Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 698
WALTER COOK, M.D.

The only physician in Pisgah, Harrison county, Iowa, is Dr. Walter COOK, who has been practicing here since 1901. Doctor COOK has had an interesting and varied career, during which time he has been a miner, ranchman and a school teacher. He started out in life for himself when he was seventeen years of age and traveled over the west, following various occupations and gaining an invaluable amount of experience of all kinds. He finally decided on a medical career and was graduated from Drake University in 1898, since which time he has been engaged in the practice of medicine. He keeps thoroughly up to date in his profession and has taken considerable post-graduate work since locating in Pisgah.

Dr. Walter COOK, the son of I. P. and Hannah M. (CHANTRY) COOK, was born November 2, 1866, near Dexter, Iowa. His father was born near West Newton, Indiana, and his mother in Lee county, Iowa. Doctor COOK's parents reared a family of eight children, the doctor being their third child.

I. P. COOK came to Iowa when he was eighteen years of age and located in Dallas county. His family is of English origin, and upon coming to America first located in South Carolina. After coming to Iowa, Mr. COOK met and married Hannah M. CHANTRY, whose father was a native of England. Her mother's people, the PASSMOREs, came with William PENN and located on the land grant which the King of England gave William PENN. The CHANTRY family moved from Pennsylvania to Guthrie county, Iowa, and in that county I. P. COOK met and married Hannah CHANTRY. Mr. and Mrs. COOK are still living and now make their home near Des Moines.

Doctor COOK was reared on the farm until he was sixteen years of age, and then went to Nebraska to live with an aunt. He stayed with her for one year and when he was seventeen years of age started west to seek his fortune. For a few years he led rather a nomadic and romantic career in the west. He lived in various states, doing all kinds of honest labor, such as mining and working on ranches. However, he had an ambition to do something in the world, and with this intention went to Chicago in the early nineties and attended a commercial school. After being graduated from this institution he decided that he did not want to enter commercial life, so he went to the Mayfield Academy at Marble Hill, Missouri, taking a teacher's course. After completing this course he taught in the public schools of Missouri until 1896. He had decided in the meantime to study medicine, and in that year entered Drake University and was graduated from the medical department in the spring of 1898. He practiced in the western part of Iowa until 1901, when he came to this county, locating at Pisgah, where he has since lived, being the first doctor to locate in that town. In 1909 and 1910 Doctor COOK went to the Louisville Medical College and the Chicago Post-graduate Medical School and took special courses in hospital work in order to prepare himself for more efficient service. He has a large practice throughout the northern part of Harrison county, and has met with uniform success.

Doctor COOK was married February 28, 1905, to Minnie COBB, the daughter of Elisha and Mariah (MCCOULOUGH) COBB. Mrs. COOK was born on her father's farm one mile and a half northeast of Pisgah, the only child of her parents, who were early pioneers of Harrison county, and she now owns the old homestead. Mr. COBB was a prominent man in the county and active in political affairs. Mrs. COOK is a prominent musician and has taught instrumental and vocal music in Pisgah and vicinity for more than twenty-five years. She is a woman of excellent education, having attended the schools of the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa, and Nebraska University at Lincoln.

Doctor COOK does not take an active part in politics, always giving his support, however, to the men he believes are the best qualified for the public position which they seek. He is a member of the Friends church at Des Moines, Iowa, while his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Pisgah. He is a member of the Harrison County, Iowa, State and American Medical Associations and also holds membership in the Missouri Valley Medical Association.

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