Mary Goree Cox

b. 24 November 1917, d. 14 May 2005
  • Mary Goree Cox was born on 24 November 1917 in Stephenville, Erath County, Texas.
  • James Franklin Cox and Mary Melissa Hayes appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1940 in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas. Other members of the household included Mary Goree Cox, James Franklin Cox Jr. and Margaret Minerva Cox.
  • She was employed as a public school teacher, according to the 1940 census.
  • The following appeared on 2 January 1944 in The Abilene Reporter-News: Mr. and Mrs. James F. Cox are announcing the marriae of their daughter, Mary Goree Cox, to Ernest C. Thompson of big Sandy. The marriage took place Dec. 23 in Quitman.
         The bride wore a princess-style white wol dress with lace yoke.
         Mrs. Thompson was graduated in 1939 from Abilene Christian college where she was a member of the W club, Alpha Chi, the capella chorus and the Kitten Klub. She has been teaching in Ranger.
         Thompson is employed by the Lone Star Gas co., in Hawkins.
  • She married Ernest Clifford Thompson on 23 December 1944 in Quitman, Wood County, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 23 May 1946 in The Abilene Reporter-News: Margaret Cox, 18, Younger daughter of M. and Mrs. James F. Cox, 725 E. N. 15th St., died unexpectedly Wednesday afternoon after collapsing on the campus of Abilene Christian college where she was a junior student.
         Funeral arrangments, in charge of Kiker-Warren Funeral home, are pending.
         The girl collapsed near the college administration building about 7 p. m. and was dead when a physician arrived. Efforts of fellow students to give first aid and artificial respiration were to no avail.
          Miss Cox was born i Abilene. Her father, a professor of Bible at ACC, has been on the faculty for 26 years and was president of the college from 1932 to 1940.
         President Don Morris described as a high ranking student who was active in campus affairs.
         Survivors are the parents, a brother, Lt. J. F. Cox, Jr., navy medical officer serving his internship at the navy hospital at Corona, Calif., and a sister, Mrs. Ernest C. Thompson of Houston.
  • The following appeared on 11 June 1976 in The Abilene Reporter-News: The widow of an early day president of Abilene Christian University and well-known Big Country educator died in Houston's Parkway Hospital Thursday after a five-week illlness.
         Mary Melisa Hayes Cox, 91, of Houston died at 4:10 p.m. Thursday. Her husband, Jack F. Cox Sr., was president of ACU twqice -- once from 1911 to 1912 and again from 1932 to 1940. He also was president of Lingleville Christian University in Lingleville in Erath County before beginning his service with ACU, then Childers Classical Institute, when the college opened in 1906, and again for two years during stints with ACU.
         Mr. Cox also was president of John Tarleton College, now Tarleton State University, in the 1910s and was the last president of Tarleton State before it was taken over by the state.
         Mrs. Cox, a Benjamin native and daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Hayes, med Mr. Cox at East Austin Church of Christ in Austin while she was attending high school and he was attending the University of Texas. They married July 28, 1910, at her parents' home in Midway, near Huntsville.
         Mrs. Cox was born Dec. 14, 1881, and was reared in Midway. She was living with relatives in Austin while attending high school when she met Mr. Cox.
         After their marriage, Mr. Cox became president of Childers Classical Institute in 1911. He resigned a year later because of mrs. Cox's ill health.
         They moved to Stephenville, where Mr. Cox was president of Tarleton for six years. They then moved to Nashville, Tenn., where Mr. Cox attended George Peabody College to work on a doctorate.
         The couple returned to Abilene -- and a long relationship with Abilene Christian -- in 1920. Between then and April 1951, when Mr. Cox gave his last chapel talk, he again served as president of the college and saw it through the Great Depression.
         Mrs. Cox was a longtime member of College Church of Christ before moving to Houston in 1969 after Mr. Cox died in 1968. She was a housewife.
         Services for Mrs. Cox will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Elliott-Hamil Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory.
         Walter H. Adams, dean emeritus of Abilene Christian University, will officiate, assisted by Lawrence L. Smith. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery.
         Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. E. C. (Mary Goree) Thompson of Richardson; a son, Dr. James F. Cox Jr. of Houston; a sister, Mrs. J. N. (Sudie) Pyle of Dallas; a brother, Dr. Herbert T. Hayes of Houston; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
         A daughter, Margaret, died in 1946.
         Pallbearers will be Russell Lewis Cox, James F. Cox III, W. B. Mullins, Jim Haggard, Van B. Haggard and Jesse A. Britt.
         The family will be at the home of Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Britt, 2501 Campus Court.
  • Mary Goree Cox became a widow at the 17 July 1980 death of her husband Ernest Clifford Thompson.
  • Mary Goree Cox died on 14 May 2005 at age 87 in Richardson, Texas.
  • She was interred at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 17 May 2005 in The Dallas Morning News: Mary Goree Thompson, 87, died Saturday, May 14, 2005, in Richardson, Texas. She was born 11/24/1917, in Stephenville, Texas to James Franklin Cox and Mary Melissa Hayes-Cox. She was a graduate of Abilene Christian College. She spent many years working full-time as a teacher in the Richardson school system. She was an active member of the Richardson East Church of Christ and spent several years of committed service in the World Bible School Ministry. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest C. Thompson; and sister, Margaret M. Cox. Survivors include a brother, James F. Cox, Jr., MD and wife Mary Ruth; two nieces, Phyllis Ann Crawford and Donna Ruth Mullins; two nephews, Russell Lewis Cox and James F. Cox III; nieces, by marriage, Joyce Cook, Faye and R. V. Thompson, and Geneva Thompson. The family would like to make special mention of appreciation to her caregiver, Abla Nortin. Visitation will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Tuesday, May 17, 2005, at the Restland Funeral Home. Memorial services will be held at 9:30 AM, Wednesday, May 18, 2005 at Restland Wildwood Chapel.
  • Last Edited: 3 Jul 2017

Family: Ernest Clifford Thompson b. 7 January 1899, d. 17 July 1980