Rufus Cross, my great-grandfather, was born in Brimstone, Tennessee. He was the son of James M. and Jane (Hall) Cross and the grandson of Abraham H. and Frances (White) Cross and John M. and Jane (Petitt) Hall. He and his first wife, Vira Jones, were married on December 24, 1893, in Morgan County, Tennessee, and had the following two children: James Melton Cross (1895-1982), Roane Memorial Gardens, Rockwood, Tennessee; and Ollie Mae (Cross) Bonifacius (1897-1994), Wartburg Cemetery, Wartburg, Tennessee. Vira died on March 20, 1900, and was buried in the Union Cemetery in Joyner, Tennessee. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother, Matilda Goddard, were married on April 14, 1903, in the same county and had the following children: 1 & 2) two babies who died in infancy between 1903-1907 (one was a boy named Clemeth); they were buried in unmarked graves in the Piney Cemetery in Oakdale, Tennessee; 3) Hollis B. Cross (1907-1910), Mossy Grove Cemetery, Mossy Grove, Tennessee; 4) Raymond Howard Cross (1908-1990), Morgan Memorial Gardens, Wartburg; 5) John Herald Cross (1910-1999), Mossy Grove Cemetery; 6) Grace Agnes (Cross) Wilson (1911-1969), Estes Cemetery, Coalfield, Tennessee; 7) Clay Washington Cross (1914-2001), Mossy Grove Cemetery; and 8) Rufus Alexander Cross Jr. (1916-1916), Mossy Grove Cemetery.
Obituary (source is unknown):
"Funeral Services For R. A. Cross Held Tuesday
"HAD HELD MANY PUBLIC OFFICES
"Funeral services for Rufus Alexander Cross, a prominent retired Tenth District farmer and veteran of many years service as a county official, were held Tuesday afternoon at the Mossy Grove Baptist Church.
"Mr. Cross passed away Saturday night at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Clay Cross, in the Mossy Grove Community after an extended illness. He was 90.
"He was the father of Ray Cross, principal of the Lancing Elementary School.
"Mr. Cross had been very active most of his life in public affairs and had held several district and county offices. He had served several terms as a member of the School Board and had been Chairman of that body. He had been a member of the old road commission and was Superintendent of Roads at one time. He had also represented the Tenth District as a Justice of the Peace.
"For many years Mr. Cross had been a contractor and had worked both on road and building contracts in this and adjoining counties. Several Morgan County school buildings including the old brick building at Wartburg were built under his supervision.
"Mr. Cross was born in Scott County but most of his life had been spent in Morgan County. In early manhood he worked for the Southern Railway Company and lived in Oakdale. Over 50 years ago he moved to the Mossy Grove Community where had had a large farm. The farm was sold several years ago when he became unable to operate it.
"After the death of his first wife, Elvira Jones Cross, early after the turn of the century, he married Matilda Goddard, who preceded him in death in 1954.
"Mrs. Carl Bonifacius of Oak Ridge and James Cross of Harriman are the surviving children of the first marriage, and Ray and Clay Cross, both of Mossy Grove, and Harold [Herald] of Harriman, and Mrs. Reese (Grace) Wilson, an elementary teacher at Coalfield, are the surviving children of the second marriage. Also surviving are 21 grandchildren and 26 great[-]grandchildren and a brother, W. M. Cross of Mossy Grove.
"Mr. Cross was a member of the Mossy Grove Missionary Baptist Church where funeral services were held. Rev. Lee Ward and Rev. Jimmy Thompson, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church, officiated at the service. Interment was in the church cemetery. Schubert Funeral Home was in charge.
"Active pallbearers were: Hugh Jones, Harold Vincent, Andy Jones, Gib Pittman, Arvil Tilson and Bill Jump."
Obituary (source is unknown):
"Funeral Services For R. A. Cross Held Tuesday
"HAD HELD MANY PUBLIC OFFICES
"Funeral services for Rufus Alexander Cross, a prominent retired Tenth District farmer and veteran of many years service as a county official, were held Tuesday afternoon at the Mossy Grove Baptist Church.
"Mr. Cross passed away Saturday night at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Clay Cross, in the Mossy Grove Community after an extended illness. He was 90.
"He was the father of Ray Cross, principal of the Lancing Elementary School.
"Mr. Cross had been very active most of his life in public affairs and had held several district and county offices. He had served several terms as a member of the School Board and had been Chairman of that body. He had been a member of the old road commission and was Superintendent of Roads at one time. He had also represented the Tenth District as a Justice of the Peace.
"For many years Mr. Cross had been a contractor and had worked both on road and building contracts in this and adjoining counties. Several Morgan County school buildings including the old brick building at Wartburg were built under his supervision.
"Mr. Cross was born in Scott County but most of his life had been spent in Morgan County. In early manhood he worked for the Southern Railway Company and lived in Oakdale. Over 50 years ago he moved to the Mossy Grove Community where had had a large farm. The farm was sold several years ago when he became unable to operate it.
"After the death of his first wife, Elvira Jones Cross, early after the turn of the century, he married Matilda Goddard, who preceded him in death in 1954.
"Mrs. Carl Bonifacius of Oak Ridge and James Cross of Harriman are the surviving children of the first marriage, and Ray and Clay Cross, both of Mossy Grove, and Harold [Herald] of Harriman, and Mrs. Reese (Grace) Wilson, an elementary teacher at Coalfield, are the surviving children of the second marriage. Also surviving are 21 grandchildren and 26 great[-]grandchildren and a brother, W. M. Cross of Mossy Grove.
"Mr. Cross was a member of the Mossy Grove Missionary Baptist Church where funeral services were held. Rev. Lee Ward and Rev. Jimmy Thompson, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church, officiated at the service. Interment was in the church cemetery. Schubert Funeral Home was in charge.
"Active pallbearers were: Hugh Jones, Harold Vincent, Andy Jones, Gib Pittman, Arvil Tilson and Bill Jump."
Rufus Cross, my great-grandfather, was born in Brimstone, Tennessee. He was the son of James M. and Jane (Hall) Cross and the grandson of Abraham H. and Frances (White) Cross and John M. and Jane (Petitt) Hall. He and his first wife, Vira Jones, were married on December 24, 1893, in Morgan County, Tennessee, and had the following two children: James Melton Cross (1895-1982), Roane Memorial Gardens, Rockwood, Tennessee; and Ollie Mae (Cross) Bonifacius (1897-1994), Wartburg Cemetery, Wartburg, Tennessee. Vira died on March 20, 1900, and was buried in the Union Cemetery in Joyner, Tennessee. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother, Matilda Goddard, were married on April 14, 1903, in the same county and had the following children: 1 & 2) two babies who died in infancy between 1903-1907 (one was a boy named Clemeth); they were buried in unmarked graves in the Piney Cemetery in Oakdale, Tennessee; 3) Hollis B. Cross (1907-1910), Mossy Grove Cemetery, Mossy Grove, Tennessee; 4) Raymond Howard Cross (1908-1990), Morgan Memorial Gardens, Wartburg; 5) John Herald Cross (1910-1999), Mossy Grove Cemetery; 6) Grace Agnes (Cross) Wilson (1911-1969), Estes Cemetery, Coalfield, Tennessee; 7) Clay Washington Cross (1914-2001), Mossy Grove Cemetery; and 8) Rufus Alexander Cross Jr. (1916-1916), Mossy Grove Cemetery.
Obituary (source is unknown):
"Funeral Services For R. A. Cross Held Tuesday
"HAD HELD MANY PUBLIC OFFICES
"Funeral services for Rufus Alexander Cross, a prominent retired Tenth District farmer and veteran of many years service as a county official, were held Tuesday afternoon at the Mossy Grove Baptist Church.
"Mr. Cross passed away Saturday night at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Clay Cross, in the Mossy Grove Community after an extended illness. He was 90.
"He was the father of Ray Cross, principal of the Lancing Elementary School.
"Mr. Cross had been very active most of his life in public affairs and had held several district and county offices. He had served several terms as a member of the School Board and had been Chairman of that body. He had been a member of the old road commission and was Superintendent of Roads at one time. He had also represented the Tenth District as a Justice of the Peace.
"For many years Mr. Cross had been a contractor and had worked both on road and building contracts in this and adjoining counties. Several Morgan County school buildings including the old brick building at Wartburg were built under his supervision.
"Mr. Cross was born in Scott County but most of his life had been spent in Morgan County. In early manhood he worked for the Southern Railway Company and lived in Oakdale. Over 50 years ago he moved to the Mossy Grove Community where had had a large farm. The farm was sold several years ago when he became unable to operate it.
"After the death of his first wife, Elvira Jones Cross, early after the turn of the century, he married Matilda Goddard, who preceded him in death in 1954.
"Mrs. Carl Bonifacius of Oak Ridge and James Cross of Harriman are the surviving children of the first marriage, and Ray and Clay Cross, both of Mossy Grove, and Harold [Herald] of Harriman, and Mrs. Reese (Grace) Wilson, an elementary teacher at Coalfield, are the surviving children of the second marriage. Also surviving are 21 grandchildren and 26 great[-]grandchildren and a brother, W. M. Cross of Mossy Grove.
"Mr. Cross was a member of the Mossy Grove Missionary Baptist Church where funeral services were held. Rev. Lee Ward and Rev. Jimmy Thompson, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church, officiated at the service. Interment was in the church cemetery. Schubert Funeral Home was in charge.
"Active pallbearers were: Hugh Jones, Harold Vincent, Andy Jones, Gib Pittman, Arvil Tilson and Bill Jump."
Obituary (source is unknown):
"Funeral Services For R. A. Cross Held Tuesday
"HAD HELD MANY PUBLIC OFFICES
"Funeral services for Rufus Alexander Cross, a prominent retired Tenth District farmer and veteran of many years service as a county official, were held Tuesday afternoon at the Mossy Grove Baptist Church.
"Mr. Cross passed away Saturday night at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Clay Cross, in the Mossy Grove Community after an extended illness. He was 90.
"He was the father of Ray Cross, principal of the Lancing Elementary School.
"Mr. Cross had been very active most of his life in public affairs and had held several district and county offices. He had served several terms as a member of the School Board and had been Chairman of that body. He had been a member of the old road commission and was Superintendent of Roads at one time. He had also represented the Tenth District as a Justice of the Peace.
"For many years Mr. Cross had been a contractor and had worked both on road and building contracts in this and adjoining counties. Several Morgan County school buildings including the old brick building at Wartburg were built under his supervision.
"Mr. Cross was born in Scott County but most of his life had been spent in Morgan County. In early manhood he worked for the Southern Railway Company and lived in Oakdale. Over 50 years ago he moved to the Mossy Grove Community where had had a large farm. The farm was sold several years ago when he became unable to operate it.
"After the death of his first wife, Elvira Jones Cross, early after the turn of the century, he married Matilda Goddard, who preceded him in death in 1954.
"Mrs. Carl Bonifacius of Oak Ridge and James Cross of Harriman are the surviving children of the first marriage, and Ray and Clay Cross, both of Mossy Grove, and Harold [Herald] of Harriman, and Mrs. Reese (Grace) Wilson, an elementary teacher at Coalfield, are the surviving children of the second marriage. Also surviving are 21 grandchildren and 26 great[-]grandchildren and a brother, W. M. Cross of Mossy Grove.
"Mr. Cross was a member of the Mossy Grove Missionary Baptist Church where funeral services were held. Rev. Lee Ward and Rev. Jimmy Thompson, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church, officiated at the service. Interment was in the church cemetery. Schubert Funeral Home was in charge.
"Active pallbearers were: Hugh Jones, Harold Vincent, Andy Jones, Gib Pittman, Arvil Tilson and Bill Jump."
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