Obituary of Luther Cook

“Neither is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Luther Cook passed into the arms of his Savior Sunday, August 27^th, 2023.

Luther was born on September 27^th, 1952, in Kingman, Arizona to Clyde and Priscilla Cook.  He was the third of four children. In 1954, the family moved to the remote community of Prairie, Idaho to begin ranching.  There Luther attended Prairie Elementary School through the 8^th grade. At the age of 14, Luther accepted Christ as his Savior, a personal relationship which affected the rest of his life. He attended Boise High School, commuting back and forth to Prairie and staying with his grandma Maggie Cook.  While attending Boise High, he learned the 4 R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic, and Roadster.  His favorite class was auto mechanics, which led to him and his best friend, Bob Medley, to spend countless hours building a homemade racing roadster that he often raced at Firebird.  While living with Grandma Maggie, he met the girl next door, Claire Boisse, and married her in 1974.  They had two children, Jennifer, and Travis. Three years later, following the desire of his heart, Luther moved his family back to Prairie to begin ranching full time. The following years were filled with diapers and lots of hard work. Sadly, Claire passed away in 1985.  A year later in 1986 at the Prairie Bible study, the Lord brought Janice DiFelice and her two daughters, Blakie and Emily into his life.  He and Janice married in March of 1987, creating a blended family of six.  

The following years were busy with raising kids and cattle, logging, and hosting friends, family and relatives.  Many adventures ensued.  Water fights and snowball fights were favorite pastimes, and if you crossed the line, you were bound to be thrown into the creek.  We always knew where Luther had been by following the trail of empty peanut butter spoons and half-eaten dark chocolate. If you know, you know.

 It was during these years Luther had such a huge influence on so many.  Besides being a husband and a dad, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a father figure, and friend.  He was an encourager, a counselor, a teacher, a prankster and a comfort to everyone that had the privilege to know him.   While coming across gruff in his younger years, as he aged, he softened into the kind, big-hearted and gentle man that he was.  He loved his family fiercely and welcomed with joy each new family member and grandchild.  He never met a stranger, just a friend he didn’t know yet.

He enjoyed studying the history of Prairie, family, and WWII battles. Luther rarely missed an opportunity to talk about the goodness of the God. He made sure to ask if you knew the Lord as your Savior.  His strong faith, strength, integrity, no-nonsense cowboy logic, loud and booming laughter, and sly grin will always be fondly remembered.

Luther was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Priscilla Cook, and his first wife Claire Boisse.

He is survived by his wife Janice and his children, Jennifer (Daniel) Rasmussen, Blakie Spies, Travis Cook, Emily (Josh) Hulse, daughter in law Vicki; his grandchildren Morgan, Kelsey, Lucas, Bailey, Noah, Austin, Claire, Gretchen, Dusty, Olivia, Gretta, Dustin, and Isaac; his siblings, Nathan (Mary) Cook, Martha (Oscar) Mooney, and Neilus Cook, and many special nieces , nephews and cousins who meant so much to him. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him…Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”