Myrtle – Cox Family Memories.com

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(Here is that white dress I originally made for me and passed to Vickie when she got to wear hose instead of anklets.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!

Robert Cox with Brothers and Sisters

Here are pictures of Daddy, Robert Cox, with his brothers and sisters. The old one is circa 1925. Line up is Robert, Ethel, Edra, Loyd, Myrtle.

The line up as adults (1970) is Loyd, Ethel, Myrtle, Robert, Edra, Edison. The picture as adults was taken when all were together for the funeral of Edison’s son who was killed in a construction accident. He was digging in a ditch which collapsed in on him.

Edison was not shown on the old picture. He was the youngest child and was given up for adoption to the Laneys.

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”.

Roller Skating with Dad and Jeff, my Fractured Coccyx – such pain!

Daddy used to take us roller skating at the Fairborn Skating Rink. I remember him whizzing around the rink whistling. My goodness, he could do all kinds of fancy things on those skates – going backwards, turning around and all that stuff. Dad would often take us by the hand and try to help us get better or at least more confident. He did seem to love all that. Wonder where on earth he learned to do that.
I remember the different skating sessions being called out over the loud speaker – “all boys skate”, “all girls skate”, “couples only”, etc, etc. The lights were often dimmed and the lighted ball changed colors as we skated around or… some of us tried.

Well.. being the Aunt, I thought it would be fun helping little 3 year old Jeff skate. We got the tiny little skates on him and stood him up. I thought it would be a good idea to put him in front of me, with me kind of bending over and holding him under the arms so we could teach him to skate. I think we got about 5 or 6 feet oozing along the edge when all of a sudden my feet went straight out in front of me strattling around Jeff and kerplunk right on to my butt. Oh my goodness!

Don’t ask me if Jeff skated on out in front of me! Lordee, who knows. I remember Daddy coming along to help me up, but I don’t recall what happened to Jeff. Maybe he went on to skate the whole way around!

I had pain I couldn’t believe. Found out I had fractured my coccyx (tail bone). Nothing much could be done about it, but try not to sit flat down, and in those days, one never much thought of taking pain meds. But I had pain for about a year.

So, here’s what I learned about my fractured tail bone. (Remember I was going to be a nurse, so these things interested me.)

Causes of coccyx fracture include:

Falling on the buttocks—Skating and other activities that lead to falls in the seated position often contribute – Yes that fit the scenario!

(I think Martha might recall a fractured coccyx from childbirth – but that wasn’t my cause.)

Sitting can be very uncomfortable after a coccyx fracture.

Suggestions to make sitting less painful include:

Sit on an air cushion or doughnut pad.
Alternate between sitting on one side of the buttock or the other.
Try sitting on a hard chair. Sinking into a soft chair sometimes increases the pressure on the coccyx. (Maybe that is the reason to this day I prefer hard chairs and I tend to sit straight up almost on the front edge of a wooden chair.)
Slouch to move your weight forward and off the coccyx. Note: This advice holds only until you are well enough to sit properly again.
Sit on a telephone book, with the area of the coccyx hanging off the posterior portion of the phone book.

Yes that all fit the picture – but that pain is still a memory – but did Jeff learn to skate? If so, I guess it was all worth it. I thought it was fun at the time. Now, I think if I fell on my tail bone, I might die! “Not really”.

Larry’s Birth

Larry Lee Cox born January 12, 1949. Robert and Goldie’s 5th child and 3rd son was born in Paintsville, Kentucky at home.

I remember that day. Me and Shirley were locked in a bedroom beside the room Mommy was in. We were four and five years old. The midwife was in the room with Mommy. Of course we could hear some “goings on”. We tried to peek through the keyhole. I remember seeing the bed and Mommy in the bed, but couldn’t see anything else. Then I remember the Midwife coming to the door and letting us see the baby and Mommy. I can’t remember if Daddy was there or where Carl and Tommy were. Maybe, they were in school. Maybe Tommy will remember this.