Melba June Cox

Melba June Pugmire Cox passed away peacefully on the afternoon of November 22, 2025 at the Gables Memory Care in Shelley, Idaho. She was born June 4, 1940 in Fish Haven, Idaho to Edna Smith and Raymond Goetting and was the 4th out of 5 children. When she was 3 years old, Edna passed away and she was adopted by Earl and Genevieve Pugmire.

She was raised in the Bear Lake Valley, where she spent summers playing in the lake, riding horses, herding cattle, raspberry picking, doing farm work and sharing stories about the Bear Lake Monster. Melba was a straight “A” student and in high school was selected to attend Girls State in Boise. She was also crowned Miss Bear Lake.

After graduation, Melba moved to Blackfoot and met Charles “Charlie” Cox. They were married and sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on April 10, 1959. Between the military, schooling, and job opportunities Melba and Charlie had many different residences during their marriage including Oklahoma, Kansas, Utah, Germany, Washington, Idaho, where they lived the longest, and Florida, where they retired near the Emerald Coast. They had 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls.

Melba was a hard worker and many times worked waitressing jobs, pulled swing shifts in a potato plant, and ran a daycare in her home to help subsidize the family income when needed. She was experienced in a variety of clerical work for different entities including ZCMI, construction and sports/cheerleading retail. Making her yard beautiful, watching/reading historical documentaries, and sitting at her computer solving the many mysteries of family history were her favorite pastimes. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served faithfully in a variety of callings throughout the church. She also had a passion for temple work.

After living a wonderful life of retirement for 9 years down in Florida, Melba lost Charlie to pancreatic cancer in 2012. In 2013 she served as a temple worker in the Birmingham Temple in Alabama and a church mission in Salt Lake City as part of the Family History support team. She moved back to Florida after her mission for a few more years, then back to Idaho for the last 4 years of her life.

Melba leaves behind her children Jonathan (Teresa) Cox of Shelley Idaho, Chuck Cox of Havelock North Carolina, Jennifer (Craig) Smith of Shalimar Florida, Julie (Royce) Murdoch of Shelley Idaho, and Jeremy Cox of Niceville Florida; siblings Rosemary Sandau of Blackfoot Idaho, and Roger (Sylvia) Earley of Laketown Utah; many beloved grandchildren, great grandchildren, and bonus grandchildren.

Many thanks to Gables Memory Care in Shelley, Eden Home Health and Hospice team, Dr. Joseph Weatherly and Nalder Funeral Home.

A memorial service will be held December 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in the 11th Ward Chapel located at 513 South Park Avenue in Shelley, Idaho. Family visitation will precede the service, starting at 10:00 a.m.

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