Gene Leroy Cox, 91, of Kamiah, died Thursday, March 7, 2013, at St. Mary's Hospital in Cottonwood.
Dad was born Jan. 16, 1922, in Boles, Idaho, to John and Maggie Busick Cox. He was one of four boys and three girls. He grew up in the Lewiston Orchards. He attended school at the old Tammany School, riding horseback to get there. The family moved to Winchester in 1939.
As a boy, he had a horse named Dixie. He trained her so he never had to use the hitching post. He just dropped the reins and she would stay, no matter how long it was.
Dad enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on Sept. 23, 1943, and served in Okinawa, Japan, during World War II. He was honorably discharged Feb. 11, 1946.
On June 15, 1947, he married Florence Cason of Winchester. They celebrated 55 years of marriage together. Mom died Feb. 21, 2003.
After their marriage, Dad sawed logs on the Grande Ronde. They moved to Culdesac, where Dad worked for Del Law of Del's Electric, learning the electrical trade. He later worked in Winchester for Craig Mountain Lumber Company, which became Hallick and Howard, as an electrician. He also coached Winchester town team basketball.
In 1955, the family moved to Kamiah. Dad worked for Twin Feathers Mill as an electrician. He retired in 1984 after 27 years when Potlatch closed the mill. After retirement, he often wondered how he ever found time to work.
In 1958, Dad and Mom built their own home. Dad was a patient man, because Mom tried out three rooms before finally deciding to leave the kitchen where it is now. In later years, as he worked around the place, he always had a roll of electrician's tape in his shirt pocket and baling twine in his hip pocket.
Dad and Mom were members of the Gold Trail Wranglers riding club. He and Clarence Biggers, both with horses of equal speed, raced in pole bending. Dad and Ginger won. He said he just gave Ginger her head.
Dad and Mom were active members in the Back Country Horsemen. They helped on many projects.
Dad loved his horses. He never had to search the pasture for them. He had trained them to come when called and rewarded them with range checkers. He would sometimes play with them, putting the checkers in his pocket. The horses would nuzzle his pocket as if to say "ya can't fool us!"
Dad and Mom were members of Valley Promenaders and Mt. Dewers square dance clubs. He had fun as an amateur caller. They loved traveling to area dances. While on vacation in 1964, they were the only couple from the United States to dance at the British Columbia Square Dance Festival in Penticton, B.C.
Dad loved to dance. After Mom's death, Dad continued going to dances in Kooskia, Orofino and Kamiah with Joan Moore and Rose Skiles as his partners. He liked dancing to the music at the Kamiah senior meal site.
Dad liked to hunt, fish and camp. He and Mom would take the horses and pack into the mountain lakes. He had quite a sense of humor, enjoyed visiting with friends, going to the Kamiah meal site and watching the Seattle Mariners and Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Dad was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Cassie Warren and Leona Painter; brother Carl Cox; aunt Minnie Harris (of Winchester); and cousin Don Harris.
He is survived by his daughter, Linda Bowles; and son David and Connie Cox, all of Kamiah. Also surviving are grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Kristi Bowles of Kamiah; Jenni and Jordan Bowles of Cottonwood; and Brian Bowles, Trisha, Brandon, Karlie and Rylan Skinner, Neal, Elisa, Brady and Boone Cox, Brandi, Landon and Logan Keen, Jason Keen, Bob, Will and Quentin Millage, all of Kamiah; Ellen and Emily Bush, Betsy Bush Steele and Savea Steele, Jesse Dinnell, Tysun Dinnell, Jessica Workman and Adeline Settles, all of Lewiston; Christini Love of Clarkston; and Stacey (Del) and Connie, Zane and Keenan Dinnell of Molalla, Ore. Also surviving are his brothers, Edd and Donna Cox of Winchester, and Fred and June Cox of Walla Walla; sister Betty Snyder of Spokane; cousin Trudy Long of Lewiston; and many nieces and nephews, including Bobbie Cox Hodge of Clarkston, Kathy Cox (Gary) Williams and Gary (Carol) Cox, both of Lewiston.
Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mountain View Funeral Home, Seventh Street and Cedar Avenue, Lewiston. Burial will follow at Lewis-Clark Memorial Gardens.
For those who wish, contributions in Dad's memory may be made to the Kamiah Emergency Medical Rescue Unit, P.O. Box 585, Kamiah, ID 83536.
Friends may write memories and sign the online Book of Memories at www.mtviewfuneralhome.com.
