Cook Family History: Life Story of Ruth Elizabeth Proctor-Part Fourteen

Written by

Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook

Mom and Dad (Ruth and Cleo

When Theron was set apart in the Bishopric in the 7th College Ward in Rexburg, Idaho, in 1986, Charles Hinds was the Bishop, Kay and Carla and family came from Utah, Max and Joy and family were there, Lois and Mark, Jim and Shannon and myself were all there when they sustained Theron. President Grant set Theron apart and gave him a beautiful blessing. Afterward he told me that it was the Lord who told him what to say. Then he told me that the in the eyes of the Lord I was a very special lady. I had tears in my eyes.

Mom and Theron at Theron's graduation for his Master's 1988

My sons and sons-in-law have all had special callings in the church, from being bishops to bishop's counselors, stake missionaries, stake mission presidents, to scout masters. My daughters and daughters-in-law have held special callings in both ward and stake in the Primary, Sunday School, Relief Society, and Young Women. I am so proud of all of them.

Shellie, Mother, Theron and Cindy

I spent many a summer traveling with Opal and Atha Staker and George and Annie Jaynes. They were my sisters and their husbands. Stakers had a motor home. It was called the Golden Falcon. It was surely nice. What fun trips we had. We went to many states. We went clear across the United States and Canada. We also went to the Grand Canyon, Zions National Park, Glacier and Yellowstone Park, Mexico and New Mexico. They surely helped during the summer and fall part of the year. I spent a lot of time staying with Atha and Annie.

Atha, Mother and Annie Carol

Also visiting Kay and Carla's home. While staying at Kay's home, one night we went to see "The Sting". After the show, we went out to get in Rob and Pam's car. I had one foot in and Rob started his car. Then I thought I had better get my other foot out for I was afraid the door would knock me down. Then I be darned if he didn't run over the foot I had on the ground. I called to Kay that Rob had just run over my foot. He stopped the car and I passed out. They carried me into the theater again and laid me down on a couch they had in the lobby. They put my foot on a pillow and then took me to the Cotton Wood Hospital, where they x-rayed my foot and put it in a cast and sent me back to Kay's to sleep. They gave me some strong pain pills and I sure did sleep. I asked the doctor if my foot would be better so when I came back to Menan I would be able to go see my grandsons play football in the fall of the year. He said it would if I would do all he told me to do. Kay's little son, James, would get a newspaper or fly swatter and run it underneath my toes as they were sticking out. I couldn't get up to chase him and he thought that was good sport. They had my leg propped up on a little bench. Kay told him to do not that anymore, so he quit. Kay, Carla and family were very good to me and helped me out a lot. They took me to the doctor when I had to go back for a checkup. Boy how that foot aches now when it is stormy weather.

Mother and Jared Cook

I have been blessed in so many ways. I have 38 grandchildren that is counting the young men and young women my grandchildren have married. I count all of them grandchildren because they are so very special to me. I actually have 29 blood grandchildren. I have seven great grandsons: Dustin Cook, Brayden Cook,(Frank and Ilene); Garen and Britton Youngstrom, and Jayse Mark Berrett (Lois and Mark's); Jake Angel, and Braxton Eliason (Theron and Cindy's). There are three great granddaughters: Ciara and Kira Youngstrom and Ryanne Berrett (Mark and Lois') I will be blessed with two more this fall and winter (1994) as Matt and Nancy and Diana and George are expecting. I think that is just super. I love them all dearly.

Mother and first great grandchild, Ciara Youngstrom

Mother with great grandson Braxton Eliason

Mother and great grandson Jake Angell

Mother and great grandson Britton Youngstrom

Mother and great granddaughter Jaimee Hancock

Mother and great grandson Garrett Cook

Mother with great grandson Brigham Youngstrom

Mother with great grandson Tucker Hancock

Mother with great grandchildren, Jaimee and Tucker Hancock and Sam Wilson

My grandsons have served missions and they have shared their missions with me through letters. Those going on missions were: Brian Berrett, Ryan Wilson, David Cook, Greg Wilson, Mike Wilson, Justin Cook, Christopher Cook, Jayson Cook and Jeremy Cook. My granddaughters whose husbands have served missions are: Jim Youngstrom, Ron Eliason, Matt Hancock, and George Wilson.

Lois, Joyce, Jeremy, Mother, Theron and Kay

Theron and Mother

These grandsons of mine are Eagle Scouts: Brian and Trevor Berrett; Craig, David, and Steven Cook; and Jayson, Justin, and Jeremy Cook. Ron Eliason and Matt Hancock are also Eagles. I am so proud of all these kids and they are all very good to help me any time.

Alan and Jean Holyoak, Christopher Cook and Mother

In November 1992, Bishop Lynn Taylor called me on the phone and asked if he could come over and see him. I told him he could come but the answer would be no. Soon my door bell rang. I opened the door and in came the Bishop. We talked for awhile and then he asked if I would accept a calling as secretary of the Relief Society. I was so surprised for I thought he was going to ask me to work in the nursery and I knew I couldn't do that for I couldn't hold the little one's on my lap for very long, nor could I pick them up if they would happen to fall. I asked the Bishop if he had fallen out of his bed on his head that morning. He looked at me and laughed and said no, that he and his counselors had fasted and prayed when my name was given to them by the President Blanch Christensen. Blanch, the president and her counselors, who were Dorothy Wilson and Betty Raymond, thought I would be a good secretary. I looked at my bishop and said, "Bishop, I feel honored to be called to such a calling. I will do it to the best I can. But I asked if there weren't other sisters who could do a better job in that calling. He told me no; that this is what the Lords wanted. I learned to love those very special sisters. They were so good to come and take me to our presidency meetings and to the stake meetings at the stake center. I had been with them one year when they were released and Kay Boyle was asked to be president. Her counselors are Renee Willits, and Diana Clark. These sisters are special also. They come and take me to our presidency and stake meetings. I asked the bishop why I wasn't released and he said the new president and her counselors asked that I stay in as the secretary. Bishop said I was older and had more experience in life than those other three sisters. I said to him older yes but I'm not sure on the other thing. I have enjoyed working with them and I have a good stake leader who is Nelda Drollinger.

Mother with her good friend, Deloris Wertz

I wanted to put this in and don't think I mentioned it before. When Lois went to Ricks College and down to ISU, she left Trevor to stay with me. We had such good time. I would set in my rocker and read him stories. When he decided to take a nap he would lie down in front of the furnace where the warm air blows out. But he would never let me cover him up while he was awake. After he would go to sleep, I would put a blanket on him and he would snuggle down underneath it. When he would wake up and find a blanket on him he would say, "Did you do cover me up when I said I didn't want you to?" I told him his fairy god mother covered him up and he would say ok. Once when we were over to the Grant Cemetery putting flowers on Vergil and Cleo's graves Trevor sat down and run his fingers over the mountain, pine tree and stream that is on Cleo's headstone. He was told that was where his Grandpa Cook was buried. He said that he knew him and that he had taken him fishing on a stream like this one. Trevor was about three at the time. He repeated what he had said when questioned about it. Cleo loved to fish and it made us wonder if Trevor hadn't known and fished with his grandfather before he came to this earth.

Mother and grandon, Trevor Berrett

When Trevor stayed with me while he was going to kindergarten, he came home one day and I was laying down. When I went to get up to fix his lunch I got quite dizzy, so I lay down again. When I did get up I told him I about lost all my bearings. As I was in the kitchen I turned and looked and there was Trevor lying on his tummy by my couch. He was reaching under it as far as his little hands would go. I came into the front room and asked him just what in the world he was doing. He looked up at me and said he was looking for my bearings. I picked him up and loved him and told him he wouldn't find any under there that it was just a saying.

Mother and granddaughter, Lynette Wilson

Alta Qualman and I have become very good friends. She takes me to the Falls, Rexburg, and Rigby when I need to go. She has taken me to church when the Berretts haven't been around. Ruth Downey is another friend who has taken me places. Joy Covington and Pat Raymond are other people who have been very good to me because I can't drive any more. Max and Joy Covington and I have started playing pinochle in the fall and winter evenings. It has surely helped me pass away some of my evenings. They came to my place, then Max would come and get me and take me to their home. They took Alta Qualman and me around to see the people's home who had them all decorated up during the Christmas holidays, then they took us to Sizzlers to eat. We had a fun evening.

Mother and granddaughter, Jill Cook

Mother and granddaughter, Brandi Cook

I have kept journals of the different things I have done thought out my life. I think here I have hit some of the highlights of the things I have written in them. I sure hope that you all enjoy reading this and will still love me, for I surely love all of you. I want you all to know that I do have a testimony. I know that we belong to the true church, that Joseph Smith was a prophet and all that has been called are called by our Heavenly Father. In my time so far I have listened to the following prophets speak at conference times; President Heber J. Grant. I got to shake his hand when Mr. Bently my Seminary teacher took us to conference in Salt Lake when we were seniors in high school and would be graduating from seminary that year. What a thrill that was. The next President was George Albert Smith, President David O. McKay (he always reminded me of my father in looks and actions.) President Joseph Fielding Smith; President Harold B. Lee; President Spencer W. Kimball; President Ezra Taft Benson and President Howard W. Hunter. I know all of these men have been called by our Lord. I also know our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers for he has many of mine. I want each one of you to know that I love you all very dearly and I want you to know I am so grateful for all you have done for me. How you are all there when I need you at any time. I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful family and I thank my Heavenly Father for each one of you day and night. I ask my Heavenly Father to watch over you and help you all to make the right choice. I hope we can all be one united family at all times. May the Good Lord bless each of you with his choicest blessings, and again I thank you all for all the joy and happiness you have each brought into my life so far. May we have many more years of love and joy in our families. My kids have brought me joy in the companions they have chosen to be sealed to for time and all eternity. Now my grandkids are doing the same thing. Now I am enjoying my great grandchildren. I have surely been blessed. As I have said early this is a hit and miss of me. Hope you all enjoy it. "LOVE TO ALL AT THIS TIME AND FOREVER"

Mother with Joyce's family at Greg and Pam's wedding

Joyce, Mother and Lynette at Greg and Pam's wedding

This is what Mother wrote. I thought I would add a few more pictures and details of her life. In 1995 we had a surprise birthday party for her at our daughter, Shannon's home. She really was surprised and we had a wonderful time.