Olivia Cook

Olivia Irma Cook was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma February 12, 1923, the second child of Ollie Jones and Jeanette Baldwin Jones. Soon after Olivia was born, the family moved to Evanston, Illinois. Olivia and her siblings, Lunette, the twins Ollie and Oliver and youngest brother, Larnie attended Foster grade school. While in Evanston Olivia enjoyed school especially math and track. Olivia was a helpful and responsible child, who always enjoyed working with her hands. Her closest friends, Dorothy Tate and Louise Strong were life-long buddies. As the second daughter, she and her older sister, Lunette enjoyed spending time even after they were adults with children of their own, so much so that their children were raised more like siblings than cousins. Olivia loved to dance and after meeting Albert Collins in school, they married and to that union, Dawn was born. After Albert's untimely death due to tuberculosis, Olivia met and married Robert Theodore Cook while in Washington D.C. He was a Navy man and to that union, Janet was born. They became friends with the Ross family, Chuck & Wilhelmina; who later moved to Denver and were neighbors. Once back in Chicago, Olivia worked for a foundry and would joke about going with a friend to apply for the job and Olivia ended up getting hired but her friend didn't. She and Ted created a loving home for their daughters, this included family picnics with extended family, drive-in movies and a train ride to California. After Ted's passing in 1969, Olivia moved to Denver. Olivia's home and garden were her pride and joy. She spent many hours in making sure her lawn and shrubs were close to perfect. She would often attend social gatherings with the Edward's and Rousseau's, again lifelong friends from Chicago. She studied for and received her G.E.D., mastered data entry and seam-stressing at Emily Griffith Opportunity School and even received her Colorado State Real Estate License. She worked for both the City of Denver and the State of Colorado and she retired from the IRS. Olivia loved having her family near and would often host family reunion style Sunday dinners at her home. Her family was everything! A woman of faith and belief in the Lord, Olivia was a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. She served her church under the pastoral leadership of Reverend Willie C. Jones. She was a member of the Hospitality Committee and she completed computer classes held at the church. Olivia was a proud and doting, grandmother. "Granny" as her grand-children and great-grandchildren affectionately called her was the matriarch of the family. They all remember her hosting "soul food style" Sunday dinners at her home and just enjoying the time spent with family. She was a perfectionist and "presentation" mattered and she rarely had a hair out of place. We would laugh about how her home would always pass the "white glove" treatment. She was an avid reader, especially news and health publications. She owned 2 computers and she loved to learn new things and enjoyed word finder puzzles. She would have the television on a different news channel in every room of her home. She stayed current with health and medical advancements and social events. She enjoyed discussing politics and participating in political rallies and caucuses. She will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have known this kind and wonderful woman. To know Olivia was to love her. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. Eccl. 3:1 Olivia Irma Cook departed this life to the embrace of the Lord on August 15. 2015, with family near her bedside, Those left to cherish her memory and mourn her loss include 2 daughters, Dawn Collins and Janet Robinson; 4 grand-children, Traci Smith-Allen (Ron), Adam Lingo (Abeba), Kaira Lingo and Jendaya Robinson; 7 great-grandchildren, Mariah Love, Yared Lingo, Yacob Lingo, Galila Lingo, Asharia Robinson, Malaya Crosby and Mashea Crosby; nephew, Barry Alphonso Young, niece Terry Clark and cousin, Isabelle Wrightsell and a host of extended relatives and many friends.

Funeral Home: Pipkin Braswell Funerals and Cremation - 2050 Uinta Street, Denver, Colorado
Visitation: 8/21/2015 at 4:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO
Service: 8/22/2015 at 2:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 3370 Ivy Street, Denver, CO