Rochelle Cook

Rochelle Cook was a woman who loved life too much to ever slow down. She overcame every challenge she faced, always determined to live life to its fullest. Rochelle found so much joy everywhere she went, and in all that she did, treating every day as a gift. More than anything, she found joy in her beautiful family, as a loving mother, grandmother and friend.

Rochelle’s story began on a warm summer day in 1923, in the little town of Tipler, Wisconsin. Those were exciting times in this country, as the Roaring 20s began to roar, with Prohibition as the law of the land, and Big Bands providing the backbeat to a new generation. John and Sally (Jones) Martin had just moved their growing family from Hazard, Kentucky to Wisconsin. They welcomed the birth of a beautiful baby girl on August 30, 1923, a daughter they named Rochelle.

Rochelle was one of the middle children in the large family of 12 kids, and each of them had their share of chores to do around the family farm. Working on the farm gave Rochelle a lifelong love and appreciation for nature, as well as a respect for it, too.

She often told the story of picking wildberries as a girl, while her older brother stood sentinel with a shotgun handy, watching out for bears! But the farm also was a playground for less dangerous wildlife, and she fell in love with the many fawns that came into the yard, becoming her pets.

Rochelle attended school just across the state line, in the Michigan town of Iron River. She graduated from Iron River High School in 1941, and promptly began working in the town of Kenosha, Wisconsin, as there were plenty of jobs available to help the war effort in those days.

Eventually, Rochelle met a man named Jack Cook, and the two fell in love and were married in 1948. The newlyweds settled in Southwest Michigan, and it wasn’t long before they became parents, as well. Rochelle was blessed with three fine sons over the years, Jack, Larry and Jerry, who made her so happy and proud.

Rochelle was a wonderful wife and mother, and a wonderful influence on her sons, even serving as their Den Mother for their Cub Scout troops. She was also an amazing cook, a true magician in the kitchen, and her boys loved everything she made — especially her famous fried chicken and pork chops. They were without question a real meat-and-potatoes family, and wouldn’t want it any other way.

The family spent their summer vacations heading back to Tipler to visit family, as Rochelle felt it was important her sons were close to their whole family.

When her boys were old enough, Rochelle went back to work, first at Kalamazoo Sled Company, then Jolly Kids, followed by Shakespeare’s Auto Parts, where she stayed for nine years. Her marriage to Jack ended in 1968, after 20 years together, but Rochelle persevered, buoyed by her career and her family.

Rochelle faced another life-altering challenge in the late 1970s, when she was involved in a terrible car accident. Her legs were badly damaged, and it was feared she would never walk again. Though she never fully recovered, after a few years of therapy, she regained use of her legs to a degree, and could walk with the aid of a walker.

Her physical limitations didn’t slow her down a bit, however. She still enjoyed her life to the fullest, and lived every day as a gift. She began to travel, and visited her son Jerry in Germany while he was stationed there in the Army. She went on a winter retreat to Tucson, Arizona a few times, and also enjoyed a long motor home trip out West, too.

Rochelle, or Rae as she was known to many of her friends, had more than her share of hobbies, as well, including crafts from plastic canvas, embroidery, sewing (and made her own clothing, too), and making pillows for her family and friends. She had a lifelong love of deer, from those fawns in the field as a child, and collected all manner of deer figurines and items.

Rochelle also loved spending time with her grandkids, who she was so close to. Because she didn’t work after her accident, she volunteered to babysit them every chance she got, and adored each and every one of them. She loved to sing them silly songs, or play games with them. She could never do enough for her family, though, such a selfless, giving woman.

Amazingly enough, one of Rochelle’s greatest passions the last 10 years of her life was going to seniors dances. Anywhere there was a dance, she’d be first in line, and her walker was never a hindrance to her dancing, either!

Eventually, Rochelle did slow down a bit, and moved to Tendercare of Westwood in Kalamazoo in August of 2006, which she enjoyed very much. Slowly, her health began to decline, and she sadly died at Borgess Medical Center after an illness on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, at the age of 84.

Rochelle was a wonderful woman, who lived a wonderful life, a life of challenges, but so many triumphs. She found so much joy everywhere she went, in all that she did, and in all those she loved. Most of all, she was a wonderful mother, grandmother and friend, who treated every day as a gift, a gift we were so lucky to have shared. She will be greatly missed.

Learn more about Rochelle, visit with her family and view her Life Story Film, on Sunday from 2-4 PM at the Life Story Funeral Home, RDMG, Plainwell, 120 S. Woodhams, where her service will be held on Monday at 11 AM. Visitation will then be held on Wednesday from 9-11 AM at the Jacobs Funeral Home in Iron River, Michigan, where her service will be held at 11 AM, with burial following in Tipler, Wisconsin at Martin Cemetery. Her family includes her sons and their wives: Jack & Rita Cook of Kalamazoo, Larry & Penny Cook of Delton, and Jerry & Cathy Cook of Battle Creek; grandchildren: Jack, Jr., Lisa, Maggie, Cory, and Ayron; great-grandchildren: Jackson, Ryan, Tyler, McKenna, and Lucy; and siblings: Lucille & Pat Wernholm, Allen & Vivian Martin, Calvin Martin, and John “Roger” & Jean Martin; and many nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings: Lillian, Bill, Eve, Joe, Alice, Warren, and Alvin. Please visit Rochelle’s Memory Page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read her Life Story, share a favorite memory or photo, sign her online register book, or make a memorial donation to the Tendercare of Westwood Activity Fund.