John Cooke

John Cooke at his wedding on 4 August 1902, age 24

Ernest John Cooke (21 April 1878 - 18 May 1950) was an Englishman who married and then moved to Wales to mine coal, but following the October 1913 Senghenydd colliery disaster [1] moved to Transcona, Manitoba, which is now a suburb of Winnipeg. He had six children with his wife Rose.

Early life

When John Cooke was born on April 21, 1878, his father, George, was 34 and his mother, Mary, was 38.

Career

In Canada, John Cooke worked for the CNR which had a large maintenance operation in Transcona. Bill Currie is not sure who he worked for in Wales but he thinks there was a rail operation in Maesteg. He was a carpenter by trade. He made a bunk bed for Doug and Bill which he later (or maybe it was a built in feature) modified to work as either separate or bunk beds. Ron ultimately took over one of them and Bill got his own (second hand) bed.

Marriage and Family

He married Rose True on August 4, 1902, in Maesteg, Glamorgan, Wales. They had five daughters and one son in 23 years.

His children eventually gave him 12 biological and one adopted grandchildren.

In Maesteg, Wales:

• Eva Mary (Bate) (15 August 1903 - 20 December 1990)
  • Tom Bate
  • Jack Bate (KIA WWII)
• Edna May (Buxton) (1905 - 10 April 1969)
  • Vivian Shannon
  • Betty Buxton
• Ernest John "Ernie" (19 April 1908 - 30 April 2004)
  • Lloyd Cooke
  • Marge Bartsch
  • Robert Cooke (died 1980s, disability)
• Ann Irene Agnes "Irene" (Ogden) (15 April 1910 - 1954)
  • Bryan Ogden

In Transcona, Manitoba, Canada:

• Edith Lucy (Currie) (8 January 1918 - 9 May 2003)
  • Bill Currie
  • Doug Currie
  • Ron Currie
• Rosalind (Foot) (7 December 1926 - 8 October 2007)
  • Don Foot
  • Joanne Foot (adopted)

Grandchildren

John Cooke and his family, circa summer 1941

John has 12 biological grandchildren and one adopted granddaughter.

He has 20 great grandchildren, not including any by Lloyd Cooke, which is currently unknown.

Eva Mary Cooke married Arthur T. Bate (died in 1947), and had two children:

• Arthur John "Jack" Bate (2 August 1923 in Winnipeg - 6 November 1944 KIA WWII)
• Thomas M. "Tom" Bate (1934 - 1989), who married Diane Mary Paulley (1940 - 2022)

Edna married Ronald Buxton and had:

• Vivian Mary (1929 - ) who married Don Shannon
• Elizabeth May "Betty" (1936 - 2023)

Ernie married Gladys Emily Whittington and had:

• Lloyd Stanley "Cookie" Cooke (1937 -)
• Marjorie Eleanor Cooke (23 April 1939 -)
• Robert John Cooke (1940 - 1980s)

Irene married Arthur Ogden and had one son:

• Bryan William Ogden (born 1 December 1936) (1 December 1936 – 7 December 2007) []

Lucy married Jack Currie and had three sons:

• Bill Currie (born 1941)
• Doug Currie (born 1943)
• Ron Currie (born 1947)

Rosalind married Dennis "Den" Foot and had one child:

• Donald Lawrence "Don" Foot (1953 - 2019)

Rosalind and Den also adopted a child:

• Joanne Elizabeth Foot (born 1957)

Later life

Sometime between 1910 and 1918, he moved with his family to the Dominion of Canada.

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You asked about John and Rose Cooke. Being so close in age to Rosalind, Grandma Cooke’s youngest daughter, I spent quite a bit of time with them. Rosalind played piano and I would play violin with her. At that time I think I was pretty awful.

Grandma Cooke would send us to the store and we always had to remember to bring exact change back. Grandma Cooke had borne 6 children and was a bit weary and unwell. She lived with Aunt Eva after Grandpa Cooke died. He died when Rosalind got married.

Grandpa Cooke was always pleasant, smiling, smoked a pipe. The Cooke family used to get together, often. There was music, singing, Uncle Ernie played the banjo really well, my Dad the violin, Aunt Eva, piano. She had a strong voice and sang in the church choir. (Anglican – Transcona) Her son Tom had a lovely boy soprano voice. He continued to sing, but had too much vibrato as an adult. :)

- Vivian Shannon, 2020

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He died on May 18, 1950, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the age of 72. His final address was 323 Victoria Avenue, East Transcona (now Winnipeg), Manitoba.

Sources

Bill Currie's personal memories and records