Clarence Cook

Clarence Lloyd Cook left his worldly home on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. He was the second of five children born to Lloyd J. and Murriel A. (Onstott) Cook on March 21, 1928, at his maternal grandparents' home in Kendrick.

He then returned to his farm home at Lenore that had been homesteaded by his paternal grandparents and began a lifetime of love of the land. He loved all aspects of farming. He especially loved his "girls" - his cows. He rode his horse bareback with a piece of baling twine to check his cows. In later years, he drove to the field, stopped his pickup and called his cows to him.

He saw haying change from shocking hay by hand and a horse-drawn hay wagon to round bale, spike and feeder.

He grew up with cousins on the farm who were very close and remained so through life. His extended family was large, and holidays were observed with huge gatherings.

He began school at the Lower Cream Ridge School, riding horseback to school with his sister, Vivian. After eight years he attended high school at Lapwai High School with the class of 1946, and drove the school bus his senior year.

He attended what is known now as Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho. He returned to what he loved - the farm, where he stayed the rest of his life except for serving in the U.S. Army for two years, 1953 to '55, and one year in Lewiston when his oldest daughter was born. He returned to Lewiston in 2012 when his health was failing. He was a hands-on father before it was in style and had a close relationship working with his daughters and son. They turned many a bale, always toward you, watching for rattlesnakes. He killed many of them, but the 13 rattlesnakes and a button snake were his best.

He spent many hours helping his daughters with their 4-H projects, even swallowing hard and having sheep. His son had the largest watermelon and squash several years at the Nez Perce County Fair.

He and Marylou Wolf were married on Aug. 2, 1953, in her parents' home at Lewiston, and they celebrated 62-plus years of marriage. To this union were born three daughters who survive him, Karen (Mike) Hoggarth, Yvonne Cook and Holly (Frank) Waters; and son Kevin Cook; along with six grandsons; one granddaughter; four great-grandchildren; one brother, Donald Cook; brother-in-law Deral Springer; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He enjoyed playing pinochle for years with local couples and at the International Order of Odd Fellows Hall in Orofino with friends Dwain and Adah Space. He liked to attend car shows, auction sales, coffee with friends, day trips with his family with lots of scenic routes and was a champion huckleberry picker. But his greatest joy was being with his family and friends and just visiting.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Vivian Ward, Dorothy Springer and Kathleen Cook; and brother James Cook.

Celebration of life services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Malcolm's Brower-Wann Funeral Home.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Joe Thometz Memorial 4-H Scholarship fund, Nez Perce County Extension, 239 Idaho St., Lewiston, ID 83501; the Gina Quesenberry Foundation, P.O. Box 506, Lewiston, ID 83501; or the charity of your choice.