Tributes to Cleo Earl Cook #6

Tribute to Cleo Earl Cook

by his son

George Kay Cook

     




















When I think of the times I shared with my Daddy, I think of a quiet, gentle patient, understanding, loving and supportive man that I loved very much.  In relating some of my memories of Daddy, I thought I would tell of some things that show these traits.

     The quiet gentleness of Daddy showed through when he was with his grandchildren.  One of the pictures of Dad that I remember was one of the grandkids standing on the seat next to grandpa in his pickup.  I was still living at home and can remember the way he would talk about his grandkids.  Even a short before he passed away, he went to Max and Joyce’s to stay with their children while Mike was attended by the doctors.  I have always felt bad that my own children didn’t get to stand on that pickup seat by the side of their grandpa.

Kay and Cleo

     I remember another time of gentleness in my Daddy’s life.  We were fishing on lower Camas just outside of Dubois.  We were sitting on the bank of the Creek, and I found a salmon egg bottle half buried in the mud.  I pulled the bottle out of the mud and noticed a piece of paper inside.  I opened the bottle and took out the piece of folded paper.  On this paper was written Cleo Cook and Bill Wilson and it had a date on it.  Bill Wilson was Dad’s good friend and fishing buddy and had passed away about a year before.  The writing on the paper was Bill’s writing.  Dad took the paper and read it.  I heard one sob, almost like a hiccup, and big tears rolled down my Daddy’s checks.  He put the bottle in his pocket and neither of us said a word.

Kay and Cleo

     I only remember hearing my Dad swear once and that was in defending one of his children.  Darrell had a fender bender when he backed into a car at the Idaho Falls City Cemetery.  Darrell had come down to pick me up and had backed into a car causing very minor damage.  The owner of the car called Dad and told him all sorts of things Darrell was supposed to have been doing and how much terrible damage there was to his car.  Dad very calmly listened and then said, “Mr. Buck, that’s a damn lie.  You’ll have to deal with my insurance company.”  Then he hung up and phone and said nothing more about the incident.

Cleo and Darrell

     I remember Dad’s patience and understanding as one of his strongest traits.  How many tangles in my fishing lines did Dad untangle with never an unkind word?  I remember having a closed faced casting reel.  I would get the line tangled inside that reel over and over and Dad would quietly untangle me and get me ready to start fishing again.  I remember on one occasion I was casting out my line and I didn’t know Dad had come up behind me.  I was probably 7 or 8.  I brought back my pole over my shoulder and with a mighty cast aimed for a spot on the creek.  The pole stopped and the line didn’t fly out into the creek.  As I turned around to see what the problem was, there stood Dad with my hook stuck in his cheek.  I felt horrible and started to cry.  He somehow got the hook out of his cheek and told me it was alright and not to cry.  He didn’t yell or scold.  He simply calmed me down and we went back to fishing.  I know now that it must have really hurt but he was more concerned with me.  Another incident very similar to his happened when I was much older.  We were walking through some brush on Upper Camas when I turned around to ask a question and stuck my pole right in Dad’s eye.  He jumped back and told me to be more careful, but he never got mad or upset with me.

Cleo and Darrell

     When I was 12 years old Dad was very ill and in the hospital.  Darrell and I were left home that summer a lot.  Mom would go up to the hospital to see Dad.  One day Darrell and I stated playing with Dad’s shotgun.  In the process we took all the buckshot out of one of the 12 gauge shells and loaded it into the gun.  Darrell then shot a hole in Mom and Dad’s bed.  We were scared and decided at first to run away.  We realized that wouldn’t work.  We both knew that Mom had a good temper and we didn’t want to tell her.  We decided our best bet lay with Dad because he usually didn’t get very upset.  I called Dad’s hospital room and Mom answered.  When I asked to talk with Dad, she asked, “Why?  What have you guys done?”  I finally persuaded her to let me talk to Dad.  When I explained what had happened, he asked if anyone was hurt.  I told him no and then there was a long silence.  He finally spoke and asked if we had learned a lesson, and I told him we sure had.  He then said, “I will talk to your Mother.  Everything will be alright.”  Darrell and I both dreaded all day long the return of Mother.  When she did come home, she walked straight to the bedroom, looked at the bed, and said, “Good hell!  There goes $200.00 in bedding.”  She turned around and told us that our father had talked to her and told her that we had learned our lesson and that she would say no more.  Dad must have understood how we felt.

Kay, Joyce, Darrell

     I can’t think of Daddy without thinking of how he supported me in baseball and softball.  When I was playing little league, Dad was in the hospital and couldn’t come to my games.  I remember that after each game Darrell and I would get a phone call from the hospital asking us about our game and how we had done.  All through my experience of playing church softball Dad was a part of it.  He was either our coach or our most loyal supporter.  I only remember him missing one church game and even that was a result of his support.  One of our players was working at Fresh Pak on the night shift.  He had to work on the night of one of our games.  My Dad also worked at Fresh Pak and had made arrangements to go in and work for this ballplayer so he could make the game.  No one on the team forgot that Dad did that for us and at the end of the year they gave him a shirt and made him an honorary member of our team.

Darrell and Kay

     Some of my fondest memories are as a teenager sitting on the foot of Mom and Dad’s bed talking to them.  They both would listen patiently and then encourage me and strengthen me with their words.  Dad would give me his quiet advice and tell me he loved me.  It was these words of love that helped me through my teenage years.  It was these gentle words of love that made me want to always make my Daddy proud of me.  I have missed these gentle words and I have missed my Daddy.  I look forward to the time I can embrace him again and express my love and gratitude for being the “Greatest Dad.”

Kay, Cleo, Darrell

     My last memory of Daddy is Christmas Day 1972.  Carla and I spent Christmas morning with Dad, Mom, and Darrell.  We were leaving t go down to Salt Lake City.  Carla’s Mom and Dad were taking us to California for the holidays.  We had told Mom and Darrell goodbye and had gone outside to tell Daddy goodbye.  He was just coming out of the garage with a bucket of feed for the cow.  He put the bucket down, gave us both big hugs and told us to be careful.  That was the last time I saw my Daddy.  A couple of days later we received a phone call in California from Cindy telling us Daddy had passed away.  I’m grateful that I had the privilege of being Cleo Earl Cook’s son.  If I can only be a fraction of the father that my Dad was then I will consider myself successful.  Daddy I will always love you.

Carla, Kay, Cleo and Ruth

George Kay Cook

Here are some extra pictures I thought you might enjoy.

Kay and Darrell

Darrell and Kay

Kay and Darrell

Kay

Kay and Darrell in pants Frank lederhosen pants Frank brought from Germany

The men from my family,
Back row: Frank, Dad (Cleo), Theron
Front row:  Kay and Darrell

The family:
Theron, Joyce, Dad, Mom, Lois, Frank
Darrell and Kay

Tributes to Cleo Earl Cook #5

Tribute to Cleo Earl Cook

by his daughter

Lois Cook Berrett

     I, Lois, as Nephi of old, have been born of goodly parents.  I am so proud of my heritage.  We are definitely from a noble line of ancestors who have sacrificed much so that we can have the great blessings that we enjoy today.  There are so many good things about my father, Cleo Earl Cook.  What a great man he was!  Daddy was kind and thoughtful of everyone.  I never heard Daddy say an unkind thing about anybody.  He did not gossip.  He was a very quiet man of few words.  But when he said something, it was important and you had better listen and heed what he said.

Lois and Cleo

     I guess who could call Dad kind of stubborn.  If he said no, he meant no and there was no amount of coaxing that would get him to change his mind.  You could have a very good argument for whatever it was that you wanted to do but if he said no, that was the end of it and you might just as well forget about it.

Lois, Frank, and Theron

     Daddy had a great love for the outdoors.  Oh how he loved to fish.  Hardly a week went by that Daddy did not go out fishing.

Lois, Joyce, Frank, and Theron

     He loved his family very much although he didn’t often express his love in words but rather in action and deeds.  He would have done anything for any of us kids or anybody for that matter.  I never really realized just how much he loved me until one day when he lost his wallet out fishing on a boat.  When he was telling us about losing it and what was in it, he said that he didn’t mind losing what little money he had or his licenses for that matter, but there was a picture of Lois in that wallet that he sure did hate to lost.  He said he would give a million dollars to have it back.  I was filled with pride knowing how much he actually loved me.  He valued a small picture of me even more than his fishing license, money and a million dollars.

Lois and Joyce

     He sure did love his grandchildren and they sure did love him.  Whenever he came down to our house, he would grab Brian and throw him in the air.  One day he came down with a different kind of hat on.  I can’t even remember what it was like but it wasn’t his usual hat.  He grabbed Brian and went to throw him in the air, and Brian started crying like crazy.  He didn’t know Grandpa in that hat.  Daddy took the hat off and Brian was once again happy.  Daddy really felt bad about scaring Brian and apologized and apologized for doing so.

    

Lois, Joyce, Theron and Frank

Sacrament meetings used to be held in the afternoons or evenings not in conjunction with the rest of the meetings as they are now.  If Nancy saw Grandpa and Grandma there, she would fuss and fuss until she got to go and sit with them.  Then after the meeting was over, she would have to ride home with them in their green pickup.  She would stand right beside Daddy with her arm around him.  They then would have to take her to their house and we would go and pick her up there.  She loved it and so did Dad.

    

Lois and Joyce

Diana and Trevor never really knew Daddy.  Diana was only six months old when Daddy died.  So she didn’t get to know him at all.  However, one Memorial Day when Trevor was just a little guy, were at Grant putting flowers on Dad’s grave.  We were talking about Dad and Trevor said that he remembered Grandpa Cook.  We told him that Grandpa Cook had died before he was born.  But he insisted that he know him and that Grandpa had taught him how to fish.  No more arguments from us on that one.  Sometimes the veil is very thin.

Lois and Joyce

     I have often wished that Daddy could have gone with us to all grandkid’s sporting events.  I am sure he would have loved to see all his grandchildren playing sports and doing all the other things that they have done.  One day I was feeling very blue about how unfair it was that Daddy couldn’t be there and Mark commented to me that he was sure that Daddy was there and could see all of his grandchildren.  That made me feel better but it doesn’t help me not to miss him.  Even time doesn’t help that.  I will always miss Daddy very much.  I wish that each one of the children could know and love him as I do.  Someday they will but for now they have others to tell them about him and to help them see how very special he was.  Let’s not let his memory grow dim and let’s forever home our great name.  “I love you, Daddy and miss you more than words can tell.”

Cleo and Ruth

 Lois Cook Berrett

This is the picture that Dad said he would give a million dollars to have back.  

Lois

Tributes to Cleo Earl Cook #4

Tribute to Cleo Earl Cook

by his daughter

Joyce Cook Wilson

Some of the things that I think of when I think of my Father, Cleo Earl Cook, are the bread and milk that he had nearly every night before he went to bed and the huge bowls of ice cream that he enjoyed quite often.  Dad loved pickled pig’s feet too.  Many times he would try and get me to eat them with him but after one time I declined.  Dad made the best baking powder biscuits that I think I've ever had.  His were so light and fluffy and oh so good.  Dad was a kind man.  Very quiet most of the time but when he spoke you had better listen.

     Dad loved to be out of doors.  He loved to fish, hunt and camp.  He was a hard worker, not fast at what he did, but he never quit until the job was done and done right.  I remember him saying one time, “If you don’t have the time to do it right, when are you going to find the time to do it again?”

     Dad didn’t complain about the little things or most of the time the big things.  He didn’t like doctors.  He thought they didn’t know any more than the everyday common man.  He thought by using good common sense, you could take care of yourself.

     If Dad made a promise to you he kept that promise.  His word was as good as any signed paper.  If he said that he would do something, he did it and did a good job of whatever he was doing.

      Dad was a good example in so many things.  He thought before he spoke.  He tried to listen to all sides before he passed judgment on us kids or anyone else.

     Dad had a sense of humor.  I remember one night that Dad and Dannie K. Wilson dressed up like girls.  They looked so funny.  We took a picture of them in the kitchen of the home where Mom now lives.

Frank, Joyce and Theron

     Dad loved to sit in the recliner and watch the fights on TV and any western that came on.  He usually fell asleep sitting there watching.  Dad didn’t do a lot of reading of books other than western books.  He did like a good western book.

     One of the things I remember about Dad is how very much he loved us as a family.  He would put the family first.  I remember when Lois and Mark got married.  Dad had just gotten out of the hospital.  He was still very sick and very weak.  He wasn’t sure if he would be able to even go to their reception.  But he stayed down most of the day and that night he went and stood in the line and never said a word to anyone about how he felt.  By the end of the evening he could hardly stand up let alone walk out to the car by himself.  He still didn’t complain because he loved his daughter so very much.

Joyce and Theron

    

Joyce

I remember when I lived in Idaho Falls with Janae Cook.  Two or three times a week Dad could come by our apartment and bring a gallon of milk for us.  Sometimes he would bring us a package of meat to help us out.  I know in order for him to do this for us, he had to leave for work about 15 to 20 minutes early.

     One of the memories that Ryan has of his Grandfather is going out in the boat with him.  Ryan was only a very small boy and that is about all that he can remember.  It was up at Island Park Lake.  We were there for a family gathering.  We had Lynette, Ryan, and Greg at that time.  Dad took both Ryan and Greg out.  Greg was too small to even remember.

    

Theron, Joyce and Frank

On Friday, 29 December 1972, Dad and Mom came to our house on the out skirts of Idaho Falls to watch our Lynette, Ryan, and Greg.  Michael was three weeks old and had to have emergency surgery.  They stayed there most of the night up until about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, 30 December 1972.  Then they went to their home in Menan.  Then they went to their home in Menan.  Dad got a couple of hours of sleep, and then went with Dee Raymond to get a load of hay for the cow.

Cleo and Lynette

     I had stayed all night at the hospital with Mike.  At about 10:30 the doctor came in and said Mike was doing great and that if I would go home and get a couple of hours sleep he would let me take Mike home that afternoon.  I left the hospital and went home.  I had just got into bed; I hadn’t even got to sleep yet, when the phone rang.  Max answered it.  He came into the bedroom where I was and he was crying.  I knew something was wrong.  Max was crying so hard he couldn’t tell me what he was crying about.  I thought something had gone wrong at the hospital, so I jumped up and started to get dressed.  He then told me that Mike was okay but that Dad had had a heart attack and passed away.  I remember Dad had mentioned that he had a pain in his right arm.  But he thought he had to work at Fresh Pak that day.  He had said on a number of occasions in the past that his arm ached.  He always attributed it to the fact that he had worked to hard at the Fresh Pak.

    

Ruth and Cleo

     My Dad and I were very close.  I miss him so very much.  I sometime meet other men that are in their late 60s that have reminded me of him.  His easy manner, his work habits, the way he thought before he spoke, his kindness, and each time I am reminded of him, I thank my Father in Heaven for blessing me with such a very special Dad and a very special Mom.

Ruth and Cleo

Tributes to Cleo Earl Cook #3

Tribute to Cleo Earl Cook

by his son

Theron Earl Cook

Theron Earl Cook

Theron Earl Cook

     





















     I will always remember the many fishing trips Dad would take us on.  He always took us out to Camas Creek.  He would fix us kids fishing poles out of sticks and line and we would fish around the camp.  Frank and I would stay together and pretty close to our camp.  I can remember when we would catch a fish, we were always so proud and Dad would always make us feel important.

Theron and Frank

     I can remember the time Dad took me to Mud Lake fishing and he caught the big fish that won him the Big Fish and Lucky Trout Contest.  I was so excited about him catching his fish.  It weighed 11 lbs. 12 oz.  When he finally got this fish in, he was really tickled about his success.  I was so proud of my Dad.  I knew he was the greatest fisherman in the world.  I can remember many many great fishing trips with Dad.  I really think Dad could have fished in a mud puddle and caught fish.

            I remember many great trips to Yellowstone Park.  The great time we had camping and fishing.  I also remember Joyce and I getting lost on one of these special campouts.  It was so great to finally see Mom and Dad after wondering through the trees and dark for so long.  Mom and Dad were so great to us when we were finally found.

Theron and Frank

     I also remember when we lived in Rigby and Mom and Dad would take us swimming in the Dry Bed.  We would go down by the bridge and Mom and Dad would swim while us kids mostly played around.  It was fun and enjoyable.

Cleo, Ruth, Theron and Frank

     I also remember working in the potatoes for Dad.  I was so small I had to kneel on the truck seat to steer the truck.  I would steer it down the rows between the sacks of potatoes. When I would get to the other end of the field Dad, Uncle Carl or Uncle Melburn would jump in the truck and turn it around and start it down another row of potato sacks.  I would sometimes not be paying enough attention and would run over or into a sack of potatoes and they would let me know I was day dreaming or falling asleep.

Theron and Joyce

     I can also remember tramping wool for Dad while they were shearing sheep.  After Dad threw a few bundles of wool in the big sacks, I was to get in the sack and tramp it down.  If I got behind or wasn’t doing what I was supposed to, Dad would wait until I was in the wool sack and then he would throw a bundle of wool on me.  It never hurt, but it was greasy and would sure make me mad.  Dad would always say, “If you will keep busy and stop playing around, I wouldn’t toss these bundles on you.”

Ruth and Cleo

     I also remember hauling loose hay.  I would have to walk around on the hay to pack it down, while Dad and Uncle Wayne threw the hay on the wagon.  I didn’t like doing it, so I would complain a lot; so after while either Dad or Uncle Wayne would drop some hay on me.  I would get so mad.  Dad would really laugh and get a kick out of making me so mad.  But they wouldn’t let me off the wagon.

     Dad was always very supportive of us kids as we participated in different sports.  He and Mom would be to all of our games.  Mom usually kept score.  I will always remember when we were playing softball in the regional tournament in Idaho Falls.  We were one player short.  Dad got a mitt and played with us in two different games.  I was so proud to be playing with my Father, and I was proud of the great job he did.

     Dad was always so even tempered.  He just took everything in stride.  He didn’t always agree with everything, but he would just go along and then do what he wanted or thought was what needed to be done.

Ruth and Cleo

     Cleo Earl Cook was one of the best husbands and Dads to ever be on the earth.  Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.  He was truly a great Dad of whom I am very proud to be his son.

Cleo

Theron Earl Cook