Concordia Cemetery

Joseph Cox, a 19-year department veteran who died Sunday while on duty.Cox, 48, suffered a medical emergency and died as he left a home in the 9600 block of Ricker Road, Sheriff David Gladieux said Wednesday during a meeting with media. Cox had taken home and talked with the Amish owner of a buggy that had been involved in a buggy-car crash about an hour earlier at Indiana 37 and Ricker Road."He was a very dedicated officer, and a very dedicated man," Gladieux said.As is tradition in law enforcement, sheriff's officers have kept a constant presence with Cox's body since the officer was pronounced dead about 10 p.m. Sunday, Gladieux said. Many sheriff's officers — most of whom were off-duty — came to Parkview Regional Medical Center after learning Cox had been taken there by ambulance and pronounced dead, Gladieux said. They escorted his body to St. Joseph Hospital for an autopsy, and some stayed with it there until another large group of sheriff's officers and local police escorted the body late Monday morning to E. Harper & Son Funeral Home in New Haven.Sheriff's officers have stayed with the body since so Cox is never alone, Gladieux said. They will take turns standing at the head of Cox's casket during calling from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday at Blackhawk Ministries, 7400 E. State Blvd., and Saturday at the church, which will host calling 10-11 a.m. and the funeral service at 11 a.m.About 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Gladieux expects a very long funeral procession to depart from the church, which will include law enforcement officers from numerous communities in Indiana and probably some from other states. The procession will travel downtown to pass by the Allen County Courthouse Green, where a sheriff's car commemorating Cox has been parked as a memorial.The hearse will stop in front of the car while police dispatch reads a statement and then calls Cox off duty for the final time, Gladieux said.The procession then will drive back east for Cox's burial in Concordia Cemetery Gardens on Lake Avenue. Cox, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, will be bur...

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn “Minnie” Farris; children, Penny (Gary) Tumey, Teresa Rains, Tammy (Kevin) Black, JR Farris and Brian “Buzzard” (Deanna) Farris; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and siblings, Ruth Ann Coffman, Mike Farris, Phil Farris, Don Farris, Roy Farris, Pam Bryant and Charlene Wilbanks.Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday at G.H. Herrmann Greenwood Funeral Home, 1605 S. State Road 135. The funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Concordia Cemetery.SHAREFacebookTwitter...