Theodore Cox

When Theodore was 4 years old his father was called to go to the Muddy Mission in Moapa Valley in Nevada to survey ditches and make dams. He was an expert engineer and labored there for 6 years. He was called back to Utah by their leader Brigham Young.

Orville had 3 wives. The first wife and family returned to Fairview The others went to Mt. Carmel and Orderville where Orville and his sons engineered canals, ditches and dams. They lived there helping to do their part in the United Order for about 12 years. When the Order was disbanded, Theodore's mother and family moved to Huntington about 1886.

When Theodore was 24 years old, he fell in love with a girl of 15. Her name was Almeda Eve Palmer. Almeda's father, Zemira had been called by Pres. Brigham Young to help settle Springdale. Then he was called to help in the United Order at Orderville.

Zemira had two wives, Caroline Jacques and Sally Knight. His first wife died after child birth in Dec. 1877. At the time of her death, Zemira was presiding over the Cotton Mission at Washington, Utah. Sally took care of Caroline's children for awhile. Then in Oct 1880(?) Zemira died, leaving Almeda without either parent. She went to live with her sister Arletta who had married Amos Cox, Theodore's brother.

Theodore and Almeda were married in the Logan Temple September 21, 1887. They returned to Huntington, where they lived with his mother in a dugout until Theodore could build a home for his bride by bringing aspens down from the mountain and chinking in mud between the logs. His mother gave them a bedstead and two chairs.

Theodore herded sheep and worked in a dairy to earn a living. Their first two children were born premature and died the same day.

In November 1890, Theodore and wife, and his brother Amos and his wife, left Utah to make their home in Mexico. They went by wagon in a group of 6 or 7 outfits. They stopped over with friends and relatives on the way as they passed through the isolated towns through Arizona. They reached the Dublan Valley Jan 17, 1891. By that time most of their means had been used, as they had to buy some water and grain for their horses on the way.

They took up a city lot at Dublan where a colony of Saints lived, most of whom had two wives. They built a house in Juarez with two rooms--one mud and the other lumber, with canvas over the windows. It was here their first daughter was born. They fenced their lot, traded their dog for 2 milk cows, set out some fruit trees and got pretty well settled. Then the following spring, they went up in the mountains to Hop Valley, and helped Joshua Stevens run a dairy with the Church cattle. They built houses, made corrals, fenced land for a crop, and as soon as the grass came, they started to milk cows and make butter. There were many wild cows to break, and as Mr. Stevens was very cruel with the cattle, Theodore, who didn't like this, decided to quit, and they moved back to Juarez.

Back in their own home, their next baby was born, Arthur Delano. They had gathered quite a few comforts about them, when his wife, Almeda, was stricken with Chills and Fever, and they decided the mountain water would be better than the valley water so they moved to the mountain and she got better. Then they settled in Cave Valley where they joined about 25 families who had started a commonwealth, and lived in the Consecrated Order, one big family who worked together, and they were happy there. The men farmed, made shingles, raised potatoes, bought wheat and ground it, took care of their cattle and did their own building.

Malon Delaun, then Philena were born. Philena died the following year from smallpox vaccination, and they buried her at Dublan.

Three of their children were born at Chuichupi, Ethel, Francis Hugh, and Azile. Hugh died at the age of 6 months of Spinal Meningitis. While living here, Theodore had a spell with his mind, and went back to Utah for treatment. He was gone for quite awhile, but when better, returned and continued with his farming. The he had to go back to Utah again, and his folks persuaded him to stay, so his wife sold enough property to pay their way on the train from Dublan to Provo.

They received enough money to buy a small farm in Orderville. Theodore and the boys built a home. Three children were born there, Julius Orville, Ira Newell, and Caroline Elizabeth, Azile was drowned in 1907 in the little stream that ran through town, and Malon was killed when nearly 16 years old when he lassoed a sheep and it pulled him off the ledge about 200 feet high. Then, Medy, the oldest daughter, died in 1913. She had married and left a baby girl almost a year old.

In Dec 1912, Theodore had to go to Provo again and as he could not be cured, he stayed there until his death, on Mar. 25, 1937, His body was used for experimental purposes by the University of Utah Medical Department in Salt Lake City.