My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Joseph William Wilcox
Joseph William Wilcox (b. June 18, 1871, d. July 25, 1943)
Notes for Joseph William Wilcox:
Joseph was born in the Long Savannah Community outside of Chattanooga, TN. His father died when he was very young and his mother was forced to take cleaning jobs to make ends meet. Joseph talked about how he was an extremely mischievous child and quite a handful for his mother. He was living in Roane Co. in 1880 (9 years) following his mother's marriage to William J. Crow in 1878. Sometime after 1880, Joseph was sent to be raised by his Great Aunt and Uncle William "Will" L. and Elizabeth "Betty" Wilcox Dyke. The Dykes were childless and lived on a farm in the Sequatchie Valley area of Roane Co., TN. Joseph related stories of jumping out of the hayloft in the Dyke barn onto the backs of mules and riding them when they bolted. He said Betty was a good woman but very tough and could be mean at times. On 1 June 1890, Joseph married Mary Ellen East at Rockwood in Roane Co., TN. Joseph and Ellen had two daughters and moved west where Joseph worked in the mines in Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and Sebastian Co., Arkansas. Joseph and Ellen apparently moved to Alabama after 1900 where they were divorced. In July 1902, Joseph was remarried to Martha Fredella Paralee "Lillie" Gillespie who lived near Morris, north of Birmingham, AL. The Wilcox family lived at a number of places in the Jefferson and Walker Co. area over the next 15 or so years when they moved up into Lewis Co., TN near Gordonsburg. Joseph worked for a time in the mines there before moving the family back to AL where the family again lived in the Walker and Jefferson Co. area. Around 1934, Joseph and Lillie moved to Texas and settled near their daughter, Connie Wilcox Key near the border of Cherokee Co. and Smith Co. The Wilcoxes lived in this area until their deaths, Joseph in 1943 and Lillie in 1944.
Joseph was a very quiet man and did not interract well with people, he just didn't have much use for most people. There are stories where company would be walking up the lane to visit the Wilcox home and Joseph would go out the back door and return only after the company had gone.
Although small in stature, Joseph was tough as a boot and was not afraid to tell people exactly what he thought of them. One time in Troup, TX, Joseph put a penny in some scales to find out his weight. The scales would not work properly so he inquired as to who owned the scales. When he was directed to the storekeeper who owned the scales, he told the man that the machine had taken his penny and he wanted it back. To this, the man replied, "well what do you expect, it's only a penny." Joseph had to be restrained and called the man a "thief and a son of a bitch." Another time, a man who was disliked by most people in the area, cut through a freshly-plowed pasture that Joseph was working in and passed within a few feet. The man did not acknowledge Joseph at all so Joseph took the leather reins off the harness of the team of mules he was plowing with and chased the man down and beat him severely. This occurred in 1938 when Joseph was 67 years old. The sheriff came to talk to Joseph after the man filed a complaint but the charges were dropped.
Joseph's favorite foods were raw oysters eaten with crackers and pepper sauce washed down with home brew. He always had a still and brewed beer, corn whiskey and wine. He also was fond of a sort of gruel made with nothing but grease, corn meal and water. Wilted salad was another favorite. Using whatever greens were available, hot grease would be poured on top and then eaten, the hot grease wilted the greens.
Joseph never spoke much about his family. He said he had cousins up near Chattanooga and even went on a couple of trips there to visit but never took his wife or kids. At one time, the Wilcoxes lived in Walker Co., AL near some Campbells who were related according to Joseph. These Campbells were descendents of a brother of Joseph's mother according to research by Philip R. Shipp, great-grandson of Joseph William Wilcox. Joseph also told some of his grandchildren that his family was "Black Dutch." Although research has shown a definate Cherokee Indian connection through the Wilcox family, no connection to the Melungeon people (also referred to as "Black Dutch") has been established. The Campbell (Joseph's mother) family has not been fully researched so there is a possibility of a Native American or Melungeon connection in that line.
More About Joseph William Wilcox and Mary Ellen East:
Marriage: June 01, 1890, Rockwood, Roane County, TN.
More About Joseph William Wilcox and Martha Fredella Paralee Gillespie:
Marriage: July 1902, Jefferson County, AL.
Children of Joseph William Wilcox and Mary Ellen East are:
- Lula Wilcox, b. June 12, 1893.
- Ernestine E. Wilcox, b. August 28, 1895, Alabama, d. July 1982, Florida.
Children of Joseph William Wilcox and Martha Fredella Paralee Gillespie are:
- Coy Fredella Wilcox, b. September 03, 1903, Morris, Jefferson County, Alabama, d. Abt. 1960, Alabama.
- +Constance Lee Wilcox, b. July 17, 1905, Morris, Jefferson Co., AL.
- Lera Estelle Wilcox, b. May 03, 1909, Morris, Jefferson County, Alabama,d., Arizona.
- Claude Marie Wilcox, b. December 04, 1912, Morris, Jefferson County, Alabama.
- Alma Maudell Wilcox, b. July 07, 1914, Majestic, Jefferson County, ALA, d. 1996, MS.
- John Ewell Wilcox, b. July 28, 1916, Number Seven Pratt, Jefferson Co., ALA,d., MA.