Life Sketch of Virgil Franklin Cook - Part one

     Virgil Franklin Cook was my oldest brother.  I love him so much.  He truly was the kind of big brother every little girl deserves.  My sister, Joyce and I were privileged to be able to present his life sketch at his funeral.  It was an honor and great blessing to be able to do this for our brother.  Oh my goodness, how I miss him. We'll meet again someday, Frank.  Until then know that you are loved and missed beyond measure.

Life Sketch of Virgil Franklin Cook

Given 5 February 2000

By his sisters: Joyce C. Wilson and Lois C. Berrett

     Virgil Franklin Cook was born August 31, 1939 in Rigby, Idaho to Virgil Nelson Cook and Ruth Elizabeth Proctor. 

     Frank’s father had passed away earlier that year in February from a stroke not even knowing that Ruth was expecting Frank.  Ruth found out after Virgil was called to his Heavenly Home that she was expecting Frank and wondered how she was ever going to have the money to pay a doctor and take care of her baby.  

     Frank was born a month early and weighed only five pounds.  He had tiny curls all over his head.  When Frank was born, his mother saw Virgil standing in the doorway dressed in white.  When the doctor told Ruth that the baby was fine and healthy Virgil disappeared.  Ironically it was Cleo, Virgil’s brother, who drove Ruth to the hospital and then waited in the car for news of the birth.  Cleo would later marry Ruth and raise Frank as his own son.  Cleo and Ruth were married in December 1939.  There was never any favoritism or partiality shown by Cleo to any of us other kids.  He truly loved Frank and treated him as his own.  As far as us kids, Frank was our full brother in every way.  

Dad, (Cleo) and Frank outside Church in Roberts, Idaho

Mom, (Ruth), Dad, (Cleo) and Frank

Dad, Frank, and Mom

Dad, Frank, and Grandpa Cook (James Edward Cook)

Grandpa Cook (James Edward) holding Frank

Mother and Frank

Mother and Frank at home in Roberts, Idaho

     Frank hated bananas.  Because he was so little the doctor told Ruth to feed him lots of bananas and he would grow tall.  So she feed him lots and lots of bananas.  This just goes to show that doctors don’t know everything.  Frank didn’t grow too tall but he did learn to hate bananas.

Dad, Mom, Theron and Frank

    

Frank and Theron

Theron and Frank

Theron and Frank

Theron and Frank

Frank and Theron with their dog

Theron and Frank

Theron and Frank on sleigh

Theron and Frank on sleigh

Frank riding his trike

Frank and Theron eating watermelon

 Frank had 3 younger brothers, Theron, Kay and Darrell, and two younger sisters, Joyce, and Lois. Darrell was killed at age 23 while working for the Union Pacific Railroad as a switchman in a freak train accident.
     Frank’s early years were spent on a farm in Roberts, Idaho.  He and Theron was quite a pair.  What one couldn't think of to do to get into mischief the other one could.  One day while playing hide and seek with their younger sister, Joyce, they got tired to tending her so they decided to ditch her.  They locked her in the outhouse.  Ruth went outside to see where the kids were.  She found the boys but no Joyce.  She asked them where she was but they said they had forgotten where they put her.  Everyone started to hunt for Joyce.  Ruth became quite frightened as there was water running through the barnyard and in some places quite deep.  They kept calling her name.  Ruth finally went around by the outhouse and heard someone sobbing.  The door was locked on the outside so it looked as if no one was in there.  But when she opened the door, there lay Joyce on the floor where she had cried herself to sleep.  When Ruth showed the boys what they had done to their little sister, they replied,” Oh, we remember, we put her in there because she was pestering us.”  They felt bad but their bottoms felt worse when Ruth got through with them.

Frank and Theron

Frank with his catch of the day

Frank proudly showing you his fish.

Theron and Frank fishing

Theron and Frank fishing

Frank, Joyce and Theron

Frank, Joyce and Theron

Frank and Joyce

 

Frank, Joyce and Theron

Frank, Theron, and Joyce

Theron, Frank and Joyce

     From Roberts, the family moved to Rigby, Idaho, where again Cleo farmed.  Frank was old enough now to help out with some of the farm work.  It was here that Frank learned to swim in the dry bed that ran through the farm.  

Frank and Theron

Lois cannot figure out why her brothers look so strange.

Frank, Theron, Lois and Joyce 

Frank and Theron on horse

Frank, Joyce and Theron on horse

Frank, Joyce and Theron

     From Rigby, they moved to Menan, Idaho for a short time and then on to Lovell, Wyoming, where Cleo worked on the high power lines for a year.

Frank in Lovelle, Wyoming