M.D. Albert Dean Cross, a 93-year-old resident of Trenton, Missouri, died on December 27, 2023, at 3 p.m. in his home.
Visitation will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on January 2, 2024, at Resthaven Mortuary. Services will be held at the First Christian Church in Trenton, Missouri, on Wednesday, January 3, at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Resthaven Cemetery, north of Trenton.
Dr. Cross was born on a farm north of Brimson, Missouri, on February 10, 1930. He was the eldest child of Raymond R. Cross and Eva M. Johnson Cross. He received his elementary education in small, one-room country schools and graduated from Gilman City High School in 1947. During the summer of 1947, he attended Northwest Missouri Teachers College in Maryville. He began teaching grades five through eight at Melbourne Elementary School in the fall at seventeen. He continued his education in Maryville during summer breaks while teaching in Melbourne for four years. His teaching career was interrupted by the Korean War.
In November 1951, he was inducted into the United States Army and was introduced to the medical field through pharmacy tech school. He spent the remainder of his service with the 4th M.A.S.H. in Stuttgart, Germany. Albert Cross married Vera Mae Thompson in Kansas City, Missouri on June 30, 1951. Vera, his soulmate for over 56 years, often worked outside the home to support his education. They had two sons, Greg and Brad. Vera passed away in November 2007. On April 1, 2009, he married Carol Westcott. After his discharge in October 1953, he worked at General Mills Product Control Laboratory until enrolling in the pharmacy school at the University of Kansas City in the fall of 1954. He graduated in May 1957 as an honor student and a member of the Rho Chi Honorary Pharmacy Society. He and Vera both worked full-time to save money for medical school and in the fall of 1958, he entered the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
The money they saved, along with his remaining GI Bill benefits, lasted about a year. Vera’s babysitting and Dr. Cross’s part-time pharmacy job helped with expenses. The Missouri State Medical Foundation, which provided low-interest loans to medical students, was a frequent resource for him. Upon graduation, he was made president of the Foundation for a few years. Dr. Cross was a member of several medical organizations and the recipient of many honors and awards. He graduated from medical school as an honor student and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Medical Society. His memberships included the American Medical Association, Missouri State Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, Missouri Academy of Family Physicians, and the University of Missouri Medical Proprietary School Board of Governors.
In 1994, he received the University Medical Alumni Service Award. He served as President of the Grand River Medical Society and Chief of Staff of Wright Memorial Hospital. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Trustees and Director of Trenton Trust Bank for over 20 years and a board member of the Trenton School Board. He was active as a Boy Scout leader and a member of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. He also served as President of the Trenton Baseball Association and the American Legion baseball team. A member of the First Christian Church in Trenton for over 56 years, he served as Elder, Deacon, and Chairman of the Board. Dr. Cross established his medical practice in Trenton on July 1, 1963. He was known for his dedication, was often available 24/7, and viewed his patients as friends. Since retiring, he has been active at North Central Missouri College, serving as President of the NCMC Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees. The new Allied Health building was named Dr. Albert and Vera Cross Hall in his honor.
Albert Cross was preceded in death by his wife Vera, his parents, and his brother George. He is survived by his wife Carol; sons Greg (Connie) and Brad (Teresa); brother Marvin Ray (Nancy); sister-in-law Norma Cross; grandchildren: Jacob (Staci), Ashlea (Travis) Watson, Ethan (Hayley), Alexander (Danielle), and Zachary; great-grandchildren: Keegan, Baylor, Kennedy, Reagan, Shafer, Sawyer, and Sonny Duke; stepchildren Jeffrey (Kati) Westcott and Kelle Westcott and her friend Rand Williams; step-grandchildren Brooke Westcott and Courtney Westcott (Hunter) Haakonstad; step great-grandson Graham; and special neighbors Jordan, Christina, Harper, Jovie, and Archie Ferguson.
The family suggests that instead of flowers, memorials be made to the First Christian Church or the Cross Allied Health Scholarship Fund at North Central Missouri College.
