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Note: Mrs. John Robert McCollister's (Frances Bell Cox) Obituary - Birmingham News, December 1, 1937 "Mrs. J. R. McCollister died on November 30, 1937 at her home in Village Springs, AL. She is survived by four sons, E. C. McGraw, Columbus, GA; Roy H. McCollister, Birmingham; John W. McCollister, Birmingham; and James Letcher McCollister, Birmingham and two daughters, Mrs. C. O. Young, Powhatan, AL and Mrs. W. T. Gamble, Village Springs. Funeral services will be held at the home of Mrs. W. T. Gamble at 5720 3rd Ave. N. Birmingham, AL"
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I have searched for the identity of my grandmother, Frances Bell Cox, for over 10 years with no definite, provable information. During my earlier research, I felt she was from the Phenix City or Montgomery area. That feeling was based on the fact that she and my grandfather, John Robert McCollister, married so quickly. In the 1900 census, John Robert McCollister is shown living in Montgomery with his first wife, Rosa Wray, and their 3 children. In August of 1901, his first child with Frances Bell Cox, is born in Jefferson Co., AL. Frances Bell Cox had earlier married a John McGraw about 1888. That marriage resulted in 3 children born in the Birmingham, Jefferson Co. or Tuscaloosa Co. AL area. I have no information concerning how this marriage ended, whether by the death of John McGraw or divorce; however, I do know the 3 McGraw children were put up for adoption. To wit, the 1900 census showed Robert E. McGraw, 10 years of age and living as an adopted son in a Montgomery, AL home (see details in notes for Robert E. McGraw, Sr.); Eddie Carroll McGraw, age 8, was shown as a boarder in a Montgomery, AL home (see details in notes for Eddie Carroll McGraw); and Estelle McGraw, age 5, was shown as an adopted daughter in the home of a Birmingham, AL physician (see details in notes for Estelle McGraw). Also, at an adult age, Eddie Carroll McGraw moved to Phenix City, AL and later died there. Therefore, my thinking was that Frances Bell Cox was born, reared or lived in the Phenix City or Montgomery area or had some tie to one or both of those areas. Too, I believed that she knew my grandfather sometime prior to their union in about 1900 in the Birmingham, AL area. These were my early deductions about the identity of my maternal grandmother.
Later, I obtained a copy of Frances Bell Cox McGraw McCollister's death certificate. Her birth location was given as Tuscaloosa Co., AL. My mother, Alice Bell McCollister Gamble, provided the information on the death certificate, so I felt the information was factual. I then focused my research on Tuscaloosa Co. The only relevant information obtained to date is an 1880 census record showing the home of a D. C. Cox and his family. Living in that home was a Fannie Cox, female, age 14 and shown as an orphan. This is about the right age for my grandmother in 1880. It seems possible that Frances Bell Cox could have been an orphan since my mother often spoke of her McCollister side of the family, but I cannot ever remember her speaking of the Cox line. Another bit of information that focused my attention on Tuscaloosa Co., was Edward Carroll McGraw's WWI Draft Registration information that noted he was born in Milldale, AL in February of 1892. The only Milldale I can find in Alabama is located in North East Tuscaloosa Co., AL. In fact, Milldale Road still exists just North of the town of Brookwood, AL. In my conversations with people in the Brookwood area and from old geological maps, I have learned that a town named Milldale did exist there where Milldale road is at present. I now believe that Frances Bell Cox's husband, John McGraw, was perhaps a coal miner and worked in the mines there in the Brookwood/Milldale area. I have found from Mining Death Records at the Birmingham Public Library that a "Dan McGraw" was killed in the Milldale Mine #4 by falling slate in 1898. I believe it was about this time that the marriage of Frances Bell Cox and John McGraw ended, either by death or divorce. Whether this information is relative is not known at this time. However, another connection with "mining" is further indicated by the events that occured following the end of the marriage of Frances and John McGraw. The three known children of this marriage were all shown as "adopted" children living in homes in Montgomery and Birmingham (see noted for Robert E. McGraw, Edward Carrol McGraw, & Estelle M. McGraw). Estelle was adopted by Dr. William L. May, a physician for the old PRACO mining company in Powhatan, AL. I am now of the opinion that Dr. May somehow knew our McGraw family as their company physician and took Aunt Estelle as an adopted daughter. Why Robert E. and Eddie Carroll McGraw ended up in Montgomery, AL as adopted children is beyond me at this time, unless the McGraws lived at one time in Montgomery and were acquainted with our John Robert McCollister and his wife, Rosa Wray McCollister when they lived there. Of course all of this is again just guessing and supposition on my part at this time. ----------------------------------------------- NOTE: The following is an 1880 census record from Tuscaloosa Co. At this time, I am not sure it pertains to our Frances Bell Cox. Name: D. C. Cox; Home in 1880: Kennedale (now Cottondale), Tuscaloosa, AL; Age: 38; Estimated birth year: abt 1842; Birthplace: AL; Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head); Spouse's name: Talighy J.; Father's & Mother's birthplace: AL; Occupation: Farmer; Marital Status: Married; Race: White; Gender: Male; Household Members: Name Age: D. C. Cox 38; Talighy J. Cox 40; L. E. Cox 5; Fannie Cox 14 - Orphan.
NOTE: The following 1870 census is shown for research purposes only. 1870 United States Federal Census, Name: Fannie Cox, Age in 1870: 4, Birth Year: abt 1866, Birthplace: Alabama, Home in 1870: Beat 5, Autauga, Alabama, Race: White, Gender: Female, Post Office: Prattville, Household Members: Ellen Killion 60; Jane Killion 20; Abram Killion 21; Amanda Cox 30; Fannie Cox 4.
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