ForeverMissed
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His Life

Amos Max

May 21, 2017
Amos Max Cox was born April 9, 1934 in Sullivan County, Mo to Orval and Gertrude Pearson Cox.  He and his twin brother Andy (passed away July 2020) were the youngest of 5 with older siblings Eldon (passed away December 2007), Betty and Alta.  Most of his childhood was spent in Erie, KS.  The family moved to Princeton, MO his freshman year of high school.  He participated in track and was a member of the football team. 

He married his high school sweetheart, Betty Lea Wilcox, in 1952 and moved to Kansas City, MO where he worked for a brief time as a driver for the Coca Cola Company and then he drove a mail truck for TWA.  In 1955 he began his career in trucking, working 16 years for IML Freight with 10 years as a manager.  For the next 27 years he was an over the road driver for Yellow Freight with bid runs to neighboring states.

As a young adult Amos loved to race go carts. His son Jerry raced in the children division and his wife Betty raced a few times in the Powder Puff division.  In 1962 during one of his races, Amos slammed into a retaining wall and severely broke his leg.  He remained in a cast for 6 months.

Amos also had a passion to fly airplanes.  His first plane was a 2-passenger Cessna 150.  He upgraded to a 4-passenger Mooney which he loved to fly; especially to his house on lake Pomme de Terre.  In October 1982, during a flight to Halstead, KS for an annual checkup on his plane, Amos encountered wind shear and crashed at the Halstead airport.  His injuries were severe, and the family was advised that he would spend a minimum of 6 months in the hospital.  Advanced therapy / treatments allowed Amos to return home 9 weeks later wearing leg braces and still wearing a cast on his right arm, which he continued to wear for one year.

Amos was an active member of the Riverside Chamber of Commerce and was president during the 1993 term.  It was during his time with the Chamber that they lobbied for and successfully brought the Argosy Casino to Riverside.  Proceeds from the casino were directed to the City of Riverside which has allowed many improvements to the community.

In 1994 Amos passed his physical examination with Yellow Freight and started driving over the road until his retirement in 2000.  At that time, Amos and Betty retired to a farm they purchased in Preston, MO.  He enjoyed his cow/calf operation and working around the homestead.

Amos became a deacon of the Assembly of God Church in Branch, MO in 2001.  He enjoyed the fellowship and activities they supported throughout the years at the church.  He also volunteered his time to mow the grounds of the church and helped with maintenance of the buildings.

In 2013, Amos and Betty moved to Kearney, MO and immediately became involved with all of the neighbors.  Amos would stay busy mowing neighbors' grass around their ponds and the ditches along the county street in front of their subdivision. He also used his plow to keep driveways clear of snow during the winters.  His generous spirit was appreciated by everyone and endeared him to all of his friends and family.

Betty Lea 1935 - 2022

May 21, 2017
Betty Lea Cox was born May 11, 1935 in Mt. Moriah, Missouri.  She transitioned to her heavenly home on January 4, 2022 at the Kansas City Hospce & Palliative Care facility. Services were held on January 7, 2022 with her pastor Michael Pucket officiating.  Interment was at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Princeton, Missouri.

She was the oldest child of Ellis and Fairel (Gannon) Wilcox who preceded her in death.  She grew up near Princeton, Missouri and was also preceded in death by an infant brother, her brother, Earl Dean in 1977, and sister, Patty Sue in 2020.  After graduating at age 17 from Princeton High School, she married Amos Cox on June 22, 1952 and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri where they welcomed their first child, Jerry Max.  Gwendolyn Sue Skorupan (husband Larry) was born in 1955 and Tammy June Ensor (husband Russ) was born in 1958. She is survived by grandchildren Justin Barclay (wife Jamie Kanki), Darlene Brown (husband Jared), J.J. Hilger (wife Julia), Matthew Hilger, and Josh Hilger (wife Amy) as well as great grandchildren.

 In 1960 they built a home in Riverside, MO where they lived for the next 40 years. 

Betty was very industrious and took in laundry as well as provided babysitting services for several years.  She then began a career as a seamstress, first by working as a machine operator for Nelly Don and then opened her own business, Betty Lea Fashions, Inc., a garment manufacturer in Riverside, MO.  In addition to manufacturing, she took in alterations and ran a ladies clothing retail shop in the front of her factory.  Her clientele included Annie Santa Fe Restaurant uniforms, Hal Hardin apparel, Eloise Fashions (girls dresses sold to Saks Fifth Avenue), HyStyle Sportswear, and TJ Cinnamon franchise aprons. One of the Eloise dresses she made appeared on the 1987 cover of Better Homes and Garden Christmas edition. She was also one of the first manufacturer of Zubaz pants for Chief fans and was commissioned to make a pair of boxing trunks for Evander Holyfield.

 After 22 years, she sold her business and retired with Amos to Preston, Mo.  She and Amos joined the Assembly of God church in Branch, MO.  She stepped in as Diector of the outreach program which she ran for over 10 years. Betty was quick to organize Church dinners and auctions which aided the church to pay off their mortgage; as well as numerous other events.  Her smile was infectious as she volunteered to greet members and visitors on Sunday mornings.

Though Betty was an amazing business woman, she was better known for her generosity and love for her family and friends.  Her home cooked meals for family gatherings were legendary - especially the breakfasts she provided to everyone after early morning water skiing excursions at their lake house on Pomme de Terre.  Sunday dinners were a tradition at her home in Riverside for years and were sorely missed when they moved to Preston.

In 2013 Betty and Amos moved to Kearney, MO to be closer to family.  The community offered acreage while still being close to amenities as well as wonderful new neighbors that became close friends. After suffering several mini strokes, Betty became a resident of Valley Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Excelsior Springs.  Amos visited her daily to ensure all of her needs were met and to spend time together.