Georgina Hermia Read Cook
Georgina was born on 19 May 1890 to Joseph Read and Rachel Garner in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the 5th of 8 children in this family. Both of her parents were born in England and immigrated to America. Her father was a blacksmith and boilermaker. She came from a choice family. They resided down by the Jordan River where they operated a dairy farm. She had no living brothers but 3 living sisters. They all pitched in to make their living a success. Her brothers and sisters and their birth and death dates were:
Emily Gertrude 1 May 1882 in SLC 28 May 1955
Lillian Ellen Brandon 26 June 1884 in Ogden 2 May 1951
Ethel Cordelia 13 February 1886 in Ogden 17 September 1886
Mary Lilly 10 March 1888 in SLC 24 February 1951
Georgina Hermia 19 May 1890 in SLC 22 December 1955
Catherine Frances 13 February 1892 in SLC 22 February 1895
Viola Myrtle 19 January 1894 in SLC 23 February 1895
Josiah George 10 March 1896 In SLC 18 August 1897
Her leg broke when she was quite young. Her father tried to splint it, but it wasn't successful. Her leg grew quite crooked. She made the best of the situation and got around with a lot of effort. She was baptized 6 September 1898. On 9 September 1914 she married John William Cook in the Salt Lake Temple. Their first home was in Salt Lake City at 609 North 11th West. Their children were:
John Junior 8 July 1915 26 March 1982
Hermia Louisa 3 March 1917 16 October 1960
Joseph Emmet 4 May 1919 9 September 1995
James Robert 22 April 1921 15 October 1989
Percy 11 December 1922 1 September 1987
Elsie 19 November l924 7 Mar 1950
Earnest LeRoy 20 August 1926 30 Apr 1976
Annie 6 September 1928
Harry LaMar 15 October 1933 1 May 1998
Emmet's mother was a wonderful lady. She was a hard worker and loved her family and husband very much. Emmet remembers she could make the best pudding out of overripe cantaloupe and other tasty dishes from the vegetables and fruits they would get from the store as scraps. Her husband left her on 5 March 1941 to flee responsibility of nine children. After Emmet got married, the bishop in Draper helped her get on Welfare at that time. It was later decided it would be better to move back into Salt Lake City, closer to Emmet and Ernest, where they could help when they could. She also helped Elsie raise her son Richard Glen, until Elsie's death. Georgina raised him after that.
Her sons John and James served in the wars. James Robert served and was injured in Korea. Upon return from there, he packed his things and left. He didn't return home or have any communication with the family. Later it was learned from his daughter that he had emphysema and was on oxygen. We found through Social Security records that he died in 1989 in California.
The last few years of Georgina’s life were sad. She surely didn't deserve that kind of an ending. She passed away 22 December 1955 in Salt Lake Hospital at age 65. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery next to some of her children.
- written by Ethel Gardner Cook, wife of Georgina’s son Joseph Emmet Cook.