Lois Elaine Cook

Elaine was born on July 6, 1927 to Lena and Dan Sutter in Paxico, Kansas. Elaine enjoyed a wonderful childhood on the family farm with her sister, Jean, and grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was an excellent student and after graduating high school, graduated from Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas in 1949 with a degree in Home Economics, specializing in nutrition and dietetics. After an internship at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio she moved to Dallas, Texas to work at Baylor Hospital as a dietitian. There she met dental student O.R. Cook, Jr. They married on July 31, 1953 at First Methodist Church in Dallas.

The Cooks moved to Odessa, Texas for Dr. Cook’s first practice, and then to Hobbs, New Mexico. In 1955 they moved to Lovington, New Mexico where O.R. was a dentist for 45 years, retiring in 2000. Elaine helped work in the office and did the bookkeeping. They welcomed their daughter Jane Lee Cook on May 23, 1958 followed by son David Dan Cook on November 29, 1960. Elaine greatly enjoyed life in Lovington with friends and family. She was a faithful member of First United Methodist Church, actively participating in the Chancel Choir, United Methodist Women, and Sarah Circle. She made countless batches of peanut brittle for the annual Christmas Bazaars. The family took many car trips to Paxico, Kansas during the year to visit family and Post, Texas to gather with Cook relatives.

Elaine was devoted to creating a warm home. She was an excellent cook, craft-person, appreciator of art and color, in tune with the seasons and holidays, finding beauty and meaning in the details, making the world she knew better for others. The family enjoyed three meals a day together and the menu was constantly changing as she loved to try new recipes, balancing fun with her dedication to good nutrition.

Elaine was a member of the Lovington Women’s Club and the national service sorority Beta Sigma Phi. She served as an officer in all positions and was the Lovington chapter’s Valentine sweetheart in 1979. She had a compassionate heart and was a frequent benefactor to many charitable organizations, as well as being a hospice volunteer ministering to many in Lea County.

She was very sentimental and enjoyed preserving family history through memorabilia, photography, and journaling. The role that Elaine enjoyed the most was wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her family was her top priority and birthdays and holidays were always made special by her.

Elaine and O.R. moved to Houston in 2014 to be near their children. They were married 67 years before O.R. died in December, 2020. Elaine is survived by daughter, Jane Cook Dudek, husband Rick, and son David Dan Cook, wife Janabeth. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Reece Cook, wife Kathleen, Evan Cook, Jeffrey Cook, wife Bailey, Jean Elaine Dudek Best, husband Matt, Max Dudek, great granddaughter, Molly Cook, and great grandson, Tyler Cook.

In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate memorials in their honor to the United Methodist Church in Lovington, New Mexico or the United Methodist Church in Paxico, Kansas.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared below for the Cook family.