Malinda Wilcox Pugh Cook was the oldest daughter of Samuel Allen Wilcox and Martha Bolton Parker Wilcox. She was born in Mountain, Dundas, Ontario, Canada. Her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soon after and moved to Nauvoo. After the saints left Nauvoo, the family lived in Hamburg, Fremont, Iowa. Malinda, being the eldest, helped to raise the large family that came to the home. Here in Hamburg, love came into her life in the person of Isaac Pugh. The parents objected to the young man, but Malinda, though always an obedient daughter, felt that she could not give up the man of her choice, and they were secretly married. The date of her marriage is unknown to us, but their first child, Parley Pulaski, was born January 1, 1856, in Fremont county, Iowa. He died in early infancy, and a little daughter, Charlotte Evelyne, who was born January 23, 1857, also lived but a short time. Alphonso was born 19 April 1859 in Iowa. In May 1859 Malinda and her sister Sarah Jane started across the plains with their husbands and young Alphonso, ending up in California. However, Isaac got gold fever and hid their son from his mother. In later years Alphonso described watching his mother look for her child while he was hiding with his father. Heartbroken, the two sisters returned to their parents, now living in Utah in the fall of 1862.

Malinda married James Cook, son of Bishop Henry Cook on 11 May 1867 in Cedar Fort, Utah, Utah, United States. They raised their children there.

In the summer of 1888 Malinda went to Bear Lake Idaho to visit with her sisters, Sarah Jane and Phebe, and her brother, Adam. It was while staying at Adam's home in St. Charles that she was stricken with a paralytic stroke, and never regaining conciousness, died a few hours later, 6 July 1888, age 49 years and 7 months.

Malinda's Children
1. Parley Pulaski Pugh, born 1 Jan 1856, Fremont, Iowa, died in earle infancy.
2. Charlotte Evalyn Pugh, born 23 January 1857, Fremont County, Oregon, lived but a short time.
3. Alphonzo Pugh, born Iowa or California.

Malinda's Children (husband 2)
4. Aseneth Cook 11 June 1868, died in infancy.
5. James Orrin Cook, born 17 March 1870, died in infancy.
6. Sophronia Cook, born 7 Sep 1871, 17 when her mother died, took over household, married Lyman Lee Follett, lived at 2123 N. W. 34th Street, Miami, Florida.
7. Henry Freemen Cook, born 15 Feb 1874, married Emma Meline Turner in the Alberta Temple, lived in Cardston.
8. Samuel Cook, born 2 Apr 1876, died in infancy.
9. Martha Jeanette Cook, born 3 July 1877, married Andrew White Hinman. They raised their family in Cardston, Alberta. She died of cancer sometime after the spring of 1951 [8 January 1932, see memorial 107771122].
10. Phebe Edna Cook, born 7 Dec 1880, married Lee Young. They lived in San Pedro, California. either 261 ½ or 1613 1/2 S. Pacific St.

Melinda's husband, James Cook, died in Cardston, Alberta, Canada 6 May 1906.

Information taken from Born of Nobel Heritage by LaVerne Hacking (1990).