Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Army, My dad died when I was 8 years old and we have very little information
about him-- we know he inducted at Ft. Oglethorpe in March 1943 as a radio
operator (MOS 740), arrived in Europe on November 17, 1944 and was a POW
from the date of his injury on December 20, 1944 until he was liberated on
April 13, 1945. He left Europe on May 2 and arrived in the US on May 12, 1945.
He apparently was then assigned to Battery A, 576th Field Artillery Batallion at
Ft. Bragg, NC until his discharge on November 23, 1945.

Submitted by his son: Barry W. Brasfield - Rootsweb section on Purple Heart recipients.

Edgar married COX, Mary Etta about May 1946. Mary (daughter of COX, Sam Benton and ROBERTS, Mary Etta) was born on 7 Aug 1927 in Ashland, Mississippi; died on 24 Dec 2020 in Humboldt, Gibson, Tennessee, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Golden Deeds Award honors Mary Mathews This year's recipient of the Exchange Club Golden Deeds Award is a quiet, unassuming, servant in the community who seeks neither recognition nor acclaim, but is well known for courage, faith, integrity, and selfless service. Mary Mathews was born in 1927, in the Abel's Store Community near Ashland, Mississippi, the ninth of 12 children to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Cox. Her parents owned and farmed 90 acres between the towns of Ashland and Hickory Flat where they raised cotton and corn, as well as cutting timber in the woods around the area. Though the family did not have much in the way of money, they never lacked the necessities. Mary always said that every year, regardless of how well or poorly the crop did, each child received a new pair of shoes. "Papa always seemed to come up with the money," she would say. All of the children helped work on the farm, with the chores being shared by all. As they got older, the boys would help in the fields while the girls would help their mother at the house with cooking, cleaning, canning, churning, and the other things which many of us today know little about. Mary even had to haul water from the spring about a half-mile away! However, everyone would work the fields when the cotton came in. Mary learned from the farm that one does what one has to do, because otherwise, it goes undone. She was educated at the old Union School, a small, one room country schoolhouse near her home. Mary and her brothers and sisters walked to school every day, except, of course, when it was time to pick cotton. (Her children teasingly say that she walked to school barefoot, in the snow, uphill, both ways.) As the nation was in the grip of the Great Depression, resources at the school were rather limited. The younger children were in the same room as the older children and there was only one teacher. When the weather was warm, turning on the air conditioning meant to open the windows and for heat in the winter, a wood burning stove which consisted of a 55 gallon drum with an attached stovepipe was all there was. Of course, firewood wasn't a problem as the school was in the woods but somebody had to cut it, stack it, and bring it in. Today, we would say that these children were deprived of a good education due to a lack of funding, but Mary received an education that has served her well during her lifetime. Because of the difficulties of the day, she has ingrained in her being, an appreciation for taking advantage of educational opportunities, which she has passed on, to her children. A few months after her 14th birthday, America was plunged into the cauldron of World War II with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Mary says that she remembers listening to the news reports on the radio and about how shocked she and her family were. Her older brother Gus joined the army and was sent to the Pacific theater. Mary began a scrapbook with news clippings from papers and magazines concerning the preparation for war and the terrible battles that followed. As it raged on in the Pacific and Europe, little did Mary realize that events surrounding the war would have a dramatic impact upon her future. In July of 1944, Mary's brother Edwin was drafted into the army and underwent basic training before being shipped overseas to Europe in December. At about the same time, the Battle of the Bulge began in Belgium. These two events would play significant roles in her life for in March of 1945, Edwin tragically died in action against Nazi soldiers. His death was a terrible blow to Mary and her family but along with the sense of loss came a solemn pride in knowing that Edwin died in the service of his country. In April, the release from the German POW camps of a young soldier captured in the Battle of the Bulge was to have a profound and lasting impact upon her. In 1944, Mary, deciding to begin life on her own, left the family farm and traveled to Memphis to begin work. She lived for a while with her cousin Beth, who was married to Earl Brasfield and then moved to a boarding house. In December of 1945, Beth introduced Mary to Earl's brother, Louis, who had just recently been discharged from the army after spending four months as a prisoner of war. Louis and Mary married in May of 1946 and their first child, Mary Jane, was born in 1947. Bob followed in 1948 and Mike in 1949. Louis had begun learning the trade of watchmaker and jeweler and opened his business in the community of Frayser, TN, while Mary concentrated on the duties of homemaker and mother. The family began to grow again in 1955, with the birth of Barry, Paul came in 1957, and Roger in 1959. Almost immediately after Roger's birth, Louis moved his business to Humboldt and opened Brasfield's Jewelry in the cubbyhole shop next door to the Plaza Theater. The family followed in March of 1960, moving into the old Bethshares house at the corner of Mitchell and Central. In 1963, Louis moved the store to its present location at 1314 Main Street and he and Mary bought a new home on the Northeast side of town. In August of 1964, Mary's world changed forever when Louis passed away of a heart attack. She was left behind with six children and a business to run in which she had very little experience. Yet she knew that Humboldt was where she wanted to be and where her children needed to be so she decided to stay and continue on. Mary took over the business working there 9-10 hours per day and then coming home to feed the kids, clean, do laundry and the million other things that a parent must do. For nearly five years, Mary carried on alone. In 1969, she married Robert E. Mathews and now had someone to learn on. Bobby, as he is known, is her best friend, confidant, and supporter and together, they finished raising the three younger children. Mary has always been active in the community. She was a member of the Downtown Merchants Association for many years, and is active in the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW. Obviously veterans hold a special place in Mary's heart. Perhaps this stems from the sacrifices that her brother and first husband made in the Second World War. Mary semi-retired in 1989 when she sold the jewelry store to Roger who owns it today. Since retirement, Mary has volunteered at the Humboldt General Hospital and for the last two years has served on the hospital's Board of Advisors. While it can be said that Mary's legacy is one of courage and service, perhaps her greatest legacy lies elsewhere. At the present, Mary has 17 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. It is hoped that the lessons of service to others, courage, and sacrifice that Mary has always lived, will be passed on to them.

Notes:

Photo of his tombstone shows name as John Edgar Brasfield.


Buried:
Enon Cemetery

John married DEW, Rose Etta on 21 Mar 1923 in Dyer, Tennessee, USA. Rose (daughter of DEW, James Ella Sr. and LUCAS, Ida Lee) was born on 23 Apr 1894 in Tennessee, USA; died on 16 Jul 1970. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Sam married ROBERTS, Mary Etta. Mary (daughter of ROBERTS, Robert Lee and COOPER, Ada F) was born on 1 Jan 1890 in Mississippi, USA; died in Sep 1980 in Ashland, Benton, Mississippi, USA; was buried in Ashland, Benton County, Mississippi, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Linnie married DOERR, Cecilia Ann Elizabeth on 13 Jan 1886 in Lauderdale, Tennessee, USA. Cecilia (daughter of DOERR, William Lewis and PRIVETT, Prudence) was born on 26 Sep 1866 in Crockett, Tennessee, USA; died on 27 Feb 1937 in Halls, Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States of America; was buried in Dry Hill, Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Old New Hope Methodist Cemetery

James married LUCAS, Ida Lee. Ida was born about Jun 1872 in Tennessee, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Robert married COOPER, Ada F in 1887. Ada was born in Mar 1869 in Mississippi, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]