Obituary of Richard Waldo Cook

Richard Lee Cook was born on August 5, 1945 in Spencer, Iowa, the son of LuVern Julius Cook and Laura Marie Thelen. He graduated from Milford High School in 1963 and enlisted in the United States Navy, serving in the Submarine Division of Nuclear Tactics. In 1966 he married Cheri O'Farrell from Arnolds Park, Iowa. To this union one son, Scott Christopher, was born in 1970. On July 29, 1982 he was united in marriage to Barbara Ellen Jones and to this union was born Samuel Andrew LuVern in 1983. Rich's post-military career included time at Berkley & Co. in Spirit Lake. He then worked in sales and service at the George A. Rolfes Company of Boone, Iowa. At some point, Rich obtained his Real Estate license and enjoyed buying and selling homes. Rich concluded his active professional career after 25 years as founder/owner of Tri-States Grain Conditioning, Inc. in Spirit Lake, manufacturing, selling and servicing grain temperature monitoring systems worldwide. He sold the company in 2007 to friends Darwin and Jo Winkowitsch. Rich participated in several local churches. The early formation of his Christian faith occurred at Faith Evangelical Free Church and Lakeview Open Bible Church (now Spirit Life Fellowship Church) in Spirit Lake. He also had a long association with the Okoboji Lakes Bible & Missionary Conference in Arnolds Park. His interests included gardening, inventing, cooking, writing, fishing, snowmobiling, boating, furniture restoration, wood working, and feeding the wide variety of birds that flocked to his feeders. As he courageously battled the diseases that eventually took his life, he took great joy in sitting on the deck of his home watching the birds, lighting bottle rockets and fending off local squirrels. Rich and family resided in the Lakes area for most of their lives. He passed away on April 21, 2011 in Spirit Lake at his home in the presence of family and friends. Rich is survived by wife Barbara and son Sam of Spirit Lake; son Scott of Littleton, Colorado; brother Bill (Lynnette) of Milford, Iowa; and sister Connie (Jerry) Braunschweig of Alta, Iowa. He is also survived by his aunt Irene McDonald and uncle and aunt Lindy and Phyllis Cook as well as father and mother-in-law, Forrest and Margaret Jones; 5 sisters-in-law; 3 brothers-in-law; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.