Wilma Davis

Wilma Lou (Cox) Davis, 97, went to be in the arms of our Heavenly Father March 17, 2020 with her daughter Diana by her side. Wilma was born December 9, 1922 at the family home in Axial, Colorado. She was the fourth child of Lester Ward Cox and Ethel Bates Cox. Wilma (Mom) attended school in Hamilton, Colorado and enjoyed riding her horse “Pet” to school. In elementary school, she won an essay contest and a trip to Washington D.C. She left the boondocks and rode in a train to D.C. and recalled being very nervous. Mom loved a neat and tidy home and also loved working outside. She tended to her garden and canned various items to fill the cellar at our Wilson Creek Ranch. Alongside her husband Walt and “the girls”, were many hours irrigating, putting up hay, and tending to the cattle and sheep. At age 62, Mom obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license. She worked at Craig Memorial Hospital (Craig, CO) where she found her gift in life by helping people. She and Walt later moved to Grand Junction. Mom later moved to Montrose, Nucla, and back to Grand Junction in 2010. At age 85, Mom survived a battle with cancer and proceeded to knit hundreds of hats for cancer patients.
We daughters were blessed to have such a wonderful mother. She always had a positive attitude and found so much beauty in nature, from birds to cloud formations. Mom’s hobbies were sewing, knitting, crocheting, making quilts, genealogy, and word search. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and had many callings throughout her life. A thrilling time for her was when she was able to go to the temple and participate in the blessings there.
Preceding her in death were Wilma’s parents; her first husband, Rueben Roe Duke; second husband, Orville Clifton Yoder; late husband, Walter Charles Davis; brothers, Alan Cox and Bud Cox; sisters, Janice and Arlene Cox, and Laurine Slaugenhaupt; son-in-Law, Estel Pelley, and grandson Gregory Pelley.
She is survived by daughters, June Duke Pelley, of St. George Utah, Janet (Frank) Self, of Eureka, NV, Kelly Davis Smith and Diana (Chuck) Davis-Reiber, of Grand Junction, CO; brothers, Lester Cox Jr., Sherrill Cox, Leroy Cox of Grand Junction; sister, Loretta Cox Ainsworth of Rangely, CO; grandchildren, Gwendolyn (Lynn Mortenson) Pelley, Deseri (Andrew Marshall) Self, Darin Self; 12 great and 16 great-great grandchildren.
Graveside Services will be Monday, March 23, at 11:30 a.m., Grand Junction Memorial Gardens Cemetery, 2970 North Ave.
Wilma’s family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Mesa Manor who so lovingly cared for Mom these last couple years.