Andrew Cook
birth: 27 July 1859 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to John and Mary O’Brien Cook
death: 3 February 1944 in Chesterton, Porter, Indiana
burial: Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana
marriage: 11 May 1882 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Mary Thompson
birth: 9 September 1861 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to Thomas Coke and Drusilla Williams DeWolf Thompson
death: 25 February 1942 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
burial: Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana
Children of Mary Thompson and Andrew Cook:
- Lulu May Cook (1883-1968) m. Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson
- Grace Gertrude Cook (1886-1962) m. John Henry Honaker
- John Thompson “Jack” Cook (1887-1967) m. Hilda Albertina “Snooky” Gustafson
- William DeWolf Cook (1890-1945) m. Helen Anna Curran
- James Andrew Cook (1893-1906)
- Drucilla E. Cook (1897-1897)
- Whitney Calvin Cook (1902-1924)
Ancestor here lived in:
- Chesterton, Porter, Indiana
Other Information:
There are only two records of Andrew Cook’s birth on 27 July 1859 in Chicago, Illinois. The first is a baptism record from Old St. Mary Church in Chicago, Illinois. The second was made by the Augsburg Lutheran Church in Porter County, Indiana when he and his wife, Mary, became parishioners. Andrew was likely the son of John Cook of Scotland, a Protestant, and Mary “Molly” O’Brien, an Irish Catholic, who had met in New York City after emigrating from their native countries. Andrew’s parents settled in Chicago in 1854 and had three children, Andrew being the youngest. Family legend states the couple agreed that any sons would be raised Protestant and any daughters, as Roman Catholics. Records have been found, however, that both sons and daughter were baptized as infants in the Roman Catholic Church. The sons and their lines did join Protestant denominations while the daughter’s line did follow the Roman Catholic faith. In 1860, Andrew was found living with his inferred parents and siblings in Chicago Ward 1. The family is not found in the 1870 US federal census but they were found in Chicago City Directories between 1870-1875. In 1880, Andrew was noted to be a single engineer living on West Congress Street in Chicago. On 11 May 1882 in Chicago he married Mary Thompson. The couple would go on to have three daughters and four sons. Tragically, they lost their youngest daughter, Drucilla, likely named after her maternal grandmother, as an infant. Son James was killed in a train accident on the way home from school as an 11 year old. Youngest son Whitney died at age 22 of a hemorrhage from a tantric ulcer. By 1900, Andrew and Mary had purchased a home in Westchester, Portage, Indiana. Andrew continued to live in Chicago where he was employed as a blacksmith. By 1910, Andrew had relocated to live with Mary in Westchester and was employed as an engineer. By 1920, Andrew, Mary and Whitney were living in Gary, Lake, Indiana where he was working as a machinist for the nearby steel mills. Andrew sold a lot in Cook’s Waverly subdivision in Porter County to David L. Atkinson on 28 September 1927 for $1.00 and a lot to Samuel Goldman on 13 October 1927 for $10.00. He continued working as a machinist in the mill in 1930 but had relocated back to Weschester, Porter County. The couple enjoyed a two week trip to Akron, Ohio in July 1931. Retired by 1940, Andrew and Mary sold their Westchester home and traveled to Illinois and Ohio to visit relatives and spend the winter in Florida where the saw the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the President. Mary died in Phoenix, Arizona where she had been visiting for 3 months on 25 February 1942 of broncho pneumonia from influenza. The couple was likely visiting their son John who had relocated there. Andrew returned to Porter County and died at his daughter Lulu’s home on 3 February 1944. His obituary noted he was a 45 year resident of Chesterton. He is buried in Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana.
Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com