Edna Francis (Nicks) Cox 1920-2004

Edna Francis Cox was born June 3, 1920 at Hanna, Missouri in Pulaski County. She was one of five children born to the union of the late Bryan and Edith Imo (Hendrix) Nicks.

Edna grew up in the Hanna area and attended the Fairview school. At an early age, Edna gave her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. She was a long time member of the Westside Baptist Church in Waynesville.

On September 24, 1940, at Buffalo, Missouri, Edna married Lyle Grant Cox. Edna and Lyle were blessed with three children, Ernest Grant, Lanny Curtis and Pamela Sue, and shared nearly 40 years of marriage together. Lyle preceded her in death on April 24, 1980.

Edna enjoyed sewing and attending gospel music concerts. She also loved the outdoors, especially gardening, fishing and going to the family farm. Edna dedicated her life to the love and care of her family. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother whose greatest joy was spending time with her family and friends.

Edna departed this life the afternoon of August 11, 2004 at the Life Care Center of Waynesville, Missouri, at the age of 84 years, 2 months and 8 days. The family would like to extend their deepest appreciation to the caregivers at the Life Care Center.

She will be very sadly missed by her sons: Grant Cox and his wife, Linda, and Curt Cox, and one daughter: Pamela (Cox) Clark and her husband, Alan all of Waynesville. She also leaves two brothers: Everett "Bill" Nicks of Waynesville and Charles Nicks of St. Robert; three grandchildren: Lori Belshe and her husband, Tim, Jason Cox and Lyle Cox; one great granddaughter: Allie Kay Belshe along with a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Edna also joins in heaven two sisters: Evelyn (Sally) Davenport and Nettie Florence Roam.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 14, 2004 in the Westside Baptist Church with Rev. John Shaw and Rev. Lindell Shelden officiating. The Lester family sang "What A Day That Will Be", a medley of "If We Never Meet Again" "I'll Meet You In the Morning" and "I Won�t Have to Worry Anymore". Pianist Mary Lou Long played the prelude and postlude and accompanied the congregation as they sang "Victory In Jesus". Serving as escorts were Larry Brotherton, Don Clark, Dwight Hensley, Charles Hill, Jerry Laughlin, Layne Lercher, Robert Littlejohn, Joe Miller, Butch O'Reilly, Charles Pointer, Don Sanders and Eugene Wyatt.

Burial followed in the Waynesville Memorial Park Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Waynesville Memorial Chapel.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Westside Baptist Church Building Fund and may be left at the funeral home.

Moses A. Smith 1836-1927

Thanks to Joy Magee for contributing the following obituary.

MOSES A SMITH WAS BORN IN KY MARCH 16 1836 AND AT THE AGE OF SEVEN YEARS MOVED WITH HIS PARENTS TO MO(PARENTS DANIEL V SMITH AND MARY(POLLY) COX AND LIVED THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE NEAR RICHLAND MO, UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO WHEN HE MOVED WITH HIS DAUGHTER MRS HARLEY FINLEY TO ST LOUIS MO, WHERE HE PASSED AWAY FEB 4 1927 AT THE AGE OF 90 YEARS 10 MONTHS AND EIGHTEEN DAYS.

IN JAN 1864 HE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO AMANDA A JONES
AND TO THIS UNION 8 CHILDREN WERE BORN SIX GIRLS AND TWO BOYS. HIS WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS PRECEEDED HIM TO THE GREAT BEYOND. ONE DAUGHTER IN INFANCY, MRS LAURA VICKERS AND MRS BIRDIE HEFFNER.

THOSE LEFT ARE MAUDE O'SHEA OF STOCKTON CALIFORNIA, HATTIE COLLEY OF PICHER OKLAHOMA, LILLY FINLEY OF ST LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND DAN AND JAMES SMITH OF OROVILLE CALIFORNIA.

HE UNITED WITH THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF EUREKA IN 1896 AND IN 1912 HE UNITED WITH THE RICHLAND CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND LIVED A FAITHFUL MEMBER UNTIL HIS DEATH. HE WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE MASONIC LODGE OF RICHLAND MO.

THE BODY ACCOPANIED BY MR AND MRS HARLEY FINLEY WAS BROUGHT TO RICHLAND SUNDAY AND CONVEYED TO THE W. H. JONES UNDERTAKING HOME. FUNERAL SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED AT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH MONDAY AFTERNOON AT TWO OCLOCK BY REV G. W PAYNE, BURIAL WAS IN THE OAKLAWN CEMETARY- THE SERVICES AT THE GRAVE WERE BY REV J. O BROWN

William Pleasant Ousley 1867-1909

This entry is from the J.J. Watts collection. John J. Watts hailed from Warren, Maine and moved to the northern Ozarks of Missouri sometime after the Civil War. He was a circuit-riding Baptist Minister and his territory covered Phelps, Pulaski, and Texas Counties and parts of Maries and Dent Counties. He established a cemetery, Watt’s Lawn, which is located 1 mile West of J Highway, near the Pulaski County-Phelps County line. This collection covers 1878-1912.

William P. Ousley died at the Tom. Ousley house, Dec. the 25th 1909 at 1 o'clock a.m., aged 42 ys., 10 ms., & 7 ds, leaving a widow and 7 children. Three by 1st wife & 4 by 2d wife. He was a son of Malinda and Crawford Ousley, and of a family of 19 children, 12 surviving. Cris, James S., Cata Dotson, Joseph S., Bida Chambers, Walter, Ela, Thomas, Charles, Hattie, Ida and ____.

18 February, 1867 - 25 December, 1909