by Ken Thomas

COLUMBIA, Miss. (BNc) — Jimmy W. Cox, 82 year-old preacher for the church in Columbia, Miss., and his wife Shirley, age 61, died in a fire that left little but ashes.

The fire occurred about 2 a.m. Monday, Jan. 10. Jimmy had been a newspaper man in Columbia for many years, but had spent his last several years trying to keep a small congregation going. He also wrote several articles for Magnolia Messenger as well as in the local paper. His first wife, Mattie, had died in 2004, and her death was recorded in Magnolia Messenger. They had three children, daughters Llene Poles and Nancy Tolbert, both of Mobile, Ala., and a deceased son, Jimmy Cox, Jr.

Nancy Tolbert is church secretary at the Regency Church of Christ in Mobile, and her minister Allen Eldridge will conduct Jimmy´s service.

There will be a joint visitation on Friday, Jan. 14, from 5-9 p.m. at Hathorne Funeral Home, 167 Hwy 198 E., Columbia, Miss. Shirley’s funeral will be on Saturday, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m. and Jimmy’s will be at 12:30 p.m.

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