Velma Marie (Barnett) Cook (2014)

COOK, BARNETT, WRIGHT, MENDENHALL, APPLEGATE

Posted By: Shirley Keating (email)
Date: 4/9/2014 at 21:05:08

Johnson Funeral Home
Earlham, Iowa

VELMA MARIE COOK

Velma Marie Cook, 96 of Earlham passed away Tuesday, April, 8th at the West Bridge Care Center in Winterset. Visitation will be held from 4-8 P.M. with the family present 6-8 P.M. on Thursday, April 10th at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Earlham. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, April 11th at the Bear Creek Friends Church in Rural Dexter. Burial will be at the Bear Creek Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to the West Bridge Care Center or The American Bible Society. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com .

Velma Marie Barnett, daughter of Bruce Elwood Barnett and Florence Wright Barnett, was born on January 27, 1918 in a farm home northwest of Linden, Iowa, one of six children. She attended all twelve years at the Linden Consolidated School, graduating in May of 1935. At the age of five years, she began drum lessons and played in the Barnett Family Orchestra of five members for many years, later playing different instruments. The family played for P.T.A. meetings, community gatherings and church programs. She was very active in school activities, band, orchestra, girl's glee club, mixed chorus, sextets, basketball, the honor roll and graduating with "The All Round Student Medal" in 1935. After graduation, she worked one year as secretary to the Superintendent of School and then three years in the A.L. Mix Grocery Store, one of four stores in Linden.

On August 27, 1940, she married Leonard Otha Cook of Earlham, whom she met at the Bear Creek Friends Church of which he was a member. She transferred her membership to Bear Creek from Linden. God blessed them with four sons. Marie's motto was "I'd rather wear out then rust out." So she kept going, she was blessed with good health. After living two years northeast of Earlham, she and Otha and two month old Marvin moved to a farm south of Linden where they resided 17 years. She belonged to the Linden Women's Club, P.T.A., played piano for many funerals, weddings and church services. Returning to Bear Creek neighborhood in 1960, she played piano and organ for over 70 years in Linden, Bear Creek, Stuart, Guthrie Center and filled in several times at Earlham Methodist and a few at the Presbyterian Church. Holding different offices at Bear Creek Church, Sunday School teacher, S.S. Superintendent, Church Treasurer, a member of the U.S.F.W. ladies at Bear Creek, W.C.T.U. of Earlham, the Sunshine Sewing Circle, and Cosmopolitan Club. She played piano two or three times a month for years at the Earlham Nursing Home, several years playing Sunday for Sunday School at Stuart Care Center, going into Stuart Friends Church to play for church, later times going into Guthrie Center to play the Open Bible Church Service. In later years playing at the Stuart Congregate Meal Site and the Earlham Meal Site. Marie wrote "Bear Creek News" for 15 years for three papers: Earlham Echo, The Redfield Review and the Dallas County News. She made each son a quilt and ten grandchildren a quilt with the help from the gals of the Sunshine Circle. In later years she worked three years as one of the cooks in "The Cave" at Living History Farms, taught and played piano in Bible class at Illahee Hills Retirement Living in Urbandale, one summer Saturday evening as a Rolling Hostess at the Machine Shed. She enjoyed her five years at J.C. Penney in Des Moines. Marie was stricken with illness first of March, 2002, but God gave her a good recovery over the years and she was able to return to playing piano at the meal sites and fill in where necessary at churches. She made four quilts for great-grandchildren (all by hand) and several lap robes for relatives and friends. Always willing and able to give a testimony, word of praise, thanks or prayers for her Lord and Savior. She had a good, busy life. Marie passed away on April 8, 2014

She leaves to celebrate her life her sons: Marvin (Melinda) Cook of Cedar Falls, Norman Cook of Oklahoma City, OK, Marion (Dawn) Cook of Earlham, Merlin (Jennifer) Cook of Harleton, TX; 15 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; brothers: Robert (Mary Ellen) Barnett of Newberg, OR and Rollin (Velma) Barnett of Salem, OR and a host of nieces nephews family and friends that will miss her greatly.

Marie was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years: Otha Cook; her parents: Bruce and Florence Barnett; eldest brother: Paul W. Barnett; sisters: Celine Mendenhall and Wilma Applegate.

(Professional services arranged by Johnson Family Funeral Home – Earlham Chapel).

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