Burton Dale Cox

A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, October 21, 2013 at the North McDonald Cemetery, Madison County. A gathering with family will be held on Monday at Ochiltree Funeral Service from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., prior to the graveside service. Burton Dale Cox was born on November 18, 1930, in Winterset, Iowa to Sylvanus and Susan Cox. He passed away on October 11, 2013. In between those dates, he lived fully and well, and impacted so very many people. Burton was named after the retired doctor who delivered him, Dr. Burton D. Little. His mother worked at the Northside Café, and his father worked at a tire store in Winterset. They lived in Winterset until Burton was about six years old, when the family moved to Des Moines. Susan Cox worked for the Rock Island Railroad company in charge of their restaurants. Burton would wash dishes and sold candy bars for 5 cents each to the troops that passed through on the trains. The Affolter family befriended Sy, and eventually rented a room to him when he was stricken with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Helping to take care of his dad was Burton’s first experience with “doctoring”. Burton attended public schools, but after some “disciplinary issues”, Burton voluntarily withdrew from school. He enrolled at the local Norman Wiles School, a Seventh-day Adventist elementary school. Through the tough love of his teachers, Burton’s life was changed. Richard Affolter was several years older than Burton, and one of Burt’s idols. Although at first, Richard wasn’t particularly pleased with having this young tag-a-long, it was the beginning of a very close friendship that lasted for the rest of their lives. Richard and his wife, Bette Hircock Affolter, were lifelong friends with Burton. Burton attended Oak Park Academy, in Nevada, Iowa, graduating in 1949. He worked in the dairy and broom shop to help pay his way through school. For two of those years he delivered milk for the dairy, making his (very) early rounds delivering milk to local customers. After graduating, Burton briefly worked as a colporteur in Northern Iowa. He married LaVonne Thomas in 1950. Burton leased land near Nevada and took up farming. In 1951, a daughter, Katherine Susan Cox, joined the family, followed by her brother Burton Dale Cox, Jr. in 1956. In 1982, Burton married Clara Belle Miller Brown. After further studies at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, Burton completed his medical degree at the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City. Dr. Cox practiced in Chilicothe, Missouri, and later in Downs and Osborne, Kansas, where he also was a wheat farmer. This was followed by seven years of practice as a locum tenens physician in several Midwest states. Finally, Dr. Cox practiced in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, retiring in July of 2011. He and his wife, Clara enjoyed traveling the USA in their motor home, and visiting family and friends. He took particular delight in his six grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Clara Brown Cox, his son, Dr. Burton D. Cox, Jr., Fennimore, Wisconsin, and his step-children, DelJean Brown Benton, Springfield, Oregon, and Douglas Brown, Walla Walla, Washington, and six grandchildren.