Easters With The Coxes

: Vickie

: Martha & Vickie in their Easter Dress made by Myrtle

Vickie & Martha 1960

Martha – Myrtle – Vickie

I can’t remember an Easter that we did not have Easter Baskets and Easter egg hunts for the kids. I can remember helping Mom make up the baskets. We didn’t have all the extra stuff kids get for Easter today. We always colored eggs with the kids. Each kid usually wrote their names on their eggs with crayons. There always were eggs with scribbles and flowers and somebody always made an egg with MOM or DAD on it. No matter how poor we were, Mom always found enough money to buy those yellow marshmallow chicks and jelly beans for the baskets.

Then Mom and I hid the baskets all over the house for the kids to find on Easter morning. Now mind you, the kids were ranging from babies at one or so up through eleven or twelve – Martha, Vickie, Bobby, Gary, Larry and then Shirley and myself. Carl and Tommy were a couple of years older and I can’t remember if they got Easter baskets or candy or what.

Then after the kids found their baskets, we always had an Easter Egg Hunt. Daddy got a huge kick out of hiding dozens of colored eggs all over the yard in the front and back of the house wherever we lived. Then he would guide the little kids toward an egg or badger an older one for walking right by a hidden egg.

Vickie, Myrtle, Martha dressed for Easter

I usually made Easter outfits for Vickie and Martha which were always worn to Sunday School on Easter Sunday. On this page are some of the outfits I made over some of the years. Here is me, Myrtle, Susie Bolin, and Shirley in our Easter dresses showing off some bracelet. I have no idea where we got our dresses.

: Larry, Bobby, Carl Williams, and Gary on Easter

I know I have tons of pictures on Easters where Jeff, Anita, Carla Jo, CaraLeta and all the gang are together on Easter, but I guess I have not scanned them in. I will add them as I find time.

Also, I can’t pass up mentioning the Sunday School Easter Egg Hunts. Sunday School kids ( many Coxes) often rode in the back of a truck out to a field where eggs had already been hidden. I particularly remember Mrs. Bates, who taught Sunday School, walking around with the kids to help guide them. Of course we got to keep those eggs too.

We kept those eggs in our baskets for days and days as we gradually ate them, as opposed to putting them in the refrigerator right away as we do today. Would you believe we never even thought of getting sick.

Now I am 67 years old and still miss the fun of coloring and hiding eggs. I would give almost anything to go home to Ohio and join in coloring and hiding eggs with the new batch of little kids such as Daphne, Eli, Madelyn and now little Paul.

But I will say that I have been married almost 40 years and my Mother-in-law has always made an Easter Basket for me. It always contains a chocolate covered egg, a chocolate bunny, jelly beans and some porcelain Easter related figurine. So this year my Mother-in-law, who is turning 100 years old on July 2, was in the grocery store with me and decided she would try to get the makings of an Easter basket. Then we colored six eggs and, even though I can’t say it was fun as it would have been with kids, I got a kick out of making some sparkleyeggs. Of course I had to find a basket and help a little, but I ended up getting an Easter basket now in 2011. Here is a picture of my 2011 Easter Basket.

Happy Thanksgiving To the family!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to the Cox family, From Joe, Justin & Jared Cox. Things are beginning to slow down a bit for me, so I thought I better say HI since most of you probably thought I fell off the planet. I am still dating Darla…gonna have to do something about that soon I do believe. Justin is 7 he will be 8 in January and Jared is 4. Anyway, you all are on my mind, just busy working a lot. I have my full time Police job, part-time probation officer and I am also part-time with the US Marshals Office as contracted officer, ohh and the boys 3 days a week….I think I have no energy left. Hope everyone is doping well!

Love Joe, Justin, & Jared

Easter Memories Past and Present with Pictures

Gary, Carl Williams, Bobby, Martha, Vickie – Easter 1960 (I used to love making clothes for the girls. Here they are in blue coats I made in 1960 – Linkhart house.)

Vickie, Myrtle, Martha – 1965, in their Easter clothes made by Myrtle.

: Martha, Jeff, Myrtle, Vickie – 1966

(Here is that white dress I originally made for me and passed to Vickie when she got to wear hose instead of anklets. I don’t remember that issue, but I remember the dress and there is little Jeff – so cute in his little plaid jacket and knee socks. I think this was at the Ferguson house.)

Hope everyone really did have a memorable Easter 2009. Yes, the memories are good. I remember as a young girl always helping Mommy make Easter baskets for the kids. We built them from scratch. We would, of course, color eggs with the kids. Every kid had their own egg or eggs they had colored with their own name on it. Then Mommy would buy a few bags of jelly beans, yellow chicks, chocolate eggs, and some candy kisses, and usually a little bigger chocolate bunny for each basket. Then after the kids went to bed we would put the eggs with the names into the baskets and add the goodies. After all the baskets were put together we would hide them someplace in the house.

Then, on Easter morning the kids went looking for their basket. Then most of us kids got all dressed up and went to church. There was always an Easter Egg hunt at church. I remember most of these were related to the Fairborn Enterprise Baptist Church. Someplace I do have pictures of Martha and Vickie and Mrs. Jean Bates, a Sunday School teacher and family friend, out in the field looking for eggs. I must find those pictures and add them later.

Then after the whole Church thing, we would go back home for one of those big Sunday dinners, pretty much as Carla Jo describes. We usually had another egg hunt. Daddy found great pleasure in hiding those eggs so those kids would have to work to find them. That was a lot of fun.

This year, 2009, I did a couple of Easter activities just because my Mother-in-law is with us. Usually the Italians make special things at Easter. Pat and I took Mrs. Sorge over to John and Nancy’s where there were about 20 people gathered to watch Johnny, Donny and Cheryl make the Easter Ham Pies. They made 10 of them so every family took one home. We talked and ate. It was fun – but oh what a heart attack waiting to happen – eggs, cheese, and more cheese in those pies.

Then I helped Mrs. Sorge make what they call Easter Spinach pies. Basically, it is a delicious spinach mixture of cured olives, garlic and spinach in a pie dough piece folded over. That really is good and not too bad for the heart. Then we made these orange ricotta cheese pies which are more of a dessert. Again, very good but oh so bad for the heart.

Then on Easter, we went to Pat’s cousin Dickie, the judge’s house for Easter Brunch which is more eggs, sausage, etc. Then later in the day, we went to Barbara Fratto’s for Easter dinner which was more of the same with some added on ham, shells, meatballs, salads, etc. I would venture to guess this would not be a good week to check cholesterol levels.

Well, I have so many more old memories to write too, but I must get going. Easter is a little sad for me because I would love to be home when Kim and Martha and Shirley and whoever else gets together to color the eggs.

Jayden, Daphne, Madelyn Easter 2009

Abbie Easter 2009

TRADITIONS and LIFE CHANGES and Easter too!

As the years go by, it’s kind of funny the things you do all alone with the thoughts of those you love around you. When I lived in Xenia I would do Christmas tree decorating w/Martha and Ricky and the “little ones”. I’d spend time decorating cookies and the tree. Now I place a string of lights around my big sofa picture and say “Merry Christmas”. I still go to Shirley’s (Mom) for the actual holiday, but it is so different now.

It’s Easter now and what do I do every year…boil eggs and color/decorate them. Here I am 55 years old, I have no kids and no grandchildren, but I still decorate/color eggs (just a bakers dozen, but I still do it.) I’ve always “named” my eggs w/Mom and Myrtle and me and Michael, but this year I was inspired to name each of them for Robert/Goldie Cox and their kids including Carl and Bobby (they are still here in our minds and hearts), so there were 2 eggs remaining. One I just wrote “Happy Easter” and the other “Love and appreciation for Myrtle”.) I thought she deserved a special egg because she’s had a “bit” of extra aggravation over the past year or two.

Holidays and all the past Easter egg hunts we’ve all enjoyed as participants and observers and all of the nice clothes we’ve dressed up in for the occassions we’ve shared, Happy Easter and Happy Holidays to everyone! Which brings me to a past Easter memory…I was 12 years old and Myrtle made or remade a white dress that was fitted at the bodice and waist, had poofy sleeves, and had an embroidered trim (it was very pretty.) Based upon age, Myrtle wanted me to wear “anklet socks” with this outfit, however, my body looked like I was 18, I was mortified! I actually went to Mom and told her I needed to be wearing “nylons” with my dress. Mom actually gave in and I got to wear “nylons” with my Easter dress. It’s hard to believe, but I got my way. (I don’t think Myrtle was thrilled, but that’s the way some things just happen.) My Mom over ruled my “other Mom, Myrtle.) I love you both the same!

Love,

Sister, Aunt, Great Aunt, Vickie

POSTSCRIPT: THIS BLOG NEEDS TO CONTINUE FOR ONE YEAR, SO WE HIT MEMORIES FROM EACH SEASON OF OUR LIVES…THE TIME OF YEAR MAKES YOU REMEMBER DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT OUR LIVES…JUST A THOUGHT!

Bobby and Vickie

Bobby and I were close in age and it seemed like we fought all the time over anything. My first memory was Bobby being at fault in braking the leg of my infamous ballerina doll. He just wanted to upset me and decided to try and take her away from me…I wasn’t having that and thus her broken leg. ( I bandaged her leg and as some of you know, I have her still today and I will get her picture on this site soon.)

Going through the teen years is never easy, but Bobby made fun of my blemishes, my short clothes, and anything else he could think of to make me cry. We would fight and chase each other around the stove and around the house. I can’t believe we didn’t kill one another, but we loved each and figured that out as we got older. One of the funniest things was when he brought Joy home for the first time. Joy was pretty, tall, and had legs that went on forever. Her skirt was so short! Bobby never made fun of my clothes again.

Around 1980, I took a business trip to New York. Bobby was working in NY at the time and we made plans to meet at some O’something club. I had 3 friends who joined me. On the way through Times Sq, we we rerouted because there was a bomb scare. We walked like we had no cares and arrived at the club. Bobby was there w/some of his guys and was so glad to see me. We danced (I’m not a dancer, but Bobby always led you like you felt you looked good on the floor. His comment to me was, “god it’s good to see someone (girl) he wasn’t afraid of touching”.) Aids had just become epidemic and he was really nervous. My co-workers left early and Bobby said he’d get me back to the hotel safely. When the night was over, Bobby and I got in a cab and even though his hotel was on the way to mine, he rode w/me to my hotel to make sure I was safe.

We made plans to take the train to Philadelphia and visit Myrtle and Pat. I had my first experience of being accousted when getting out of a cab and having someone try to grab our bags, just so they could get a tip…that didn’t work, but it was interesting to see Bobby take control. All I could think is that we could be shot!

It was such a welcome visit. Although Myrtle and Pat aren’t drinkers, they always have tons of liquor left over from parties. We got our hands on a “drink recipe book” and started to make as many of the concoctions as possible. We made something that was pink and Myrtle put it to her lips, but that was that. It was a great visit and I definately knew Bobby cared for me. “All brothers and sisters fight…it really doesn’t mean a thing”.