Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook (1918-1999) Autobiography-Part 12

Are you ready for the next exciting episode of Mother's life story.  In this episode she tells of our adventures in Lovell, Wyoming and of our move back to Menan, Idaho.  She tells of the Menan First Ward's girls' baseball team that she coached.  She loved those girls and they loved her.  

Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook (1918-1919) Autobiography Part 11

Time for the next episode of Mother's autobiography.  Hear more stories about Theron and his escapades along with one from Joyce.  Kay and I make our appearance into the family.  Mother relates how I got my name.  It is a delightful episode.  Enjoy.

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.

Happy New Year

     First let me wish all of you a very very Happy New Year!  This year has brought so many many blessings to my family.  In January our granddaughter left to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She is serving in the California San Fernando Mission.  She is doing great and is a wonderful missionary for our Church.
     We also have a grandson serving in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission.  He has been out for about a year and a half now.  He has been an Assistant to the President for about six months now.  He is also doing a great job.  We are so proud of these two missionaries and what they are doing.
     In November we had a grandson return home from the North Carolina Charlotte Mission.  It was so good to see him and feel of his testimony.  He returned home the day before Thanksgiving so was able to spend the holiday with all of his family.  He served a well and honorable mission and we are super proud of him too.   We really do have a wonderful family.
     Mark and I were able to travel with Brian, Chris and their daughter, Tori.  We took another Mediterranean Cruise and visited some pretty spectacular places.  We've enjoyed being able to do some traveling.
     We didn't do near enough camping or four wheeling this summer.  I am not sure why but we just didn't find the time to do much.  We did have a family camp out at Birch Creek and sure had a fun time although most of the family weren't able to be there.  We enjoyed the time with those who were able to make it.
     We were able to go to St George with Trevor and his family and then again with Diana and her family.  We had a great time both times and saw some pretty amazing sites.  We were able to take in a session in the St George temple and also to go to a couple of productions at Tuacahn--Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat and The Little Mermaid.  Both were amazing and well done.
     As always we are enjoying watching our grandchildren participate in their many activities. Diana's children are all heavily involved in a myriad of activities. Sean ran track and cross country and now is a cheerleader at Madison High School.  Hannah ran track, played JV volleyball and then was moved up to the varsity team for district and state.  Now she is involved in JV basketball.  She is a freshman and quite the star athlete.  She made 27 points at the basketball game the other night.  Berrett and Isaac are both involved in sports also but they are still young and are not involved in school sports yet.
     Shannon has three of her six children married and is the grandmother of 5 and one more on the way.  That makes me the great grandmother of 5 and soon to be six.  Where oh where did the time go?  I am not that OLD!!!!  Brigham is doing gymnastics and I might add doing very well.  Cambria is a cheerleader at Rigby High School and Britton, the newly returned missionary, is enrolled to start college at BYUIdaho in January.
     Brian has 3 children in college now.  None are married yet!  Alanna is the dancer and a mighty fine one at that.  She really does a great job.  Aaron loves basketball and is quite the star there.
     Nancy's family is growing up also.  Jaimee is our sister missionary.  Tucker is doing well in FFA and has earned the right to go to nationals this spring in Oklahoma.  Ty is a freshman and plays soccer for Rigby High.  He is a mighty fine player indeed and it was fun to get to learn a little about soccer.  Kylee and Abby love to do gymnastics and tumbling.  They are growing up way to fast.
     It has been so nice to have Trevor and his family back in the west.  They moved back a couple of years ago from New Jersey.  I love having them close by.  Carter, their oldest, was baptized in December.  Can't believe he is 8 already.  Holland started Kindergarten and Calvin is this cute little 3 year old that can win anyone's heart in a matter of seconds.  We also received the good news that there will be an addition to their family this spring--another little boy.  We are very excited about this new little one.  That will give us 25 grandchildren.  We are so blessed.
     Well this isn't at all what I sent out to write today but it evolved into this recap of  2014. Yes, it was a very good year and we are a very blessed family.

Us and our children

Back row:  Mark and Lois

Middle:  Brian, Diana and Trevor

Front:  Nancy and Shannon

Mom Share Your Life with Me - December 29

Question:  Is there anything else that you would like me to know about my childhood?

Answer:  You didn't like to play with dolls.  You were a good baby and grew up to be a very special young lady, a super daughter and a super Mom and Grandma.

You can see from this picture of Joyce and me and that I didn't much care for dolls.  Mine is on the ground while Joyce is loving holding her doll.

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 27

Question:  Share a favorite Thanksgiving memory.

Answer:  Mother didn't write anything on this page but I remember that at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day, she would make a huge fruit salad in her big pressure cooker canner.  Then after dinner, it was put out on the porch to keep it cold.  We could go out any time that we wanted to and get a bowl of salad.  I loved it.

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 24

Question:  What do you remember most about my first month of life?

Answer:  You were a good baby and the pride and joy of our family as we had 2 boys and now 2 girls.

Back row:  Theron, Franklin

Front row:  Lois (me) Joyce

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 23

Question:  What was the address of my first childhood home?

Roberts, Idaho for a short time and then we moved to Rigby, Idaho Route 1.

Home in Roberts, Idaho as it looked a few years ago.  It has since been torn down.  No one has lived there for many years, as you can tell from the picture.

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 21

Question: If you have a baby picture of me to share, place it here.

Answer:  Here is the picture that she put in the book of me.

Me (Lois Cook)

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 19

Question:  Who was President when I was born?

Answer:  President Harry S. Turman

Mom Share Your Life with Me - November 19

Question:  What other names did you consider for me?

Answer:  None

Me (Lois) on Old Pal at our home in Rigby, 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 17

Question:  Tell about the day I was born.

Answer:  We were at Wayne and Vendetta Wilson's home listening to a school district basketball game.  Then your Dad took me to Mrs. McKee's.  She had most of her home for mothers to have babies there.  It was a sunny day and you were born 11 March 1947.

Lois Cook

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 - July 29

Question:  Share the most unpleasant vacation experience you can recall.

Answer:  When we were in Yellowstone Park, Joyce almost fell off the wall around Tower Falls.  Her Uncle Walt Formo grabbed her as she lost her balance.  How thankful we are that he could get to her so fast ans that we still have her with us.

Lois and Joyce Cook in Yellowstone Park

Mom Share Your Life with Me - July 26

Question:  Tell about a family vacation trip.

Answer:  We took our family to Yellowstone Park and slept in tents.  My sister, Ethel and her husband Walt Formo went with us.  Had lots of fun even though Franklin, Theron and Ethel's, daughter, Leanne, got lost in the forest at Fishing Bridge.  We were so lucky there were found and so thankful.

Aunt Libby (Lydia Elizabeth Staker Proctor, Joyce and Lois Cook

Mom Share Your Life with Me - July 20

Question:  Share a birthday party memory.

Answer:  When all my family but Theron, and he called, had a surprise party for me at the home of Jim and Shannon Youngstrom.  Shannon is my granddaughter.  Did they ever surprise me.  We took pictures.  Ilene sent me the pictures they took.  Received so many lovely things.  Was I ever surprised and what a lovely meal we had.  I am so thankful for my family.  I love them with all my heart and I'll always be there to help them when ever I can.  The party was November 1995.

Life Story of Cleo Earl Cook-Part 4

LIFE HISTORY OF CLEO EARL COOK

Written by Ruth Elizabeth Proctor Cook

Mom and Dad (Cleo and Ruth Cook)

Cleo couldn't work for awhile and when he could he couldn't go back to work for Westergards so he worked for Ray Pettingill in Idaho Falls.  Mirl Pettingill also worked there and he helped Cleo.  Ray decided there wasn't enough work to keep all the men, so Cleo was laid off.  He worked a short time at the Menan Produce.  Then Verda Munns called and asked him if would like to work at the Idaho Fresh Pak.  He started to work there in March 1966.

Kay, Dad and Darrell

Theron and Cynthia Viera were married in Chula Vista, California, 28 May 1966.  Cleo couldn't go to their wedding but he let Ruth, Kay, and Darrell go. 

Theron and Cindy Cook

The same year on 21 October, his daughter Joyce was married to Max L. Wilson in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.  He was able to attend that wedding. 

Front Row:  Mother, Joyce, and Dad

Back Row: Kay, Lois, Theron, Frank, and Darrell

Myrna Ball, Janae Cook, Cindy Cook, Lois Berrett, Joyce and Max, Best Man, Leah Wilson, Cleo and Ruth Cook

Front Row:  Mother, Joyce and Max, Dad holding Craig,

Back Row:  Kay, Theron and Cindy, Mark and Lois, Frank and Ilene, and Darrell

After a few years went by, on 25 August 1972, George Kay as married to Carla Jean Holyoak in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

Kay and Carla, with Dad and Mom

Dad and Mom

  Everyone was able to be there.  Darrell James and Becky Sue Walker, Cleo's last son, as married 14 June 1974 in Rigby.  Cleo wasn't able to be there in person, but he surely was in spirit.

Darrell and Becky 

Theron, Kay, Darrell, Mom, Joyce and Lois

Cleo enjoyed hunting and fishing. 

Dad opening up his new fishing chair

Dad with some of his fishing buddies

He enjoyed his boat and camper.  He liked to go on camping trips into many different states.  He liked to take his sons out hunting with him.  He taught them how to use their gun and have respect for them.  He enjoyed taking his grandchildren with him in his pick-up or for boat rides or anywhere with him.  Cleo loved his grandchildren.  He had 14 grandchildren-eight grandsons and six granddaughters.  They all loved him too.

Mom and Dad with grandkids

Front Row:  David Cook, Shannon and Brian Berrett

Back Row:  Craig Cook, Lynette Wilson,  Mother holding Cari Cook, Dad holding Ryan Wilson and Shellie Cook.

Dad and Darrell

Cleo was asked to be athletic director of the Menan First Ward.  He really loved this job and held this church position until he was called to his heavenly home.

The morning of 30 December 1972, Cleo and Dee Raymond were getting hay in Cleo's pick-up at Bill Raymond's farm.  Dee said the hay was loaded and they were on their way home and were laughing and talking when Cleo put his head back and took a quick breath.  Dee grabbed the steering wheel and stopped the pick-up and went for help.  He got Terry Fullmer and they drove to the Idaho Falls hospital.  Theron was working there when they brought his Dad in.  Theron said he just knew they didn't get there in time for his Dad had been called to his heavenly home.

Cleo's services were held in the Menan First Ward Chapel, 2 January 1973, at 1:30 p.m.  Bishop Lyle Cottle conducted the services.  He was buried in the Grant Central Cemetery.  The day of Cleo's services was very cold.  Ruth was told it was a large service for the weather being so cold and there were a lot of beautiful flowers.

Cleo was loved by all who knew him.  He was always dependable and always cheerful.  He never complained.  Ruth never heard Cleo say anything unkind about anyone.  He had a way of making everyone around him feel very special.  All of Cleo and Ruth's sons and daughters have been married in the temple and it makes them both very happy.

Front Row:  Kay, Frank, Darrell and Joyce

Back Row:  Theron, Lois, Dad, and Mom

Cleo's sisters gave me, Ruth, help in writing Cleo's personal history and I want to thank them very much.

Here are some pictures of Dad that I thought you might enjoy. The first few were taken on Dad and Mom's 25 Anniversary.

Dad and his boys Kay, Darrell, Frank and Theron

Kay, Dad, and Darrell

Darrell, Kay and Lois

Joyce, Dad and Mom