Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook (1918-1999) Autobiography Part 14

I am finally home long enough to get another segment of Mother's Life Story ready.  She finishes telling about the trip her, Dad, and Darrell took and then about Dad's death. She mentions that when she died she had a silver dollar and some other coins for us kids.  I have mine and will add pictures of my coins and the little leather holder that she kept them in.  Man, I miss her and Dad.

Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook (1918-1999) Autobiography Part 13

Here is the next installment of Mother's Life Story.  Here she shares another adventure with Aunt Atha and Uncle Opal, there were many you know.  She always tells of a trip that she took with Daddy and Darrell.  More of it will be coming next week.  Enjoy!!

Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook (1918-1999) Autobiography Part 8

Time sure does fly by.  I can't believe how fast the weeks go by.  It has been fun adding these videos of Mother.  I have enjoyed hearing her voice once again and listening to her tell her life story.

Homes of My Ancestors Part One

     In doing my family history, I have come to realize just how very very blessed I am and how very thankful I am for those ancestors who have paved the way for me to have the great blessings that I enjoy and so often take for granted.  I am come to appreciate their great sacrifices for me.  They gave so much so that I could have so much.  Sometimes I feel guilty for all that I have when they had so little.  Anyway, I thought I would post some pictures of some of the homes that my ancestors lived in. Some I have visited and some I have not.  It is fun to reminisce about these people and places. Hope you enjoy!

Grandpa and Grandma Cook

James Edward and Christina Magdalena Buchmiller Cook

Of course this was taken along after anyone live in it.  Below are some pictures of what it looked like back when they were living in it.

Grandpa Cook holding my brother Franklin.

My mother, Ruth with my brother, Franklin

My brothers, Franklin and Theron 

Franklin and Theron again.

My Dad, Cleo taking a picture of someone or thing.

My sister, Joyce, Mother, and Franklin

Franklin, Theron and Joyce

A modern day picture of the home of my Grandpa James  and Grandma Lena Cook in Grant, Idaho on the Lewisville Highway.  The lived here with several children.  

My Dad and Mom

Cleo Earl and Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook

Dad and Mom in Roberts

Wayne Rottweier, Theron Cook, Dean Rottweier, Franklin Cook in Roberts

Franklin and Theron in Roberts

Theron and Franklin in Roberts.  

Mother, Franklin, Theron, Joyce and me Lois at our home in Rigby, Idaho.

Me on Old Pal at our home in Rigby, Idaho

Dad at our home in Menan, Idaho

Dad in Menan

Lena Beyeler with Theron and Cindy Cook at the home in Menan, Idaho

Karl Heinrich Buchmiller and Christine Gertrude Walz

    Grandpa and Grandma Buchmiller actually lived in a dugout in the side of the canal in Rexburg, Idaho.  After Grandfather Buchmiller passed away, Grandma Buchmiller married Fiedrich Ludwig Klingler.  They built this home 376 West 4th South.  Now it is used for BYU-Idaho student housing. It must have been quite the lovely home when they built it and lived there.  It is just around the corner from where the dugout home was locate.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - December 26

Question:  Share any other Christmas memory.

Answer:  Sup time was it when I was younger, growing up, after I was married and had children and now meeting together as a family and having a party near Christmas.

Mother and Dad with grandkids

Merry Christmas

    Christmas Memories

Lois Cook Berrett

 I thought I would do something a little different for this blog entry since Christmas is almost here.  I would like to share a Christmas memory or two and then would like you to share a Christmas memory or two in the comments and then everyone can read and enjoy.  Hope lots of you will participate.

   When I was growing up money was pretty tight at our house and yet Mom and Dad always managed to give us a nice Christmas.  Now mind you, it is not like what kids get for Christmas today.  We would get one thing from Santa Claus, an orange and hard tack candy and nuts in our stockings.  Then there might be a very practical gift or two from Mom and Dad, always something that we really needed.  
     I never wondered where the money came from for those gifts.  It wasn't until Mother passed away that I found out just where it did come from.  Now my Mother kept everything and after her death I was going through boxes of receipts and other papers.  It was here I found receipts for many years.  Among those receipts, I found loans from various loan institutions that all took place in early December.  It was then that I realized that they had to take a loan out each Christmas so I and my siblings could have a Christmas gift.  Let me tell you, it touched my heart deeply.  Oh how I miss those two sweet sweet people who never had the riches of the world but were very very rich in the things that count.
     I recall one Christmas when I was only 5 or 6.  We went to my Grandpa and Grandma Proctor's home in Tooele, Utah, for Christmas.  I really wanted a record player that year.  I just knew that Santa Claus would not know that I was in Utah and he wouldn't be able to find me.  On Christmas Eve, we were at my Uncle Max and Aunt Dorthy Proctor's home, when a knock came at the door.  Much to my pleasure and surprise, in walked Santa Claus.  He gave me a little sack of goodies and told me he knew where I was and would be visiting later that night.  I did, indeed, get a record player that year.

     Now it's your turn to share a Christmas Memory.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 25

Question:  What were my other childhood addresses?

Answer:  Lovell, Wyoming
                Menan, Idaho

Dad out shoveling at home in Menan, Idaho

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 18

Question:  How did you choose my name?

Answer:  Your Dad named you after an old friend of his, Lois.  He was dating her before I captured his heart.

Me (Lois) and My Dad (Cleo)

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 16

Question:  Tell the full names, birthdays, and birthplaces of all of your children.

Answer:  Vergil Franklin Cook, 31 August 1939, Rigby, Idaho
                Theron Earl Cook, 24 May 1941, Rigby, Idaho
                Joyce Cook, 6 November 1943, Rigby, Idaho
                Lois Cook, 11 March 1947, Rigby, Idaho
                George Kay Cook, 27 April 1953, Lovelle, Wyoming
                Darrell James Cook, 22 October 1954, Rigby, Idaho

By the way, today is Mother's birthday.  She would have been 96 today.  Happy Birthday, Mother.  Hope you have a beautiful day!!!  We love you and miss you so very much.

Back row: Theron, Lois, Cleo (Dad), Ruth (Mother)

Front row:  Kay, Frank, Darrell, Joyce

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 15

Question:  Tell about the most serious problem or challenge you faced during your early years of marriage.

Answer:  Grandpa Cook didn't give gifts to Theron when he gave them to Franklin.  So we told him if he didn't give one to Theron on his birthday and Christmas like he did to Franklin, then not to give any at all-which made him very unhappy but he agreed to do it.

Dad (Cleo Earl Cook) Mother (Ruth Elizabeth Proctor)

Theron Earl Cook and Vergil Franklin Cook

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 14

Question:  What qualities in my dad did you try to unsuccessfully change?

Answer:  Are you kidding?  [My Dad was know to be quite stubborn.  If he said no, he meant no and there was absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, you could do to change his mind.  Sure miss that Daddy of mine.]

Cleo Earl Cook that wonderful Daddy of mine

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 13

Question:  What was your job at the time?

Answer:  I wasn't working and Cleo was running a farm north of Roberts, Idaho, with his Dad, James Edward Cook.

Dad (Cleo), Frank, and Grandpa Cook (James Edward) in Roberts, Idaho

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 12

Question:  Tell about where you lived when first married.

Answer:  We lived in a 2 room house in Roberts, Idaho.  We rented it from Bessie Jones.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 9

Question:  Tell about any other circumstances of your wedding day.

Answer:  While we were in the Temple, Franklin was in the nursery and he was crying very hard, so they brought him to me.  They held up the session while I took and loved him; he was sobbing so hard.  the ones who were there said the baby came first.  When he was asleep, the matron took him back to the nursery and the session went on.

Vergil Franklin Cook

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 8

Question:  Who performed your marriage ceremony?  Who stood up with you?

Answer:  President of the Salt Lake Temple, President Chapman.

Mom, Dad and Frank

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 7

Question:  What did you wear when you were married to my father?

Answer:  I wore my white temple dress.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 6

Question:  When and where were you and my Father married?

Answer:  We were married in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the LDS Temple for time only as I was already sealed to his brother, Vergil.  We were married 20 December 1939.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 5

Question:  If you have a picture taken during your courtship to share, place it here.

Answer:  Mother didn't put a picture in but I had this one and thought her and Daddy looked so cute.  So I am attaching it.

Dad, Mom and Wayne Wilson

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 4

Question:  Tell about how my Dad proposed marriage to you.

Answer:  He came to the home I had in Roberts, Idaho, and asked me to marry him.  I had Franklin.  He was a baby and he said, "I will help you raise him as my own son and he did.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 3

Question:  What qualities first attracted you to my Father?

Answer:  He was thoughtful of me and his Mom and Dad.
               Good looking
               Good listener
               Was always there to help me when I needed help.
                He was a super guy, one of the best.