Ermel Davidson Edwards Cox

Ermel Davidson Cox was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Her parents were Lafe and Anna Edwards. Ermel was raised in Indiana and Park Ridge, Illinois. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Cox household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Ermel was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Ermel was raised with three siblings. She had one older sister, Verna and two younger brothers, Lowell and Calvin. Ermel was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Ermel and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Ermel was always consistently loyal to her family.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Ermel was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and some very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Ermel was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Ermel to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, one of her best friends was Dorothy Baker. Later in life, she became friends with Myrtle Anderson.

On May 30, 1936 Ermel exchanged wedding vows with Ellis Clark Davidson at her home in Washington, Indiana. She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment.

Ermel brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Ermel was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Ermel was blessed with two daughters, Sandra and Janet. She was also blessed with six grandchildren, Brian, Bradley, Kevin, Scott, Jennifer and Katie.

Ermel greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Ermel enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Ermel was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was product inspection. She was employed for more than 25 years by Littelfuse Inc. In DesPlaines, Illinois. Ermel worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Ermel liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Ermel always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite hobbies were reading and sewing. Ermel was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Many organizations were grateful to have Ermel as a member, since she always brought with her a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Ermel was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that she was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. She always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout her later years, Ermel was an active member of the Methodist Women's Group and the Good Sam's Camping Group.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it’s little wonder that Ermel was so active in her community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Ermel preferred to base her decisions on first-hand experiences. Ermel was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in. Ermel was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the United Methodist Church Women's Circles and Good Sam's Camping Group. Politically, Ermel was a Democrat.

Ermel was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of United Methodist Churches in Palatine, Illinois, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Cotter, Arkansas and Little River United Methodist church in Woodstock, Georgia. During that time, she was involved in Women's Circle. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Ermel enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Ermel appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Ermel always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included travel to Maine and all across the United States and to Europe.

She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. Her new life involved relocating to Cotter, Arkansas. In retirement, she found new pleasure in the activities at her church and being a board member at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Even in retirement, Ermel continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Ermel Davidson Cox passed away on December 26, 2010 at Green Park Personal Care Home in Marietta, Georgia. Ermel died peacefully in her sleep at 96 years of age. She is survived by daughters, Sandy and Janet and their families, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Services were held at Woodstock Funeral Home Chapel in Woodstock, Georgia. Ermel was laid to rest in Walnut Hill Cemetery in Cotter, Arkansas.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Ermel Davidson Cox. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.