1880 ~ 1957
About the same time that Sanford Maddox moved his family to Hamilton Co., IL, from Kentucky (around 1870), William T. Hill moved his family to White Co., IL, from Indiana. These counties are adjacent to each other. It is interesting that the Maddox ancestors and the Hill family ancestors came from or through Kentucky. Possibly members of their families were acquainted early on.
When still a teenager, my grandfather traveled to Missouri to work there. His older brother, Grant, lived near the Hill family in Stoddard Co., MO; at least he did later. It might be noted that James Arthur went by the name of "Arthur" rather than "James." Many in the Maddox family went by their middle names.
According to my aunt Sylvia Maddox Kinder, my grandfather went to Missouri from Illinois and was working on his future father-in-law's (William T. Hill's) farm when he met my grandmother, Florence May Hill. James Arthur Maddox and Florence May Hill were married 31 August 1899 at the Hill home. He was only nineteen years old so had to get his father's permission to marry.
Their first son, James Hughly, was born 1 June 1900 and died soon after. The following year, my aunt Macel Lena was born on 4 December 1901 in Missouri. She married first Lawrence Bass and second a Mr. Singleton. Macel died 23 April 1981 at Kennet, Dunklin Co., MO, and is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery near there.
My aunt Sylvia Faye was born 2 September 1903. She married David E. Kinder and had a large family. She died in Collinsville, IL. in 1991.
My aunt Delphia was born 28 November 1905 at Dexter, Stoddard Co., MO. She married Lonnie E. McDonald in Flint, MI, and had two children: Mary Laverne (McDonald) Donnelly, Flint, Michigan; and Felix McDonalds. Delphia died at Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., MO on 14 August 1974 at age 68. She was buried in Flint Memorial Gardens in Flint, MI.
My father, Roscoe Glen, their fifth child, was born September 8, 1908, near Puxico in Stoddard Co. On 5 December 1933, he married my moither, Susan Margaret Kuefler in Naperville, DuPage Co., IL. She was originally from Elrosa, MN, one of twelve children. It was at that time that the automobile industry began to flourish in Michigan, and my parents moved there so Dad could work for General Motors. He retired in 1972 after 39 years.
Roscoe and Susan had five children: Barbara Diane b. 1942, Monica Mary b. 1943, Marcia Susanna b. 1945, Michael Glenn b. and d. 1947, and Roxie Ann b. and d. 1949. The last two children were buried in ther Catholic section of Eastlawn Cemetery, Orion Twp, Oakland Co., MI.
The sixth child of James Arthur and Florence was Verlin Sanford Maddox. He was born 27 October 1916 in Stoddard Co., MO. He died 8 September 1917 in Duck Creek Twp, Stoddard Co., MO. Verlin Sanford died on his brother Roscoe Glenn's ninth birthday. Many years later my father still spoke with sadness about that day.
Around 1912 or 1913, James Arthur moved his family to Acorn Ridge ~ a small town with a grocery store, hitching post and blacksmith shop. He owned a grocery store and had a half interest in the blacksmith shop.
Perhaps it was difficult to make a living in Acorn Ridge, as small as it was, for in 1915, my grandfather moved back out into the country near Puxico, to a log cabin. His son, Roscoe Glenn, remembered lying in bed and seeing a snake in the rafters above his head!
In 1916, Arthur's brother, Ulysses Grant Maddox, died, leaving a widow and many children.
In 1918 my grandfather moved his family east of Kennet toward Bragg City. Also that year his father, Sanford, died back in Illinois. His mother, Mary Fryer Maddox, came to live with Arthur and Florence for awhile, but soon returned to one of her daughter's homes in Illinois.
I think my grandfather may have rented his farm land. Perhaps the owners decided to plant on their own land, for James Arthur moved once again, in 1919, outside of Carruth. In 1920, he moved his family to the farm of his brother-in-law, Willis Hill. It had a nice house and forty acres. He also farmed an adjoining 40 acres.
In 1922, my grandfather's mother, Mary Louise Fryer Maddox, died back in Illinois. That same year, James Arthur moved up the road to Uncle Grant Maddox's place. Grant's widow, May Funkhouser Maddox, had remarried and moved to Aide. Harley, one of Grant's sons, remained on the farm and they farmed it together. In 1923, Grandfather moved closer to Dudley and farmed land owned by a man in California. The next year, they moved one-fourth mile to another farm owned by the same California man.
Apparently James Arthur was finally able to save up enough money, for in 1925 he bought his own farm. By then, my father Roscoe Glenn, had found a good job at a dairy in Waterman, IL, and convinced his parents to come there and work also. They came but didn't like it there, so moved back to their farm in Missouri, which thankfully they had not sold.
My grandparents then remained on their farm the rest of their lives. In 1949, they celebrated their fiftieth anniversary.
Much of this information was given to me by my father, Roscoe Glenn Maddox, many years before his death.
My grandmother, Florence Mae Hill Maddox, died in Butler Co., MO, on August 23, 1956. My grandfather, James Arthur Maddox, died in Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., MO, on May 31, 1957 at the age of 78. He was listed on his death certificate as a retired farmer. They were buried in Brown Chapel Cemetery near the town of Brosley, MO. In later years, their grand daughters, Barbara Maddox Stafford, Monica Maddox Laidler, Cote, and Marcia Maddox James, daughters of Roscoe and Susan Maddox of Michigan, purchased a marker for their grandparents and had it placed on their graves at Brown Chapel Cemetery. On it was noted that it was from their "grand daughters."
Children of James Arthur Maddox
James Hughy
Lena Macel
Sylvia Faye
Delphia
Roscoe Glenn
Verlin Sanford