Sequoyah Lee Cook

Sequoyah Lee Cook was born November 1, 1911 in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. He was the son of John W. and Belle Zona (Rose) Cook. Lee moved with his family at the age of three weeks to Big Flat, Arkansas where he was raised until 1930 when they returned to Oklahoma. They located to the Prue area where Lee graduated from Prue High School in 1933.

Upon graduation from high school, Lee attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah for two years. He then accepted a teaching position in Prue in 1935 where he taught math and science. After one year, he accepted a position with the Boston Pool school in Osage County for the next two years. In 1939, Lee moved to Sperry where he continued a career in teaching. In 1941, he accepted the position of principal with the Sumner School System where he also taught math and science and was a basketball coach. During the summers, Lee attended Oklahoma State University and eventually received his Bachelor of Science degree.

Lee was married to Neva E. Hope on April 4, 1942 in Frederick, Oklahoma. Shortly after their marriage, Lee enlisted into the service of his country in the United States Army. Upon completion of basic training, Lee was transferred to Ellington Field near Houston where he taught Meteorology in the Air Corps Advanced Navigation School. In 1946, they moved to Louisville, Kentucky where Staff Sergeant Cook assisted with the rehabilitation of soldiers returning from World War II instructing in basic farming skills, beekeeping and anything that would benefit the servicemen.

Upon his honorable discharge in 1946, the couple moved to Cleveland, Oklahoma. Lee returned to Oklahoma State where he obtain an additional degree in Agriculture and Education. The couple raised their four children in Cleveland, Phil, Jana, Ellen and Warren. Lee accepted employment with the Veterans Agriculture Program teaching through Cleveland High School for the next seven years. In 1953, Lee received his Oklahoma Insurance License when he went to work for Mutual of New York Life Insurance in Tulsa. He was later promoted to Assistant Manager of the Agency but decided to pursue a career in real estate in 1963.

Lee established S. Lee Cook Real Estate in Cleveland in 1963 and owned and operated the business until his retirement in 1989 at the age of seventy-eight. He continued to list property through Cook Real Estate after his retirement.

Lee accepted Christ as his personal savior at the age of thirty at joined the First Baptist Church in Cleveland. He has been a faithful member of the church for nearly sixty-one years. During this time, Lee has taught numerous Sunday school classes including, Adult A, Adult C. the Baptist Village Class and Adult D. He served as Sunday School Superintendent for over twenty-five years and has been a Deacon for many years.

He became a member of the Cleveland Rotary Club in 1955 and has served as President on three occasions. Additionally, Lee was a member of the Gideon's International and was active in both the Rotary and Gideon's at the time of his death. Lee enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid hunter, fisherman and golfer. He was honored as an Oklahoma Senior Olympian for Golf on two separate occasions and played golf at Keystone Golf Club regularly until the past few months.

Lee passed away on Saturday, October 26, 2002 at the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa at the age of ninety-years, eleven months and twenty-five days. He was preceded in death by his parents; four sisters, Chloe Cook, Annis Treat, Thelma Elliott and Margie Sutterfield; and two brothers, Cadmus Cook and Earl Eugene Cook.

Lee is survived by his wife of sixty years, Neva E. of the home; four children, Phil L. and Kathy Cook, Collinsville, Oklahoma, Jana S. and David Ferguson, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Ellen L. and Richard Ellis, Memphis, Tennessee and Warren D. Cook, Forsythe, Missouri; seven grandchildren, Ryan Clynch, Houston, Texas, Steven Clynch, Dallas, Texas, Ashlee Ellis, Memphis, Tennessee, Nathan Cook, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Grant Ellis, Memphis, Tennessee, Lacey Ellis, Memphis, Tennessee and Rachel Cook, Collinsville, Oklahoma; a brother, William N. Cook, Edmond, Oklahoma; and a sister, Wilma Collins, Phoenix, Arizona.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 pm, Tuesday, October 29, 2002 at the First Baptist Church in Cleveland with Dr. Larry Wilson officiating. Interment will be at the Woodland Cemetery under the direction of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home.

''Visit an online obituary and guestbook for S. Lee Cook at www.chapman-black.com.''