Mildred R. Cox

Mildred Cox, 94, of Tulsa, passed away Monday, September 4th, 2017. She was born October 21st, 1922 in Bixby, OK to Franklin Garrett and Sarah Arongona Durham. She was a retired accountant for PSO. She is survived by her brother, Jack Markley and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, William Robert Cox in 1973. Mildred's mother, Sara Gist Durham, died shortly after giving birth to Mildred, leaving her husband Franklin Garrett Durham with several children to rise on his own. Facing this difficult situation, Franklin Durham realized he needed to find help to give his infant daughter the care she needed. He turned to close family friends Hugh Felix and Florence Markley. The Markley's took Mildred into their home when she was under a month old and raised her as their own child, while continuing to respect the bond between Mildred and her biological family. She was treated as a beloved sister to her Markley siblings; however, at Franklin Durham's request, she was never legally adopted (although she assumed the name of Markley as she grew up). The Markley family lived in Bixby when Mildred was preschool age and then moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where she attended school through the 3rd grade. At this time, they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she finished her schooling and graduated from Central High School in May 1940. The Durham biological family made some visits to Mildred as she grew. Although Mildred considered Hugh and Florence Markley to be her parents and their children to be her siblings, she also became close to her Durham siblings, especially as she grew to adulthood. In fact, her close friend Audrey Phillips married Mildred's biological brother Frank Durham, and this made her bond with Frank even more special as they lived near each other in the Tulsa area throughout their adult lives. Mildred traveled to San Francisco to marry Robert Cox in 1944 while he was on a short leave during his Navy service. After settling into married life in Tulsa, Robert and Mildred did not have their own children, so they became very close to their many nieces and nephews and loved them as their own. Frank and Audrey's children, Gloria and Monte, considered Mildred and Robert as their "other mom and dad" and treated and loved them as such, always referring to Mildred as "Aunt Mimi." Mildred's beloved Markley nieces and nephews also loved her dearly and knew her always as "Aunt Millie." Not only was Mildred a beloved family member in the midst of these two families she brought together, she was also a respected business woman. After graduating from Central High School in Tulsa in 1940, she worked for Douglas Aircraft Company in the payroll department. After her marriage in 1944, she went to work for Oklahoma Natural Gas Company (ONG). From there she went to work at Hinderliter Tool Company as an assistant bookkeeper. She quit Hinderliter when they were bought out by an Eastern firm (H.K. Porter Co.) and went back to ONG. In 1960, she took three hours of accounting at Oklahoma School of Accountancy, earning an A. She then went to work for Settle Jewelry as bookkeeper and credit manager. She stayed with Settle Jewelry until 1962, not intending to work anymore. However, Robert had his first heart attack in November 1963, and she went to work for Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) in the credit department and then later in the accounting department, where she worked until her retirement on November 1, 1986. Mildred was a member of Credit Women International in Tulsa from 1963-1986 and served as treasurer, vice-president, junior past president, and parliamentarian. She also belonged to the Consumer Credit Executives Organization and was a charter member of the Oklahoma Consumer Credit Executive Organization. More importantly than the various clubs and memberships, Mildred was a devout and faithful Christian with unwavering faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Visitation 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Thursday, September 7th, 2017 Moore's Eastlawn Chapel 1908 S. Memorial Drive, Tulsa, OK Service 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 8th, 2017 Sheridan Christian Center 205 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK Moore's Eastlawn Chapel 918-622-1155

Mildred R. Cox

October 21, 1922 - August 4, 2017