Life Sketch of Virgil Franklin Cook - Part two

Frank, 1975

    Frank always loved sports of any kind.  He may not have been tall but he made up for that in determination and hustle.  Frank was real competitive and always gave his all for the team.  He would rather take an injury than let the other team get an edge.  One time while playing second base Frank was determined to stay on the bag and make the tag as a much bigger opponent came sliding into the bag.  Frank stood his ground and took the hit.  No one remembers whether the other player was safe or out but Frank was out the rest of the season with a broken leg.

     Frank attended elementary school in Menan, Rigby Jr. High, and graduated from Rigby High School.  From there he attended two years at Ricks College prior to going on a mission.  At that time young men were required to be 20 before they could go on missions.  So at age 20, he turned in his papers for a mission.  Everyone was so excited when Frank got his call.  He would be spending the next 2 and a half years in Germany, the home of his Great Grandpa and Grandma Buchmiller.

    

High School Graduation Picture

Frank while serving in Germany

 

Mission Picture

     

     After serving his mission, Frank attended BYU and graduated with a degree in German and history.  Frank was an excellent student and was on the dean’s list every year.  He added to his education by taking correspondence classes from LaSalle earning a degree in accounting.

     Frank was a true blue cougar fan.  Notice that his family has picked out BYU blue for him this day.  Frank hardly ever missed a BYU game. If he couldn’t get it on TV, he would go out in the car or back in the bedroom and listen to the game.  Everyone in the house knew how that game was going by how loud Frank was cheering or how loud he was yelling at the referees.  Because of his love of BYU and Germany every year for Christmas Ilene always ordered something for Frank that was from Germany and something from BYU.  Sometimes the other side of Frank would come out at sporting events.  There were times at David’s ball games that Ilene and Steven would get up and go sit in the car because Frank was yelling so loud at the way the game was being officiated.  However there was one game that David recalls where Frank didn’t hassle the umpire at all.  David was a senior and playing in a baseball game in Idaho Falls.  David came up to bat and since he likes to look at the first pitch, he let one go by that was right down the pipe.  The ump called, “Ball one.”  The other coach came unglued.  David couldn’t believe his ears either.  He turned to look at the ump.  And much to his surprise he discovered it was his Uncle Max behind the plate who had his finger to his lip saying, “Shhh.”  Yes that was one game Frank didn’t yell at the ump. 

      While attending BYU, Frank met a beautiful young lady by the name of Ilene Richards on a blind date to the Prom.  While they were dancing, Ilene noticed that no one was dancing close to them.  She thought that was quite rude of them.  Suddenly a friend came over to them and said they needed to help Ilene a little.  She was in a beautiful prom dress that had a hoop underskirt.  The hoop had come apart and was sticking straight out, swishing around so that no one could get near to them.  They pulled the hoop out and Frank stuck it in one of his sleeves and out the other so that his arms stuck out just like a scarecrow.  What a great time they had.  But this was only one of many great times that they would have.  

Florence Ilene Richards

     Five months later they were married.  On September 19, 1963, they were sealed for time and eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple.  Frank had a special name for his bride.  He called her Schatz, translated Little Treasure.  He truly did treasure her too.  They lived in American Fork so that Frank could finish his education at the Y.

     Frank’s first job was at J.C. Pennys on Main Street in Salt Lake.  On the way home from his graduation at the Y, Ilene’s mother mentioned that J.C. Pennys was look for a manager.  Frank pulled into the parking lot, went in, applied for the job and was hired.  Thus ended his career as a German History Professor.

     On 8 March 1965 their first son was born, Craig Richard Cook.  When Craig was born, Frank and Ilene were living in Kearnes in Ilene’s mother’s home while she was in California.  She came home to help with the baby.  When he was 10 days old, Ilene’s mother told Frank and Ilene to go to bed and she would watch Craig.  They heard one cry and that was all.  They hurried out of bed and found Craig had stopped breathing.  Ilene tried to get help on the phone but couldn't seem to get anyone.  Frank took off running barefoot through the snow to the first station that was a block away to get help.  They hurried back and got Craig breathing again and then rushed him to the hospital.

Frank, Ilene and Craig

     From Ilene’s mother’s home, they moved up on the Avenues.  Here they were very close to the Temple and used to take the baby and go to Temple Square quite frequently.  While living here, Frank was transferred from the down town store to one in Medvale.  So Frank and Ilene moved to Midvale.  It was here that their second son was born, David Virgil Cook, on 23 January 1967.  David weighed 9 ½ pounds.  He was bigger as a baby than Craig was at two years old. 

Craig, Frank, and David

Frank was transferred to the J.C. Penny store in Twin Falls, Idaho.  So in 1969 they moved to Twin.  One night Frank didn't come home from work when he should have.  Ilene got more and more worried.  She finally called Dave, another manager.  He told Ilene that Frank had probably gone over to the church to play basketball or something.  Ilene told him that Frank would never do that without calling her.  He said to give Frank fifteen more minutes and then to call him and he would go and find Frank.  Frank didn't show up so Dave went to the store and found Frank and another worker locked in the bathroom.  Someone had held up the store and locked them in the bathroom.

     Their third son, Steven Leon Cook, was born 10 April 1972.  During Ilene’s labor, Frank kept disappearing.  She would look all around and he would be gone.  She looked out the window and could see the car in the parking lot so she knew that he hadn’t left.  There was another couple in the next room and he would see Ilene looking around for Frank. He asked her if she had lost Frank again.  She replied that she had.  He told her that Frank as asleep in the waiting room.  She would send him to get Frank just to go through the scenario again.  You see, Steven was born in the middle of the night after a long Sunday at Church meetings.

Steven, Ilene, Frank, David, and Craig

     When Pennys started staying open on Sundays, Frank knew that he would need to find a new job.  He had the conviction that working on Sunday was just not the right thing to do.  So he found a new job with Greater Idaho.  He later went to work for Coca-Cola as an accountant for 13 years, Charmac Trailer for three years and for the past 8 years for MarCon Construction in Nampa.