COX, HENRY J. AND MABELL (OSENBAUGH)
Henry J. Cox was born on September 15, 1915 to Alexander B. (Eck) and Minnie L. (Kirk) Cox in their Kinkaid shack on Calf Creek in south Cherry County. Dr. Adams had been called but with the roads as they were at that time the stork wouldn't wait and Henry arrived before the Doctor could get there. However, Eck, being the good cowman he was, had no trouble.
Henry (or Hank as he was called) grew up on the family ranch and attended one room country schools through the eighth grade, riding horseback the two miles to school. He came into Mullen for high school and boarded with several different families during his four years. He stayed with Alice Pool, Ross Hungerfords, and the E.P Eriksens. Hank graduated with the class of 1932.
After graduation he returned to the ranch and worked for his father and began to get his own herd of cows. However, this was interrupted by the bombing of Pearl Harbor and on December 8, 1941 he and Harry Sweet joined the Navy. Hank went in as a Aviation Ordinance man First Class. He spent 3 years in the Combat Zone of the South Pacific. While in service he married Wilamene Ericksen in November of 1944. Hank was discharged from the Navy at Astoria, Oregon on September 12, 1945.
He returned to the Sandhills and Calf Creek Ranch. At this time “Eck'' and Minnie decided to retire to Mullen and sold the ranch to their sons, Henry and Donald. Each of the boys ran their half separately with Hank using the “Quarter Circle Seven L'' brand.
Hank and Wilamene had four children, Judith born 1946; Kay Louise born
1947; Alexander Bryant II (AB)
1948; and Erika Christine (Chris)
1955. Wilamene moved into Mullen with the children in the early '50's for school and later resumed her teaching career at McCook, Nebraska. She and Hank were divorced.
Hank continued to live on the ranch where he raised Angus cattle and was one of the first area ranchers to begin raising black white faced cattle. He was active in the American Society of Range Management and won several awards.
On August 2, 1958 Hank married Mabell (Osenbaugh) Ericksen, a widow with 2 small children, Suzanne and Erik. Mabell was teaching school in Mullen and she continued teaching while Hank commuted between the ranch and town.
On 1960 they had a daughter, Lou Ann and Mabell stopped teaching for a few years. About this time Hank leased his ranch to Tilbert Wright and retired to Mullen where he opened a Gun Shop, later adding fishing gear and lapidary articles. He also continued to pursue his life long interest in hunting and fishing.
Mabell was active in church and commu-nity affairs but went back to teaching school in 1969. She and Claudia Tompkins were the first traveling Art and Music teachers in Hooker County. They traveled four days a week to Hooker County and South Cherry County schools where Claudia taught art and Mabell taught music. They did this for several years until all of the children were bussed into the Mullen School. It was an interesting and fun experience.
All three children graduated from Mullen High School, Suzanne in 1965, Erik in 1966, and Lou Ann in 1979. Suzanne graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan with a B.S. degree and an R.N. from Bryan Memorial. She is now a nurse in Tucson, Arizona. She married Steven Vallentine in June of 1971 but they are now divorced. Erik served 4 years in the U.S. Navy, 1 year of Airline Training and 1 year of Saddle Making School and now has his own Leather and Boot Repair Shop in Ennis, Montana. He married Mary Kay Eby in August of 1971. Her parents are Ed and Annabel Eby of Valentine. They have three children, Tyler Rick born 1972; Brad Luke born 1976; and Jessica Jo born 1980.
Lou Ann graduated from Kearney State and teaches Special Education in Elwood, Nebraska. She is married to Neal Dennis Fornander who also teaches in Elwood. His parents are Neal and Margurite Fornander of Chappell, Nebraska.
Henry has been very active in the Mullen E.M.T. program and has served on the squad for over 15 years, part of that time as Captain.
Mabell went to Chadron State College and got an M.A. in Special Education and is still teaching. She is active in the Hooker County Historical Society, Cactii Arts Council, Girl Scouts, Eastern Star and various community activities as well as the United Methodist Church of which she and Hank are both members.
In 1987 they had an exchange student from Monterray, Mexico, Norma Cantu, the daughter of Reynaldo and Sylvia Cantu. She was a delightful addition to their family and the community.