Carol Fox

(From Ozark Funeral Home)

Carol Marie Fox (Mauseth), age 84, passed away peacefully on February 17, 2026, in Joplin, Missouri.

Born on June 5, 1941, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Carol was the beloved daughter of Coral Mauseth and Arthur Mauseth. She graduated from Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1959. She spent much of her adult life moving from place to place before settling in Southwest City, Missouri. In her later years, she made her home at The Communities of Wildwood Ranch in Joplin, Missouri.

She married the love of her life on October 31, 1959, in Omaha, Nebraska, and they remained together until his passing in 2001. For more than 60 years, Carol was the cornerstone of her family. Her strength, resilience, and unwavering devotion shaped generations. She believed deeply in love, loyalty, and keeping everyone in line — and she was never afraid to throw a shoe your way if you stepped out of line. That spirited determination was matched only by the depth of her care and commitment to those she loved.

She found joy in life’s simple pleasures: reading a good book, completing word searches, listening to old country music, and watching John Wayne movies. While she appreciated quiet moments, her greatest pride and purpose was her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jesse Fox; daughters, Barbara Myers and Mary Gonzalez; son, Jim Fox; grandson, Justin Wilson; her parents, Coral and Arthur Mauseth; her sister, Lovella Mauseth; and her brothers, Arthur, Norman, and Robert Mauseth.

She is survived by her daughter, Carol Baughman; her sons, Jesse Fox and Wesley Fox; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, who will continue her legacy.

In accordance with her wishes, the family will celebrate her life on June 5 — her birthday — at a family reunion. It was important to Carol that her life be remembered not in sorrow, but surrounded by the family she loved so deeply.

Carol’s strength, humor, and steadfast love will be missed beyond words, yet her legacy will live on in the generations she helped shape.