Otis J. Cox, 79, of Freeport, IL, and formerly of East Dubuque, IL, went to be with our heavenly father and his family that passed before him on Monday, October 21, 2013, at FHN Hospital in Freeport, with his wife, Jeanette, at his side.

Funeral Services will be at 10:30 A/M , Monday, October 28, 2013, at the Miller Funeral Home, East Dubuque, IL, with Rev. Tom C. Shinkle officiating. Entombment will be in St. Joseph's Chapel Mausoleum at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Key West, IA, where military honors will be accorded by members of the Dubuque Marine Corps League and the Iowa National Guard.

Friends may call from 3 P/M to 8 P/M, Sunday, October 27, 2013, at the Miller Funeral Home, East Dubuque.

Otis was born in Owensboro, KY, on July 18, 1934, son of James and Mary Katie Cox. Otis attended school in Kentucky and then joined the Navy in 1951. After serving in the Navy he then moved to the Dubuque, IA area, where he went to work at John Deere Dubuque Works and later met his first wife, Laverna C. (Bakey) Karwoski, whom he married on April 18, 1958. She preceded him in death on July 31, 1997. He later married Jeanette S. Thiele, of Freeport, IL, on February 14, 1998.

In his younger years, Otis coached a men's basketball team and was a member of the Grandview United Methodist Church for 38 years. He enjoyed attending his grandchildren's many sporting events, playing cards, visiting with family, joking and teasing everyone, working around the house, watching old western movies on TV, and spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Otis is survived by his wife, Jeanette, of Freeport, IL; his four children, Susan (Stanley) Bonnett, and Larry (Brenda) Cox, of East Dubuque, IL, Robin (Peter) Muenster, of Dubuque, IA, and Peggy Lehman, of Iowa; his step-children from Laverna, Kay (Nick) Mueller and David (Bev) Raab, both of Dubuque, IA, Kenneth (Barb) Karwoski, of Viroqua, WI, Nora (David) Krasbaum, of Drummond, WI, Dennis Karwoski, of South Wayne, WI, Sharon Oberste, of Kansas City, MO; his five step-children from Jeanette, Kelly (Jan) Laird, of Colorado, Dana Roberts, of Oregon, Rene' (Gary) Moore, of Guttenberg, IA; Dean (Laurie) Roberts and Doug Grimes, both of Montana. Otis has 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 26 step-grandchildren; and 27 step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Katie LeMaster; and a brother, James (Betty) Cox, both of Evansville, IN; step-brothers, Donald (Farrell) Westerfield and Paul (Doris) Westerfield, both of Owensboro, KY.

Otis was preceded in death by both of his parents; his step-mother, Fern Cox; a brother, Clifton Cox; a sister, Marie Edmonds; a step-brother, Gaylord Westerfield; a step-sister, Barbara Hall; and 3 step-sons, Edward Karwoski, Martin Roberts, and Corson Grimes.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com