Valeria Alene Cook

Valeria A. Cook, age 86, of Red Wing, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, died October 24, 2010 at Fairview Hospital. Val was born in New Haven, Iowa to Reuben and Myrtle Larson on March 8, 1924. She graduated from Thompson High School in Thompson, Iowa. She then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she was employed at Honeywell and met and married Richard C. Cook on June 21, 1945. After raising her family she was employed at Prudential Insurance in Minneapolis for 17 years, before moving to Beaverton, Oregon and then San Jose, California. After retiring Rich and Val moved to Red Wing, Minnesota in March of 1990 where she was a member of Hiawatha Valley Baptist Church and enjoyed taking care of her family and home.

Those left behind to cherish her memory include her husband Rich, son Richard (Darlene) Cook, and daughters Gwendolyn (Steve) Wittig, Marsha (James) Yarusso, and Nancy (William) Ahlbrecht, along with her brother Keith (Jan) Larson. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren, Nathan (Sarah) Yarusso, Andrew Yarusso, Matthew (Tenaya) Yarusso, Tom (Kim) Wittig, Jason Cook, Kristin (Jimmy) Horan, Joshua (Jessica) Ahlbrecht and Amanda (Michael) Plote along with seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Stanton Larson.

A memorial service will be 11:00 am Thursday October 28, 2010 at the Hiawatha Valley Baptist Church in Red Wing with Reverend Chuck Friemel officiating. Visitation will be 10:30-11:00 am.