Amos Max Cox

Amos Max Cox, 88, of Kearney, MO, was born April 9, 1934, in Sullivan County, MO to Orval and Gertrude Pearson Cox. He passed away at home on February 6, 2023. 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. He is survived by his son, Jerry Cox; daughters Gwendolyn Skorupan (Larry) and Tammy Ensor (Russ); grandchildren Justin Barclay (Jamie Kanki), Darlene Brown (Jared), J.J. Hilger (Julia), Matthew Hilger, and Josh Hilger (Amy) as well as great grandchildren.

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 which he built from the ground up. 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. At that time, he was unable to return to his job, so he became an assistant for his wife, Betty, who owned and operated Betty Lea Fashions, a garment factory located in Riverside, MO.

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.

Amos was also a proud, lifelong member of the Masonic Alpha Lodge No. 659 where he was initiated December 14,1974.

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 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. He was always available to lend a helping hand and an array of accumulated tools and power equipment to anyone needing help with a project or repair. His generous spirit was appreciated by everyone and endeared him to all his friends and family.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 10, at the Park Lawn Northland Chapel at 10 a.m. with the service to follow at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Princeton, MO.

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the American Cancer Society or the North Kansas City Hospice House.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 10, at the Park Lawn Northland Chapel at 10 a.m. with the service to follow at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Princeton, MO.