Cook, John

COOK, HOUSELL, PITHAN, ALES, SWAN, KEIL

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Date: 4/15/2003 at 18:17:02

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

JOHN COOK.

Classed among the self-made men and highly esteemed citizens of Brookfield township is John Cook, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, November 23, 1853. His parents, Marshall and Magdalina (Housell) Cook, were natives of Germany, and on their emigration to the United States, in 1852, located in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where the father worked at the mason’s trade for two years. He then came west, and entered land in Sharon township, this county. In connection with the operation of his farm he worked at the mason and plasterer’s trade throughout the northern part of the county. He died in December, 1872, and his wife departed this life in September, 1895. They were the parents of seven children, namely: John, our subject; Naomi, widow of Charles Pithan, and a resident of Lost Nation; Albert, who is represented on another page of this volume; Rosan, wife of Nick Ales, a farmer of Sharon township; Marion, who died at the age of fourteen years; Christ, a farmer of Sharon township; and Amelia, wife of Wheeler Swan, a farer of the same township.

John Cook accompanied his parents on their removal to this county, and here he was reared to manhood, his education being acquired in its common schools. In 1880 he led to the marriage altar Miss Mary Keil, a native of Elgin, Illinois, and a daughter of Frederick and Frederika Keil, both now deceased. By occupation the father was a farmer and butcher. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have three children, namely: Marshall, born in 1883; Emma, born in 1885; and Simon, born in 1886.

After his marriage Mr. Cook took up his residence on a farm on sections eleven and twelve, Sharon township, and resided there until January, 1892, when he removed to his present farm in Brookfield township, known as the M. C. Finton place. It is a tract of one hundred and sixty acres on section eleven, and is well improved and highly cultivated. Mr. Cook carries on general farming and stock-raising, and is meeting with well-deserved success. He started out in life for himself empty-handed, and the prosperity that he has achieved is due to his own unaided efforts. Politically he is identified with the Republican party, and socially is a member with the Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 33, of Maquoketa.