.:: Dedication: Rev. Frank and Grace Cox ::.
Rev. Frank H. Cox, Sr. and Mrs. Grace Cox
by Rev. Ernie Elder
Rev. Frank H. Cox, Sr. and Mrs. Grace Cox are Pastor Ernie's grandparents. They lived in New Albany, Mississippi where Pastor Ernie was born. Rev. Cox was a Southern Baptist pastor, who pastored several rural Mississippi Southern Baptist churches in his lifetime. He was also a blacksmith in his earlier years. I could give more profile information, but I knew him as Granddaddy.
In the summer in my elementary school years, I would sometimes go and spend a week with my Granddaddy and Granny. Granddaddy and I would go fishing, but before we went, my Granny would make us breakfast and pack us a lunch. Granny made biscuits from scratch, made eggs over easy and provided crisp bacon and yummy sausage. Granddaddy and Granny had black coffee, and I probably had milk.
While Granny made breakfast, my Granddaddy taught me to love the Bible. Granddaddy was a great story teller. I loved to hear him tell the story of Jonah and the Great Fish. He was dramatic in his telling of the story. He made you feel as if you were there with crashing waves, hurricane gale force winds, and the shouts of fear as the sailors watched Jonah be swallowed by the Great Fish. What a way to start a day of fishing with telling the story of Jonah and the Great Fish by Granddaddy.
Granny would call us to breakfast. Granddaddy would say the blessing. As I share these memories, I am there in the kitchen with my grandparents having breakfast. Bob Evans will never be able to compare with Granny's cooking.
Off we would go for a day of fishing. Granddaddy taught me how to bait a hook with worms or crickets. Fortunately, we fished with cane poles from the lake's bank, and sometimes he would teach how to cast with a rod and reel. I say fortunately because the vividness of my Granddaddy's telling the story of Jonah and the Great Fish would have been a little too much if we had been out on the lake in a boat.
On Sundays, we Granddaddy would do another kind of fishing in the sermons he preached. I would go with him to hear him preach sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ like the apostles, whom Jesus called to make them fishers of men and women. After services, a family would always invite my Granddaddy to their home for Sunday lunch. You could always count on fried chicken, corn bread, fresh vegetables, iced tea, and variety of desserts. We would spend all afternoon there visiting.
Granny taught a Sunday School Class of Women at the First Baptist Church of New Albany, Mississippi. When I went there, I would go through the ritual of “So this is Ernie, Jr.” or “This is Ernie and Sarah's son.” All these people knew my grandparents and parents, but I had no idea who they were. I do not remember how many years Granny taught this Sunday School Class of Women, but I do know it was over forty years. The church and Sunday School class did a nice recognition of her faithful teaching.
I appreciate Granddaddy and Granny's faithful witness of Christ in their lives. They helped to shape me into the Christian that I am today. The burning love that they gave to me for the Bible still burns brightly in my heart, for there is no other book that I would rather read more than the Bible.
In the summer in my elementary school years, I would sometimes go and spend a week with my Granddaddy and Granny. Granddaddy and I would go fishing, but before we went, my Granny would make us breakfast and pack us a lunch. Granny made biscuits from scratch, made eggs over easy and provided crisp bacon and yummy sausage. Granddaddy and Granny had black coffee, and I probably had milk.
While Granny made breakfast, my Granddaddy taught me to love the Bible. Granddaddy was a great story teller. I loved to hear him tell the story of Jonah and the Great Fish. He was dramatic in his telling of the story. He made you feel as if you were there with crashing waves, hurricane gale force winds, and the shouts of fear as the sailors watched Jonah be swallowed by the Great Fish. What a way to start a day of fishing with telling the story of Jonah and the Great Fish by Granddaddy.
Granny would call us to breakfast. Granddaddy would say the blessing. As I share these memories, I am there in the kitchen with my grandparents having breakfast. Bob Evans will never be able to compare with Granny's cooking.
Off we would go for a day of fishing. Granddaddy taught me how to bait a hook with worms or crickets. Fortunately, we fished with cane poles from the lake's bank, and sometimes he would teach how to cast with a rod and reel. I say fortunately because the vividness of my Granddaddy's telling the story of Jonah and the Great Fish would have been a little too much if we had been out on the lake in a boat.
On Sundays, we Granddaddy would do another kind of fishing in the sermons he preached. I would go with him to hear him preach sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ like the apostles, whom Jesus called to make them fishers of men and women. After services, a family would always invite my Granddaddy to their home for Sunday lunch. You could always count on fried chicken, corn bread, fresh vegetables, iced tea, and variety of desserts. We would spend all afternoon there visiting.
Granny taught a Sunday School Class of Women at the First Baptist Church of New Albany, Mississippi. When I went there, I would go through the ritual of “So this is Ernie, Jr.” or “This is Ernie and Sarah's son.” All these people knew my grandparents and parents, but I had no idea who they were. I do not remember how many years Granny taught this Sunday School Class of Women, but I do know it was over forty years. The church and Sunday School class did a nice recognition of her faithful teaching.
I appreciate Granddaddy and Granny's faithful witness of Christ in their lives. They helped to shape me into the Christian that I am today. The burning love that they gave to me for the Bible still burns brightly in my heart, for there is no other book that I would rather read more than the Bible.