God's work. He studied the "Good Book" diligently. He and Mary Jane had joined the Baptist Church about 1871. Burt became an ordained minister of the Baptist faith about 1873. He was a practicing Minister until his death. He was a minister of the "Hard-Shelled" Baptist Church. Since his Congregation were farmer folk who had rather small incomes, his material returns for his labors were small indeed. Rich, however, were the rewards of good will and friendship he reaped.
      He ministered to the sick. If any man needed help to pay his rent or his interest in order to keep his home or if a poor man with only two horses lost a horse, Burt Cox went out to take up a collection to remedy the situation. You may bet your bottom dollar Burt Cox's contribution headed the list and was as large as he expected any other man to give.
      Burt traveled all around the area on horseback to hold meetings and to minister to people. He was a big man and a hard working man.
      As I said, he worked at many trades. These trades he taught his sons: timber work, farming, bricklaying and brick making. They became proficient in most of these trades.
      John Willis Burton Cox died 24 April 1899 in Mercer Co., Missouri and is buried in the old Laughlin Cemetery.


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