Dennis Russell Cox (1951-2005)

COX, HILL, KAALBERG, SCHRACEO, DAUFELDT, HARVEY, MERCHANT

Posted By: Linda White (email)
Date: 9/10/2014 at 22:03:00

DENNIS RUSSELL COX

WEST LIBERTY - Dennis Russell Cox, 54, of West Liberty, died peacefully at his home Friday, July 1, 2005 after enduring several years of health issues including beating lung cancer, but succumbing to liver failure.

Visitation is scheduled for 2-5 p.m. Saturday, July 2, with a 5 p.m. wake service at Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Liberty. A funeral mass will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at St. Joseph‘s Catholic Church in West Liberty. The Reverend Dennis Martin will officiate with Geraldine Ruess, the organist. Pallbearers will be Paul Harvey, Chad Phelps, Ben Kaalberg, Andy White, Travis White and Eric Daufeldt. Honorary pallbearers are Andy Harvey, Jack Bunker, FR Bunker, Mark Allison, Chris Keller, Chris McCaw, John Amos, Dave Aragon, Brent Phelps, Wayne Harvey, Justin Cox, Tony Wellington, Rueben Chavez, Travis Sieverding, Ben Sieverding, Johnathan Kaalberg and Dillon Cooney. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Nichols. Memorials may be made to Iowa City Hospice.

Dennis Russell Cox was born on March 28, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas to Jesse Russell Cox and Betty Joan (Hill) Cox.

Dennis graduated from West Liberty High School in 1970 and served in the United States Army from 1971-73 during the Vietnam War. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Fort Benning, GA, and Fort Lewis, WA, as an avionics flight repairman.

He graduated from Muscatine Community College in 1974 with an associate degree in farm management. He married Catherine Joan (Kaalberg) Cox on August 31, 1974 at St. Mary’s Church in Nichols.

He worked for many years for various farmers in the West Liberty area and then worked for Bandag from 1975-77. In 1977 he started working for HON Industries on Oak Street and later Oak Laminate before falling ill in 2002.

Dennis was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus #12994, American Legion Post #509 and Moose Lodge #388.

Dennis enjoyed spending time teasing his family and friends, gardening and farming, traveling, watching cattle shows, and cheering for his favorite NASCAR driver, Bill Elliott or Kasey Kahne, handing out bags of M&M’s, watching John Wayne movies, eating his favorite foods, dill pickles, tomatoes juice, goulash, and strawberry ice cream.

He was a giving man who had a kindness and loving wit about him that people who knew him thoroughly enjoyed and will always remember. When he became ill, his faith in God gave him the strength to persevere.

Our thanks and gratitude go to all who prayed for Denny during the bad times, to the doctors and nurses at Cancer Care of Iowa City, Mercy Services of West Liberty, Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, and Iowa City Hospice, for their many skills and talents in caring for Denny.

Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Catherine; his mother, Betty; brothers and sisters, Rose Schraceo (Jerry Stanley), of Galesburg, IL, Alice (Harley) Daufeldt, Tipton, Larry (Josie) Harvey of Burkburnett, TX, Deb Merchant of North English; Ron (Faye Cline) of Atalissa, and Barry (Rebecca Thoma) Cox of Conesville, as well as many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jesse, in 1978.