BIO: Robert COOKE, Centre County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Carolyn Wilkinson Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ _______________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. _______________________________________________ COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, pages 133-135 ROBERT COOKE (deceased). As a representative of a family that has been prominent throughout the formulative period of the government of this country, there, perhaps, could be found none in whom the hardy, but noble traits of the Colonial pioneer were so truly mingled with the progressive spirit of the nineteenth century, than in the character of the man whose name opens this sketch - Robert Cooke, Sr. He was born near Northumberland, Northumberland Co., Penn., April 22, 1813; and was a son of Capt. John and Jane (Cooke) Cooke, who were both natives of Northumberland county, where they remained all their lives. When the Thirteen Colonies determined to become independent of the Mother Country, Capt. John Cooke took his place in the ranks of the :"embattled farmers" who "fired the shot heard round the world." His father, William Cooke, a native of England, turned against his native land, and as a colonel in the American army, bravely bore his part in Freedom's cause. To Capt. John Cooke and his wife were born the following Children: Jacob; William; Sarah, who married John Bropes (both are deceased); Charles, who died in September 1896, at the age of 84 years, 7 months and 15 days; Robert, our subject; Elizabeth, who married John Jones, and John, all of whom are deceased. On December 1, 1837, Robert Cooke was married to Miss Mary Quinn, a native of Muncy, Lycoming Co., Penn., and a daughter of Will- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 134 iam and Jane (White) Quinn. William Quinn was a native of Lycoming county, the son of Arthur and Jane (Walton) Quinn, natives of the same county. Both Mr. Quinn and his father were farmers by occupation, and lived and died at the place of their nativity. Mrs. Jane (White) Quinn was the daughter of James and Fannie (McConnell) White, who were natives of Scotland and came to America at an early day. Mr. White was a millwright and followed his trade after coming to Lycoming county, where he died. William Quinn, the father of Mrs. Robert Cooke, was a man of much prominence in the community, and was a number of times honored by his fellow-citizens by being elected to local offices, at one time being deputy sheriff. In politics he was a pioneer of the Republican party, but his early death in 1856, at the age of fifty-eight, prevented his seeing his chosen party become a national power. His wife survived him until September, 1884, when at the age of eighty-seven she, too, passed into the unknown land. To this worthy couple were born seven children, as follows: Mary' Jane, who died in childhood; Arthur (deceased); Nancy, wife of Henry Cable, a tailor of Muncy, Penn; Fannie (widow of Hunter Brown), residing in New York; John, a saddler of Muncy, Penn.; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Andrew Peterman, who was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war, was captured, and died in Libby prison. The union of our subject and his wife were blessed with ten children, namely: (1) John is a contractor and builder, of Philadelphia. (2) Charles is a traveling salesman for a shoe house, and resides in Mifflinburg, Penn. (3) Jacob has a large hotel at Charlotteville, Va. (4) Rosette is the wife of Perry Long, a merchant at Howard, Penn. (5) Irwin is deceased. (6) Robert is in the livery business at Howard, and is a man of no little importance in the community in which he lives, as an office holder he has been unswerving in his fidelity to duty; he was elected sheriff in November, 1887, and during his term of office two executions occurred, one on February 20, 1890; his integrity and upright character have made him a man in whom the people at large repose perfect confidence. (7) Clarence is a lumberman at Howard. (8) Edward is deceased. (0) Walter L. is mentioned farther on. (10) Alice is at home. In 1855 Robert Cooke removed from Lycoming county, Penn., to Howard, where he engaged in mercantile business with his brother, Jacob, and continued in that line until his death. He was Express agent, and for eighteen years was the agent for the Bald Eagle Valley railroad. On February 28, 1889, after a long life of useful labor and thoughtful care of others, Robert Cooke laid aside the cares of the world, and entered upon his final rest. He was a man among men, earnest and self-reliant, ever ready to aid in anything that tended to the uplifting of humanity. He left a name untarnished, and a family well-trained in those qualities of mind and heart, that will be to him a monument more lasting than sculptured stone. At the time he gave up the agency of the Bald Eagle Valley railroad, his son, Walter L. Cooke, was appointed, and is still holding that position, his duties comprising those of operator, express agent, ticket agent, etc. He is a young man of rare ability and fine attainments; was educated at the schools of Howard, and later, during the year 1875, at the academy at Bellefonte. He has attained to a degree of prominence seldom equalled by men of his years. His strict attention to his business, his upright dealing, together with his courteous manner, win him friends among all classes of people. He and his sister Alice lived at home with their mother until the latter's sudden death, October 25, 1896. She was stricken with paralysis the day before, and remained unconscious to the last. In her death the community at large could well sympathize with the bereaved family, as this aged lady was most highly esteemed for those beautiful virtues of true womanhood, that find the largest happiness in the home and family, and so typify the "mission of woman on earth born to nurse and to soothe, to help and to heal, the sick world that leans on her." Walter L. was married November 11, 1896, to Emma E., daughter of William Harrison Long, gunsmith and general farmer, residing at Jacksonville, Centre Co., Penn. He was born there October 19, 1836, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Benner) Long, natives of Milton and New Berlin, Penn., respectively, and early settlers of Adamsburg, this State, where they both died in advanced life. Joseph Long, paternal grandfather of William H., came to America from England at an early day, located first in White Deer Valley, Northumberland Co., Penn., later moving to Union (now Snyder) county, where he followed farming and shoemaking. Henry Benner, maternal grandfather of William H., served in the war of 1812, enlisting from Union (now Snyder) county, Pennsylvania. William H. Long was married November 28, 1866, in Mifflin county, Penn., to Miss Sarah J. McAulay, and children as follows were born to their union: Emma E., wife of Walter L. Cooker; COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD - 135 Mary M., WIFE OF E. E. Schenck, a hardware merchant of Howard, Penn.; and Margaret C., at home. The mother of these was born in Mifflin county, Penn., May 8, 1847, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Burkholder) McAulay, of that county, the former of whom, a farmer by occupation, was a man of prominence, an elder in the Presbyterian Church, and a Democrat in politics. He died in 1889, at the age of sixty-three years.