Margaret Cook

On Thursday, January 18, 2024, in her room at the Resorts in Beaufort, South Carolina, Margaret “Marge” Rosella (Clark) Cook peacefully left her body to be with Jesus in heaven. Last August 27, she celebrated her 90th birthday with her family in Pekin, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her brothers and sisters, Arthur, Evelyn Prettyman (Earl), Loris “Sime” (Elizabeth), Ollie (Nancy Ray), Delbert (Dorothy “Dot”), Dayton (Susie), Francis “Sallie” (William) Walker; her granddaughter, Kathryn Lynn; and great granddaughter, Tessa Grace. Surviving are one sister, Betty (Clark) Hendley and one sister-in-law, Susie Clark. Surviving are her three sons, Billy (Cheryl “Cherie”), Alan (Tami), Ricky (Julie). She has seven surviving grandchildren; Joshua (Rebekah), Micah (Kara), Emily Colon (George), Jerry (Tiffany), Dustin (Sami Jo), Melissa (Wesley) Eertmoed, and Derek. She has surviving 16 great grandchildren; Brogan (Hannah), Callie, Adeline, Gavin, Cannon, Journie, Nylah, Molly, Jill, Caiden, Ryker, Kaiya, Colton, Brylee Jo, Easton, and Lydia. She has one great-great grandson, Judah, and a great-great granddaughter, Nora Mae, expected in April. Five generations of Cook’s celebrated God’s blessings of life last May in Pekin.

Marge was born to Tilden C Clark and Opal May Roll on August 27, 1933 in Bridgeport, Illinois. The seventh of nine children, she grew up there and in Sumner, Illinois, where she graduated and married Jack D Cook on July 27, 1952. They moved to Peoria, Illinois, where Jack worked at Caterpillar. While he was in the Army during the Korean War, they lived at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Thereafter, they lived in the Peoria, IL area, moving to Pekin, IL in 1958, where Marge lived most of her life. After raising her three boys, she worked at Pekin Community High School in the Bookstore and Counselors’ Office, and then later at Lutheran Social Services as Human Resources Manager. On February 20, 1979, Marge and Jack divorced. Marge never remarried. She was a member of the DAR and a descendant of Mayflower passengers, William and Patience Brewster.

Marge will be remembered by her family as Mom, who was always there, and Nanny, who was always smiling. She loved music, dancing and playing the piano. She loved to cook and gather with neighbors, friends and family around great food to celebrate life. The Clark family was very close. They called her “Margie”, the troublemaker and instigator. She loved her God and people.

A private, family, graveside burial service at the Christy Township Cemetery in Sumner, Illinois, will be scheduled at a later date. Any memorial should be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who saved the life of her great grandson, Colton.

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