Harold Eugene Cox

Harold Cox was a dedicated, hardworking, and selfless man. Devoted and loyal to his family, nothing brought him greater joy than the time he spent with each and every one of them. Harold always kept a stash of candy and chocolate donuts at the house for any lucky visitor who stopped over. His sense of compassion and his ability to let people know how much he loved them by how much he teased or gave them a hard time will be deeply missed. The greatest gift Harold leaves behind is his unconditional love for his many special friends and family, especially all of his grandchildren.

The Roaring Twenties was a period of sustained economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge. Jazz music was booming, as well as the automotive industry, and the nation was seeing large scale industrial growth which brought about significant changes during this era. With the media focused on celebrities, especially sports heroes and movie figures, Charles Walter and Bertha (Buffenbarger) Cox welcomed home their own star, a newborn son, Harold, on September 7, 1924, in Jefferson Township. His birth brought them great joy and another set of hands to help out on the farm.

Growing up on a rural farm, Harold knew the value of a hard days work at a very young age. He loved working on the family farm and when he had any time left over after completing his daily chores, he enjoyed roller skating. Graduating from Jefferson Center High School, he followed in his parents footsteps and went into farming himself.

Not to be forgotten was the meeting of Iris Standiford who would change the course of his life forever. Her family was renting a house from his parents and although he was a little shy, he managed to muster the courage to ask her out with a little bit of extra encouragement from his mother. Most of their dates involved going to late evening movies as his work schedule often kept him late on the farm. Eager to spend the rest of their lives together, they joined in marriage on January 16, 1949, at her familys church in Waynedale. For a brief time, the newlyweds lived in Washington Township on another family members farm before they bought their own farm in Jefferson Township. Harold and Iris successfully managed and operated the Cox Family Farm until 1976. Together they had five wonderful children. Harold raised his own children much the same way he was raised as they too had many responsibilities around the farm. Dairy farming was busy and often relentless work leaving them very little time for family vacations. When they did manage some time off they most likely went to the Indiana State Fair or the kids stayed back to tend the farm while he and Iris would get away. Even with five children, there was often more than enough work to go around, so Harold would pay local kids to help out and earn themselves extra spending money or help them out in any way possible.

After 1976, it was time for him to make a change, Harold took work sod farming and working in a warehouse, Commercial Warehouse and Cartage in Fort Wayne. Later, he enjoyed driving truck for CWC right up until the past ten years before he fully retired. With the kids all grown and no longer a dairy farmer, he and Iris enjoyed wintering down in Winterhaven, Florida. His retirement allowed him and Iris time to travel with their camper and even take a memorable trip to Europe on a farm tour. Their youngest daughter, LuAnn also accompanied the two of them on a Caribbean cruise. Travel was their favorite pastime where they enjoyed taking in the local sites as well as relaxing in the rich rewards of their hard earned labor.

Harold was a man of many special interests yet much of his life he was far too busy to explore them all. In his later years, hed often spend his time tinkering with his truck or working on a house project. His life was made all the richer when grandchildren began filling up their home. Harold had a natural way with children and loved doting on each and every one of his grandchildren. He had an enormous amount of patience and allowed them to get away with far more behaviors than he ever did as a father! The grandchildren also learned the same core values of hard work by working small tasks on the farm and loved making memories by driving him around on the golf cart. Even though Harold was not a huge fan of water, he treasured taking rides around the lake on the pontoon boat with his family. Whenever a visitor or family member was looking for a treat, he always had candy or a donut around, and there was no doubt that hed have some fresh fruit along with dill pickles and green olives on hand as it was also some of his favorite things to snack on.

Harold was a good man who was proud of his success over the years. He wanted nothing more than his family to be joyful and happy and live a life that was devoted to making lasting memories with one another. His wonderful collection of memories will be fondly remembered for years to come and his legacy of living his life to the fullest will be forever etched on the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

Harold Eugene Cox, 92, of Columbia City, Indiana passed away at 3:20 p.m. Saturday, August 26, 2017, at Millers at Oak Pointe. Survivors include his son, Dale (Renee) Cox, of Albion; daughters, Rita (Ed) Thompson-Sites, of North Webster, Darlene (Jeff) Clack, Myra (Ron) Bolinger, LuAnn Davies, all of Columbia City; brother, Paul Cox, of Columbia City; sister, Lavonne Smith, of Lakeland, Florida; 12 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his lovely wife of 64 years, Iris in 2013; his parents; his sons-in-law, Gale Thompson and James Davies; his brother-in-law, Charles Smith; and his sister-in-law, Joann Cox.

Visitation is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, August 30, 2017, at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. on Thursday at the funeral home with Pastor Steve Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove (Compton) Cemetery where he will be laid to rest beside Iris. Memorial donations can be made in his memory to Heartland Hospice or Jefferson Township Fire Department. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send a condolence.