In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1840, Lake County
From Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa (1890)
Charles W. Cook, farmer, Nevada, Iowa. Among the many estimable citizens of Story County stands the name of Charles W. Cook, who is one of the progressive and substantial farmers of his portion of the county. He was born in Lake County, Ill., on December 14, 1840, and is the son of Alonzo and Mary (Holton) Cook, the father a native of Vermont, born in 1808, and the mother a native of Massachusetts, born the same year. They were married in 1836, and now have been living together fifty-three years. They make their home with their son, Charles W. In 1832 the father went from Vermont to Chicago, Ill., where he was in business for some time. The paternal grandfather, Nathan Cook, was born in Massachusetts and died in Vermont, at seventy years of age. His wife died in the same State when eighty-one years of age. The Cook family are of English descent. Charles W. Cook, the elder of two children, received-, in addition to a common-school education, several terms of training in the Batavia Institute, Illinois, and
,g "- assisted his father on the farm until 1862, when he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving three years. He was at Champion's Hill, siege of Vicksburg, Mobile, and was honorably discharged in 1865; then returned to Illinois, where he resided until 1869, and then came to Story County, Iowa, settling on his present property. His farm, consisting of 120 acres, is situated two miles west of Colo and five miles east of Nevada. Mr. Cook was married, in 1877, to Miss Adalaide M. French, who was born in Story County, Iowa, on June 11, 1856, and who is the daughter of Isaac and Rebecca (Hague) French. The fruits of this union were three children: Glenville D. (born in 1880), Blanche (born in 1886), and Clarence Jay (born in 1888). In politics Mr. Cook is a Republican, and his first presidential vote was for Gen. U. S. Grant. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and the G. A. R., and is one of the honorable men of Nevada Township.
As printed in Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa (1890). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1890. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.