Feeding Deer

Blanche, Doris and Tommy Cox feeding deer.

Aunt Josie

Josepine Hamilton was married to Young Brooken Cravens Jr. and was Percy Cravens' mother. I know she lived with Percy and Laura after the passing of her husband and they called her Aunt Josie. She had a respiratory ailment that she smoked some kind of medicine for. Dad said the kids would vye for the honor of who would get to light her pipe. She looks like a strong, formidable woman. I can see Percy's resemblance to her.

Near Deland

The Lilly's were good friends and neighbors of my grandparents where they rented a farm near Deland Illinois.

I am trying to figure out how my grandparents ended up in Deland. They were raised near Burnt Prairie and Fairfield Illinois. It appeared that Young Brooken Cravens (Percy's father) had a lot of land in southern Illinois (near Burnt Prairie) and seemed rather financially well off. Perhaps the depression hit the family hard. Or, I believe that Y.B. died in his 50's and maybe great- grandmother Josephine was not left well off financially?..Grandpa Percy farmed the land near Deland but did not own it.

This is not a flattering photo of Grandma Laurie and Mrs. Lilly but I admire the aprons.

The Cox Girls

Doris on the left (My mom in her typical pose) Aunt Ruth in the middle and Aunt Blanche on the right. Grandpa Charlie wanted boys. His names for them were Red, Tommy and Jeff!

Charlie's Girls

This is my grandfather Charles Cox with my Aunt Blanche on the left and my mother Doris on the right. This is one of the happiest portraits in the whole collection

Christian College

I used to sit and ask my grandpa Percy questions while he and I sat poring over National Geographics together. I remebered that he had said that he attended a college. My cousin Cloyd recently sent me this clipping. Percy is wearing his school uniform. I inquired through a museum in Ruskin Tenn. and it was confirmed that Percy had attended this forward thinking college in his youth.

Charles Wesley Barnhouse

This would be my maternal grandmother's brother. My cousin informed me that he had had several photos made. I remember seeing him in a photograph with his fiddle. I think he was a pretty dashing fellow.

Civil War record---Y.B. Cravens

This is Y.B.'s mustering out paper form from the Illinois 5th calvary company M.

The reason I am calling this blog "Whispers from Wayne County" is because that is were my Father and Mother brought the two families together.

Young Brooken Cravens Sr.

This blog will be a journal of my research of the Cravens and Cox families of southern Illinois, who were my ancestors. I hope to share photos and anecdotes with long lost "cousins".

I am starting off with a photo of my great, great, grandfather, Young Brooken Cravens Sr.'s tombstone. I just visited his marker at the old Cravens cemetery near Burnt Prairie Illinois. The marker is inscribed "This monument honors a soldier who fought to save the Union".

I am hoping to find a photo of him and other family members.