Ferron, Utah – Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, VeRee Childs Cox Dale, 84, passed away in Hyde Park, Cache Valley, Utah on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 after a lingering illness. This Thursday was her 85th birthday. She was born September 19, 1934 in Orangeville, Utah the daughter of Alfred Osden and Maggie Guymon Childs. She was raised in Orangeville with her younger brother Ted, by a village of extended family and friends. The family lived in American Fork for a short time where Grandpa trained as a lineman for Utah Power and Light and then moved back to Orangeville.
Mom was a gifted musician. She played piano in a band with Uncle Ted, and they played for dances all over Emery and Carbon County. She played organ for church services and piano for choirs and other small groups.
In 1952, Mom met Bill Cox when he returned from his mission. They dated during the summer, but it wasn’t long until Bill was called into the Army and their romance had to be conducted by mail. They got engaged when Bill was home on furlough, and then he was off to Japan for a year during the Korean Conflict. Mom stayed at home and got a job working in the bank in Price. After Bill was discharged from the service a year later, they were married in Manti in October of 1954.
As a young couple, they moved to Logan where Bill went to college. Mom got a job in a local bank. One evening, Bill came home from student teaching not feeling well, the next morning he suddenly passed away from a heart ailment. At the young age of twenty-two and only marred three years, Mom found herself a widow, and was more than eight months pregnant with their first child.
She immediately moved home with Grandma and Grandpa Childs, and her son was born three weeks later. Later, Mom went back to work at the bank in Price. Grandma Childs tended young Bill. Mom worked nearly 30 years at Carbon Emery Bank, later Zions Bank in Price and Castle Dale. In 1967 Joe Dale from Ferron called on Mom and asked her out on a date. She had recently declined giving him a loan. His wife, Carolyn, had passed away very unexpectedly leaving him with four young children, the youngest only five weeks old. They were soon dating and Dad was determined to keep his family together. They got engaged and were married later that year in Manti, Utah. With her son and Dad’s four children, she had an instant family over-night. The next few years together, they added two more children to complete a real-life yours-mine-and-ours family. There was one cardinal family rule: No one kept track of who belonged to whom. We were all one family! With that in mind, Mom and Dad raised seven children: Joy Lynn (deceased) and Jay Mark Humphrey, Orangeville; Bill and Nadine Cox, Hyde Park; Marcie and Lonnie Zwahlen, Ferron; Reggie and Janet Dale, Rock Springs, WY; Cheryl and Victor Tsushima, North Ogden; Valerie and Kash Winn, Ferron; Shayne and Heidi Dale, Ferron. They have 28 grandchildren, and 57 great-grandchildren.
Mom and Dad celebrated 51 years of marriage in November of last year. Dad died in December. Mom has been in poor health for nearly 11 years, And for 10 years, Dad dedicated his entire life to taking care of Mom. She lived the last four months in Hyde Park near her son’s family. She is preceded in death by both husbands; her daughter Joy Lynn Humphrey; her parents; her brother, Ted Childs; and two grand-daughters: Erica Wood and Chassie Dale. She is survived her remaining children and their spouses; in-laws: Naoma (John) Tanner, Lehi; Arlene Lemon, Ferron; Ted (Geralyn) Cox, Kimberly ID; Marilyn Fugate, Orangeville; Carren (Wayne) Ogden, Richfield; and by Carolyn’s brother, William Shanks, Centerville.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 21, 2019 in the Ferron Church on the Hill, 35 West 200 North in Ferron, Friends may call at the church Friday evening from 6-8:00 pm, and Saturday morning from 10:30-11:30 am. Burial will be in the Orangeville City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com
The family wishes to express their heart-felt thanks to all who have helped in any way caring for our mom and dad in recent years, and with the funeral services. A special thanks to the staff and friends at Autumn Care Assisted Living in Hyde Park for giving her a home away from home.