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Grandma was born in Rochester NY during World War I on July 7, 1918 to Arthur Allen and Margaret Blekkenk Allen. She was named after her mother and an Aunt. She was the oldest of two children. Her brother Art was born when Grandma was five. |
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Grandma was born in Rochester NY during World War I on July 7, 1918 to Arthur Allen and Margaret Blekkenk Allen. She was named after her mother and an Aunt. She was the oldest of two children. Her brother Art was born when Grandma was five. |
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| Grandma grew up as a city girl in Rochester. She went both to Catholic and public schools in Rochester. (As girls often did, she left school before graduating. Many years later she was proud to earn her High School Equivalency Diploma!) Grandma is shown here with her cousins. She is the second from the right in the top row. Uncle Art is the boy at the left. |
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Grandma was a teenager during the Great Depression. When she was 18 or 19, one of her cousins took her to a place where a young man was playing the piano. He was Stillman Cook, and on June 12, 1937, they were married. Here is Grandma Cook as a young woman. |
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Grandma and Grandpa soon had their first child, Gail in 1938. Not long afterwards came her twins, Gary and Larry. Times were often hard for Grandma during these years. Grandpa was often gone and they had very little money. She did have lots of love and a willingness to work hard that helped them through the difficult times! This photograph shows the new Mother with her little girl.
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