Rita K. Cook

Rita Kathman Cook, age 95, of 2024 State St., died on Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sunset Home. Rita was born on April 12, 1920, on a farm near Andover South Dakota, the daughter of Anton J. and Elizabeth Abraham Kathman. She was the fourth of five children. Anton was born in Quincy. Elizabeth was born in Chester, Illinois. The Abraham family moved to Wien, Missouri and then to Andover. Elizabeth married Anton in October of 1912, but their farm burned out in the "Dust Bowl" and the family eventually moved back to Quincy. The family lived with Henry and Katie Langebartels (Anton's sister) in a boarding house at 219 S. 11th St. in Quincy. Rita graduated from high school in Andover in 1937. She was accepted into nursing school at St. Mary's Hospital in Quincy. She was a licensed Registered Nurse, a Surgical Nurse, and an Office Nurse for Dr. Walter Stevenson. Over the years, she worked at St. Mary's Hospital, at Blessing Hospital, and for Visiting Nurses. On December 28, 1942, Rita married Waldo F. Cook, a Navy recruiter who was stationed in the old Post Office building at 8th and Hampshire when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Mr. Cook, from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, had joined the Nav...[more]

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n June of 1941. Mr. Cook later ran an insurance adjusting firm, Cook Claims Service, which had offices in the Pollock Building on N. 6th St., the Blackstone Building, and finally in the WCU Building. He died in 2002. Rita is survived by a sister, Bernie Walz of Quincy; five children: Retired Justice Robert (Fran) Cook of Quincy; Victoria Cook (Frank) Krueger of Brentwood, TN; John (Margie) Cook of Maroa, IL; James (Bernie) Cook of Fairview Heights, IL; and Elizabeth Cook (Ken) Smelcer of Fort Worth, TX; 12 grandchildren: Brian (Leslie) Cook; Greg (Casey) Cook; Julie Cook Meehan; Michael (Beth) Lwin; Mark (Rebecca) Lwin; Rob (Emily) Cook; Jennifer Cook (Dennis) Ellison; Eric (Jeni) Cook; Erin Cook (Eric) White; Chris (Nicole) Cook; Tim Wellman; and Adam Smelcer; and 15 great-grandchildren: Grace Cook; Oliver Cook; Eli Meehan; Calley Lwin; Jack Lwin; Theda Lwin; Tommy Lwin; Sara Lwin; Ross Cook; Lili Cook; Evan Cook; Chloe Cook; Maia Cook; Will Ellison; and Kate Ellison. Services: 9:30 a.m. on Monday, November 23, 2015 at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home followed by a 10:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Church of St. Peter with Rev. Tom Donovan officiating. Visitation: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2015 at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home with a Prayer Service at 3:30 p.m. Burial: Calvary Cemetery Memorials: Church of St. Peter or Sunset Home www.hansenspear.com Hansen-Spear Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.