This cemetery is within the southwest quarter of section 32 of Hopkins Township, Nodaway County, Missouri. I do not find it marked on any map or atlas. This is perhaps because it was a family cemetery. It is not on a road, but in the middle of a field. It is not maintained. I copied the stones in Sept 1968.

Carol Clausen (crclausen@cox.net)visited the cemetery September 2005 and was not quite prepared for what I meant by "not maintained." She has sent some photos to share in this experience: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5, photo 6. The photo six is a beautiful picture of the cemetery and is taken approximately half way between the road and the top of a hill out in a field where the cemetery is.

Sure was glad to hear from you. Glad you are able to stay in your home. Thats what I have said about Phemie? and George. Am so thankful that Alvin lives in a trailer house in their yard and he looks after them and they are so much better satisfied than being in a nursing home. We are neither one very good but hate to think what we will be like 15 or 20 years if the Lord permits us to stay here that long. Sure glad your children can run or call you. it sure helps out don't it? I don't know what people live for that don't raise a family.

Glad Conlin [Jobe] is feeling better and is healing now. Who is the other 5 people livng in Siam.

Yes Fannie I have all this information that you want and mama little Brother was the first to be buried there her mother picked out the spot for the cemetery that was 1863. That big farm belong to my Great Grandfather Cox and he told my Grandpa to come with him and they would pick out a spot & he would deed it for a cemetery it was suppose to be for the Cox family, but others have buried there that dident have any place to be laid away.

But before I give you the History and I would like to know who the lady is that is writing up the History you write back and tell me and probably I will write it all off for you. But its quite a lot to write off without knowing who it is. So as always your friends, Ruby and Lester [Roush]

Dear Fannie and Frank,

Well I have wrote down quite a little mabe it will help you. I must get my papers typed off for they are getting old so I have to take care of them.

Yes, Fannie, I have one sister, Mrs Roy (Bertha) Wilson at Hopkins my oldest brother Robert Riley died nine years ago and I have 3 other brothers Glen, Elmer and Charley. But my father and mother and Dads father and mother and my bro Robert & his wife are all buried at Gaynor that east of Hopkins and south.

My mother was Mary Alice Cox and married Amos Riley they were married in 1884. Dad passed away in July of 1946 and mother in 1956. She made her home with us after Dad passed away. I wish you could of known my mother. She would of enjoyed telling you all the History and she was 92 when she left us and she had such a wonderful memory up to time she had to go.

I told you in my other letter the first one that was buried there and that was the reason the cemetery was started when mamas little brother died suddenly the year she was born. yes, there is one slave buried in the north west corner of the cemetery, no, he does not have a monument. When Iowa became a free state (and that was before Missouri became a free state) my Grandfather took the rest of the slaves to Clarinda [Iowa] and Great Grandfather gave them enough money to get started up on so they could be free and live their own lives, but this one old darky wouldn't go so he lived with Great Grandfather until he died. my Great Grandfather dident want slaves but Great Grandmother Cox father gave her two for a wedding present and her father name was Coffman.

I would hate to try and tell you how many is buried there for Sam Cox and Cal Cox also Tom Cox both had several babys buried there and all the older set of the boys wives and mama brother Jake Cox first wife that was Ann Cox is buried there. she was Merrill Cox mother. Mabe you folks knew Merrill he lived several I would say 18 or 20 years where I told you my Grandfather Cox built.(Cole Cox) that where Cecil Nicholas lives now. Merrill left that place and moved to Burlington Junction his wife Vesta Maxwell Cox still lives alone there. But Merrill is buried in Hopkins cemetery. your Dad knew Merrill, I thought mabe Frank did, he was a Mason his half sister Lena (Mrs Joe) Jefferies lives in Hopkins.

The only Cox by name that is left around is Harley Cox at Clearmont. Bob Cox (he was Cal Cox son) lived down there on the corner across from the Henry Morehouse place for years but they sold out and went to spend their last years close to their daughter out in Calif and they both are buried out there.

The last two that I knew about that was buried in the Cox cemetery was George Cox he is one of John Cox sons and they other was Charley Chamolis. he was related to one of the older Cox men wife and he never married and dident have a place to be buried course there wasn't any charge there. So his friends brought him up there. There is quite alot of folks there without markers and people that are no relation to us. There is quite a number of Clymens buried there that have markers and they are no relation and we wondered why they were put there. They might have got permission from Uncle Jake or Jessie, but I dont know it was suppose to be for the family but see at the time Great Grandfather and my Grandmother picked out the spot. The road went past the south side of the cemetery and went up by my Grandfathers log house. Mama little brother the first to buried there hauled in the night wood on his sled the night before and the next forenoon he got awful pains in his stomach and died in just a few hours. Grandma said you could see his sled tracks where he hauled in the wood for a week after he was buried. I know how sad it seemed. Well Fannie I think this is all I can tell you if theres something I wrote you don't understand you can write and ask me. Oh yes I called my sister about the name they took when they left Grandfather (I mean the Darkies) before they just used their first names but she suppose they took the name of Cox. But seem like I had heard mama say they took the name of Coffman. But I guess it don't make any difference. they one that stayed they called nigger Add and Bertha said little Johnnie was buried along the north side of the cemetery and was close to Great grandfather and mother and Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Dan, Aunt Addie and aunt Ann uncle Jake first wife - Merrill Cox mother are all buried close beside in the south part. I hope I can get up there this summer for I haven't been there for a long long time. Sure hope you and Frank are as well as usual. I guess George Gray is real poorly he is just dwindling away. Well, I will sign off sorry I'm so slow but my arthuritis bothers me so. You can tell by my writing. Your friends Ruby and Lester Roush.

This is my Great Grandparents

John F. Cox was born Jan 29, 1798 died Feb 6, 1874 buried Cox cemetery. Matilda (Coffman) Cox his wife born Aug 24, 1802 died Dec 26, 1872 buried in Cox cemetery. They came from Caldwell Co, Mo about 1855 and bought where the Cox cemetery is and extended east which consisted of 640 acre. They cleared the land and built a large 4 room log house north and a little west of where the Big McMaster was (Fannie did you know where it was?) The rooms were large and at times four familys lived in it until they bought farms of their own. My Granparents had one child when they came up there and the other five were born in that log house and then Grandfather (Cole Cx) bought the farm south of the plum grove school where Cecil Nicholas lives now. and they lived there until they died. Tom lived where Roy Bebout did when he died. Calvin lived where Henry Morehouse lives John Jr lived George Demott. Im not sure what place Sam did own but somewhere up north of Toms.