Robert (Bob) William Cook

Robert (Bob) William Cook passed away on Dec. 4, at Brookdale Senior Living Center in Missoula, at the age of 94.  

Born Sept. 30, 1921, in Bemidji, Minn., to Joseph and Edna Cook, both of whom preceded him in death.  The family moved to Belvidere, Ill., where his brother Donald was born, before Joe landed a job as a lineman for Montana Power in Billings, where his sister, Doloras, was born.

They moved to various jobs with Montana Power in Great Falls, St. Ignatius, Milltown, and finally, Missoula.  

While in Great Falls, he was quarantined for much of his 3rd grade schoolyear due to a Spinal Meningitis outbreak, and had to repeat the year.  

Also during his early teen-age years, Bob delivered telegrams for Postal Telegraph Company.  

When the family moved to St. Ignatius, Bob enrolled in Mission High School, and competed on the football, basketball, and track teams.  

He also met Karma Papenfuss, who was in his high school graduating class and became his high school sweetheart.  Following graduation in 1940, he attended Montana State University in Bozeman, taking engineering classes and learning how to fly an airplane.  

His education was cut short by the outbreak of World War II, and he entered the U. S. Army.  He and Karma were married on Jan. 1, 1943, and he was off to Texas for flight training.  

In November, 1943, daughter Candace was born, and Karma and Candace moved to Texas to be with Bob.  Originally trained to fly bombers, his assignment was changed to troop transport in the Pacific.  

After the war, Bob learned the dry cleaning business, and started Mission Cleaners in St. Ignatius.  Karma learned the banking business.  Bob also managed a sawmill and worked in a lumber and implement store, and in 1951, started building his own home from lumber he cut and milled.  

He joined the Army reserves, but transferred to the Montana National Guard, and flew for the guard for about 20 years.  

He became a flight instructor and owned several airplanes.  

Three additional children were added to the family during the 1950s:  son Jon (1950), daughter Kathi (1952), and son Richard (1955).  In 1958 he was copiloting a guard aircraft, which crashed, breaking his back, and necessitating a change in occupation.  

Bob went back to school and earned a bachelor degree in business education from the University of Montana in 1961. He taught typing, shorthand, accounting, and other related courses in Lewistown until 1968, when he accepted a teaching job in Springfield, Ore.  

In 1973, he received a master’s degree from the U of M.  He retired from teaching in 1982.  Following Karma’s retirement from banking, the couple moved back to St. Ignatius, to the home they had started in 1951.  They lived there until Karma died in 2011, and Bob’s health prompted his move to Missoula in 2014.  

Bob and Karma were active in many organizations in Oregon and Montana, and traveled extensively.  

They enjoyed square and round dancing, even representing Montana in national square dancing festivals.  

They danced throughout the United States and several foreign countries, from Alaska to Australia, and Florida to Korea.  

They toured both coasts of Mexico, toured Canada, and visited all 50 states.  Along the way they camped, hiked, visited national parks, and enjoyed visiting children and grandchildren.  

They attended several reunions of Bob’s wartime flying unit.  They spent several winters in Yuma, Ariz.  

They were active Good Sam members, the St. Ignatius Senior Citizens, and the American Legion and Auxiliary.  

Bob was a member of the St. Ignatius Volunteer Fire Department during the 1950s, and served for several years during the 1980s on the Lake County Airport Board, guiding evaluation and renovation of the county airports.  In 1995 Bob and Karma were selected the Senior Citizens of the Year for St. Ignatius.  

Bob was selected to participate in the Montana Honor Flight to Washington D.C., for World War II veterans.  

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Don, and his beloved wife, Karma.  He is survived by his sister, Doloras Fryhling of Stevensville, daughters Candace Drader of Missoula and Kathi Allen of Las Vegas, Nev., sons Jon of North Salt Lake, Utah, and Richard of Macon, Ga., 20 grandchildren, and 32 great-grandchildren.

Memorial service will be held on Friday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m, at the LDS Church in St. Ignatius. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Partners in Home Care Hospice or St. Ignatius Senior Citizens Center. 

The family wishes to thank Hospice and Rhea at Brookdale for their loving care of our Dad.