Kathy Cox presented with Emily Braithwaite Woman of Service award

EPHRAIM—A woman who has lived in Manti for 50 years and who, during those years, has served in PTA, as director of the Miss Manti pageant, in the Mormon Miracle Pageant and in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) was named the Emily Braithwaite Woman of Service for 2026 last Saturday, April 1.

The award, presented at the Miss Sanpete pageant in the Eccles Center at Snow College, went to Kathy Cox. In a tribute, Ava Jensen of Gunnison, the outgoing Miss Sanpete, said what stands out most about Cox “isn’t any single position she has held but the way she quietly serves others every day.

“Whether taking a meal to a neighbor or simply looking out for those around her, she has lived a life of kindness and compassion,” Jensen said. “She has never sought recognition and would probably say she doesn’t deserve it, but those who know her would say otherwise.”

As a PTA leader, Cox helped raise funds for new playground equipment. As Miss Manti director, she brought one of the first professional emcees to the local pageant.

During years when the Mormon Miracle Pageant was being performed, she assisted with costumes, dinners ushering and other behind-the-scenes responsibilities.

She has served in numerous stake and ward callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Currently, she serves as treasurer of the Manti Camp of the DUP and gives tours through the DUP’s Patten House Museum in Manti.

As she presented a bouquet to Cox, Jensen declared, “Kathy, thank you, for your years of selfless service, your generous heart and the example you have set for this community. Your willingness to serve has touched many lives and the community is a better place because of you.”

The annual award honors Emily Braithwaite, who was an attendant to both Miss Manti and Miss Sanpete, an accomplished pianist, and served in the Miss Sanpete organization from 2000 until her death from Lupus in 2015 at age 34.