Another family who resided and worked in the Falco area and further west in the Bradley community was that of the Coxwells. It appears that James Coxwell who had three different wives was the progenitor of the Coxwell descendants who have resided in Covington County.

Although born circa 1810 in North Carolina, James grew up and was married three times in Georgia. He and his first wife, Mary Raley, were residing in Warren, Georgia, when their first children were born. They then moved to Houston, and later to Stewart, Georgia. According to the stated place of birth of his children, it appears the family moved to Henry County, Alabama, circa 1850, but later back to Georgia after a year or so. In his later years he was married to a Smith and moved to Arkansas where he died. James was a farmer, a millright, and sawmill worker.

James and Mary had the following children: George Thomas, b. 1830, d. 1890, m. Sarah Jane Johnson; female, b. 1832, d. young; Alsey Ann Elizabeth, b. 1834, m. Thomas J. Skipper; female, b. 1836, d. young; Lydia Jane, b. 1838, d. 1915, m. (1) William W. Stokes (2) John H. Kilpatrick; and Washington George, b. 1843, d. 1919, m. (1) Mary Ann Hewet; (2) Frances A.E. Whatley; (3) Caroline Matilda Capps (4) Mary Macon Parnell.

James and his second wife, Nancy, had the following children: James Richard, b. ca 1846, d. 1884, m. Charity Ann Brown; Georgia Ann, b. ca 1847, d. 1910-20, m. Lewis Lafayette Worrell; General M., b. ca 1849; Andrew Jackson, b. 1850, d. 1926, m. (1) Harriet Ann Wells (2) Unknown (3) Emma Eliza Kennedy; Mitchell, b. ca 1851, d. 1922, m. (1) Emily Land (2) Mattie Prudent Caton; Nancy, b. ca 1854, m. William C. Chalker; and Samuel T.L., b. ca 1856.

James's son, Washington George, enlisted in the Confederate Army from Jefferson County, Georgia, on June 14, 1861. He was designated as a private in Company C, 20th Georgia Regiment and sent immediately to Richmond, Virginia. Following the war he had moved to Butler County, Alabama, by 1870 where he resided for several years. By 1900 he had moved to the Bradley community in Escambia County here he lived out his life. He died there in 1919 leaving his widow and a large number of children.

Washington had the following children: Mary J.; George T., b. ca 1879, m. (1) Ellen Eldora Sweeney (2) Ethel Smith (3) Myrtice Singleton; Cleveland, m. Maggie Pitts; Francis E.; Lydia J.; Madison C.; Jefferson L.; William G.; Hattie Louella, m. Scott Anderson "Bud" Lee; Leona; and Carlie E., m. ? Williams. It appears that most of the children were born to the third wife, Caroline M. Capps.

Washington's son, George T., lived in the Falco community and became an engineer on the first train, "Peg Leg," to come to Falco. During World War I, he became an engineer on an army train overseas. In later years he served the county as a deputy sheriff along with Will Hart. He had at least four children: Buddy; Mack; Vallie, m. ? Lundy; and Elwanda, m. ? Kraynak.

Washington's son, Cleveland, came as a teenager to Falco to seek work in the sawmill. He was only 15 years of age, so he had to wait a year before he could be hired at 16 years. He ended up with the task of handling the slabs as they were coming off the rollers. He later became a carpenter. He was married to Maggie Pitts and they had at least two children: Everett "Dick;" and Louise, m. Ed Worrell.

Washington's daughter, Della, was married to John David Lee, a blacksmith. They lived in Falco and reared the following children: Buck; Dewrell; Burlie; John W.; Agnes, m. ? Winslow; Carrie, m. ? Daniels; Annie Mae, m. ? Bevis; and Gladys, m. ? Basey.

Washington's daughter, Hattie Louella, was married to Scott Anderson "Bud" Lee who was also a worker at the Falco Sawmill. He served as a crew chief and was in charge of aiming the logs just as they were to be fed through the mill. He was also skilled at maintaining the saws in a sharpened condition for perfect cuts. In fact, he met his death in 1936 in Cross City, Florida, from lightening, which struck him while he was riding on a log truck carrying saws and other tools. Bud is remembered as a fine person who worked very diligently to care for his family and help support the Chessher and Collingsworth families. Someone has remembered his philosophy was "if we eat, they eat." One record indicates he worked 12-14-hour days for 50 cents a day. He was a Mason and one who generously helped those in need. Bud and Louella had three children: Willie Mae, m. Sam Elliott; Roselle, m. Marvin Onnice Coxwell; and Myrtice, m. Joel Ward.

This Marvin Onnice was the son of Marvin Lee Coxwell who was the son of James Richard Coxwell, another son of James and his second wife, Nancy. James Richard was married to Charity Ann Brown, daughter of William and Eliza Snell Brown. Marvin Lee was married to Arrie Stone, and they resided in Falco.

James's daughter, Georgia Ann, and her husband, Lewis Lafayette Worrell, son of Kinchen and Elizabeth (Everett) Worrell, were married in 1865 in Henry County, Alabama. Lewis had served during the War Between the States in Company F, 32nd Georgia Infantry Regiment. The couple had moved to Covington County by 1880 and was working as a blacksmith. The family eventually settled in the Bradley community. They had the following children: Marion L., J. Andrew, John M., Anna, and Hilary.

James and his second wife, Nancy's, son, Mitchell, moved his family to Covington County circa 1890. It appears that he settled in the Red Level area where many of his descendants have lived. He was a farmer and worked at one time as a mail carrier. He and his first wife, Emily, had the following children: Susan, b. ca 1871, m. ? English; John Lucian Duncan, b. 1873, d. 1930, m. MoDena L. Thomas; Nancy, b. ca 1875; Reccie, b. 1878, d. 1948, m. John William Carter; Thomas Benjamin Hampton, b. 1877, d. 1939, m. (1) Martha Wilson (2) Mattie L. Wilson (3) Martha L.; Jennie, b. 1880; Laura, b. 1881, d. 1918, m. Robert Human; Ida, b. ca 1884, d. 1926, m. John Henry Bridges; Charles Frederick, b. ca 1887, d. 1939, m. Jessie E. Wilson; and Maggie, b. 1891, d. 1969, m. (1) ? Grace (2) W.B. Ives. Mitchell also had a son by another lady. His name was William C., b. 1885, d. 1948, m. (1) Martha Hall (2) Mattie Fuller (3) Nellie S. Lambert (4) Mattie Tillery.

Mitchell and his second wife, Mattie Caton, daughter of Allen Robinson and Camilla Susanna (Wicker) Caton, had the following five children: Lillie Watson, b. 1896, d. 1988, m. Robert Andrew Blackerby; Mitchell, b. 1898, d. 1960, m. (1) Bessie L. McMullen (2) Bessie Olean Jones; Jack Tillman Robinson, b. 1902, d. 1948, m. R. Vickie Stanford; Mary Annie, b. 1905, d. 1984, m. (1) Jim Thomas (2) ? Smith; and Emily Cornelia, b. 1907, d. 1947, m. Clarence Jerome Porterfield. At Mitchell's death in 1922, his body was returned to Milledgeville, Georgia, for burial in the Memory Hill Cemetery. When his widow, Mattie, died six years later, she was buried locally at Fairmount Cemetery because she did not want her body to be embalmed.

There are a number of Coxwell descendants who currently reside throughout Covington County. Those who shared family history for today's column include Onnice Coxwell, son of Marvin Lee Coxwell of Wing and Jimmy and Elizabeth Coxwell of Red Level who shared research done by Lynda M. Durfee. Jimmy is the son of Jack Tillman Robinson Coxwell.

Anyone who might have corrections or additional information to the above is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at Route 9, Box 97, Andalusia, AL 36420 or Email: chthom@alaweb.com

HISTORICAL MEETING:

The Covington Historical Society will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, at the Andalusia Public Library. Program will be presented by Sidney Waits.

FAMILY REUNION:

Larry and Addie Elmore family reunion will be held Saturday, October 26, at the Frank Jackson State Park in Opp. Bring Covered dish dinner.