Olivia Nannie Blanche Moore (1893-1934)

Ozie Fox was the oldest son (born January 22, 1889) of George Monroe Fox and Cleopatra Clayton Fox. Ozie had four brothers: George Monroe, Jr. (June 1890 -- 1952), Lester Fox (August 1892 -- August 1893), William Maxie Fox (1894 -- 1964), and Hassell Fox (1897 -- 1960). Ozie and his parents and brothers were born and raised in Person County [North Carolina] in the Pick's Siding Community, now known as the Somerset Community.

Ozie knew a girl who lived at Payne's Tavern named Olivia Nannie Blanch Moore (born September 28, 1893). She was the fifth child of John T. Moore (28 May 1859 -- 6 March 1905) and Mollie A. Moore (2 October 1866 -- 16 October 1912). Blanch had three brothers, Willie Lawrence Moore, James Walter Moore, John Lester Moore, and four sisters, Mammie Arrena Moore, Bessie Moore, Lottie Moore, and Ruby Moore. Blanch's father died in 1905, and the family moved to Durham where the mother operated a boarding house and the girls worked in a hosiery mill.

After Blanch came back to visit her grandparents at Payne's Tavern, Ozie asked her to marry him. Blanch told him she would have to go back to Durham and work and make some money to buy her wedding clothes. Ozie have her $25.00 to buy her clothes, and they were married March 15, 1913.

They moved into a three-room log cabin on Ozie's daddy's farm in Pick's Siding Area. Ozie worked to help his daddy pay for the farm and in return Ozie's daddy gave him around 18 or 20 acres of that farm.

In the beginning, Blanch did not know ow to cook, so Ozie hired a black man named Starling to come and teach Blanch to cook. Starling always wore white clothes when he worked in the kitchen.

Ozie was a framer in his early years, but later did some grading work on Highway 501 with a team of horses. He graded several yards in the community and in Roxboro. He also worked as a carpenter -- worked at the sawmill and many other jobs. That three-room log cabin turned into an eight-room house, and Ozie did all the work himself.

Ozie had a nickname. Before he was able to get a radio at home, he would go to one of his neighbors or over to the filling station every week at 6 o'clock to listen to Amos and Andy. One of his friends, Mr. Joe Kelly nicknamed him "Kingfish." That nickname stayed with Ozie until his death.

Ozie and Blanch had 11 children. On October 20, 1934, during a birthday party for their oldest daughter, Blanch died suddenly with a heart attack. Her death left Ozie with 10 children at home. There were no luxuries in their home, but they always had food on the table and clothes to wear. As these children grew up and married and moved out of the house, Ozie stayed on at home, living alone for two years.

By the time his last child married and left home, there were several grandchildren in the family. And, Ozie loved those grandchildren. On Saturday night, he would go around and pick up the grandchildren that were old enough, put them in his panel truck, and go to the drive-in movie to see a "good old Saturday night western."

Ozie had always had good health. He was never sick and never in a hospital. But on September 13, 1955, whole working on one of his rental houses when he had a fatal heart attack. He was a good daddy and was loved by all of his children. Ozie and Blanch are buried in the Clayton-Long Cemetery.

These are the children and families of Ozie and Blanch:

1. James Ervin Fox (born 29 January 1914) married Betty Harris. They had four boys, bobby, Cecil, Jerry, and William Thomas, who lived only one month.

2. Ruth Madlene Fox (born 20 October 1915) married William Richard Kelly. They had two children -- a son named Billy and a daughter named Shirley. Ruth and Richard were divorced, and Ruth later married Woodrow Wilson Petty.

3. Mildred Lois Fox (born 1 November 1917) married Melvin Clyde Huff. They had one child -- a son named Melvin Donald Huff.

4. Mary Maxine Fox (26 February 1920 -- 8 August 1966) married Clayton Rhew. They had four sons: Daniel, Ricky, Wayne, and Alward Rhew. Maxine died at the age of 46 with a heart attack. She is buried in the Clayton-Long Cemetery.

5. Mable Clare Fox (born 24 March 1922) married Paul Lewis Gunter. They had two children: a daughter named Paulette Gunter, and a son named Timothy Lewis Gunter. Mabel and Paul are divorced.

6. Ozie Alward Fox, Jr. (24 June 1924 -- 31 March 1973) married Louise Pulliam. Then had two children: a daughter named Bonnie Fox, and a son named Gary Fox. O. A. died at the age of 48, and Louise died at the age of 51.

7. Foy Roberson Fox (born 6 October 1926) married Billie Crayton. They had six children: four boys -- Ronnie, Tim, Ted, Rocky Fox, and two girls -- Teresa and Tammy Fox.

8. George Thomas Fox (born 15 February 1928) married Patsy Elizabeth Tingen. They had two children: a son, Earl Thomas Fox, and a daughter, Kathryn Elizabeth Fox.

9. Harry Lee Fox (born 11 July 1930) married Shirley Carter. They had two children, a daughter, Vickie Lee Carter and a son, Randy Michael Carter.

10. Claiborne Earl Fox (born 29 October 1931) married Barbara Arlene Tuck. They had two sons -- Richard Earl Fox and Randall Todd Fox.

11. Bobby Lester Fox (born and died 1 May 1934).

As of this date, 1983, Ozie and Blanch have had seven [eleven] children, twenty-seven grandchildren, thirty-eight great grandchildren, the three second-great grandchildren.

Source: The Heritage of Person County, Volume II, Madeline Hall Eaker, Editor (1983) at 155-156 (Article #194 "Ozie Alward Fox, Sr., Family" by Lois Fox Huff and Arlene Tuck Fox).

• Married: 15 MAR 1913

1. James Ervin Fox b: 29 JAN 1914
2. Ruth Madeline Fox b: 20 OCT 1915
3. Mildred Lois Fox b: 01 NOV 1917
4. Mary Maxine Fox b: 26 FEB 1920
5. Mabel Claire Fox b: 24 MAR 1922 in Person County, North Carolina
6. Ozie Alwood Fox Jr. b: 24 JUN 1924
7. Living Fox
8. Living Fox
9. Living Fox
10. Claborne Earl Fox b: 29 OCT 1931
11. Bobby Lester Fox b: 01 MAY 1934

1. Citation Text: Obituary of Mabel Fox Gunter (1922-2008)
2. Details: Fox and Graham Family Website