Alpha Omega Smith

Alpha Omega Cox was the daughter of John "Jack" Cox and Maude Ann Grayson, and was born in Stockard, Henderson County, Texas on March 31, 1904. She was their 5th child and 3rd daughter. According to Ancestry.com, Alpha's father, John "Jack" Cox, was born August 28, 1860, in Athens, Henderson County, Texas, and died February 1, 1936, in Henderson, Texas. He was the son of Joseph Cox and Mary Jane Pugh. Sadly, his father, Joseph, died in 1863 when John "Jack" was only 3 years old. Joseph was a Confederate Soldier who died of pneumonia while a prisoner of war at Camp Douglas in Chicago, Illinois. He was buried there in the Oak Woods Cemetery. Alpha's mother, Maude Ann Grayson, was the daughter of George William Grayson and Julia Ann McWilliams Luker, born January 17, 1876, in Cox's Chapel, Henderson, Texas, and passed away February 11, 1960, in Henderson County, Texas.

John and Maude had 13 children, son Marcus Watkins, born February 18, 1897, who sadly passed away July 20, 1902; daughter Orris Marietta, born May 9, 1899; an Infant daughter born and died January 20, 1901, on a Sunday; Guy Grayson, born January 17, 1902; Alpha Omega born March 31, 1904; Johnnie Edith Cox, born January 30, 1906, she died at about six months of age; Charles Bruce, born July 1, 1908; George Arden, born August 26, 1910; unnamed triplets, born and died December 22, 1912; twins, Martha Pat, known as Pattie, and Mary Ted, known as Teddie, born February 25, 1914; and Julia Hazel, born September 12, 1916.

In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for Justice Precinct 1, Henderson County, Texas, Alpha was living with her parents and siblings who were listed in the census as follows: John, 49, Maude, 34, Orris, 10, Guy G., 8, Alpha, 6 and Bruce, 2. John and Maud had been married 14 years, had given birth to 7 children, 4 of whom were still living. John, his wife and children were all born in Texas. John's father was born in Illinois and his mother in Indiana. Maude's father and mother were born in Alabama. John was working as a farmer, owned his own farm but had a mortgage.

By 1920 the family had moved to 104 Columbia Street in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas, and were listed as follows: Jack, 52, Maude, 44, Guy, 18, Alpha, 15, Bruce, 11, and 4 more children had been born, George, 9, twins Pattie and Teddie, 5, and Hazel, 3 years old. Jack and Guy were working as laborers for the railroad.

On March 18, 1925, Alpha married Merton Dee Smith, the son of Isaac Randall Smith and his wife Mattie Estella Scott Smith. Dee was born January 2, 1903, in Kansas. The Smith family moved from Kansas to Venice Beach, California, in about 1923, because Isaac Randall Smith had asthma and could not tolerate the "Dust Bowl" days of Kansas. He had been a farmer from the time he moved to Kansas from Indiana around 1890. He married Mattie Estella in about 1894, and their first son, Bertle Haze Smith, was born in Kansas in 1895.

In the 1930 census for Henderson County, Texas, Alpha's parents and siblings were listed as follows: Jack, 69, Maude, 56, George, 18, Pattie and Teddie, 15, and Hazel, 13. They were living in a home located on Unity Road which they owned, and Jack was still working as a farmer. Jack passed away six years later, at the age of 75, but his wife, Maude, lived another 24 years and passed away in 1960 at the age of 84 years old.

In the 1930 census, Dee and Alpha were living at 1372 Alexandria Way in Venice Beach, California, a home they were renting for $20 per month, and were listed there as follows with their son: Merton D., 27, Alpha O., 24, and Darold Bruce., 1 year 11 months old. They had a radio in their home, which was a question the census enumerators asked that year.

Living in the house in front of Dee and Alpha and their son, Darold was Dee's brother, Lawrence Benton Smith, 24, and his wife, Flossie Carrie Everley Smith, (known to the family as aunt Dot), and their daughter, Shirley, 4 and one half, and son Roy L., one month old. They owned their house which was valued at $2,500. Dee was working as an automobile mechanic and Lawrence as a house painter. Not far away was Dee and Larry's oldest brother, Bertle Haze Smith, living with his widowed mother, Mattie Estella Scott Smith, younger brother, Halley Dale Smith and baby sister, Eeva Delight Smith, at 728 Nowita Place. Bert was working as an oil refiner, and Dale was working as a transfer driver.

In a 1936 U.S. Directory Listing for Santa Monica, Ocean Park, Venice, West Los Angeles and Brentwood Heights, California, Dee and Alpha were living at 134 Rialto Avenue, and he was working as a painter. His brother, Lawrence, and his wife Flossie Carrie or "Dot", were still living at 1372 Alexandria Way and he was still working as a painter. Dee and Lawrence's brother, Bertle Haze Smith, was still living at 728 Nowita Place with his mother, Mattie Estella Scott Smith and sister, Eeva. By that time their youngest brother, Halley Dale Smith, had married Frances Amelia Eubank, and they were living in a home located in Inglewood, California, which was not far away from the rest of the Smith family and the Eubank family.

By 1940 Dee and Alpha were living at 2713 Washington Boulevard, a home they were renting for $20 per month. Next door was Alpha's brother, Charles Bruce Cox, and his wife and children. The families were listed as follows in the census: Dee, 37, Alpha, 35, Darold Bruce, 11, and Hazel Cox, Alpha's sister, 22. Dee was working as an auto mechanic in an auto repair shop, and Alpha's sister, Hazel, was working as a PBX Operator for a retail department store.

Alpha and Hazel's brother, Bruce, was also renting his home for $22 per month, and was listed as follows in the census record: Bruce, 31, Ruth, 27, Carolyn, 4, and Charles, 3 years old. They had previously been living in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, in 1935. Bruce and Ruth had been married on May 25, 1934. Bruce was working as an automotive mechanic in a garage, and for the 32 weeks he worked at 48 hours per week in 1939 his income was $1,200.

In the 1930 census Bruce had been living with his older married sister, Orris Marrietta Cox, and her husband Adolph Gabriel Madsen, and son, Adolph, Jr., along with their younger twin sisters Pattie and Teddie. They were listed in the Kansas City census as follows: Adolph G., 37, Orris M., 29, Adolph G. Jr., 9, Bruce C. Cox, 21, and twin sisters, Pattie M., 16, and Teddie M., 16. The Madsen's owned their own home located at 2857 Oakley Avenue, which was valued at $3,500.

Orris and Adolph had been married for 20 years. He was born in Illinois, Orris in Texas, their son in Missouri, and Bruce, Pattie and Teddie in Texas. Adolph's parents were both born in Denmark, and Orris Marrietta's parents were both born in Texas. Adolph was working as an auto mechanic and Bruce was working as a painter of automobiles. Adolph remained in Kansas City and passed away there in 1955. Orris lived another 38 years and passed away while living in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 10, 1993. I wonder if there was any connection between Adolph Gabriel Madsen and my mother's Madsen ancestors. Her great grandfather, Christian Madsen, had come from Denmark to America in 1853 at the age of 9 years old. He lived in Utah for a while, then moved to Idaho and later to Arizona where he passed away in 1921.

Alpha's brother, Bruce, eventually returned to Texas and he passed away there October 28, 1999. His wife, Ruth Marie Wahrenbrock Cox, preceded him in death and passed away in 1991. They were both buried in the Payne Cemetery in Athens, Henderson County, Texas. Ruth was a registered nurse. At the time of her death her obituary indicated she was survived by her two daughters, Carolyn Dandridge of Carrollton, Texas, and Judi Williams of Garland, Texas.

Alpha's twin sisters, Martha Pattie and Mary Teddie also eventually returned to Texas and Martha passed away in 1985 and her twin Mary Teddie in 1999. They both married and had children in Texas. Martha married Henry M. Larkin and had a son, Patrick Henry Larkin, and twin daughters, Janette and Nanette. Mary married G. Cleburn Pool and had a daughter, Dolores, and a son, Garland. Alpha's youngest sister, Julia Hazel, married Philip Andrew Born in Los Angeles, and they had three daughters, Diana Joyce, Cynthia Jean and Christina. Both Hazel and Philip passed away and were buried in Los Angeles, California at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.

Sometime in the 1950's, Dee, Alpha and Darold moved to the San Fernando Valley, and Dee went to work for Consolidated Rock Products Company in San Fernando. My dad, Halley Dale Smith, also worked there with him for a number of years. I remember when my mom and dad and I lived in Kagel Canyon on El Merrie Del Drive, my aunt Alpha and uncle Dee lived just a couple of miles away from us in the canyon. I have a photo taken at their house on one Easter Sunday, since I was all decked out in my Easter dress, hat, gloves, shoes and socks. That photo was probably taken sometime in 1958 when I was about 6 going on 7 years old.

Dee and Alpha's son, Darold Bruce Smith, married a French-Canadian girl, Julie Winter. They also lived in the San Fernando Valley, not far from their parents. At one time they lived on Ottoman Street, where my parents and I also lived from 1964 to 1966. In the late 1960's or early 1970's, Dee and Alpha retired and moved to Wofford Heights, California, a small town along the Kern River near Lake Isabella, which is about 65 miles northeast of Bakersfield. My parents also moved there when they retired in 1969.

Alpha and Dee lived there until Dee passed away on December 29, 1972. Later Aunt Alpha sold her home there and must have moved back to Los Angeles to be near her son, Darold and his wife Julie and their children, Derek, Jodie and Russell, because she passed away in Los Angeles County in 1989. Since I moved away from the Southern California area in about 1977, I lost touch with Alpha and her son and daughter-in-law, but have recently connected with them through genealogy.

I always liked Aunt Alpha, she was very sweet, had a charming Texas accent and always looked so pretty!