Duane Cook

Duane Cook, age 87, of Wheaton, Minnesota passed away Saturday, February 6, 2021.

A Public Graveside Service for Duane Cook will be held Saturday, May 15th at 2:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in Dumont, Minnesota. A Celebration of Duane’s life will continue at the Wheaton American Legion following the Graveside Service. All family and friends are welcome to attend.

A Private Family Service was held Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at the Bainbridge Funeral Home in Wheaton with Fr. Stanley Wieser officiating.

Duane “Cookie” Cook was born on November 30,1933 to Joseph and Grace (Loveless) Cook.  He attended country school near Dumont and Graceville, MN and graduated from Wheaton High School in 1951.  He met his wife Yvonne Elton in Sisseton while roller skating and they were united in marriage on April 30,1955.  They had eight children, twenty-two grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren and he was extremely proud of them all.  He enjoyed his family, “b.s.ing” with his coffee friends and just visiting in general.  He loved to tell jokes and you could hear his laugh above everyone in the room.  Anyone who knew Cookie realized he was the king of the one-liners.

He enjoyed attending horse sales and trail rides, and owned and drove many teams of horses and mules.  He drove his teams in many parades and one of his most memorable floats was “guess which of these three assess graduated in 1951”.  He enjoyed watching a good western and loved his bulldogs.  They were both a lot like him, but in different ways.  His first Lucy, liked to go for rides in his pick-up. She would sit in the pick-up all day waiting for him to take her for ice cream and slushies at the mini-mart. Daphne was more of a homebody and liked to nap at his feet and steal his blankets off of him while he was napping.  Duane was a life-long resident of Wheaton, and a lifelong Vikings fan as well- even though they continually disappointed him.  He always had colorful commentary and broke a few recliners on a really good, or really bad play.  We’re lucky that the foam vikings brick someone gave him wasn’t real- he’d have to buy even more tv’s.

He worked many years in construction, for The City of Wheaton, Culligan, and 25 years for the Traverse County Highway Department. He also retired from the Wheaton Volunteer Fire Department.  During his retirement, he operated a backhoe/Caterpillar business and he ran Cook’s Sewer Service, where his favorite business mottos were: “yesterday’s meals on wheels” and “A royal flush beats a full house any day”.

He is survived by his wife Yvonne of Wheaton, sons: Noel (Missy)-Ashby, MN, Neal (Colleen)- Beardsley, MN, Rick- Jamestown, ND, Brian (Dawn)- Fargo, ND, Blaine- Glenwood, MN, Daughters: Brenda (Rick) Schultz- Wheaton, MN, Lisa Anderson (Keith Johnson)- Underwood, MN, Kristi (Loran) Braun- Rosholt, SD.  Sisters: Lorraine Pullis- Graceville, MN, Dolores Randall- Longmont, CO, Brother: Kenny Cook- Gilbert, AZ; twenty-one grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Grace and Joe, Brothers, Lyle and Bernie, and grandson Christopher.