Bertha Cook

Bertha Lee Cook was born on January 7th, 1942 to Bertha and Lee Boone. She was born in Wichita Falls, Texas with a stubborn personality and sharp tongue. She was raised as an air force brat and spent a year overseas in Japan as a pre-teen. After coming back to the United States, Bertha graduated high school at San Juan in 1961. Soon after graduating, she met the love of her life through her best friend Eileen. She married Jim Cook on October 13, 1962 when he was home on leave from the Navy. They spent the next 53 years building a beautiful life together. Jim and Bertha have two daughters Jamie Kirtley (Lee Kirtley) and Sandy Evans (Keith Evans). They also have many grandchildren including Holly Wallis, Austin Evans, Garrett Evans, Patrick Kirtley, Samantha Kirtley, Emilee Kirtley and Carissa Hietala. She even got to meet her great grandchildren Penelope Thayn and Greyson Kirtley. Everyone she knew called her grandma. Bertha loved her family and never missed an opportunity to get together with them. When the kids were little she would volunteer at the elementary school. She was even honored with a lifetime PTA award. She loved to sew, embroider, and make costumes. Bertha would can vegetables that Jim grew in the garden. She liked to bake pies, party, and dance the night away at the Eagles Hall. She was always up for a game of cards or a puzzle to solve. She was even a member of the original parade committee of Citrus Heights. Later in life, she decided to get her ears pierced. Every holiday she would get the biggest and gaudiest pair of earrings for a gift from nearly everyone in the family. Bertha loved to travel whether it was in the motorhome to go on a camping/fishing trip or on a big vacation with the kids to Disney. She loved to go to Austin and Garrett’s football games and cheer them on, rain or shine. In the spring you could even catch her accompanying Jim riding around town in the Roadster. Bertha’s motto in life was “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”. She loved everything flashy and with a little bit of sparkle. She lived a long wonderful life and passed away peacefully at the age of 73. On January 1st 2016, she was preceded in death by her parents (Bertha and Lee Boone and her step daddy Emert Mullins) and her brother, Raymond and sister, Linda.