Obituary for Thomas Marshall Cook
Thomas Marshall Cook, age 94, of Muleshoe, Texas, died Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Muleshoe. He was born June 15, 1927 in Scurry County, Texas to George Sears and Pauline (Shirley) Cook. He married Lela Yeulala Smith in Mitchell County on July 17, 1946. After she passed away in 1995, he married Helen Mitchell in Muleshoe on March 30, 1997.
Marshall graduated from Colorado City High School in May, 1944, at the age of 16. He joined the U.S. Navy at 17 during WWII, where he received surgical and anesthesiology training. For the next 20 years, he worked in various small hospitals in west Texas. He then helped build the Hospital here in Muleshoe, and was the Administrator for the next 18 years.
The Muleshoe First United Methodist church has a spectacular pipe organ and Marshall has been the organist for 30 years, and he also had a beautiful singing voice. At the church, Marshall designed landscaping and flower beds and maintained them for over 20 years, even into his 90’s. Also at the church, there are many very special wooden pieces that Marshall designed and built. Through church, he helped with Food Pantry and Snack Pack programs. The Muleshoe Senior Center is also blessed to have benefited from his wood handy-work in the kitchen where he and a couple friends built a huge island. Marshall crafted a variety of wooden pieces of furniture for the Senior Center and he was always volunteering for a variety of jobs to help the Center be a great place for gathering. Marshall was considered a Master Craftsman of wood furniture for his church, the Senior Center, Family, and Friends. He shared his gift of woodworking with many people and he did it for pure enjoyment and satisfaction of helping others. Marshall’s love of and talent with landscaping was also evident in he and Helen’s back yard. They worked in their yard, and shared its beauty with many others, even hosting weddings, receptions and photo shoots in their beautiful back yard oasis. Marshall served the Muleshoe area in many ways including being a member of Methodist Men, Lions Club, and Senior Center board member, among others. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Lela; a son, David Alan Cook; his parents; two sisters, Emma Jean Sterling and Ida Faye Morris; and a brother, Shirley “Buddy” Cook.
Marshall is survived by his wife of 25 years, Helen; his three sons, James Gordon Cook and wife Janice of Eddy, Texas, Wesley Thomas Cook and wife Shelly of Plainview, Texas and Kelly Head and wife Sara of Trent, Texas; his daughter, Karen Leschper and husband, Lance of Anson, Texas, eleven grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren.
The family suggest memorials be sent to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 505, Muleshoe, Texas 79347, or Oneita Wagnon Senior Center, PO Box 292, Muleshoe, Texas 79347.
Marshall graduated from Colorado City High School in May, 1944, at the age of 16. He joined the U.S. Navy at 17 during WWII, where he received surgical and anesthesiology training. For the next 20 years, he worked in various small hospitals in west Texas. He then helped build the Hospital here in Muleshoe, and was the Administrator for the next 18 years.
The Muleshoe First United Methodist church has a spectacular pipe organ and Marshall has been the organist for 30 years, and he also had a beautiful singing voice. At the church, Marshall designed landscaping and flower beds and maintained them for over 20 years, even into his 90’s. Also at the church, there are many very special wooden pieces that Marshall designed and built. Through church, he helped with Food Pantry and Snack Pack programs. The Muleshoe Senior Center is also blessed to have benefited from his wood handy-work in the kitchen where he and a couple friends built a huge island. Marshall crafted a variety of wooden pieces of furniture for the Senior Center and he was always volunteering for a variety of jobs to help the Center be a great place for gathering. Marshall was considered a Master Craftsman of wood furniture for his church, the Senior Center, Family, and Friends. He shared his gift of woodworking with many people and he did it for pure enjoyment and satisfaction of helping others. Marshall’s love of and talent with landscaping was also evident in he and Helen’s back yard. They worked in their yard, and shared its beauty with many others, even hosting weddings, receptions and photo shoots in their beautiful back yard oasis. Marshall served the Muleshoe area in many ways including being a member of Methodist Men, Lions Club, and Senior Center board member, among others. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Lela; a son, David Alan Cook; his parents; two sisters, Emma Jean Sterling and Ida Faye Morris; and a brother, Shirley “Buddy” Cook.
Marshall is survived by his wife of 25 years, Helen; his three sons, James Gordon Cook and wife Janice of Eddy, Texas, Wesley Thomas Cook and wife Shelly of Plainview, Texas and Kelly Head and wife Sara of Trent, Texas; his daughter, Karen Leschper and husband, Lance of Anson, Texas, eleven grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren.
The family suggest memorials be sent to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 505, Muleshoe, Texas 79347, or Oneita Wagnon Senior Center, PO Box 292, Muleshoe, Texas 79347.