Vera Kindt Cox

Vera Marie Kindt Cox . . .

was born July 13, 1918 in Vernon, Texas as the youngest child of John Thomas Martin (from Tennessee) and Anna Belle Fitter Martin of Texas. She was a lively “tomboy” and enjoyed a childhood of playing outside games of mumbly peg & shooting marbles & walking on tin cans. She could outrun anyone who challenged her. The depression years affected everyone but her parents kept their family clothed & fed & loved. When she was 12 she & her sister Gelia went to a Tent Meeting to hear a visiting evangelist & she responded to the invitation & asked Jesus into her life as her Savior. She graduated from Vernon High School in 1935 just before her 17th Birthday. Jobs were very scarce and she spent some time picking cotton in the nearby fields. She eventually found work as a waitress in the Hotel Coffee Shop in Vernon - working 7 days a week for $1 a day. She also drove cattle trucks occasionally.
Back at Canton Cafe in 1945 she was courted by an Army soldier, Harold Kindt, from Allentown, PA who had just returned from WWII & was assigned to a base in Oklahoma. She had been praying for God to send her a good man! The love story continued & when “Harry” was ordered to transfer to Chicago they changed their wedding date from July to June & they quickly married at the courthouse in Frederick, OK (Texas had a longer wait time for a license) & off they went into the adventure of Army life together...living in Chicago, Evanston IL, Waukegan IL, Detroit MI, back to Thalia, TX where she stayed with their 3 daughters while Harry served in Korea. The next move was to join him in Japan. She loaded up the girls & drove across the country to California to board a plane to Japan. 1953-54 was a wonderful time for them...seeing the country and learning new things. She was always up to a challenge with a can-do attitude! Ft. Belvoir, VA was the final stop in the “Army” years. They became involved with a small Baptist church off the base & enjoyed fellowship & studies for many years as their faith in Christ was nurtured. Visits to Harry’s family in PA were now possible & provided lots of good times. She enjoyed bowling, traveling the East Coast & inviting young soldiers to their home for meals & friendship. She loved working as a salesperson at the Post Exchange & her friendliness was a great asset when meeting people from around the world. Harry’s 24 years of military service ended with retirement in 1963 and they moved back to Vernon so that she could be close to her family after years of being away. She was able to help care for her sister, Gelia, & her mother. They bought their first home & she happily took care of plants & yardwork. They joined Texas St. Methodist Church & became involved with Bible studies & made friends in the neighborhood. They traveled to visit their daughters’ families & other relatives & even bought a small pickup to use for camping. She cherished those years. Each summer they would invite a grandkid down for a month so they could enjoy time together.
In 1975 Harry was diagnosed with spinal cancer and she began 2 years of caring for him at various military hospitals and at home...always with a smile for him and trust in God for strength needed each day. Harry died on July 3, 1977 and she entered the next phase of her life. They had 32 wonderful years together as husband & wife and as best friends.
The move north to Pipestone, MN came in 1978 to be closer to her girls. She bought a house - sight unseen - brought her mother along to a nursing home & faithfully watched over her until her death in July 4, 1981.
She worked part time at Nicollet Press - owned by a former soldier who was in Harry’s outfit back at Ft. Belvoir. She loved helping with printing projects with some other ladies. She became a part of First Baptist Church with AnnaBelle’s family & attended school activities with their kids. She traveled with the Senior Citizens group to Canada, CA, Florida, New Brunswick & shorter trips. Card games, serving Meals on Wheels, making new friends...all were enjoyable. Trips to Northern MN & Indiana to see Jonny’s & Tommy’s families were a pleasure.
In 1986 Vera & a long-ago friend, Paul Cox of Fresno, CA started writing to each other after many years. She flew to Fresno for a visit in June to re-connect & talk about their lives since WWII. Friendship blossomed & they decided to marry & enjoy each other’s company. They were married at First Baptist Church in Pipestone on Aug. 10 that year & drove back to CA. Now Vera had new surroundings & people to get to know. They enjoyed making children’s quilts for the police to carry in their squad cars to give away (Paul was a retired policeman). They made trips into the mountains & the coast and welcomed some MN company! They had 8 years together before Paul died in Sept. 1994. She & AnnaBelle drove back to her house in Pipestone.
Soon she moved to Ridgeview Apts for Seniors & began 17 years there making good friends & enjoying activities without the burden of house care. Her apartment was beautiful and she loved it. In 2008 she celebrated her 90th Birthday with a huge family gathering at a nearby state park. She so loved that celebration. Her physical needs increased but God continued to bless her with an alert mind so she could enjoy reading, visiting, TV, and car rides. In March 2017 she moved to Good Samaritan Nursing Home for more care. As always, she made friends and participated in activities as she was able. The staff and other occupants loved her spirit and her “stories”of her life. Her birthday month of July 2018 was special with different kids/grandkids/friends coming on different weekends to spread out the time with her. She was so excited to reach her goal of 100 years!
She left her earthly home peacefully on November 17, 2018 from congestive heart failure after three weeks of Hospice Care at the Good Samaritan Home. We can smile when we picture her running on the streets of Heaven as she meets her Lord & Savior and the dear ones who went before. We gratefully acknowledge the imprint she made on our lives. We loved her stories, her spunk, her caring ways, the twinkle in her eyes & the encouragement she always gave...and the example of a life lived to praise God. We have been blessed.
Vera is survived by daughter, Jonny & son-in-law, Marvin Tuinstra of Ruidosa, New Mexico, daughter, AnnaBelle & son-in-law, David Gilmore of Pipestone, MN; grandchildren: Karla, Roy, Travis, Billy, Denise, Ken, Christy, Kevin, Grace, Rachel, Sharon, Laura and Matthew;
21 great-grandchildren; and 17 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by daughter, Vera (Tommy) & son-in-law, Hank Platt; her parents; brother, James Elbert Perkins; sisters, Frances Eley & Gelia Shultz, and one great-grandson; and one great-great-granddaughter.