MAPMAPMAPOriginally known as the Gibbs Family Graveyard this cemetery is located on FM 1653 at VZCR 4106. There is a Texas Sesquicentennial marker at this cemetery honoring Robert K. Gibbs who, along with his family, settled the area in the early 1850's. Their infant daughter, Ellen S. Gibbs, has the earliest marked grave with date of birth October 08, 1853 and date of death November 28, 1853. The Cox Cemetery was offered as a public graveyard in the late 1800's or early 1900's. There are 5 generations of the Cox family buried here and several of the unmarked graves are believed to be those of slaves.
Additional information:
written by Sandra Cox Whiting; transcribed by B. Miller, 1999Although no written records are available it is clearly apparent that Cox Cemetery located in Van Zandt County Texas south of Canton began as a family burial place. The R. K. Gibbs family settled a 320 acre tract on the Nacogdoches District of Van Zandt County deeded to them by the state of Texas in October 1857. From an inscription on a headstone in the cemetery it is noted that they probably settled the land prior to that time. The oldest gravestone in the cemetery has an inscription dated 29 November 1853 of an infant “Ellen S daughter of R. K. and S Gibbs”. Later other Gibbs family members were buried near that grave including R. K. and his wife Sarah. Those graves are the only documented beginning of what is now the Cox Cemetery.
In 1872 a portion of the R. K. Gibbs survey was sold to M. A. Cox, County Commissioner of Van Zandt County from 1867-1870. In 1880 the land sold to R. D. Cox a brother to M. A. R. D. Cox was a Confederate soldier who served with the Ashville Artillery from St. Claire County Alabama beginning in 1861. At some time after 1880 R. D. offered a small area near and around the Gibbs graves to the community for a public cemetery. From that unknown time the cemetery was known as Cox Grave Yard.
In 1920 a neighbor and friend to the Cox family deeded 1 and 5/44 acres of land to Cox Grave Yard and its heirs. That 1 and 5/44 acres of land was a portion of the Cox Acreage which Sandra Cox Whiting acquired in a trade with Sandra Cox Whiting a son of R. D. Cox. J. A. Cox and E. E. Sides owned large piecesof land separated by the Brownsboro Road known at the time as Highway 19. They also owned a small acreage on the opposite side of the road from their homestead. In order to aggregate their property an agreement was reached whereby the smaller acreage would be traded. This agreement placed each man’s property on the same side of the road as their homestead. It also passed ownership of the Cox Grave Yard property to E. E. Sides and prompted his deeding the land to the Cemetery Association and its heirs.
In 1933 another 1 and 19/22 acres of land joining the 1 and 5.44 acres was deeded to Cox Grave Yard by Christie Davis daughter of E. E. Sides. That transaction brought the cemetery to its present size.
Oral history verifies that there are at least two Negro slaves buried in the Cox Cemetery. Two graves by the west gate ar marked by large rocks and crosses made of iron pipe. There are several other unmarked graves near the two reported slave graves. Some of these are also believed to be graves of slaves. Prior to death in 1980 A. T. Cox grandson of R. D. Cox related the story that other unmarked graves were slaves graves. According to Mrs. Onie Mae Koen great-granddaughter of M. A. Cox “We children knew which wer Negro Slaves’ graves even though their only marker was large rocks. We always wanted to work those graves first”. It is not documented to whom the slaves belonged. However one consideration is that the slaves belonged to R. K. Gibbs who settled the land prior to the Civil War. The land first came into the possession of M. A. Cox in 1872 seven years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Of the 254 graves in the Cox Cemetery thirty-six markers are inscribed with the name Cox. Many others were Cox females who bore a married name at death. One of the most significant facts is that there are five generations of Cox males buried in the cemetery. In addition to the Civil War Veteran R. D. Cox there are three veterans of World War I, five veterans of World War II and a serviceman who was killed in a car accident during his tour of duty who is buried in the Cox Cemetery.
Even though the name of the cemetery has been changed from Cox Grave Yard to Cox Cemetery the manner in which the cemetery is maintained has not changed. Several years ago the Saturday before the fourth Sunday in June was set aside as Memorial Day. To work the cemetery all families who could brought their lunches and spent the day cleaning the cemetery. They would meet to hoe sweep and mound the graves. At some later time the need was seen for the cemetery to be worked by contract. A contract was secured by the lowest bid and paid by donations on Memorial Day which has changed to the fourth Sunday in June. This manner of maintenance and business is still maintained at Cox Cemetery. The only exception being that the association voted to dispense with the mounding of graves except for families who wished to do it themselves. A trust fund was established by the Cemetery Association in August 1972. Through the years a tabernacle was built and the acreage was fenced with chain link fencing.
Memorial Day for the cemetery is always the fourth Sunday of every June. A business session is conducted a short sermon by a guest minister or speaker and lunch is spread under the tabernacle for everyone to share. The Cox Cemetery dating from 1853 is rich in the heritage of its community. The appearance signifies the interest and concern the community has for the cemetery.
(Transcriber’s note: The information above was taken from a narrative included in Book 4 Van Zandt County Texas Cemeteries published in 1995.)
Surname First Name Birth Death AKINS ELIZABETH 1871 1936 AKINS R. NONE NONE BERRY FREEMAN 1920 NONE BERRY-COX LOUISA NONE NONE BONNER INFANT B&D 1931 BONNER SAME 1878 1954 BONNER, JR. SAM 1924 1998 BONNER-SINGLEY HATTIE A. 1890 1983 BRANNAN CLYDE 1897 1959 BRANNAN-STILLWELL FLORENCE 1895 1986 BROWN J. E. 1852 1927 BROWN JAMES B. 1889 1950 BROWN WILLIE MAE 1890 NONE BROWN-COX SARAH COLON 1858 1931 CALDWELL WILLIAM R. 1903 1957 CASTELBERRY RICHARD W. 1869 1871 CASTLEBERRY SARAH A. 1830 1884 CASTLEBERRY SARAH C. 1796 1865 COLE-PARKS JULIA ANN 1841 1932 CONNER GARY DON 1940 1941 COX AKIN 1911 1980 COX ANDREW ALLEN 1881 1884 COX C. ANDERSON 1885 1966 COX DAVID LEVI 1890 1970 COX DONALD NONE 1875 COX INFANT NONE NONE COX INFANT NONE NONE COX INFANT B&D 1893 COX J. ALEX 1885 1940 COX JOHN THOMAS 8152 1875 COX L. A. 1845 1921 COX MARION A. 1831 1887 COX MARY L. 1863 1868 COX NIKKI L. 1940 1956 COX NITA FAY 1917 1953 COX PEARL A. 1898 1899 COX R. D. 1842 1898 COX RONNIE DONALD 1940 1986 COX THOMAS L. 1882 1965 COX THOMAS RICHARD 1915 1977 COX Wm BARTLEY 1856 1931 COX Wm HARVEY 1885 1886 COX, JR. DENNIS E. 1968 1974 COX-BIRT MARY JANE 1857 1888 COX-HALLMAN MARY ANNA 1861 1912 COX-LASSATER MIRTIE L. 1886 1972 COX-McWILLIAMS LELA 1891 1959 COX-NORRELL LOPEZ C. 1917 NONE COX-STILLWELL SUSIE 1890 1974 COX-TILLERY ROSIE L. 1891 1970 CROSS-HOLLIS ERNEST B. 1900 1980 DAVIS A. G. 1910 1910 DAVIS ALICE 1879 1948 DAVIS ALVA FAY 1913 1944 DAVIS HATTIE LOU NONE NONE DAVIS HENRY 1884 1934 DAVIS HOWARD M. 1914 1971 DAVIS IDA 1872 1945 DAVIS JOHN 1859 1926 DAVIS LUCINDA 1858 1897 DAVIS SAWNIE E. 1908 1979 DAVIS W. W. 1861 1919 DAVIS-BRANNON ORA 1888 1911 DAVIS-KEARBY OLETA F. 1910 NONE DEARBY CLIFFORD JAROME 1908 1990 DONOHOE Wm HAMILTON 1887 1940 DONOHOE-PARSONS BIRTIE L. 1882 1905 DOUTHIT C. D. 1915 NONE DOUTHIT-COX MARY SENORA 1913 NONE DUNN JOHN M. 1874 1949 DUNN-MARTIN KATE K. 1881 1960 ELLIOT JAME I. 1861 1900 ELLIOTT ADA E. 1890 1896 FAGLIE LILLIE E. 1896 1954 FAGLIE WILLIAM G. 1890 1973 FAULK LEVI B. 1827 1862 FAULK SAVANNAH 1820 1895 FISHER MARY B. 1909 1980 FLOWERS BRYANT 1913 1980 FLOWERS JOY B. 1916 1984 FUNDERBURK JIMMIE B. 1927 NONE FUNDERBURK, JR. DOUGLAS C. 1923 1992 GIBBS ELLEN S. 1853 1853 GIBBS LUCINDA E. 1859 1862 GIBBS ROBERT KENYON 1823 1861 GIBBS-ASHABRANNER SARAH 1828 1859 GILLIAM CLEBURNE 1900 1900 GILLIS CHARLIE F. 1899 1959 GOODWIN DAVID RICHARD 1897 1972 GOODWIN SUSAN O. 1857 1935 GORE LaWANDA JO 1951 1986 GREENHAW LETHAJ. 1862 1900 GREGORY MAUD 1897 1925 GREGORY TRANNIE C. 1897 1963 HARRIS DEBORAHL. 1955 NONE HARRIS L. ALIECE 1923 NONE HARRIS MR. CHARLIE NONE 1989 HARRIS THIREL C. 1922 1971 HARRIS, JR. THIREL C. 1944 1994 HAYNES INFANT B&D 1902 HAYNES MATTIE J. 1864 1934 HAYNES SAMIE 1901 1901 HAYNES SAMUEL W. 1860 1930 HEARD KATIE M. 1884 1959 HEARD WILEY W. 1878 1954 HEARD WORTH 1906 1962 HENDERSON EARL B. 1907 1971 HENDERSON FLAY V. 1885 1982 HENDERSON J. C. 1913 1965 HENDERSON JOHN C. 1872 1947 HOLLIS M. L. 1862 1922 HOLLIS MARION D. NONE 1943 HOLLIS SAFRONIA 1854 1935 HUDSON LUCIE M. 1880 1964 HUDSON WALTER W. 1871 1950 JACOBS BILLY FRANK 1939 1956 JACOBS MARTHA EVELYN 1940 1940 KEARBY BARBARA B&D NONE KEARBY CARL DON B&D 1937 KEARBY ELIZABETH 1884 1983 KEARBY PHILIP J. 1949 1987 KEARBY ROBERT L. 1904 1959 KEARBY ROY J. 1882 1971 KEARBY-BRANNAN LATRIECE 1915 1950 KINSEY-WRIGHT JEAN EVELYN 1942 2000 KOEN ELLA JO 1925 1953 KOEN EMMETT 1893 1976 KOEN KENTON LEON 1943 1965 KOEN-GILLIAM ONIE MAE 1901 1990 LASSATER CORNELIOUS 1850 1926 LASSATER JULIA ANN 1840 1936 LYNCH HELEN O. 1900 1973 LYNCH JOHNNIE ROY 1902 1986 MANN ATTACUS 1899 1900 MANN BABY NONE 1945 MANN BERYL B. 1925 1987 MANN CHESTER 1911 1913 MANN EFFIE 1901 1913 MANN EVELIN 1915 1931 MANN HORACE B. 1899 1977 MANN HUBERT D. 1935 1956 MANN MARY ALMA 1903 1984 MANN SAMUEL L. 1889 1950 MANN-GOODWIN WILLIE V. 1890 NONE MARTIN A. F. 1855 1929 MARTIN F. F. 1891 1891 MARTIN S. C. 1859 1929 MAYBERRY A. C. 1919 1989 MAYBERRY BILLIE LOUISE 1923 NONE MAYBERRY BOBBIE JO 1927 NONE MAYBERRY JAMES CARNEY 1924 1974 MAYBERRY JOHN H. 1876 1958 MAYBERRY-PARSONS ELVIE 1884 1934 McWILLIAMS MARION L. 1854 1933 McWILLIAMS VIRGIL A. 1880 1975 McWILLIAMS-ANDERSON JESSIE J. 1882 1957 McWILLIAMS-PARSONS-WHIDDEN EVA E. 1877 1947 MILLER MARTHA C. 1856 1859 MOORE SOPHRONIA A. 1847 1897 MORRIS-PARKS DOROTHY 1921 1948 NEWBURN-HAYNES SARAH FRANCES 1886 1964 NIXON LUTHER 1887 1962 NIXON LUTHER E. 1887 1962 NIXON RUTH VASSIE 1889 1974 NIXON-HOLLIS VASSIE 1889 1974 NORRELL INFANT B&D 1940 NORRELL JOE L. 1894 1985 NORRELL LELA L. 1913 1977 NORRELL ROBERT LEE 1875 1955 NORRELL ROBERT LUCIOUS 1914 1963 NORRELL-COX ELLEN VIOLA 1878 1956 NORRELL-SHINN MARY L. 1894 1987 O'NEAL VICTOR 1921 2000 PANTINOPLE-ALLEN ROSALIE 1907 2001 PARKS FANNIE C. 1895 1963 PARKS JOHN W. 1885 1979 PARSONS GEORGE R. 1877 1879 PARSONS LOTTIE 1887 1902 PARSONS LOUIS MANUEL 1851 1905 PARSONS TILMAN 1894 1918 POSEY FREIDA O. 1920 NONE POSEY ROY GARLAND 1917 1987 REED J. H. 1860 1906 RISNER RUTH VIOLA 1929 1963 ROGERS LILLIAN C. 1909 1962 ROWAN A. H. 1856 1896 ROWAN CHARLEY B&D 1884 ROWAN TILMAN L. 1894 1896 ROWAN-COX MOLLIE F. 1861 1942 SANDERS JESSIE 1860 1898 SANDERS JOHN E. 1917 1944 SANDERS JOHN N. 1882 1960 SANDERS-DUNN ARDELLA 1882 1975 SEALE CHARLES LESLIE (MUTT) 1914 1979 SEALE CHARLIE E 1883 1951 SEALE RONDAL CARL 1924 1924 SEALE-JESTER KATHLEEN 1917 1991 SEALE-PARSONS DAISY B. 1890 1968 SELLERS INFANT NONE 1937 SELLERS SIDNEY ALBERT 1898 1972 SELLERS-DAVIS ZELMA 1900 1966 SHINN LESTER 1900 1956 SHINN WILLIE 1900 1985 SIDES CLARENCE U 1896 1978 SIDES E. WILLARD 1905 1989 SIDES INFANT NONE 1926 SIDES KATHLEEN F. 1923 1978 SIDES THOMAS 1872 1889 SIDES WILEY WINSTON 1922 1985 SIDES-COX SARAH 1849 1888 SIDES-DAVIS WINNIEL. 1897 1970 SIDES-GILLIS LEONA 1906 1973 SIDES-HUDSON LAONE (MISS MOLLIE) 1905 1959 SMITH JAMES I. 1876 1946 SMITH-COX JIMMIE F. 1879 1968 TAYLOR ERWIN B. 1882 1963 TAYLOR MATTIE O. 1885 1974 THOMPSON EDDIE ODON 1872 1945 THOMPSON LURA O. 1894 1958 TURNER MARYJANE 1891 1891 TURNER-BONNER OLIVE V. 1918 NONE WHIDDON BETTY 1890 1966 WHIDDON DORIS MARIE 1926 1979 WHIDDON JOHN D. 1870 1932 WHIDDON MARY 3. 1829 1926 WHIDDON MILTON R. (BOB) 1919 1986 WHIDDON NATHAN 1828 1900 WHIDDON NATHAN GREEN 1885 1895 WHIDDON WILLIAM E. 1896 1947 WHIDDON-BASS IRMA ROBERTA 1895 1933 WIMPEY ERNEST C. 1893 1965 WIMPEY ERNEST R. 1906 1989 WIMPEY GEORGE F. 1885 1967 WIMPEY HAZEL G. 1918 1965 WIMPEY JOHN E. 1917 1955 WIMPEY R. MAURINE 1913 NONE WIMPEY-BASS MINNIE L. 1883 1944 WIMPEY-BLASINGAME OLLIE MAE 1894 1963 WOOD LLOYD 1919 1987 WRIGHT AUBIN VENLEY 1915 1980 WRIGHT BLAFA J. 1921 NONE WRIGHT DOROTHY ANNETTE 1939 1972 WRIGHT JOELLA 1916 1978 WRIGHT JOHN H. 1900 1981 WRIGHT LINNIE LOUISE NONE 1936 WRIGHT MELTON ISAAC 1909 1966 WRIGHT ROY LEE 1944 NONE WRIGHT WILLIAM ALVY 1877 1938 WRIGHT-DAVIS BEULA BEATRICE 1886 1935 WRIGHT-JOHNSON MINNIE B. NONE 1989
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