Helen Mary Putnam Cox 1924 - 2016

Helen Mary Putnam Cox, age 92, passed away Oct. 11, 2016, at the home of her daughter, Laura (John) Groll in West Valley City, Utah.

She was born Jan. 20, 1924, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Clarke William and Emily Pearl Love Putnam. She was the 5th child in a family of 8. She grew up in the Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. She graduated from West High School and worked at various jobs. Her favorite was at the retail clothier, ZCMI.

She married William Emerson Cox on June 1, 1944, in the Salt Lake Temple. After she married, she and her husband settled in Woodruff, where she became a wonderful homemaker and mother of six children. She worked alongside her husband helping at the family ranch and driving the mail route. In the late 1940s and early ’50s, she worked in air defense, identifying planes and reporting them to Ogden as they flew over Woodruff.

With her beautiful singing voice, she sang in the ward choir and with The Singing Mothers group. She served in all the ward organizations and also served on the Primary and Stake Relief Society boards. She especially loved little children and her calling as Jr. Sunday School Coordinator. She worked as a den mother and PTA president.

In April of 1981, she and Emerson were called to the Tampa Florida Mission. They were assigned to the Visitors Center at the Deseret Ranches. She was a loving and kind person. She was charitable to all and especially her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her children, Laura (John) Groll of West Valley City, Joy (Guy) Wymore of Tooele, Patricia (Bill) Bellamy of Centerville, Janice (Larry) Tomkinson of Provo, Beverly (Sam) Smith of Elk Grove, California, Bill (Cay) Cox of Woodruff; 29 grandchildren; 62 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sister-in-law, Adele(Dave) Putnam of Salt Lake City.

She is preceded in death by her husband Emerson, parents and siblings — Margie, Zella, Bill, Fern, Dave, Arvilla and Valois.

The family would like to thank IHC hospice workers who lovingly helped with her care.

Funeral services were held at noon on Monday, Oct. 17, at the Woodruff Ward Chapel. A viewing was held from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Woodruff Ward Chapel and from 10-11:30 a.m., prior to the funeral on Monday. Interment will was at  the Woodruff Cemetery.