Cleo Earl Cook-Love Is Spoken Here

Love is Spoken Here

          My father, Cleo Earl Cook, was a quiet dignified man.  Never one to show much emotion.  I suppose that one could call him a little stubborn too.  Whenever I asked daddy something, I wanted to be sure that he was in a good mood and probably would answer in the affirmative because once he gave an answer, there was nothing, and I mean nothing, that would change his mind.  I don’t care how good of a case you pleaded; he was not going to change his mind. 

          I’ve heard tell that the German people are this way and since his mother, my grandmother was German, I guess he came by it naturally. 

          I only saw my father really angry once.  It happened at our small home in Menan.  Theron and some of his friends had met some other kids from Idaho Falls and there was no love lost between the two groups.  So they arranged to meet at Midway Jr. High School and settle their difference. 

          Theron and his friends arrived at the school only to find some policemen already there.  The police asked what they were doing there.  The quick thinkers told the police they played their basketball games there and their game had been cancelled so they had come to tell the rest of the team there was no game.  The police assured them they would let the other players know and for them to go on home. 

          So that’s what they did.  They came to our house to play some games.  As luck would have it, not to long into their game playing a knock came at the door.  Theron answered the door and here was this other group of kids still looking to finish the fight.  I don’t know how dad knew what they were talking about it or what was going on but suddenly he came flying out of the living room.  I remember he grabbed one of those boys and literally shoved him out the door.  Of course in order to get to these other kids, he had to go through Theron and his friends.  When they were all out of the house, Elwood Clifford came out his door and those boys left in one big hurry never to be seen or heard of again.

          That truly is the only time that I remember dad getting mad but oh my goodness, he was certainly mad then and one not to be reckoned with.

          I don’t remember my dad showing much loving emotion either.  I guess I never really knew how much he loved me until one time when he was fishing and he lost his wallet in the river.  It had his money, fishing license, driver’s license and I don’t know what all in it.  When he got home, he said he didn’t feel bad about losing any of it but there was a picture of me in it that he sure felt bad about losing.  He was so sad he didn’t have that picture anymore.  I knew without any doubt that my dad loved me.  He was ready to cry about a lost picture of me.  I’ll never forget that experience with him.  I love him so much and miss him so much too. 

          He loved his children and his grandchildren so much.  I remember one time he came to our house.  Brian was just a baby and oh how he loved his grandpa.  This day, however, dad had on a cap and Brian didn’t recognize him in it.  Dad went to take Brian, who always went to him very willingly, but not this time.  As dad took him in his arms Brian started crying.  Dad felt so bad about that.  He took that cap right off but just couldn’t get over that he had made Brian cry.

          Nancy used to love to ride with him in his pickup.  She would stand, yes that’s right, stand on the seat right by him with her little arm around his neck.  She always wanted to sit by him and mother at church and always cried if they didn’t take her home in the pickup.  Oh how I wish that my children and my grandchildren could have gotten to know my wonderful father.  You all would have loved him so much.  It will be fun to meet him again heaven.  All of our goals should be to live our lives so that we will all be worthy to get to see him and all of our family members.  We want to no empty chairs in heaven!  Besides how else will all of my grandchildren get to know this super man and one of my heroes? 

   Dad (Cleo) and his brother, Virgil