William Cook

As printed in 1906

WILLIAM COOK, farmer, dairyman and fruit raiser of Bainbridge township, was born at Coldwater, Branch county, this State, October 24, 1854. When he was seventeen years old the family removed to Clyde, in Allegan county, and his father, George Cook, being a carpenter by trade, he followed that occupation as well as farming during early manhood. He also learned blacksmithing, and in his early years alternate between these different pursuits.

At the age of twenty-nine Mr. Cook married Miss Lucy L. Matrau, a daughter of Joseph Matrau and a sister of Morgan and E. N. Matrau. For the next eight years Mr. Cook rented land of Morgan Matrau and others and then bought the farm, which is a part of the old Joseph Matrau homestead. For this eighty acres he paid thirty-five hundred dollars, and he has since rebuilt the house and moved and remodeled the barn and made various improvements. General farming and considerable fruit raising are both secondary to the dairy business with Mr. Cook, who was one of the organizers of the Watervliet creamery and is one of its steady patrons.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook are the parents of three children, Mary A., Benjamin F. and Grace A., all at home. Mr. Cook and family are members of the Christian Church, in which he is an elder, and his political views are Republican.

As printed in A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.