Ruth Cox

Ruth Cox often remarked, "Men can retire, but a woman's job is never done," and this is the way that she lived. Ruth was dedicated to her family and always wanted the best for them, whether it was something small like getting dinner on the table at 5 o'clock or something big like quitting her job to care of her granddaughter. Ruth knew her family deserved all that she could give and everyday she gladly shared her time and herself with them. In the early 1920s, history was being made in America as the nation soared to new heights. While some states thrived on agriculture and others on steel, in Michigan it was the automobile industry that was driving the state forward at an unprecedented speed. On the west side of the state, local postman Lyle Workman could see firsthand the tide of good fortune that was sweeping through the city of Muskegon's neighborhoods. On February 19, 1923, Lyle and his wife Marie (Newald) experienced some of that same good fortune when they welcomed their third child, a daughter named Ruth Francis. Born and raised in Muskegon, Ruth lived with her parents and two brothers, Tom and Bob, in a large house on Wood Street. With room to spare, from time to time the family would take in boarders or relatives who needed a place to stay. Ruth and her brother Tom attended Muskegon Public Schools, while her brother Bob suffered from physical problems that forced him to remain at home. When Ruth was just 16 her father abandoned the family, leaving everyone behind to pick up the pieces of a broken home. Ruth was called upon to care for her brother Bob and devoted much of her time to him. Despite the black cloud that lingered over Ruth's family for a time, there were plenty of good times to celebrate. As a teenager, Ruth spent several summers with her friend Jenny Schofield at Silver Lake, living and working at a hotel owned by Jenny's parents. Memories of these summers would stay with her forever as some of the best times in her life. Following high school, Ruth traded in her seasonal job at the hotel for a full-time job at Sealed Power. Ruth was feisty and worked as a machine operator beside men nearly twice her size, yet she was not paid the same wage that they were, which always made her a little mad. As a young girl barely twenty years old, Ruth met a young man by the name of Philip Cox, who was a serviceman in the Navy, stationed in California. Ruth thought he looked so handsome in his uniform that it was worth the trip cross country with his family just to visit him. After dating for some time, Ruth and Philip decided to wed in a ceremony held on March 3, 1945. That following December, Philip returned home to his new bride and the two of them began planning to buy their first home on Iona Street. In 1946, Ruth and Philip welcomed their first child, a daughter named Mary, followed by Susan in 1948. Ruth was a homemaker, while Philip worked as an optician by day and a meat cutter by night to make ends meet. A few years later, the family got even bigger when their son Dan was born in 1956, followed by Stephen in 1958. Ruth excelled at her job as a mother and manager of the home. She was a good cook and dinner was always on the table at 5 o'clock sharp. While the kids were growing up, the family would take vacations in the summer, renting a cottage at Silver Lake or going to visit relatives in South Dakota. It didn't matter where they went as long as they were together, fond memories were made. Once the boys were in school, Ruth took a job selling dresses at Hardy Herpolsheimer's and later at JC Penney. In 1967, Ruth and Philip had a house built on Aue Road in Norton Shores. Just a few years later the couple welcomed their first grandchild, Sue's daughter Marti. Sue worked full-time, so Ruth decided to quit her job to take care of Marti. She spoiled her granddaughter to pieces, throwing tea parties, making cherry tarts, and taking her swimming at Mona Lake. At Christmas Ruth loved to decorate her home, spending days loading her tree with ornaments and setting up a village underneath it, and she always enlisted Marti's help with this monumental task. Ruth adored making trips to the popular Christmas stores in Frankenmuth, MI, but she also had many other hobbies that kept her busy for the rest of year. She had a beautiful flower garden where she liked growing pansies and bird watching. She was also a collector of figurines including Precious Moments and Cherished Teddies. Over the years Ruth was a doting owner to several cats, which she always enjoyed pampering. At times she would even treat them better than people. When Philip retired they began traveling, taking at least one big trip every year, any with a group called Orchard View Travelers. They saw whales in Nova Scotia, took train trips cross country, and visited Alaska, Hawaii, and the Grand Canyon. After spending so many years together, Ruth and Philip had become accustomed to doing things a certain way. On Thursdays they had breakfast at Russ's restaurant, on Friday nights they ate dinner out, always at 5 o'clock, and on Saturdays they visited the farmers market. She only drank coffee at breakfast and Ruth did 150 sit-ups daily to maintain her girlish figure. In the mid-1990s, however, life threw Ruth and Philip curveball when Ruth began showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Within a matter of a few years, the disease took its toll on Ruth making it so that she couldn't even pay the bills, which was very hard on her. Making things even more difficult, Philip underwent heart surgery in 2001 and passed away just one year later. With the help of a care worker named Toni Ellis, Ruth had remained in her own home up to that point, but she eventually moved into Pinewood Retirement Home. She spent the last years of her life at Pinewood, where she lived peacefully until her death. Ruth was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, whose memory will bring joy to the hearts and minds of her family and friends for a lifetime. Mrs. Ruth F. Cox, age 84, died Wednesday, March 21, 2007. Surviving are her two sons, Daniel (Ruth) Cox of CO, Stephen (Molly) Cox of CA; two daughters, Mary (Bill) Day of Norton Shores, Susan (Fred) Carson of Hesperia; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brother-in-law John (Mae) Cox. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Tom & Bob Workman. Services will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2007, 3:00 PM at Clock Chapel. Interment will be in Norton Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday from 7-9 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Please visit Ruth's personal webpage at www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.