I am not formally educated beyond high school, but I have received instruction from some of the best minds of the Nashville history elite. I have been so fortunate to have John Egerton and Paul Clements as trusted mentors and friends. Many people in the local history scene have been friends and advisors. George Zepp, Ann Roberts, Robbie Jones, Tara Mitchell Mielnik, Tim Walker, David Ewing, Pat Nolan, Bobby Lovett, Linda Center, and Ridley Wills are among many who have helped and advised me along the way.
I held a position for about 15 years at Metro Nashville Archives as an archives assistant. For 10 years prior, I had been a volunteer at the archives. Davidson County Historian John Connelly was a wonderful friend during those years. I worked with patrons who became friends. Others were found to be relatives sharing one family line or another. Visitors at the archives came in to discover the family history. Some were researching for their master's thesis or a doctoral dissertation. Some wanted to know more about a house's history or how a street was named. Working with authors who were researching material for a book was special. Dr, Mary Francis Berry was so impressive, and it was an honor to receive a credit mention in one of her books. I had an opportunity to work with researchers from the Kennedy Center Honors program by contributing photographs of a young Oprah from the Metro Archives collection.
Every day I learned something new. I also learned to let go of long-held beliefs when facts proved they were not true. One of the hardest to let go of was Fort Nashborough. It did not exist. Though the settlement was called Nashborough in the beginning, the Fort was named the Bluff Station. When Paul Clements first told me this, I did not believe him. But after several years of research, I had to finally accept that he was right.
My proudest accomplishments are in being married to Jimmy for over 53 years. Our daughters are wonderfully talented people, and our two grandchildren are hard-working and caring. Both worked in grocery and retail operations all through the pandemic. We never know how long how time on earth will be. I am hoping for ours to last for many more years. I have so much more to learn and memories to share. The journey has been a good one so far.
P.S. Our granddaughter is now engaged and will be married in 2023, Hope we can stay around long enough to witness the next chapter.
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| Debie and Jimmy Cox 2016 |
