Vickie – Cox Family Memories.com

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.

Dad and Vickie

Lord knows my 22 years w/ Dad we’re unique (kind of like me). There were bad things and good things, and I’ll try to concentrate on the good.

When I think about Dad I think of croquet and horseshoes. I now have my own croquet set which I play by myself to get some sun. I’m too damn old to even think about “laying out” in the sun. I can work in the sun and play in the sun, but that’s as much I can do now.

For about 20 years I’ve had a respectable garden . (I had a patch in Xenia, but it wasn’t very big.) I think about all the years we “had” to work in the massive gardens Dad always tended. I swear there was an acre of potatoes that the kids had to pick up and store for the winter after Dad shoveled up the hills. It didn’t hurt any of us, but it was grusome at the time! I am thankful for the work ethic I have now. Too many young people have no clue what it’s like to truly WORK!

I still didn’t like Dad much when I married Jerry Bush. We actually had a moment during the reception and I was so afraid he would fall into the Bushs’ pool…he thankfully didn’t. I was 18 1/2 when I got married. I’ve done that a few times since, BUT the funniest thing was about 35 years later (at Mom’s funeral) I didn’t even recognize Jerry when he was standing right in front of me. It really made me wonder what the heck I mourned about for 10 years after we split…the first and the second time, but I did get a carat diamond ring to remember him by. Ah, memories!

I may add to this later, but now I have to get out to the garden and try to make Dad proud of what I learned so many years ago.

Love,

Vickie

PS: I remember not ever saying I love you or hugging and kissing the ones I truly care about until Dad died…now it’s just an automatic feeling and greeting or good-byeing and that is a very good thing!

Happy Birthday to Daddy (Robert Floyd Cox)

Wonder how old Daddy was here? Looked pretty snappy in that scarf. Then in 1960 in his work clothes.

Daddy and Mommy at Thelma and Tommy’s wedding.

Can you believe Daddy would have been 91 years old today. He was born June 23, 1918 and died November 12, 1974. Gee that means he was only 56 years old when he died. That seems so young to me now that I am older.

Wonder what he would have been like and what would he have thought about today’s “goings on”. Although Daddy had his foibles, there could never be a more generous man. I remember many occasions when he would take in another kid (usually a friend of one of his own kids), and let them stay as long as they needed. He gave clothes and food to many strangers. Lord knows, we were not the wealthy types – few were poorer, but it seems like we always had more than enough of everything we needed, so he was always willing to help somebody else. I think that is why most of us are always a bit too willing to help each other even when we probably shouldn’t.

I vaguely remember living in Kentucky in a relatively nice size house with bedrooms and locking doors, etc. That was in Paintsville, Kentucky. I do remember Larry being born there. Shirley and I were in a room next to where Mommy was giving birth, assisted by the midwife. The door was locked, and we tried to peek through the keyhole, but couldn’t see a darn thing. I think Daddy worked in a coal mine there. I wish I knew more about that time frame. I do recall taking naps in what I think was a large room with an A frame ceiling.

I have some vague memories of our move from Kentucky to Fairborn, Ohio. I seem to remember us older kids were in the back of a covered truck. We stopped at some point and Daddy bought us some of those candy ice cream cones with the colored marshmallow tops. I think I was about six years old. I think we first moved into the middle cabin/house that Mr. Holton rented out.

Then at some point, we moved to the 2nd cabin which was just a bit larger. That is where Gary was born. I can still remember him in the basinett with Josephine Cole there. We were told Gary was a “blue baby”.

Then after a while we moved into the largest Holton property. WOW – we had a large living/bedroom, a kitchen and a very small back bedroom. I can still picture that house. We had two full size beds in the living room along with a couch and a stove. Maybe there were other pieces of furniture that I can’t remember. By this time I must have been about 10 years old. I remember holding Vickie as an infant on my chest as I laid on the couch. Then I remember that tiny back bedroom being wall to wall beds at night. Roll-away beds were a must.

Bobby, Vickie, and Martha were born in that house.

I remember that we usually had a boarder (an extra person who was supposed to pay for his keep) plus all those kids.

Anyway, Daddy worked in construction or some kind of outdoor work. Mommy always packed lunches for Daddy and what ever boarder we had. I do remember Mommy’s brother, Uncle Woodie, as one of our boarders.

That larger Holton house is the one in which we lived when Larry, Carolyn Brewer, and I were walking on a path near the rail road track to or from the Fairborn park. (Everybody from Wrightview Heights walked that path. We were grabbed by some man, but got a way. One day that same man drove up in front of the house while I was out on the front step polishing some white shoes. I nearly broke my neck getting in the house through that screen door. When we told Daddy about the guy grabbing us, Daddy took out after that car, but the guy was gone and we never saw it or him again. Daddy was so upset that we had not told him about that guy earlier. He was ready to fight for us. Of course, I don’t appreciate fighting, but I knew he would have fought for us.

He loved his kids no matter what. And yes he believe in disciplining and whipping those who crossed him or did wrong.

My only recollection of getting a swat was when I found a quarter and Daddy asked me if I took it. That hurt my feelings and I started to cry. I cried easily in those days. So Daddy said, “I’ll give you something to cry about and he whacked me on the but with his hand.” Sure enough I had something to cry about – not a hurt rear end, but real hurt feelings. That was my only memory of physical discipline. However, the discipline came with a look or a word. You just knew kids did not sass or talk back. I think that bit of fear kept me from getting into trouble as a teenager. I do appreciate the way I was raised, even though few people today believe in disciplining kids at all – thus kids are sassing parents and telling them what they can do, taking drugs, never happy and all that. I was poor and disciplined with fear and so thankful for it. Until the day our parents died, I always felt a deep sense of respect for them and could never imagine talking back or speak harshly to them even though sometimes I’m sure I wanted to – even as an adult, I would not.

Sometimes when I go to the casino, I think to myself how much he would have enjoyed them. He probably would have enjoyed those free drinks a little too much. I know he would have liked the craps tables. He used to roll the dice at home.

He used to enjoy those cigarettes with his coffee. It is funny now, but I used to get so perturbed when Daddy would smoke and talk as he stood right beside the chair where I was curling Mommy’s hair. It always burned my eyes and sometimes I would have to go outside to clear them. In those days, no one thought of telling a parent anything like that. Smoking was not a NO-NO and I would not want to hurt his feelings.

I remember waking up to Daddy whistling and/or singing to the radio tunes. He loved Patsy Cline and that whole era of country singers. Often he would break out in a tap dance.

I remember so much more, but I must get packed for the trip to Ohio for Marnee’s wedding, so I had better save the rest for later.

So Happy Birthday DADDY!

Your Oldest daughter, Myrtle

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!

Uncle Walter

Vickie is correct in her story. I remember the perfect bow hanging from the waist, loose but perfect.

I believed that if I yelled really loud he would hear me I just new he could, but no he could not. We would make signs with motion for him to eat, or close our eyes to tell him we were going to bed. We would walk down that lane with the most beautiful trees on both sides making a tunnel when it was full of leaves. He would find Preying Mantis’s and Walking Sticks. Dad could really communicate with him, sign.