Obituary of Ernestine Elizabeth Cox

Cox, Ernestine Elizabeth Boston Rose

May 6, 1916 - July 3, 2013

Born in Charleston, SC, Ernestine was the youngest child born to the union of Rev. Andrew Spann Boston and Elizabeth Walton Gadsden Boston. She was a graduate of Stanton High School and Edward Waters College, both located in Jacksonville, FL, as well as Florida Memorial College in St. Augustine, FL. She attended Hampton Institute in Virginia for post graduate studies and obtained her Master's degree from Florida A&M University. She began her teaching career in Reidsville, GA and Crawfordville, GA. For over forty years, she was a teacher in the Duval County School System with assignments at Donnell Cookman Grammar, West Connect High and Florida Jr. College-North Campus, all in Jacksonville. She was a passionate educator who spent her entire life educating the 'whole child'. Because of this passion, in the early 1950s, she along with her Donnell Cookman Grammar School colleagues, Priscilla Jones and Alease Henderson, opened the Gretel and Gertie Dance Studio. This passion allowed Ernestine to indulge in teaching African-American students the visual and performing arts in addition to her daily classroom instructional responsibilities. She was a lifelong member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Jacksonville, FL. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Amos Rose and Lenius Cox, eleven Gadsden siblings, brother Andrew Walter Boston, son Raymond Rose, foster son, Donald Barringer, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews. She is survived by her foster daughter Carleen Cunningham, grandchildren Jermain Rose and Brande Vickers-Rose, great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, caregivers, church family and friends. A memorial will be held, Saturday, July 13, 2013, 11 A.M., St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 6910 New Kings Road (US 1 @ Richardson), Jacksonville, FL., Rev. Marvin C. Zanders II officiating. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Paul A.M.E. Church.