Esther Cook
May 18, 1925 ~ February 11, 2014
Esther Yerkes Cook, 88, of Fargo, North Dakota, passed away on Tuesday February 11, 2014.
She was born in Philadelphia on May 18, 1925 to the late Florence and Simeon Yerkes, and was the wife of the late James Cook. She graduated from Girls' High School in Philadelphia and West Chester State Teachers' College with a degree in Physical Education. Esther taught and coached in the Philadelphia area before moving to Fargo in 1971. Esther coached volleyball and basketball at Concordia College and later managed the pool and tennis programs at the Fargo Country Club. She was most recently employed at Courts Plus until 2009, and was a member of the Fargo Country Club and First Presbyterian Church.
She led an active and adventurous life, traveling to much of the United States and Europe. She enjoyed sports and games including tennis, golf, bicycling, water exercises, bowling and bridge. Esther had a quick wit, competitive spirit, and a taste for coffee.
Esther is survived by her children: Jacquelynn J. of Collegeville, PA, Stephen J. (Dorothy) of Exton, PA, and Bruce W. (Rhona) of Balfron, Scotland; her grandchildren: Theresa, Daniel (Jill), Briagha, and Coirilidh; two great-grandchildren, a niece and 3 nephews. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a son, Roger, and her sister, Jean Bailey.
Contributions in her memory may be made to First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 327, Fargo, ND 58107.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. Your mom was really good to me over the years, including hiring me as a lifeguard at the FCC. She was a wonderful woman who really made a difference in Fargo. My sincere condolences
Minnetonka MN
To: Esther’s family
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you in the loss of such a great & strong woman! On the tennis court and off the tennis court! I know she and my Aunt Margie Foss are having a great time in heaven playing unlimited Tennis. Take care and prayers to all of you!
Sincerely, Sheila Foss
Fargo To Esther’s dear family,
Esther and I belonged to a small Bible study group and it was my privilege to pick her up for our meetings. It was a time for us to share stories about the past and talk about a variety of things during the drive to and from the meeting. I admired everything about Esther. She shared so much of herself, her family interactions, her wisdom about the world, and her strong belief in the Bible and its teachings when we were together. I will treasure every minute I spent with her and truly wish I could have shared more time with her. Even though I am far away from Fargo right now, you are all in my thoughts and my prayers. Esther was a blessing to me and to ALL of us who walked through life with her. With love, Mary Simle
Fargo North Dakota
Bruce and the rest of the Cook Family,
Sorry for your loss. I enjoyed visiting with Esther when she was working at Courts Plus. She was always happy to give me “Bruce” updates.
Esther will be missed,
Vic, Missy, David, Julia, and Geoffrey Youngs
Horace ND
I am so sorry to hear that Esther passed away. I so loved visiting her at the Good Samaritan. I just saw her last month and she looked so good. She was always there for me when I worked at the Good Samaritan. Esther was always so helpful in so many ways. For a while when she just moved to the Good Samaritan she was on the go a lot but always found time to be involved with the things going on at the Good Samaritan. I truly am glad I got to know Esther. She will be missed dearly. My prayer and thoughts are with the family at this time of sadness.
Tara Messer – Former Activities Coordinator for the Good Samaritan in Fargo.