COOK, James Elmer 1871 - 1930

COOK, EVANS, BURRELL, WILLIAMS, BLUNDON, CROWDER, ROBINSON, BRANNER, MERRITT, SHEPHERD, ADLER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:23:27

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, September 8, 1930
Front Page, Column 4

TOOK OWN LIFE HERE YESTERDAY
James COOK Found Lifeless Beside Gun in West End Addition Home

James COOK, 58 years old, took his own life in his home in the West End addition about 11:45 oclock yesterday morning by decapitating himself with a shotgun.

Found lying on the floor in a bedroom, with the smoking gun beside him, Mr. COOK is supposed to have placed the butt of the gun in the corner of the room to steady it, pointed it towards his head, and touched the trigger with a finger. The gun, a doublebarrelled one, contained one exploded and one unused shell when found.

At the time of the shooting Mrs. COOK and a companion were in the kitchen.

Surviving the deceased man are his wife ,two sons, Walter and Orville of Fairfield, and four daughters, Mrs. Hazel EVANS, Mrs. Ethel BURRELL, Rolla and Alvie of Davenport. The funeral service was held from the Hoskins Funeral home this afternoon at 2:30 with the Rev. Fred. G. Crown in charge. Interment was in the Evergreen cemetery.

~~~~

"The Fairfield (Iowa) Daily Ledger"
Tuesday, September 9, 1930
Page THREE, Column 2

JAMES ELMER COOK

James Elmer COOK, son of John and Henrietta COOK was born in Iowa June 10, 1871, being at the time of his death 59 years, 3 months, 8 days. On October 2, 1911, he was united in marriage to Dora BRANNER and to this union was born 6 children who with their mother survive. The children are as follows: Orville E., Hazel M. and Ethel M. all of Davenport; Alva N. Rollie R. and Walter L. all of Fairfield, Iowa. He is also survived by one daughter-in-law, Mrs. Walter COOK and 7 grand-children. He is survived by 3 sisters, Mrs. Anna WILLIAMS and Mrs. Ida BLUNDON of Fairfield and Mrs. Nellie CROWDER of Washington, D. C. And also 2 brothers Charles COOK of Farmington and Jess COOK of Fairfield.

December 6, 1925, he was married to Mrs. Laura ROBINSON who also survives. He also leaves 7 step-children. And a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at Hoskins funeral home at 2:30 Monday afternoon with Rev. Fred Crown officiating. Burial was in Evergreen cemetery.

~~~~
Copied with permission from The Fairfield Ledger, Inc. IAGenWeb Bylaws PROHIBIT the COPYING AND RE-POSTING OF THIS MATERIAL IN ANY PUBLIC VENUE such as Ancestry or Find A Grave without WRITTEN permission from the submitter ~ copyright restrictions apply.
*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in the Public Grounds section of the cemetery, in Row 7, Space 20. He married Dora BRANNER on October 2, 1895, in Rome, Henry Co., IA, according to state marriage records. Their six children were born between 1897 and 1913. Dora married Walter MERRITT in 1924 in Oquawka, IL, died in 1935 in Davenport, IA, and is buried there. Second wife Laura was Laura Belle SHEPHERD, who married first to John ADLER (1891, Brighton, IA), second, to James COOK (when/where?), and third to Ed ROBINSON (1923, Ottumwa, IA). Her death certificate in 1941 noted she was the wife of John ADLER (who died in 1947), so perhaps they married each other again. Laura is buried with her ADLER husband, also in Evergreen Cemetery.