Cocke County, TNGenWeb
Fox Family

Submitted by Ray Phillips - (great grandson of Nicholas Brown FOX).

First Marriage

Nicholas Brown FOX was the oldest son of Thomas D. FOX of Ireland and Mary Ann BROWN of Washington County, Tennessee. Nicholas was born the oldest of four children on 9/8/1855 probably in the Flat Gap area of Jefferson County, Tennessee. His family moved to Noisy Creek, south of Webbs Creek, in Sevier County, Tennessee during or shortly after, his father served in the Civil War. Nicholas was first married abt. 1876 to Elvira Jane WOODY, daughter of George and Eliza (Edie) WOODY. Elvira Jane was born in 1854, in Cocke County, Tennessee, and died in 1881, in Cocke County, Tennessee. Tradition has it, that she died at the birth of their second child, the infant also died. Nicholas and Elvira Jane had one daughter named Mary Jane FOX (8/30/1877 - d. 9/4/1957).

Mary Jane was married on 3/30/1899 to John Thomas REECE (b. 6/13/1866 - d.11/6/1950).

Second Marriage

Nicholas & Sydney Reece

Sydney Emaline (REECE) FOX and Nicholas Brown FOX, 7/10/1937

Nicholas was married to Sydney Emaline REECE, one of the only two daughters of Alfred and Elizabeth (PHIPPS) REECE, on 8/14/1882 in Cocke County, Tennesse. Sydney was born on 7/30/1862 in Cocke County, Tennessee. Nicholas and Sydney had five sons: Joseph Thomas (b. 6/5/1886 - d.1/1964), Berry Green (b. 5/13/1894 - d. 6/13/1958), Charles Thomas (b. 2/3/1896 - d. 3/1983), William McKinney (b. 8/14/1900 - 9/5/1969), James Nicholas (b. 9/29/1903 - d. 1/1984). Nicholas was active in the Order of Odd Fellows. Nicholas died on 11/28/1924. Sydney raised Mary Jane FOX as her own child. Sydney died on 7/10/1937. Nicholas and Sydney are buried beside each other in the FOX Family Cemetery on the old FOX farm now owned by Roy WILLIS.

Berry Greene Fox

Berry Fox

Berry Greene Fox was born May 13, 1894 in Del Rio, Tennessee. Berry was the second oldest son of Nicholas Brown and Sydney Emaline (Reece) Fox.

Berry enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard on June 28,1917. Berry along with his brother Charlie, were members of Ailor's Company; a volunteer group from Cocke County organized for service in World War I. He was a private in Company E, 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry.

Berry was drafted into the United States Army on August 5,1917. He fought with the World War I American Expeditionary Force, Headquarters Company,120th Infantry, in France.

He received a skull and brain injury in a battle before Bellicourt on September 29,1918. He was the first soldier to ever receive a steel plate in his skull at Walter Reed General Hospital. He received a honorable discharge because of his injury on November 12, 1919.

Berry Fox was the first soldier from Del Rio to come home from World War I. A description of this is in William Nathan Jones' book By The River And Beyond, page 321.

Berry & Viola Fox
Berry was married to Viola Justice (6/16/1900 - 11/17/1991) on May 25,1920 in Greene County, Tennessee. Viola was the daughter of Richard Alexander Campbell Justice (1/1/1869 - 2/11/1914) and Lillie Elizabeth Smith (4/30/1873 - 1959).

Berry and Viola had two children: Buford GeraldFox (4/28/1921 - 3/10/1999) and
Elizabeth (Betty) Reece Fox (b. 7/15/1930).

Above, Berry Greene Fox with WW I Army issued pistol.

Berry finally received the Purple Heart on April 15, 1935.

Berry was a dairy farmer in Greene County for the rest of his life.

Berry died on June 13,1958 in Greene County, and is buried beside his wife in Shiloh Cemetery near Tusculum College.

Berry and Viola (Justice) Fox, at right.





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