| Show THE UTAH NEWSPAPER HALL OF FAME county of his birth and even today is moreway of life than geographical outline Being Sanpeter ismatter of outspoken pride to its sons and daughters -particularly those who ve strayed to other climes Ross knew everyone and his reporting reflected this fact wrotelong-time reader and admirer He understood too what made Ephraim viable and vital Born July 1898 at Fairview small community in the northeast portion of the county he was the fifth and last son of farmer devoted to dairying Amasa Bernard Cox and his wife Caroline Amasafather Orville Sutherland Cox arrived in Utah in 1847 and was among the pioneer settlers of Sanpete County in 1849 Ross completed the eight grades of his small-town school interrupted his education duringyear of indecision then went on to North Sanpete High School in Mt Pleasant He quickly becameleader serving twice as class president competing in football and basketball and whetting his appetite for journalism by serving on the staff of and then editing the school newspaper publication rather cleverly named The Enn-Ess-Aich World Warwas in progress during his high school years and on April 1917 -a day before the United States came into the conflict Ross quit school to enlist in the Utah Nation al Guard which was being mobilized for active duty He went to Europe with the 7th Trench Mortar Battery and there found time to correspond for the Seventh Division newspaper and the Parisian version of the Chicago Tribune Sergeant Cox was in charge of communications which in the early morning of November 11 1918 accidentally made him aware of the impending Armistice four or more hours before others in his outfit knew Heunintentionally plugged intoconfidential Battalion-level message advising that the fighting would cease at 11m then realized hebe in serious trouble if he breathedword before it was officially announced It pained me that we took casualties that morning even though some people knew the war was at an end Ross would 467 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
