The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1910-01-08
MRS. COOKE
SUMMONED

Susanna Cooke, an Old Stark
| County Resident. Dies at Home
Near Gladstone Friday as
Old Year was Ringing Out.
Mrs. William Cooke-Miss Susanna
Harvey was born April 9, 1889, at
Castleblaney, Monaghan county. Ireland.
At the age of eighteen she moved
with her parents to Cavan county and
later to Armagh. where she met, and
on October u. 1868, was married to
William Cooke, who was teacher il,
the city schools of Armagh and local
preacher.
In April 1870. they immierated to
this country. finding their way to Wis
consin, where Mr.. Cooke Joined the
Wisconsin conference. and was sta
toned at Amherst. For the next twelve
years they served differe mt charges in
Wisconsin. and in October, 1882. join
ed the Minnesota conference, which at
that time included Dakota territory and
we1e stationed at Mandan. He was the
first resident Methodist minister in Da-
kota west Of the Missouri river. In the
early spring of the following year, 1888,
Mrs. Cooke and the children removed
from their Wisconsin home and took up
their residence on homestead four
miles southwest of Gladstone. In the
autumn of that year MIR. Cooke was ap-
pointed to serve at Gladstone and Dick
inson.
In 1888. after proving up on their
claim. they removed to Minnesota. that
their children might have better school
advantages than Dakota furnished at
that early date. After ten years of
faithful and earnest work in Minnesota
they retired from the active work of the
ministry and came to make their home
with their daughter, Mrs. John Little
south of Gladstone.
! Words are weak instruments with
which to describe the selfsacrifcine
devotion of this mother IN Israel.
wherever she lived she was held in
the highest esteem by all who knew
her, and wherever she went she
ried sunshine and real Christian Joy
into all the lives she touched Her re-
lieious zeal and her conception of the
Christians duty and privileges, and
especially her conception OF the duty of
minister's wife is rarely equalled.
and never surpassed. No one ever
came with a burden. but went away
feeling the burden lighter because
some one was helping them bear it.
She shared other peoples troubles and
quietly bore her own. Through all
the vicissitudes incident to the life of
a pioneer preacher s wife and through
all the perplexities and worries that
come to the mother of large family.
she bore herself with the true spirit of
the Master whom it was her delight to
serve. Like Him, she pleased not her
self.
During the last half of her life she
was frail. and many times a great
sufferer, but during her last illness her
suffering wass0 indescribable that she
many times prayed that she might be
released from her pain racked body.
In the evening of the last day of the
old year the Father said 1T is enough,
come up higher" and her spirit took
it's flight to the God who gave it and
as the bells on earth rang out the old
and rang in the new. the angels of
heaven that surround the throne we're
sent to open wide the gate that this one
who had come up out of great tribu-
lation and had washed her robes in the
blood of the Lamb might have that
abundant entrance that has been PROM
ised to the faithful. Earth is poorer
but heaven is richer because she has
passed from this life to the life be-
yond.
! Of the ten children whose privilege
II was, IN the providence OF God, to be
born of this noble woman, three died
in infancy and seven have grown to
manhood and womanhood. Three of
these live near Gladstone, w. H.
Cooke, Mrs. John Little and Mrs. W.
c. Candee; Rev. George A. Cooke
lives at Chance. Nd. Rev. J. C. Cooke
at Bowman. N. D.. Rev. E. A. Cooke
at Renville, Minn., and DR.. T. F.
Cooke at ullinaton, Iowa. With the
exception of George A. these were all
present at the funeral services, and the
four sons present served as pail bearers
and bore GENTLY to its last resting place
her who many years before had borne
them tenderly in arms of love.
The interment was from the Metho-
dist church at Gladstone, built during
the pastorate of her hubsand. and her
body was laid to rest, in the little Gem
etery on the hill beside the body of him
who has preceded her on March 80. 1902.
i Rev. G. A. MacNamara of FARGO s,,-