Cookman, James LeRoy 1920 - 2004

COOKMAN KEYS, GRIBBEN

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 5/22/2013 at 04:31:27

James "Jim" Cookman, 84, of 1010 South Third Street, Clear Lake, died
Saturday, April 10, 2004 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason
City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 14, at
Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 North 4th Street, Clear Lake, with the
Rev. Ron Stein of the First Baptist Church of Mason City, officiating. Burial
will be at Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors by the VFW Post
#4868 of Clear Lake.
James LeRoy, the son of Leslie and Mary (Keys) Cookman, was born March 20,
1920 in Mason City, Iowa. He received his education from the Mason City High
School. While in high school, he played football and baseball for the Mason
City Mohawks. He was an All State football player on the 1938, State
Championship team and was also an All State baseball player and Golden Gloves
Boxer. He was united in marriage to Lorraine Gribben on April 26, 1941 in
Mason City. Jim served his country in the United States Navy from 1942 - 1945.
He participated in D-Day and several major European campaigns during World War
II. He returned to the Mason City area and worked for Betsy Ross for eight
years and then for Butter Top Bakery for thirty-two years. He moved to Clear
Lake in 1956.
Jim was a member of the River City Softball Hall of Fame. He enjoyed spending
time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren, woodworking, traveling,
boating, and boxing.
Jim is survived by his children, Linda Kirkey and her husband, Tom, of
Farmington, Minn., Mike Cookman of Clear Lake and Pat Cookman of Knoxville,
Iowa; two sisters, Bea Johnson of Mason City, and Elizabeth Schnarr and her
husband, Bob, of Morton, Ill., and one brother, Dan Cookman of Clear Lake.
Also surviving are four grandchildren, Mary Kirkey-Olson of Rosemount, Minn.,
Jim Kirkey of Minneapolis, Minn., Todd Cookman of Clear Lake, and Tanya Sue
Cummings of Austin, Minn.; five great-grandchildren, and several nieces and
nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lorraine; his parents; one brother,
Bill; one brother-in-law, Kenny Johnson; one sister-in-law, Veronica Cookman,
and one nephew, Tom Johnson.