Cora Ethel Cook

Cora Ethel Cook was born August 28, 1933, at Pritchett, Colorado to Benjamin Harrison Cook and Mary Ethel Loges Cook and passed away on July 26, 2019, at the Southeast Colorado Hospital District Long Term Care Center at the age of 85.

Cora was the youngest of five children and was an unexpected but not unwelcome surprise to her parents.  This was during the Dust Bowl and times were hard.  They didn’t have “things”, but they had love and Cora never had reason to believe that she was anything but a joy to her family.

The family moved from Pritchett to Springfield in 1941 and Cora started 4 ^th grade there. She graduated from Springfield High School in May 1951.  She worked for a time at Baca County Finance Company before marrying Marvin Leonn Wheeler in June 1953.  They moved to Washington State while Marvin completed college.  Marvin was then inducted into the Army for two years of service.  During his time in service, they lived in Washington, D.C. and San Juan, Puerto Rico before returning to Washington State.

In October of 1959, Cora returned to Springfield to live.  She started working part-time at both Bruce’s Shamrock Service and Baca County Finance Company.  In September 1963, she started working full time for Westphal Oil Company.

In 1979 she moved to Amarillo, TX and worked at the Amarillo Country Club, but soon decided that she had oil in her blood and went to work for Diamond Shamrock Corp.  She was transferred to San Antonio, TX.  In June 1989 Cora became the first female Propane Sales Representative for Diamond Shamrock and transferred back to Amarillo.  She retired in January 1996 and moved back to Springfield.

During her retirement, she was active in the United Methodist Church.  The choir was an important part of her life – all of her life.  Everywhere she lived she was part of the Methodist Church Choir.  She served as Financial Secretary for the church, as well as the Nurture Committee, the Church Council and Finance Committee.  She also taught an adult Sunday School class for a time.  She served in United Methodist Women holding various offices on a local and district level.  She really enjoyed participating in community plays and serving on the Equinox Festival committee.

Cora was preceded in death by her parents, sister Juanita and husband George Hoskinson, brothers Harold, Basil, and wife Mildred,  and Earl Cook.  She is survived by sisters-in-law Mozelle Mickey of Lamar, CO and Joan Cook of Pueblo, CO.  She is also survived by nieces Marcella Fahrenkrog of Lamar, CO, Karen (Tony) Gardella of Gilbert, AZ, April (Jim) Faull of Lamar, CO, David Cook of Pueblo, CO and Polly (Cliff) Makins of Pueblo, CO and a host of other family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial donations to the SECHD Long Term Care Center, 373 E. 10th Ave. Springfield, CO 81073 or by way of the funeral home.