John Bell Cox1

b. 31 December 1844, d. 25 February 1923
FatherAndrew Hamilton Cox2 b. 17 Jan 1797, d. 29 Apr 1872
MotherMary Umbarger2 b. 26 Sep 1806, d. 5 Sep 1878
Birth31 Dec 1844 John Bell Cox was born on 31 Dec 1844 in Virginia.3,1 
Migration  John Bell Cox and his cousin William Harley Cox migrated to California together in the early 1870s.4  
Occupation John and his siblings owned extensive holdings of ranch land in California's San Joaquin Valley. In the 1880's they raised and supplied the government with many fine mules and in 1886 sold Borax Smith three eight-mule teams.5 
 John returned to Virginia to marry Lillie Ryburn and bring her back to California. 
Marriage3 Feb 1904 He married Lillie Martha Ryburn, daughter of Mathew Robert Buchanan Ryburn and Martha Harvey Clark, on 3 Feb 1904 in Smyth County, Virginia.6,7 
3 Feb 1904 He was 59 and she was 41. 
  The couple did not have children and Lillie died just a few years after their marriage.8,9 
Death25 Feb 1923 John died on 25 Feb 1923 in Linden, California, from a stroke of apoplexy after working in his field.10 
Burial27 Feb 1923 He was buried on 27 Feb 1923 in the Cox family plot in Linden Cemetery, with his brothers and sisters.1,11 

Related Links and Images:

John's stone at Linden Cemetery; also Cox square
Last Edited24 Feb 2012

Citations

  1. [S125] Letter, Judith St. Louis to Diana Powell, 16 Sept, 2001 . Information includes photo of cemetery stone for John Bell Cox as well as photo of Cox Family plot.
  2. [S138] "Death of Miss Wyranda Cox", The American, January 25, 1917. Wyranda was John's sister.
  3. [S124] David Trimble, Buchanan and Gillespie, p. 357.
  4. [S125] Letter, Judith St. Louis to Diana Powell, 29 July 2001.
  5. [S127] George H. Tinkham, History of San Joaquin Co., CA, p. 1456.
  6. [S52] Letter, Carolyn Ryburn to Diana Powell, 30 June 2001. Carolyn cites the Smyth Co. marriage register: Lillie M. d/o M.R. Ryburn, age 41 marr 3 Feb. 1904 to John B. Cox [in later correspondance Carolyn noted that John and Lillie's place of birth was shown as Smyth Co., VA but John was living in Linden, California at the time of their marriage].
  7. [S55] Carolyn C. Ryburn, "Mathew Robert Ryburn-Martha Harvey Clark family group sheet". Citing Smyth Co. VA Marriage Register #1, p. 121.
  8. [S29] Leonidas Littleton Papers titled "Ryburn Family."
  9. [S140] "Ryburn History," compiled by P. Shugart, p. 22.
  10. [S134] "John Bell Cox Dies Suddenly", Stockton Daily Evening Record, Monday, 26 Feb. 1923, p. 3.
  11. [S135] "John Bell Cox Laid At Rest", Stockton Daily Evening Record, Tuesday, 27 Feb. 1923, p. 10. Pallbearers were N. Holman, F. Guernsey, Joseph Potter, I. Shipley, Henry Heltcel and J. C. Ryburn.