A little bit of monkey business has caused a former resident and Suwannee High School graduate to catch the eyes of the folks at Readers Digest. In this case, Monkey Business is the title of a story that Denise Amstutz Koss submitted to the publishing giant.

Although Koss has been writing in journal form since the year 2000, the stay at home mom has viewed her creative art as a hobby. Koss had not submitted any of her work for publication until she saw an advertisement for a Reader’s Digest writing contest on Facebook and, on a whim, decided to submit a story that popped into her head.

Most of us have really fond memories of our fathers. Some memories are sincere, other emotional or some might even be heroic. Surely Koss is no different, but she chose to share a comical story about her father in the contest submission.

The story that Koss submitted was required to be 150 words or less, a feat that she acknowledged to be difficult.

“It would be easier to write 6,000 words,” Koss joked.

Koss begins the story, explaining that she grew up living in Africa, along with her sisters and parents, serving as missionaries. She then goes on to tell about going to a park where monkeys  and apes would roam free. During one particular visit, one ape decided to befriend her father and when the friendly ape was later frightened by a crocodile, he leaped on the back of her father.

With much laughter Koss explains that it took the owners of the park to remove the ape from her father’s back. The hairy creature had found comfort and protection in the father of three.

Koss, along with her family, moved to the Branford area in 1989. Her father, the late David Amstutz, was a pilot for the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office during those years. It was in 1992 when tragedy struck and the plane Amstutz flew crashed, claiming his life. Though his life was taken during that horrific event, his legacy lives on in the writings of Koss, and through the memories of those who knew him.

After the untimely death of Koss’s father, the Amstutz family moved to Live Oak, where Koss completed school. In the year 2000, Koss was married to her husband Tim Koss, who she proudly describes as a Marine. She and Tim currently live in Winder, Ga. with their two sons, David, 6, and Johnothan, 4. Koss’s mother, Debra Barney continues to reside in Live Oak and works at the Suwannee River Regional Library in Live Oak.

Koss will know in late December if she is the winner of the contest. The first place winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000 and have their story printed in Reader’s Digest. The 10 runners up and the one popular vote winner will each receive a cash prize of $2,500 and may be published in Reader’s Digest as well. Anyone may help Koss win by linking directly to the Facebook contest page at http://apps.facebook.com/yourlifecontest/content/monkey-business-0.

Should Koss win the first place prize, she and her husband have been discussing the possibilities of a adopting a girl. Whether Koss is selected the first place winner or not, her story is already a winner, in keeping pleasant memories of her father alive and well.