James Nathaniel Cook - Part Two

     My Grandfather, James Edward Cook, wrote a letter to Mary Luella Standley Lovell, a granddaughter of his sister, Mary Marie Cook Russell. telling her about his father .  I met her son, James Lovell the other day and he had the original letter that Grandpa Cook had written to his Grandmother Lovell.  He was kind enough to let me make a copy of the letter.  It is great to see Grandpa's handwriting.  I will post the handwritten copies, a copy of the envelope he used to mail it, and a typed translation of the the letter.  Please let me know what you think.

(Retyped with spelling and punctuation as close to the original as possible.)

Feb. 6 – 57

Mrs. James Lovell

Dear folks,

Will try to give you a little more on the life of my Father James Nathaniel Cook. Will start by giving some of the things I remember He told me. He told me of walking down the Street Hold of His Father’s hand when they met the prophet Joseph his father was Daniel Cook he stoped to talk with the prophet and while talking the prophet reached over and put his Hand on his head and he said it felt like a shock of electricy went through him and as I told you he answered the call of President Young and went back driving ox teams and helped bring some of the Saints to Salt Lake. Said he had slep many a knight out under the stars with Brigham. He was a great defender of President Young. He was a Gard During the Black Hawk Indian ware. He was a great friend of the Indians and they thought lots of him. I remember when I was a young man I was coming back from Price Utah with a load of Goods for the Stores in Vernal. While crossing the Reservation I met a number of Indians one was a Indian Chief he road up to the side of me and stuck out his hand in a friendly Hand shake and said Hello Broder Hello Broder You Jim Cooks son then said Jim Cook Heep dood man meaning My father. While in a blacksmith Shop in Shelley getting a horse Shawed I gave the man a check for the bill he looked at the check and said to me do you by any chance happen to be a relative of James Cook. And when I told him I was his son he said that was the finest man I ever met and that was the report of every man I met who knew him. Father had some bad luck in his time one time his team Run away with him he was throwed from the wagon and Several of his ribs and his lege was broken in two places and in setting it they got it shorter than the other so he always walked with a limp. He was a devoted LDS. I told you of the merical of how he was Healed to get his second Indowments. If you can’t remember it call me up and I will reherse it to you. Hope this will help you in the good work you are doing will you get a family group sheet and fill it out and also a brief History of your own family also stating wherein you connect up with the Daniel Cook line and abd Your Uncle with love to you all James E. Cook Send the sheet either to me Route 2 Idaho F or to Agnes Levin Roberts. I will tell you more of the organation Just formed last fall. Come down and see us and maby I can tell you more about your ancestors on the Cook Line. By