ABRAM F. COOK. - Succeeding generations will search with interest and anxiety to learn something definite of those who, braving the dangers and sharing the privations incident to a new, wild country, peopled mainly with wild animals and still wilder men, carved out for themselves and their successors permanent and substantial homes, and, dying, passed from the scenes of effort, handing to sons and daughters a heritage made more honored and valued by the bravery and self-sacrifice shown in its making.

Western New York was peopled mainly by those brave men who won undying honor and renown, as soldiers, under the gallant Sullivan, in the memorable expedition, during the Revolution, against the five nations who were seduced by British emissaries into taking up arms against the colonists. Steuben county especially presented attractions and advantages for many of them, and from such ancestors the Cook family, who were pioneers in Kent county, Mich., sprang.

JESSE COOK was born in that grand county, named in honor of a hero; there married RACHAEL FISHER, and sought a home in Ontario. He was not of the brood that was contented to live under king and queen, and soon came into the then territory of Michigan. They settled at first at Pontiac, Oakland county, where they resided some thirteen years, and where ABRAM F. COOK was born on the 17th day of November, 1836.

In the spring of 1849, half a century ago, they came to Kent county, and going deep into a wilderness, secured the land that is now embodied in the farm of their son. Covered with beech and maple trees, centuries old, and presenting a defiant attitude in their broad branches, and great trunks three feet in thickness, that would have daunted any but a brave-hearted, strong-armed, stout-limbed man, supported by a no less brave woman, to whom too much credit cannot be accorded in the encouragement extended and fortitude displayed. Not an ax had ever sounded in this wild, but now its blows could be heard, startling the birds and squirrels from their aerial homes. It was the first of millions such, and was followed up with stroke and stroke, till a log house was erected, fields cleared, fences constructed, and another home was made where peace and contentment have reigned, from whence, in these later years, men have gone forth to take up other duties no less onerous or less important than those done half a century past. Here Jesse Cook made his home until called from earth, about 1874, at the age of seventy-six years. His widow survived him eleven years, when she passed away in her eighty-fourth year. Of their eleven children, ten grew to maturity, but of these four only now are living, viz: S. R. and J. R., of Cascade township; ABRAM F., the subject of this review, and LYDIA M., a widow, residing in California. WILLIAM COOK, one of the sons, who lived in Cascade township, died about seven years ago, and his daughter, LYDIA, is now a member of his brother's family.

Abram F. Cook assisted his father on the home place until twenty-three years old and then started in to make a separate set of improvements on the farm, and after his mother's death purchased the homestead, which he still owns and were he resides. At the age of twenty-three, also, Mr. Cook married MISS MARIA L. PATTERSON, a daughter of JACOB and ROSE ANN (CARLTON) PATTERSON, and a niece of MINER PATTERSON, whose life sketch will be found on another page of this work; Mrs. Cook was born on a farm where the Paris schoolhouse now stands; she and her husband were school-mates and reared almost together from childhood. To their happy union have been born three children, viz: FRANK J., who is abstracter in the county register's office, and resides in Grand Rapids. He had served as deputy register for two years, and for two years worked in the county treasurer's office. BYRON L., the second child, was for six years in the commission house of Mosley & Stevens, Grand Rapids, where he attained an admirable record, being held in greatest respect by all his associates. He died July 26, 1898, at the age of thirty-three years. He was a remarkably bright and industrious young man, whose friends were numbered by the score. FRED A., the third child, is the able assistant of his father on the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are members of the Church of Christ at Cascade, of which he is one of the official board, and in politics is a republican, yet he is not at all demonstrative or aggressive in his political manifestations.

Jacob Patterson, father of Mrs. Cook, died at the age of sixty-two years, and his wife at the age of seventy-eight. The latter was born in Washtenaw county, where she was married and was the mother of one child when they came to live in Kent county, where the last four years of her life were passed at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Cook. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Patterson were eight in number, all of whom are still living excepting FRANK, who died at the age of thirty-five years. The survivors are SARAH, of Fremont county, Iowa, and wife of NELSON HENRY; RILLA, married to EDWIN BAILEY, of Paris, Mich. JAMES of Oklahoma; MARIA (MRS. COOK); CLARA, wife of H. H. HENSHAW, of Chicago, Ill.; HEWITT, a mail-carrier, of Grand Rapids, and BERT, a boot and shoe dealer, of the same city.

THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS AND KENT COUNTY, MICH., UP TO DATE (Illustrated), A.W. Bowen & Co., 1900, Pgs. 614-615 (Biographical Sketch of ABRAM F. COOK)

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