The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Obituaries

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August 8, 2012

Olive Mae Cook

—   Olive "Ollie" Mae Cook, age 93, died on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at Central Health Care in Le Center, Minnesota where she had been residing for 6 years.

  Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2012 at St Paul Lutheran Church-German Lake at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.  There will be a private family burial at a later date at Greenwood Union Cemetery, Le Center.

  Olive was born January 27, 1919 in Le Center  to Roy and Esther (Pope) Jameson. She graduated from Le Center High School and DeGuile's Beauty School.  She worked in various beauty shops and finally owned and operated her own shop in Hayfield, Minnesota.

  Olive met her first husband, Sanford Berge, while working in Hayfield. They were united in marriage November 28, 1940 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They resided in Hayfield where Ollie continued to operate her beauty shop and they also purchased a farm near Sergeant, Minnesota.

  In 1946 they went to a bowling tournament in Kenyon and ended up purchasing the bowling alley and adjoining restaurant. Ollie closed her beauty shop and they sold their farm and moved to Kenyon. Some years later, they sold the bowling alley and restaurant and purchased a resort, "Open Gate Resort," near Fifty Lakes, Minnesota on Fox Lake. They traveled extensively during the winters following the warm weather,  (with their Cocker Spaniel "Blondie"). Each spring they would return to Minnesota to reopen their resort for the summer. Over her lifetime, Ollie had traveled to all 50 states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many European countries.

  After many successful, busy and enjoyable years, they sold their resort and built a home in Mankato. They also started wintering in Florida  where they purchased a mobile home in Bradenton, Florida. They also had a summer cabin on German Lake. Sandy passed away November, 1976 in Bradenton.  

  Ollie married Hubert "Jack" Cook in February, 1979 in Bradenton, where they continued to live during the winters and returning to their German Lake cabin for the summers.  Jack passed away May, 1996.  Ollie continued to winter in Florida returning to her cabin in Minnesota until health concerns forced her to sell her cabin and Florida home.  She resided in an apartment in the Plaza in Le Center until she entered Central Health Care in Le Center in August, 2006.

  She loved playing cards, shuffle boarding, dancing, traveling, reading and many and varied crafts.

  Ollie was a faithful member of St Paul Lutheran Church-German Lake and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Bradenton, Florida.

  Ollie was preceded in death by her husbands;  Sandy and Jack, brother; Thomas Jameson, sister; Dallas Oldenborg, sister; Muriel (who died in infancy), brother-in-law; George Oldenborg and step-daughter; Lynn Tierny.

  She is survived by her brother; LeRoy "Babe" Jameson of Hartland, Minnesota, sister; Phyllis Ethridge of Fort Washington, Maryland and  sister-in-law; Lavonne Jameson of Le Center and many nieces and nephews.

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