Leonard Otha Cook (2005)

BARNETT, COOK, HADLEY, MCCLEARY, MCKIBBEN, MOWELL

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 5/12/2006 at 15:58:06

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, November 2, 2005

Otha Cook, Earlham

Leonard Otha Cook, 90, of Earlham died Oct. 24, 2005.

Funeral services were held Thursday, Oct. 27, at Bear Creek Friends Church in rural Earlham with Pastors Dallas Gilreath, David Martinson and Ernie Baiotto officiating. Burial was at Bear Creek Cemetery.

Otha Cook was born Oct. 22, 1915, to Leonard Hibbs and Evelia Dell (McKibben) Cook of rural Earlham. He attended Earlham School, graduating in 1934. In August 1940, he married Velma Marie Barnett of Linden. They farmed northeast of Earlham for two years, moving to a larger farm near Linden in 1943, where they remained for 17 years. In March of 1960, they moved back to the Earlham area, residing 10 years on the L.L. Mendenhall farm. They purchased the Ed Jones farm in 1970 and resided there for 10 years. With his health failing, Otha retired from farming and later worked for Living History Farms for 16 years, driving a tractor on tour rides. He was a birthright member of the Bear Creek Friends Church where he taught Sunday school and was on the ministry and council board and cemetery committee. While living in LInden, he served two terms on the Linden School Board, one as president. He also served two years as a township trustee and was a 4-H leader.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Bernice Hadley.

He is survived by his wife, Marie, of Earlham; four sons, Marvin Cook of Reinbeck, Norman Cook of Oklahoma City, Okla., Marion Cook of Earlham and Merlin Cook of Harleton, Texas; and 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Kuhn Funeral Homes of Dexter, Earlham and Redfield.
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Earlham Advocate
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, November 3, 2005

Funeral services were held for Leonard Otha Cook on Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at the Bear Creek Friends Church in rural Earlham, Iowa.

Pastor Dallas Gilreath, Pastor David Martinson and Pastor Ernie Baiotto were the officiants. Ruth Ann Robson was the pianist and soloist was David D. Kuhn who sang “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder I’ll Be There”.

Pallbearers were Marvin Cook, Norman Cook, Marion Cook, Merlin Cook, Brent Cook, Beryl Kenworthy, and Chuck Anker.

Leonard Otha Cook, son of Leonard Hibbs Cook and Evelia Dell (McKibben) Cook was born October 22, 1915, one mile east of the Bear Creek Church where he attended Sunday School and church most of his life. He attended his twelve years of schooling in the Earlham School, graduating in 1934, playing football and basketball in high school, and later years softball on the Men’s Bear Creek team.

Following graduation he worked for a cousin Millard McCleary in his gas station in Fontanelle. In 1935, he worked as a hired man for several of the folks in the Bear Creek Friends east neighborhood. In the fall of 1936, he drove some elder relatives to California for the winter. Otha stayed with his relatives Joe and Mable Mowell and worked at Sears Roebuck during Christmas season putting wagons, tricycles, and toys together. He returned home to Iowa in February to an Iowa Blizzard. He worked for Da Vere Jackson, Clyde Barnett and Walter Mapes.

In August, 1940, Otha married Velma Marie Barnett of Linden. They met going to church at Bear Creek. Her older brother was the pastor at the church. Otha and Marie farmed northeast of Earlham two years, moving to a larger farm near Linden March 1, 1943, where they remained 17 years.

At Linden, he served two terms on the Linden School Board, one term as president. He served two years as a township trustee and was a 4-H leader. They moved back to the Earlham District in March 1960, residing ten years on L. L. Mendenhall farm, then purchased the Ed Jones farm in 1970 and lived there ten years. His health failed and he had to give up farming. Later he got a job at Living History Farms, driving a tractor on the tour rides. He loved this work and was able to work for 16 years there. He served different offices in the church, taught Sunday school class, was an usher for years, on Ministry and Council Board, and Cemetery committee.

Otha and Marie were blessed with four sons, Marvin, Norman, Marion and Merlin.

Otha was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Dell, his sister and husband Bernice and Willard Hadley. Those left to celebrate his passing are wife Marie of 65 years, sons Marvin and wife Melinda, Norman and wife Mary Jane, Marion and wife Dawn, and Merlin Cook, 13 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Interment in the Bear Creek Cemetery of rural Earlham, Iowa. Kuhn Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

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