Marshall Cox

We honor and celebrate the life of Jim Cox, a man who touched and inspired so many people in his 84 years with us. Jim said many times, "If I don't live past today I have had my share of Blessings." Marshall James Cox was born July 23, 1932 in Cape Girardeau MO to John M and Adell Harris Cox. His father died when Jim was just three and a half years old from mustard gas he came in contact with in World War II. Jim didn't know his father but was devoted to his mother Adell and would have handed her the world if it had been his to give. In his eyes she was a Saint who raised eight children and several of her brothers and sisters, primarily on her own. Jim always felt he had a Tom Sawyer type of life playing in the Mississippi River, making their own rafts and jumping off the barges. He always said it was a wonder they all survived, and laughing, he said had his mom found out she would have told him "go get a willow stick off the tree in the yard." Jim went to St Mary's Catholic school in the first grade, then went to Maygreen Public School until fourth grade. He went to St. Vincent Catholic School, graduating from the eighth grade. His teacher Sister Mary Martin said, "your grades aren't good enough but I can't stand you for another year". There was a Priest who came to school each morning for Catacism and a few times Jim said he was sitting in the hall and Father said "James what are you doing out here?" Jim said "Sister was picking on me" to which Father replied, "I don't ever want to hear that again." One day Jim was standing on the teachers desk and the fan hit him in the head and knocked him flat on the floor. When the teacher came in she knew what happened when she saw the broken fan and the knot on his head. Jim didn't wear his religion on his sleeve. He didn't talk much about Religion but he was very dedicated to his Catholic upbringing. He always enjoyed being an Usher at the 11:00 Mass at St Anthonys Catholic Church for 40 years. He always had a greeting, a smile, a hug or a handshake for the other parishners. Jim told of a time when he was a young boy and was walking to school for a Christmas play. The night was crisp with a full moon and as he headed across a corn field the urge to kneel and pray overtook him. There was another time Jim and Mev were leaving a Christmas Mass. It was so cold and windy and there was a young man walking down the street carrying a large sack of cans. Jim pulled over, got out and handed him $20.00 and wished him a "Merry Christmas." When Jim got back in the truck there were tears in his eyes and he told Mev, "He had the bluest eyes I have ever seen and I felt like I was looking into the eyes of Jesus". Jim was a generous man but never really wanted anyone to know. There were many times he would give someone a lift and a few dollars because he didn't want anyone to go hungry, like he did a few times. When he and Mev were traveling, there were times he would step out of the car or walk up to a guy on the street and hand him a few dollars. Jim said so many times, "God has blessed me and I know he wants me to spread his bounty along to others." When son-in-law Mike had to have surgery in Denver he was so concerned about him and his young family. Jim went to Mev one night and said "God just told me Mike is going to be ok". Jim did a lot of different things in his life time. He moved to Wyoming in 1949 when he was just a kid of seventeen. He really never had a desire to return to Missouri except to visit family. He laughed as he told about always dreaming of living in Wyoming where the cowboys and Indians lived, because that is how the east and south still thought of us Westerners. As everyone knows Missouri is pretty flat but with beautiful greenery everywhere around you, but Jim said he would always stay in Wyoming where he could be high on the mountains and see far across the miles. Jims first job was at the Ford Garage as a janitor for about 5 months. He said he really thought he was a cool cat when he made $170.00 a month and was able to go to the movies whenever he wanted. With his first pay check he bought himself a pair of Olson Stelzer cowboy boots and a 3X beaver Stetson hat. Now he knew he was a real cowboy. He always laughed when he told about buying a horse and had to sell it when it was eating more than he was making. Jim was always a hard worker and after the Ford Garage he went to work for the Standard Service Station for 3 months washing and greasing cars. His next job was at Wyoming Grocery where he traveled to Denver to pick up produce and also made deliveries around the State. He was with that job approximately five years until he started working for Salt Creek Freightways in 1956. He worked for Salt Creek for close to 30 years, until they closed their doors when he was only 53 years old. That was a devastating time for Jim as the Company had been so good to him and was such a large part of his life. One of the things that was the hardest for him to give up was the love of socializing and meeting new people every day on the job. After Salt Creek he worked part time for several other freight companies for seven years which made him sixty years old. In the mean time he took an early retirement from the Teamsters Union when he turned 55. To back up a little now, Jim started playing an old Broadway brand guitar his future father in law Ted Chase had given him in 1950. Little did anyone know at the time it would develop into a lifelong love for him. He always loved to sing even as a kid and told of a story when his whole grade school class was singing Anchors Away. He loved the song and was really belting it out when the rest of the class stopped to listen to him. He said he quit singing also because he didn't know the rest of the words, but later admitted he was embarrassed. Jim began playing and singing with a band in the early 50's and always joked that they didn't get paid anything except a six pack of beer. There were 5 of them and since he did the singing he said he always got the extra beer. In 1954 he started playing with a band called the Outlaws. He said he was so bashful the other guys would walk up behind him until he got up front enough to be in the spotlight to sing. The others in the band kind of took it upon themselves to appoint Jim the leader of the band which was later called Jim Cox and the Outlaws. Through all his years of enjoying and entertaining people he touched so many lives and some he didn't even realize at the time. There were so many times someone would come up to greet Jim with; "How are you Jim Cox, I remember when: I danced to your music at the Plains club, Roaring Twenties, Sage Club, Avalon, BT, Elks, Eagles, and the Moose lodges. The wonderful song you sang at my daughter's wedding made me cry. You furnished music for our daughter's wedding reception. We had so much fun at the New Year's Eve parties in the Industrial Bulding. You played at my Company Christmas party. A lot of big shots came to Casper for the Wild Catter's golf Tournaments and we were able to kick back and enjoy your music when we relaxed for the evening. I was at the huge Democrat Rally's when Robert F Kennedy was in town, 1966 and Ted Kennedy was here in 1972. What a hit your band was for both of those wonderful events. Your band had a radio show on KATI broadcasting from the Wagon Wheel every Saturday night for four years. I was at the Wagon Wheel when you sang and played with some of the Country Stars who stopped in Casper while touring. Hank Thompson, Little Jimmy Dickens, Tex Ritter and Marty Robbins were just a few." Jim had a band together with a few different members here and there for 53 years. Two of his musicians had retired and things were slowing down music wise so he decided in 2007 it was time for him to also retire. He really missed the people and the entertaining which was such a huge part of his life for so many years. Mev had a wallpaper installing business which Jim became a large part of. They worked together for almost another ten years before they both decided it was time to retire and relax. Jim and Mev traveled a lot in their forty one years together. Hawaii twice, Alaskan Cruise, The East and West Coasts, Las Vegas and Oregon more times than they could count. They loved getting in the car and just going anywhere, and in the earlier days they always carried Jim's favorite lunch meat, (bologna) and stopped along many a beautiful spot in the road for a walk and a sandwich before getting on the road again. They took their time and saw so many things and stopped to smell many flowers along their way in life. God was always with them and returned them safely to their home and family. Jim and Elma were married on May 28th, 1951. From their 24 year marriage they raised four beautiful daughters together. Jim and Elma were divorced in 1975. Jim and Mev were married on December 14th 1980 after what Jim always called a short courtship of almost five years. That union gave Jim two more daughters to love. Jim was very blessed to have loved and been loved by six daughters. Donna and Max Swenson, Diane and Craig Brandon, Laurie and Mike Spiva, Belinda and Mike Magby, Debbie McCartney and Terry Leu, Deana and Mike Hauf. He has fourteen grandchildren whom he loved with every breath he took. They are Aaron, Damond, Rachael, Kristin, Josh, Staci, Amanda, Ariel, Kayla, Brittany, Desiree', Savanah, Elysia and Rylee. He also had twenty two great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. We don't really know how to count his extended family but we will say you know who you are and how much you meant to him. Another thing Jim often said was "Look at the legacy this poor boy from Missouri has brought into this life". Jim was preceded in death by his brothers Albert, George and John Jr and also two sisters, Bernadine and Frances and one great grandson Nikolas Clark. He is survived by his sisters Margaret of Missouri, and Pat of Illinois. Was he always a perfect husband and father? No, but he did the best he knew how. We always knew how much he loved us. Did he always do the right thing? No, but he certainly didn't do it all wrong. He often stumbled and even fell along his spiritual and Religious pathway but he always mananged to pick himself up and start again. His faith wavered a few times like it does for some of us but he was an inspiration for so many who knew him. He was no saint and would be the first to say so. He made a lot of mistakes he wasn't proud of and used a few words he wished he hadn't, but he was able to forgive himself in the end. Jim was well known for his humor, his ability to call everyone a friend and always did his best to make people around him feel important. You may have listened to, danced to or just enjoyed his music of over fifty years. Jim leaves behind Mev, the love of his life, his six daughters and their families. He will be greatly missed but can rest in peace knowing there were so many people who loved and respected him and he will remain in our hearts forever. We love and miss you Jim Cox.

Service

Friday, February 3, 2017 1:00pm

St. Anthony's Catholic Church

7th and Center

Casper, Wyoming 82601

Visitation

Thursday, February 2, 2017 5:00pm - 7:00pm

St. Anthony's Catholic Church

7th and Center

Casper, Wyoming 82601