Charles W. Cook 1922-2004

COOK, PRATT, GOEBEL, HAWHEE, BERNHARD, SICKELS, GANDER, BRANDT, ADAM, DEE, SOMMER, THOMSON, WALKER

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 7/15/2010 at 22:00:29

Charles W. Cook, 81, of Waukon, died Thursday, June 17, 2004, at his home in rural Waukon. Funeral services were held Sunday, June 20, at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, with Rev. James Walker officiating. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements.

Charles Ward Cook was born November 11, 1922, on the Franklin Township, rural Waukon farm of his parents, Jasper Ward and Ida Mae (Pratt) Cook. He attended rural schools at Jefferson #3 and Ludlow #1 before graduating from Waukon High School. Following school he began farming, which he continued to do all his working life on four different Allamakee County farms.

On May 20, 1956, he married Marlene Louise "Mickey" Goebel at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon. The farm he and Mickey currently lived on was originally built by his great-great-grandfather and had served as a stage coach inn and later as the post office for the settlement of Makee.

Charles served as the Union Prairie Township Assessor from 1957-1968. From 1968 until 1988 he was the manager of German Farmers Mutual Insurance Agency in Waukon and also owned and operated Cook Insurance Agency. He was a member of the Allamakee County Historical Society, the care review committee for Makee Manor, and continued to serve on the Board of Directors of German Farmers Mutual until very recently. Charles enjoyed old time music, making stained glass items, traveling and camping with his family, and tinkering with old machinery. He was active in organic farming and an accomplished carpenter, building two campers for his pick ups. He played the fiddle in the Cook family band that played at area nursing homes and also as a member of the Off Beats, a band that played once a month in Waterville for many years.

Survivors include his wife Marlene "Mickey" of Waukon; two sons, William Ward (Linda) of Waukon and Christian Charles (Lisa) of West Salem, Wis.; five grandchildren, Ron, Michael, Chad, Elissa, and Amanda; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Cecil (Jean) of Pleasant Hill, Iowa; and a sister, Ruth Hawhee of Cantril, Iowa. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Honorary casketbearers were Dean and Linda Bernhard, Gene and Darlene Sickels, Earl and Jean Gander, and Kenneth and Betty Brandt. Casketbearers were Ron, Michael, and Chad Adam, Donus Dee, Jerry Sommer, and Tom Thomson.

Waukon Standard, 6/22/2004