My Genealogy Hound

W. L. COOK. The subject of this sketch is one of Kearney’s enterprising young business men. He is a native of Hanover, Prussia, where also his parents and grandparents were born, his people being of German ancestry from time immemorial. Mr. Cook, with that commendable adaptability to local surroundings that characterizes his countrymen as well as in accordance with good taste and sound sense, Americanized his name on coming to this country, it originally being William Ludwig Joachim Kock. Mr. Cook’s father, Johan Heinrich Joachim Kock, was born in 1831, grew up in his native country, served his term in the Hanover army, married Louisa Stephens, of his native place, in 1851, and immigrated to America in 1869, settling at Laporte, Ind. There, after several years of successful business pursuits, he was overtaken by financial disaster, and lost the bulk of his life-earnings, spending his later years in an ineffectual effort to regain his wasted fortunes. He died in 1887 and was buried in Laporte. He was a lifelong member of the Lutheran church and a man of warm heart and generous impulses.

The subject of this notice was born May 15, 1852. He came alone to America in 1869, and was reared mainly at Laporte, Ind., where they settled. His early education was limited. Being of an active and independent disposition, he struck out for himself at the age of fifteen, finding his first employment as a farm hand. Since that date, his career has been a checkered one, he having seen much of the ups and downs — the sunshine and the shadows — of this life, He has visited many places and followed many different vocations for a livelihood. He came to Nebraska in 1878, driving through from Laporte, Ind., with wagon and team. He traveled extensively over this state during the first few years of his residence here, and taking two or three trips back East, and one or two further West. He came to Kearney in 1881, and after following different pursuits secured a position with the Union Pacific Land Company, and went to Europe in their interest. He succeeded, after two years’ residence and hard labor in the old country, in inducing many of his countrymen to immigrate to America, and assisted them in securing homes in Nebraska along the line of the Union Pacific railroad. He located permanently in Kearney in 1886, engaging at that date in manufacturing cigars and tobacco, a business he has prosecuted steadily since. He is one of Kearney’s live, progressive men, public-spirited and wide-awake, thorough-going in his business methods, and attentive to his own personal concerns. He is popular not only in his trade, but as a citizen at large and has a host of friends and well-wishers. He is a zealous member of the Knights of Pythias, having been past chancellor of that fraternity, and is now chairman of the board of trustees of his lodge. He is an efficient member of the Kearney fire department, being foreman of Wide-Awake Hose Company.

He married at Behring, Mich., in 1875, the lady whom he chose for a companion being a native of that place. His wife died May 26, 1876, leaving one child — Birty William Cook. Mr. Cook married again August 2, 1879, his second wife being Miss Hulda Strand. He was elected councilman of the third ward of Kearney, Nebr., the spring of 1890, also received his commission as lieutenant adjutant of the Third regiment, Nebraska brigade, U. R. K. of P., in the year of 1889.