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Etheridge Ernest "Jack" Cox Jr Apr 8, 1924 - May 7, 2002
Jack Cox was born on April 8, 1924, at Cloud Chief,
Oklahoma to Ethridge Earnest "Jack" and Willia Mae (Deputy) Cox. He left
to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 7, 2002.
At an early age Jack moved with his parents to Luther,
OK where he spent his growing up years. An only child with a vivid
imagination, his youth was a succession of adventures. He turned his
part time job at the local grocery store into a case study on the
efficient management of time. The boxing ring he set up in the back yard
was used to stage tournaments among his friends. He and his dog, Bruno,
would play a game where Jack would hold the top cover of a cast iron
cook stove as a shield and Bruno would run and knock his master over.
Kites rigged with razor blades provided hours of "kite fights" and he
found any number of uses for rubber bands.
Jack developed a love of flying when he was in his early
teens. His parents would spend summers in Colorado working on advanced
degrees and he spent his time fishing and learning to fly. When he was
17 he traded his 1939 Indian Chief motorcycle and $200 for a little
Aeronca K plane and spent most of the next 50 plus years owning and
flying a variety of planes.
Jack spent time in Cordell when his parents would visit
family in Washita County. During one of those trips he met Zonelle
Gregory and she stole his heart. There were married on October 29, 1943
at the chapel on the Lemore Field Air Base in Hanford, California.
He had interrupted his pre-med studies at Central State
University to join the Army Air Corps. In February, 1944, he earned his
wings while stationed at LaJunta, Colorado. He stayed for a year as an
instructor pilot of B-25's. It was at this time that Jack made another
commitment that would last a lifetime.
Because of Zonelle's faithful attendance at worship
services and her insistence on living a Christian life, Jack learned the
Truth. He had originally intended to be baptized in Cordell over Easter
when he had leave from LaJunta. His job as an instructor was a dangerous
one though, and one Sunday during the invitation song, he leaned over
and told Zonelle that he didn't think he should wait. As a result he was
baptized in March, 1944, in a cold mountain lake just outside of
LaJunta.
In 1945, Jack was sent to the South Pacific. He was
proud of the years he spent in the service of his country and recounted
many stories of that time to his family and friends.
Following his release from the service, he resumed his
education. He received a degree in efficiency engineering from the
University of Oklahoma in 1949. During the years that he and Zonelle
lived in Norman they would travel to Noble or Lexington for him to
preach on Sundays. They didn't have a car but they did have an old, open
cockpit airplane. Early on Sunday they would dress in their good
clothes, including a hat and heels for Zonelle, tak the trailer out to
the airport, climb into the plane and fly to their preaching
destination. Since the landing field was out of the city limits they
would hitch hike into town.
By the time Jack graduated, Zonelle had convinced him he
needed to preach full time and their first job was at Sayre. Over the
next 50 plus years he preached for congregations in Haskell, TX, Enid
and Cordell. He held countless meetings all over this nation and in
major parts of the world.
In 1962 Jack was instrumental in the construction of the
Cordell Christian Home. At a time when nursing homes were little more
than warehouses for the elderly, Jack had a vision for a place where the
elderly could live with dignity and he set about making that dream a
reality.
During this time he also traveled all across parts of
Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas taking aerial photographs of farms,
businesses and homes. Today many people are the proud owners of
photographs he made.
In 1984 Jack and Zonelle made their first trip to India
and Jack immediately knew he had found another way to use his teaching
abilities to bring others to Christ. Over the next 16 years they made 14
trips to India and with the Lord's help, much everlasting good was
accomplished.
Jack also wrote several religious tracts as well as two
books, "Justifying A Musical Instrument in Worship" and "Heaven From A
Pilot's Point of View."
Jack and Zonelle traveled across the country on their
motorcycle, a love he had renewed later in life. He had recently begun
wondering if maybe he could make another trip this summer.
After 58 years, Jack was still passionately in love with
his wife and was exceptionally proud of their children and
grandchildren. On many occasions he would say what a wonderful life he
had had and it was obvious to all who knew him that he truly enjoyed
living. On Tuesday he completed a journey he had been traveling for many
years and reached a destination he had prepared for throughout his life.
He is survived by his wife, Zonelle, of the home; three
children - Zonelle Rainbolt and her husband Charles of Cordell, Susan
Jones and her husband Ken of Lubbock, TX, Greg Cox and his wife Ronita
of Cordell; ten grandchildren -Matthew Crandall of Oklahoma City, Casey
Crandall and his wife Chanda of Plainview, Texas, Jack Crandall of
Cordell, Katie Crandall of Cordell, Jessie Rainbolt of Cordell, Jennifer
Crockett and her husband Keven of Lubbock, Texas, Mitchell Jones and his
wife Audrey of Cloud Chief, McKenna Cox of Taloga, Chelodi Sanford of
Oklahoma City and Kade Sanford of Norman; and two great-grandchildren
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