Alice Carol Winifred Cox

WAKEFIELD, Mich. - Alice Carol Winifred Cox, age 88, of Wakefield, passed away peacefully on the evening of Jan. 1, 2024. She was the only child of Vernon J. Car and Agnes C. Uddenberg. Alice was born in Mikado, Alcona County, Michigan, on Jan. 5, 1935. Alice had been cared for over the last three years by her son, Bruce Cox, and for the past year has been visited and cared for by her former daughter-in-law, Patricia Nelson-Sherman.

In accordance with Alice's wishes there will be a Christian graveside service at the cemetery in Wakefield in the springtime.

Alice was born into a large family of Scottish and English, Irish and Dutch ancestry, the baby in a family of 14, all except one of whom lived to adulthood. Her birth parents were Duncan Bruce and Gladys Goddard. Duncan lost his job during the Great Depression, and Alice, being the baby, was put up for adoption.

Her parents, Vern and Agnes Car, were teaching in Saint Ignace, and two of Alice's Goddard cousins, girls who were going to school there, told them about their cousin. Agnes had suffered six miscarriages and was desperate to have a child. At 3 weeks of age, Alice was brought across the Straits of Mackinac on a car ferry and adopted by the Car family. Agnes never made any secret of this, and Alice knew about it from early childhood. Agnes also told the story to her grandsons when they were small children. Therefore, the family was blessed with not just two sets of grandparents but three, and about three dozen first cousins through the Bruce family.

Alice's parents moved frequently during their teaching careers, and she lived in Saint Ignace, Crystal Falls, Maple Rapids, Tekonsha and Homer, Michigan. They returned to Wakefield in 1946. Alice began attending school in the fall of 1939 when she was several months away from her fifth birthday and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1952 at the age of 17. She belonged to the 4-H Camp and played in the Wakefield High School Band. In the summer of 1952, she worked at Weber's Resort on Lake Gogebic before attending Michigan State College in East Lansing, later transferring to Wisconsin State College in Superior, 1952 to 1954.

Alice met her future husband, Bruce Cox, in early September 1951. She was introduced to him by her friend, Ingrid Kujala, who was dating Max LaMaide, who knew Bruce. They brought Bruce to the Car home and Vern asked him to come in so he could meet him. Shortly after this, Bruce was sent to Korea where he served from 1951-1953. Alice and Bruce became engaged in 1954 and were married on Feb. 19, 1955, at the First Lutheran Church in Wakefield. They had three sons, Bruce, Richard and Robert Cox.

Bruce was almost killed in an accident at a construction site at the White Pine Mine on Sept. 17, 1962, and suffered from the injuries for the rest of his life. Both he and Alice decided to go back to college. Alice enrolled at Wisconsin State University-Superior, graduating on June 2, 1967. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kindergarten-primary education and was hired by the Wakefield Township Schools in 1967. She was awarded her permanent certificate by the Michigan State Department of Education on Feb. 8, 1972, and taught kindergarten until she retired at the end of the 1996-1997 school year.

Alice is survived by three sons, Bruce Cox of Wakefield, Richard Cox, who is married to Dorianne Oberg and lives near Marquette, and Robert Cox who is married to Cecilia Bautista and lives in Murietta, California; three grandsons, John Cox of Marinette, Wisconsin, who is married to Terra Menghini, Anthony Cox of Clarksville, Tennessee, who is married to Francheska Kincer, and Chad Cox of Marinette, Wisconsin; a granddaughter, Ivy Joy Winifred Cox of Murietta, California; and three great-grandsons, Jordan Cox who is married to Taylor Dauphinais, Marquette, Evan Cox of Pennsylvania, and Ethan Cox of Tennessee. She also has a step-great-grandson, Devvin Cox of Green Bay, Wisconsin; step-grandsons, Wilbur, Donald and Justin Jennings of Marquette; and three step-great-grandchildren.

Alice was always thrilled when she encountered her former kindergarten students.

Jerald Rocco, owner and manager of Lakeside Memorial Chapel Inc., in Wakefield, is assisting the family with arrangements. To send online condolences or to share a memory, please go to lakesidememorialchapel.com.