Kristi Cox, 54, of Lemmon, SD, passed away on March 9, 2025.
Cremation has taken place, and per Kristi’s wishes, no services are planned at this time.
Kristi Michelle (Morrison) Cox was born April 08, 1970 and the world would never be the same! Born in Bartlesville, OK to James (Jim) Morrison, of Bartlesville, OK and Charolette (Clayton) Ford, of Lemmon, SD. Kristi passed away at home in Lemmon, SD Sunday, March 9, 2025. She attended K-12 in Bartlesville graduating with the Class of 88’. Earning scholarships for dance, Kristi was off to Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College in Miami, OK to study and perform as a Norse Star. She transferred to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK where she would perform and graduate with a Bachelor of Science. Major in Health and Human Performance and a minor in Nutrition. These are the facts. Now the story.
In her youth, Jim and Charolette both recall Kristi being the “Activities Director” for the neighborhood kids. “Well Kris, what are we going to do today?” was a common phrase. It didn’t take her long to come up with something, and off they would go. Kris talked about being in the middle of climbing a tree or riding her skateboard with friends and hearing Charolette’s whistle from across the block…”That’s for me guys, I gotta go.” She spent time with her parents waterskiing and fishing on some of Oklahoma’s finest lakes. She was a beast on the local softball diamonds, playing catcher for her teams through the years. Sharing a can of soda pop with her dad, listening to records on the family’s console record player, volunteering her mom for different things without asking first, roller skating were a few things she would recall in conversation. Kris worked hard at school and dance, but she also had a lot of fun while at Bartlesville High School. To Kristi’s group of friends, she still remembered what you all drove, if the car was fast or had a good stereo. To any of you that witnessed her driving her Z28 with the T-tops out and the music blaring. I’m jealous! To the guy or guys that hung all of her underwear in the trees in their front yard, well played. She was mortified at the time and laughed about it for the rest of her life. I just threatened a repeat performance a couple of months ago when she was being ornery.
Post education, Kristi found herself in Tulsa, OK teaching at the Nancy Clark School of Dance, with enrollment exceeding 500 students. Teaching Ballet, Tap and Jazz for ages three to adult. She loved, loved, loved dance and performing. Kristi really found some great mentors and fellow instructors during this time of her life. Ms. Jan, Ms. Debbie are names that I hear frequently 30 years later. You would never hear it from Kris, but she had a pretty impressive collection of awards and contest wins for her own performances, as well as for coaching and choreographing. As a sophomore in highschool, she was chosen to travel to Hawaii and perform as part of the “Superstar Drill Team,” at half time of college football’s Aloha Bowl. Once in SD, she started her own chapter of “Just For Kix.” She taught lots and lots of kids in Lemmon, SD and was able to have her students perform during high school sports activities and other places around the area. Kristi still has almost every picture and thank you card that she had received from her students over the years, start to finish.
She also worked part time at the ER in the Hillcrest Medical Center, in Tulsa, OK. Her title was Registration Representative, but any opportunity to be “hands on” help for the physicians and nurses she took, and loved to elaborate on any gory details! During this same period, 1995-2001, she also drove to Broken Arrow, OK to work part time at Sunkissed Tanning Salon and Boutique. Kristi loved living along the river in Tulsa, taking advantage of the nightlife with her friends and having “live” music just down the bike path from her apartment all summer.
In 2002, Kristi traveled to Dakota Territory to visit her Mom. Charolette had relocated to Lemmon, SD and married Dr. Ronald(Ron, Doc) Ford, DVM. Kris acquired new brothers and partners in crime. Jeb and Nathan Ford. All close in age, it was an immediate fit and much fun was had by all! The boys introduced her to the local music scene and jitterbugging. In time, she gained the title of aunt to Cassidy (Jeb,) Aidan and Haden(Nathan) Ford. Lucky kids! Any time spent with them was good time, whether just hanging out or taking them to a local rodeo and town celebration or just down to the barn. Fortunately, as Cassidy entered adulthood, her and Kris were able to share some adventures together.
Doc and Charolette own the Lemmon Veterinary Clinic. They also raise and sell Quarter Horses. Within days, Doc had convinced Kris to stay for a while and do some “secretary” work for him. After agreeing, she found out by “secretary work” he really meant sitting in a freezing vet shack, on a rickety old stool, trying to write with winter gloves on. She loved it! Just like the ER, the weirder or gorier the projects were with Doc, the more Kristi liked it. Always had her coveralls, boots and coat by the door in case Doc got an after hours calving call or anything else. She enjoyed the people she met with Doc, clients, coworkers and everyone else they happened to run into. But the animal love was there from the beginning. Her dad said she wore out a polaroid camera and about wore out their poodle taking pictures of it. Now with access to Doc and keys to the vet clinic, Kris found another passion…saving animals! I have no idea how many animal lives she saved. Conservitavely, my guess is hundreds! Anything that was a challenge! Adopting, fostering and rehoming more goats, raccoons, foxes, skunks, calves, colts, cats and dogs than imaginable. Even when heartbreak was inevitable, she wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever she could and always had time for someone’s call or text about an animal, night or day. She was always in the middle of an animal deal of one kind or another. Current head count on dogs is six and every one Kristi rescued or adopted ranging from 3 to 14 years old. Kristi fell in love with the horses immediately and jumped into that operation with both feet also. This meant KrisT and Doctor Ford would be spending A LOT of time together over the next 23 years! Doc taught Kristi how to handle herself around horses and she found a new passion in riding. Her and Doc spent many hours horseback together and she became quite a horseman! In time, Kristi became the center of the Ford Ranch AI breeding program and for her own K&R Horse Company the past four years. Both, collecting the stallions and inseminating mares. In 2008, she attended and completed Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Equine Science Department’s course: Reproductive Management & Artificial Insemination and the course: Techniques For Handling & Utilizing Cooled Semen. She excelled at all aspects of this process. Always willing to help anyone who was doing the same with knowledge or physically helping. Collecting outside stallions, breeding customer mares with shipped cooled semen or from one of our stallions or anything else she could do to help. She was impressive to watch!
Kristi couldn’t stand having any time for herself, so after deciding to stay for a while, she found a part time gig in the office, or wherever she was needed, at Lemmon Livestock, a local livestock auction barn. In typical Kristi fashion, she made lifelong friends and stayed for 22/23 years. While working for Lemmon Livestock Kris met Dr. Alice Harty, DVM and ended up working for her at different times throughout the years. Making another lifelong friendship with Alice and the other ladies she met and worked with on that crew. Kristi was getting ready to work at a bull sale at Lemmon Livestock the morning of her passing.
In January 2018, KrisT started a new challenge working at the Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon, SD as a CNA and CMA. Oddly enough she loved the job and thrived. Being a very physically demanding job, she sacrificed her own body in the process. A lot of time and money were spent traveling for chiropractor appointments so she could function at work. She truly loved the people she was caring for and would go above and beyond for them!
From working with her or talking to Kristi, you would have never known that she had a hell of a battle going on with her own body the last five or six years of her life. She definitely did not want or ask for any “special treatment” or anyone to feel sorry for her. Starting in 2019 she knew something was going on, but we were unsuccessful convincing any medical professionals of that. Finally in 2021 she was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer in/on her thyroid. In May of 2021 her thyroid was removed. I have never seen anyone work harder at trying to make themselves better. Again, very impressive to watch! Recovery from having her thyroid removed was a rollercoaster while trying to find the right balance of medications, seemed impossible. At the end of her life Kris was dealing with thyroid cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s/Grave’s disease, chronic fatigue, no appetite, migraine headaches, back pain, neck pain. And that’s just the highlight reel. Kris was not one to complain, ever. At times in her recovery she was doing good. When things were out of whack, it was a horrible struggle for her! All the while, trying to keep a positive attitude and keep doing everything as if she had nothing wrong. Who else was going to get everything done! Kristi Michelle made good friends wherever she was, and at every stage of life. Cousin Becky, Dana, Kendra, roommate Shellie, Helen, Aaron H. are all pre me, but she spoke of you often. I know I’m leaving people out, but Kristi covered a wide swath. I couldn’t even attempt to keep you all straight. Kris had the ability to light up a room with a smile and fill that room with a larger than life personality. That’s how she could talk Jamie into doing a 5k without much warning. In SD, Kris surrounded herself with a group of extremely capable women. Whether it was ladies she met at Zumba classes, saving goats, breeding horses or any other project they would get involved in, they would get it done! She could be a good friend to many people at once and everyone of those people has “their” version of Kristi that they have come to know and love. To me, KrisT was my beautiful fiance, the love of my life, my best friend, my coworker, and my business partner. She is a fantastic second Mom to my daughter Talia. A relationship that evolved into a great friendship as adults. Kris and Talia actually had a longer relationship as Talia grew up with Miss Kristi as her dance instructor. Kristi was pretty keen on son in law Graham also. Without Kristi’s help, my daughter and I probably wouldn’t have made it through to become the friends that we are today. Very grateful to Kris for that! To my family, Kris was a daughter in law, a sister in law and an aunt. She covered all of those roles with style and grace. KrisT is smart and funny!!! She was my daily comic relief. And the best coworker. You never had to wonder if Kris was going to hold up her end of the deal. She was going to! She would also make me say that she is human. Faults and all!
Kris was preceded in death by many family members, as both parents are the youngest siblings in large families. These include Aunt Betty, Brother Jeb, Nephew Aidan. She is survived by her mom and stepdad, Ron & Charolette Ford, dad, Jim Morrison, brother and sister in law, Nathan & Christina Ford, niece, Cassidy Ford and nephew, Haden Ford, cousins Becky and Margaret in OK, and a tremendous amount of people that loved her! In conclusion, KrisT packed a lot of life into 55 short years and touched a lot of lives in the process. She truly is an awesome human being!!!
-Rory Seim
