George Cox (1917)

COX, MILLS

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 6/23/2006 at 19:53:43

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, May 9, 1917

GEORGE COX Drops Dead

Expires While Talking With Friends in Court House
Yard. Was An Early Settler

George Cox, a pioneer of Madison county and well known throughout the county, dropped dead in the court house yard on Monday afternoon while talking to Dr. W. H. Thompson and W. P. Rhyno. He was one of the strongest men in the county, had never been seriously ill and his sudden death was a profound shock to the entire community. A short time prior to his death, someone attempted to lift one of the iron sections of the new flag pole, but could not move it. Cox, who was among the onlookers, took hold of the heavy pipe and raised it without apparent effort. Fifteen minutes later he fell dead and it is thought that the exertion may have caused the rupture of a blood vessel.

Like his father, Eli Cox, he had a great liking for mechanics and tools, and early learned skilled carpenter work from his father. When but 18, he assisted in the operation of his father's sawmill, which was the only one in the North River neighborhood. Both father and son were bridge builders in Madison county, the one erecting a number of the early bridges, the son acting as bridge foreman for the bridge force in 1894 and 1909.

Mr. Cox lived in Union township for many years, but preferred to leave the greater part of the labor of farming to others, while he worked along structural lines and as a contractor. For the past nine years he has lived in Winterset. Besides Mrs. Cox, six children survive.
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, May 09, 1917
Page 1, Column 1

FALLS DEAD ON COURT HOUSE LAWN

George Cox, Pioneer Citizen, Dies from Heart Failure

Prominent Contractor, Builder and Farmer. Lived Here All His Life. Was Lover of Nature

George Cox, well known farmer and contractor fell dead at the west entrance of the court house at two o’clock Monday afternoon, death came as a thunderbolt and evidently without any instant pain. Dr. Thompson who was standing almost against him when he fell said he was dead when he sank to the ground.

Mr. Cox had come up town after dinner. He was standing with Martin Casteel, Dr. Thompson, and Walter Rhyno looking at the steel flag pole that had been brought in sections from the freight yard. Cox caught one of the heavy pipes and lifted one end from the ground. A few minutes afterward, as he stood close to the men, leaning against the young hard maple he placed his arm around the tree trunk and then sank to the ground. Dr. Thompson said his death was probably due to the rupture of a large artery close to the heart. The body was taken to the home on Buchanan street. The funeral occurred today at the U. B. church in Jefferson twp, Rev. Burton of Winterset preaching the funeral sermon. He was buried with Masonic honors, being an old time member of the Evening Star Lodge of this city.

George Cox was one of Madison county’s rugged honest citizens, nearly everyone knew him and admired him. He was born in Ohio in 1850 and came to Madison county with his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Eli Cox in 1856. Eli Cox erected a saw mill on North river in 1858 and sawed much of the timber for the first houses and barns. He and his sons George, John and Alfred built many of the bridges of Madison county from lumber they sawed in their own mill. George Cox ran the mill after the death of his father until 1895. Since then he has engaged in farming and contracting, his specialty being big barns with timbers cut from native trees. Several accounts of his recent barn raising have appeared in this paper. He is survived by his wife who was Rebecca Mills. Six of their children all married are survivors.

Mr. Cox was a fearless independent citizen whose rugged honesty and clean purpose won him many friends and respect of everyone. He was a close observer, having lived nearly all his life on North river bottom. He knew every crook and turn of the river and its ravines. He knew trees and shrubs and plants and all the wild life you can find in the woods. On rare occasions he would talk of them and his love for the great outdoors, an astonishingly accurate knowledge that was acquired almost entirely by personal observation. The town and county lost a fine citizen when George Cox died.

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