ThomasElla Cox

At an early age, ThomasElla accepted Christ and was involved in the youth ministry at Healing Springs Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. As a teenager, she worked helping her mother wash and press the clothes for their white clients. She graduated from Parker High School. Because there were very few jobs in Birmingham at that time, she moved to Chicago, Illinois to live with her brother. Her younger sister soon followed and the 3 siblings began a new life in the “Windy City”. ThomasElla immediately got involved in church at the First Church of Deliverance where she sang in the choir. She helped her brother establish a church in Chicago called Sages Temple. She was in charge of bookkeeping, played piano and was director of the choir. ThomasElla also took accounting classes and became the bookkeeper for a dental office. Eventually, she was able to become an accountant with Montgomery Ward and it is from this job she retired. ThomasElla lived in Chicago for over 50 years.

In 2007, ThomasElla moved to Austin, Texas to be closer to her daughter, Alinda. As before, she immediately became involved with the ministries at Greater Peace Christian church. Teaching children was her passion. Mother Cox was directly involved with the Sunday School Department and Children’s Church. She had a special talent for arts and crafts and every year she made Christmas baskets for the Nursing Home ministry. She was also involved with the Manchaca Senior Day Care facility.

ThomasElla loved to travel and often visited her family in Birmingham and Georgia. She has visited Yosemite National Park, cruised to the Caribbean islands, traveled to South Padre, and had spent several Christmases with her extended family in San Francisco.

Bishop Washington appointed ThomasElla to serve as the Mother of the church in 2008, a position she held until her home going April 11, 2016, at 2:48pm.

ThomasElla was preceded in death by Amanda Douglas (grandmother), Jessie Cox (mother), Otto Ford (father), William, Charles and Robert Cox (brothers) and Mamie Frazier and Anna Mae Carney (sisters)

She leaves in loving memory her daughter Alinda, her nieces Audrey Frazier and Brenda Dozier (Willie), her nephew James Frazier (Bennie). Her Austin family of Reese and Dianne Brown, India High and the love of her life Jaxon Miquel High Williams. Also there are a host of great nieces and nephews, and friends.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, April 17, 2016, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be held Monday, April 18, 2016, at 10:00 A.M., at Greater Peace Christian Church at 1203 E. Cesar Chavez in Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in ThomasElla’s memory may be made to Greater Peace Christian Church Sunday School Department.