Joyce (Stephenson) Cox

     Link for the Zoom broadcast for Joyce's funeral service

Joyce Cox Funeral Service Broadcast

     Joyce S. Cox, of Wendell, Idaho, passed away on the 15th of March, 2024, from cardiac arrest.  She was 87 years old and the mother of ten children – five sons and five daughters.

     Joyce was born in Preston, Idaho, on April 12, 1936, to Loran and Virginia Stephenson.  The family moved to Wendell when she was 9 months old and she spent all of her growing up years learning how to care for things in the home, doing outside chores and working in the fields with her sisters.  Riding horses was one of her favorite pastimes during those years.

     She got an early start learning to play the piano when her sister brought home practice assignments from her piano lessons.  Joyce would listen to her practice and then sit at the piano and pick out the notes and play the music.  She was 6 years old at the time.  In high school she wanted to play in the band and after trying out on a few different instruments, she began playing the French horn.  She continued playing the French horn through her university years and played in the Brigham Young University Philharmonic orchestra during her time there.

     Joyce married Gary Cox on December 13, 1957.  When he graduated from BYU, they were on their way to his career in the United States Air Force which took her to Germany and many different stations in the United States.  She loved to travel and see and learn new things.

     She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She served as a teacher and leader in various capacities including teaching in the seminary, Relief Society, Young Women’s, and Primary organizations.  She served with her husband as a humanitarian service missionary in Mongolia from 1994 to 1995 and then returned to Mongolia as the “mission mom” to up to 60 young missionaries from 1996 to 1999.  They were then asked to serve in South Africa from 2003 to 2004, visiting 14 African countries as humanitarian service missionaries.  Shortly after returning home, they were called to return to Alaska where she served as the temple matron at the Anchorage Alaska Temple from 2004 to 2007.  She was actively serving as an ordinance worker in the Twin Falls Idaho Temple and being the ward music chairperson at the time of her passing.

     She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers; and two sisters. 

     She is survived by her sister - Carol Dye; her husband - Gary Cox; and her ten children - Keri Lynn Huntsman (Doug), Jordan R. Cox (Amy), Gary R. Cox (Linda), Lisa Jan Nelson (Dean), Denise Smoot (Scott), Michelle Olsen (Brian), David B. Cox (Christianne), Stephen B. Cox (Rebecca), Paul C. Cox (Laurie), and Lori V. Marsh (Chris); and 65 grandchildren and 107 great grandchildren.

     A viewing will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wendell.

     A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024 at 11:00 am at the Wendell L.D.S. Church, with a viewing to be held from 9:30 am until 10:45 am.

     Burial will follow at the Wendell Cemetery.

     Funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of Demaray Funeral Service - Wendell Chapel.

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