HOME OF: Dean and Leana J. Cox

Dean and Leana J. Cox of Rangely are this week’s “home of” honorees.
“Dean and I have lived on the Cox ranch for almost 20 years. My husband’s grandparents homesteaded up Highway 13 between Meeker and Rifle back in the 30s, then Dean’s dad, Mace M. Cox of Meeker, married Dean’s mom’, Shirley F. Jones of Rangely, in 1955. They moved to the old Murdock place when Dean’s brother Wade was about a year old,” Leana explained.
Dean is a Rangely native. Leana was born in Grand Junction and lived above Gateway on John Brown. Her family moved to Grand Junction after the closure of the uranium mines. After graduation, Leana moved to Denver, then Colorado Springs and back to Denver until 1991. Dean and Leana were married Nov. 7, 1992, about nine months after they met.
Dean is a third generation sheep and cattle rancher. Leana has worked in the library department at Colorado Northwestern Community College since 1994.
Dean and Leana have four children: daughter Joy and son Logan; son Les and his son Riley; son Zack, his wife Jessica and daughters Makayla, Shayla, Crysta, and Alayna; and daughter Kirsty, boyfriend Kayden and their son Locke Dee.
Leana enjoys shopping, four-wheeling, tanning and loves to ride horses and raft down a river.
Leana likes that Rangely has “only one stoplight. After years in big cities this is definitely a plus. I like the fresh air, laid back atmosphere, and easygoing people of this small community. I love to wave at people as I pass them in my truck and they wave a friendly wave back. I raised my youngest son here and rumor has it he and his family will return after 12 years in the Montrose area. Working at CNCC is like home away from home. I have all sorts of tales to share with the students as they do with me. We are so fortunate to have a community college in our hometown and I would have to say what I like most about living in Rangely is friends, family and fun.”