Patricia Ellen (Moseley) COOKE

COOKE, MOSELEY, BURTON, STUEDLE, LIEN, SHIPLEY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/2/2017 at 00:42:33

December 16, 1928 ---- January 8, 2017

Patricia "Pat" Ellen Cooke, 88 years young, a longtime resident of Chillicothe, Missouri who split her time in Arizona since 2010 but could never stand to fully leave her roots in Chillicothe, passed away Monday, January 9th, 2017. She died at home, defying the odds (as always) by spending her last two months in Arizona in relatively good condition and surrounded by family while enjoying the holidays, her 88th birthday this past December, and her daughter and son-in-law's 40th wedding anniversary.

Pat was born December 16, 1928, the daughter of Glenn A. and Leone M. Moseley, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Pat was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Oscar, aged 84, and also by her parents and one much-loved older brother, "Pete". As she often said in her later years, "This getting old is for the birds, I've outlived most of my friends now." But in her years prior to growing older, she lived a very full life, including a memorable trip around the world with Oscar over a 30 day span, enjoying the sights of nearly a dozen countries and multiple continents.

Survivors who will forever hold her in their hearts include one daughter, Cynthia Lee Burton and her husband, John of Mesa, Ariz.; one son, Oscar Melvin Cooke, III (Mel) and wife, Lupita of Costa Rica; six grandchildren, Patrick J. Burton of Gilbert, Ariz., and Christopher L. Burton of Chillicothe, Mo, Shawna Cooke of Springfield, Mo., Tawnya Stuedle of Cameron, Mo., Tausha Lien of Olathe, Ks., Shayla Shipley of Cameron, Mo., along with a legacy of four great-grandchildren, including a pair of twins.

Pat was the dedicated Secretary of Cooke Sales and Service for over 50 years, after majoring in Home Economics and Child Development at Iowa State University and marrying Oscar M. Cooke in 1950. She enjoyed music and passed that love on to her daughter who played professionally for several churches. Pat performed weekly on the organ (including 40+ years for the church), taught knitting in the community, was a proud private pilot, and loved her cats and dogs throughout the years. She spent decades involved in the Chillicothe community, on the airport board -- along with many other local concerns -- including decades of service with P.E.O., culminating in being P.E.O. Missouri state president. While depending on Cooke Estate finances, it was her hope to eventually set up an ongoing scholarship with P.E.O. and Cottey College (one of the best Regional Colleges in the Midwest, U.S. News & World Reports), specifically a stipend for textbooks based upon the recipient's community service and overall scholarship.

Pat would deeply appreciate that memorial contributions in her name be made to the Chillicothe Animal Shelter at 1400 South Mitchell Ave, Chillicothe MO 64601, and/or to the United Methodist Church of Chillicothe, 1414 Walnut Street, Chillicothe, MO 64601.

Due to her death being in Arizona, arrangements were under the direction of Lakeshore Mortuary of Mesa, Ariz, where her mother Leone before her also passed.

A Celebration of Life Service was held at 2:00pm Saturday, January 28th, 2017 at the United Methodist Church in Chillicothe, Missouri. A private family inurnment was held on Saturday, January 28th, 2017 at approximately 4:30pm till sunset near Cooke's Lake, in Chillicothe, Missouri.

http://www.forevermissed.com/patricia-ellen-cooke/lifestory#lifestory
*****
[Class of 1946 - Goldfield High School, Goldfield, Iowa]