Levi Ashton Cox and his twin sister, Mary were born in a dugout near Franklin, Idaho (Idaho’s oldest town) to Levi Ashton Cox & Mary Sharp on a cold winter night the 29th January 1865. Lumber & logs were not readily available so dugouts were built to keep the family warm during the cold, severe winter. It was so cold the night when Levi and Mary were born that before morning a man in the settlement froze to death. His parents, an older brother, Robert, and a sister, Catherine, after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sailed from England in 1863 on the ship, “Amazon”. As pioneers they crossed the plains to Utah with the Captain Rosel Hyde’s ox train. Levi was the 4th of 6 children (3 daughters & 3 sons) born in this family. The children were: Robert Harrison, Catherine, John Thomas, Levi Ashton, Mary, and Susan. Levi’s older brother, John Thomas was born in 1859 in Westminster, England. When John Thomas was only 1 year and 8 months old he and Robert contacted scarlet fever. Robert recovered but John Thomas died 11 days later on 19 November 1862. After reaching Utah, the Cox family first went to live in Franklin, Idaho.
The Cox family lived in Franklin until the spring of 1867 when they moved to Wilson Lane where his sister, Susan was born that fall in September. In April of 1868 the family of five children and their parents moved on to the town site of Muskrat Springs, later named Hooper, Utah. Their first home there was in a dugout until his father could build a home made of adobe bricks.
Levi met a beautiful tall slim young lady by the name of Elnora Arave after his family moved to Muskrat Springs (Hooper, Utah). They courted and he asked her to marry him. She must have told him yes because they travelled with Elnora’s brother, Frank Arave and his wife, to Logan, Utah where they were married in the Logan Temple on the 22 Sep 1886. Levi was 21 years old and Elnora was 15 years old. Two sons and a daughter were born to them while they were living in Hooper as follows: Levi Nelson, Thomas Harrison, and Hazel Aroline.
Some of Elnora’s brothers travelled north to Idaho and then came back and visited with Levi and Elnora. They told of sage brush that grew as tall as a horse and wagon. Levi hurried to Idaho to see for himself and then came back and told Elnora that it was just as her brothers had described. In 1895 they moved their family of three children to Idaho and bought a farm in the Jameston/Taylor area. The rest of the children were born in the Jameston/Shelley area as follows: Joseph Peril, Eli Ashton, Lewis Abiah, Mary Lavon, Lula Elnora, Zelpha Aletha, Dora, Dorothy, and Leland Dale.
Levi and his family were so good to help their neighbors. Bill Harker and his brother, John Harker and their families and their mother, Sade Harker were neighbors of both Levi Ashton Cox and Harrison Cox families. Bill Harker, son of Bill Harker wrote in a letter to Harrison’s son Bill Cox (January, 2006) which said the following: “Sharing work with neighbors and helping each other was a great example and legacy from the Levi Cox family. Levi and your father, Harrison helped my father learn to farm with horses after he quit school at 8th grade. Not only did the Cox family help get Billy and Johnny to school, but they would stop to see what Sade needed in town when they would go into Shelley. The potato warehouse provided employment and good friendship for Bill and John. “
“One day when Dad was working in the field with a team of horses, he saw a man walking down the field. It was Eli Cox (Levi & Elnora’s son). Dad knew immediately what he was coming for. He asked Dad to go on a mission. Dad didn’t want to go, so he said, ‘Send John.’ Eli responded, ‘I’m not asking John, I’m asking you.’ Well Dad asked his mother, Sade what to do….. I’m sure he didn’t want to disappoint Bishop Eli Cox, but he loved farming and livestock. Well Grandma Sade convinced him to go to Brother Dye and get a patriarchal blessing. The blessing said he would serve a mission, so his decision was made. He quit smoking, prepared and served a successful mission to the Southern States Mission. He told us that he returned wore out in body and spirit. The good people of the South kept me alive on cornbread. This experience set Dad on the right path which was the Gospel. Over the years I’ve been (a) recipient of goodness and help from the Cox family. I’ve worked for Perce and Don and benefited greatly from Cassie’s influence. Nellie was especially good to my Grandma Sade. Nellie would stop often in her black Hudson and talk, bring food as close friends would. Lew and Ruth were great story tellers to the kids (my sisters and two brothers). Lew and Ruth always kept an eye out for my accident prone father. It is no wonder my Dad once said, ‘If the Cox family is not in heaven, then I don’t want to go there.”
Levi suffered from a stroke in about 1934, living for about five more years and being cared for and loved by his sweet wife, Elnora. She stated in her history: “My husband lived five years after having a stroke, the last nine months of his life he was entirely helpless. He never turned on his side without help and the last few months I had to feed him. He never suffered any pain, just helpless. At the last I think he had another stroke, as he went into a coma on 25th day of February and passed away on 27th of February 1939.” He was 74 years old when he died.
Life history of Levi Ashton Cox, Jr., written & compiled by Saundra Cox, 2012. Information gathered from History of Elnora Arave Cox by Elnora and Life’s Sweet Fulfillment compiled by Evelyn M. C. Cox. Our thanks to Marcene Fielding Taylor, Nora Cox Fielding and Cassie Cox.